The Opinions

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the columnist David French sits down with a fellow originalist, the Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch. The two discuss the radical nature of the country’s founding, its continuing influence on the court and why David sees the justice’s jurisprudence as “a combination of originalist and anti-bully.”

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

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As a new flood season approaches, many Americans remain haunted by the last. Families across the country are still in mourning months after the waters receded from places like the Texas Hill Country, where a flash flood on the Guadalupe River in July left at least 135 people dead, many of them children.

There is a way for communities to prepare for future floods and try to limit their damage. The producer Jillian Weinberger went to...

President Trump, the self-proclaimed master of deal making, is struggling to end his war with Iran. This week, the contributing Opinion writers E.J. Dionne Jr. and Robert Siegel reunite with the Opinion columnist Carlos Lozada to discuss the confusion caused by Trump’s foreign and domestic policies, the power of political memoirs, and whether a bill in Virginia could upend the Electoral College.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@ny...

When does shoplifting become an act of political protest? The Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman is calling this microlooting, and it describes the phenomenon of people stealing small things from big corporations like Whole Foods. The New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino and the political commentator Hasan Piker join Spiegelman for a lively discussion on what’s behind this trend and where it might lead.

Thoughts? Email us at theopi...

Despite Vice President JD Vance’s best efforts, Hungary ousted the illiberal authoritarian Viktor Orban this week. As the columnist David French argues, Orbanism was “intellectual Trumpism,” and the prime minister’s defeat could signal trouble for the MAGA movement in the United States. In this episode, French discusses what Orban’s demise means for Trump with the columnist Michelle Goldberg, who just got back from Hungary, and the...

Younger men are increasingly seeking out older women — and it’s not just a dating trend. It’s a shift in power, desire and modern masculinity.

In this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman talks with the writer and psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster and Emily Leibert, a staff writer at The Cut, about why age-gap relationships are so popular and whether they signal liberation, backlash or something more ...

Regardless of how the war with Iran ends, the damage to America’s reputation has already been done, the Opinion columnist Carlos Lozada argues. This week, he joins the contributing Opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the former “All Things Considered” host Robert Siegel to discuss Trump’s approach to power and the end of America’s role as the leader of the free world.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

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The right is known for using provocative language. But lately there’s been a push to be transgressive, even on the left — from the return of certain slurs to the removal of pronouns from bios. Nadja Spiegelman, a Times Opinion culture editor, is joined by the writer and culture critic Aminatou Sow and the New York magazine writer Brock Colyar to debate whether our culture is abandoning political correctness — and if so, why? Plus, ...

President Trump claims America is “winning bigger than ever before,” but his battles abroad and in American courtrooms drag on. This week on “The Opinions,” the national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French discuss Trump’s efforts to build support for the war in Iran. And in domestic politics, the trio discuss why even conservative Supreme Court judges seem skeptical of the administratio...

Maintaining a relationship with a convicted family member can be complicated. The columnist M. Gessen would know.

In a new podcast series from Serial called “The Idiot,” M. grapples with the fact that their first cousin committed a terrible crime. In 2024, a federal judge sentenced Allen to 10 years in prison for taking out a hit on his ex-wife, the mother of his children.

Now, M. talks about their dilemma with their friend Harriet...

Did President Trump fall for the myth of surgical warfare? Gen. Stanley McChrystal joins the columnist David French, both veterans of the Iraq War, to discuss what may have been overlooked in the planning of Operation Epic Fury. McChrystal, who retired from the Army in 2010, argues that the United States often overestimates the decisive power of aerial bombing while underestimating the weight of historical grievance. And the genera...

President Trump has his own ideas about American power, American voters, and American enemies. On “The Opinions,” the writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French argue that unfortunately Trump misunderstands all three.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur and Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Jillian Weinberger and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Efim Shapiro. Video editing by Arpita Anej...

What does a relatively unknown candidate for governor of Florida reveal about antisemitism in American politics? In this episode, the columnist Michelle Goldberg discusses the Republican primary candidate James Fishback, his trollish antisemitic views and his appeal to young male voters.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Jillian Weinberger and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Ori...

Voters are not happy about President Trump’s war in Iran — and the polls are starting to show it. The Conversation convenes this week with the contributing writer and Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, the contributing writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the former “All Things Considered” host Robert Siegel to unpack the war and what it could mean for gas prices and the midterm elections.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes....

The war in Iran is setting off a global economic shock wave. In this episode, the Opinion editor Steve Stormberg speaks with the Bulwark economics editor and MS NOW anchor Catherine Rampell on how the Trump-made war is likely to affect global trade and the cost of living for Americans.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Jillia...

As millennials march into middle age, many are reconsidering the culture of their youth. A new Netflix documentary, “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” is doing just that: exploring how a reality show set out to change the modeling industry, but often wound up humiliating contestants along the way.

The culture editor Nadja Spiegelman sits down with the former modeling agent and brand strategist Kendall Werts and the O...

Early last Saturday, President Trump announced that the United States had begun a major military operation against Iran. What followed has been a week of confusion, mixed messaging and rising casualties in a widening conflict that is causing calamity in the Gulf region. On this week’s round table, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French discuss the dangers of another “f...

The Texas Senate primary is three days away, and it’s a high-stakes race. With President Trump slumping in the polls and voters disenchanted with his handling of the economy, Democrats could have a shot at this traditionally Republican state. For this week’s round table, Opinion’s national politics writer Michelle Cottle joins the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French to discuss Trump’s ineffective State of the Union address, w...