The Opinions

From done-up hair to heavily applied makeup, conservative women — particularly those in President Trump’s orbit — deploy a specific aesthetic to signify their politics. Women like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina are exemplars of this beauty trend, showing off a hyperfeminine look that is at odds with how they wield their power.

In this episode of “The Opinions,” Meher Ahmad, an...

President Trump deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and is threatening to do so in other American cities. On this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle is joined by the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French to debate what Trump is really talking about when he talks about crime and the risks of using the military as a police force.

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

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine policy changes aren’t making America healthy again, the Opinion writer David Wallace-Wells and the economist Emily Oster argue in this episode.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbha and Kristina Samulew...

Artificial intelligence is already showing up in the classroom, so how are colleges, professors and students adapting to it? The New York Times Opinion editor Meher Ahmad is joined by the writer Jessica Grose and the columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom to talk about how the humanities are charting a new course, and whether ChatGPT is comparable to SparkNotes.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions”...

It was the worst thing that ever happened to Bill White — and then it became the best.

Changing your mind can be a difficult thing to do, especially when it also means reconsidering the foundation of your faith. For Evangelical Pastor Bill White, that’s what happened when his 15-year-old son Timothy came out as gay to him at Starbucks. On this episode of “The Opinions,” Bill reads from his journal documenting the personal transforma...

Three Opinion writers debate whether universities should make a deal with the administration.

In this episode of The Opinions, David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Opinion, debates his colleagues Binyamin Appelbaum and Emily Bazelon on the agreements Ivy League universities have reached with the Trump administration, and what those deals mean for the future of higher education and other organizations fighting with the White Hou...

Conservative Christian influencers are reshaping beauty standards and promoting diet culture — and their messages are resonating with women. In this episode of “The Opinions,” the Times Opinion editor Meher Ahmad speaks with the columnist Jessica Grose about how religion and weight loss culture intertwine, and why this pairing is gaining traction.

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2025/07/30/opinion/christian-influe...

The linguist John McWhorter on how language around racial identity is evolving.

Trump urged the Washington Commanders to revert to their former name. They dropped “Redskins” in 2020 following years of pressure. In this episode of The Opinions, linguist John McWhorter joins David Leonhardt, the editorial director of New York Times Opinion, to discuss the politics of language and how we talk about race.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinion...

This week on the “Opinions” round table, the national politics correspondent Michelle Cottle and the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie discuss the right’s implosion over the Trump administration’s decision to close the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and how the Supreme Court handed Trump another win.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Alison Bruzek. It was edited by Al...

Ken Jennings, the “Jeopardy!” host, doesn’t think trivia is trivial. In this episode, he makes the case that shows like “Jeopardy!” aren’t just games — they might be among the last cultural spaces where facts still matter.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek, Kaari Pitkin and Jillian Weinberger. The rest of the show's production ...

In this episode, the editorial director David Leonhardt talks to a conservative former federal judge, Michael McConnell, about the role of the courts in President Trump’s second term.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

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This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest o...

The New York Times columnists Michelle Cottle and David French discuss whether the moment might be right for a third party. And French tells the story of the time he briefly considered a run for president as a third-party candidate.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music b...

Trump’s immigration policy has closed America’s doors and could change the way Americans think about citizenship and belonging. The Opinion columnists Carlos Lozada and Lydia Polgreen talk about the reporting that took her to countries all over the world to better understand what America’s future might look like.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbh...

In the wake of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Congress passed the most substantial bipartisan legislation around guns in decades. As part of the bill, Republicans pushed for mental health treatment as a solution to school violence. In April the Trump administration abruptly cut $1 billion in funding for that program. Not one Republican has spoken out since. Our senior producer, Jillian Weinberger, tells th...