Interesting Times with Ross Douthat (New York Times Opinion)

The tech investor Marc Andreessen and his fellow Silicon Valley giant Elon Musk weren’t always the Donald Trump supporters they are today. In this episode, Ross asks Andreessen, a founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, about what led to Silicon Valley’s rightward shift and the new agenda of the tech-right faction. 

Editors’ note: This episode originally aired on the “Matter of Opinion” podcast on Jan. 17, 2025.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Is the short-term economic pain of President Trump’s unpredictable approach to tariffs a reasonable price to pay for a more resilient America? Mr. Trump appears to think so, and so does Oren Cass — sort of. On the first episode of “Interesting Times,” the founder and chief economist of the think tank American Compass joins Ross Douthat to discuss and debate the Trump administration’s drastic trade war.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

In this conversation, Ross talks to Steve Bannon, the chief strategist from Donald Trump’s first term and part of the original MAGA movement. Despite his clashes with new factions emerging in the Republican Party, Bannon argues that Trump is still central to advancing a populist agenda.

Editors’ note: This episode originally aired on the “Matter of Opinion” podcast on Jan. 31, 2025.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

President Trump may forever reshape the boundaries of executive power. This week on “Interesting Times,” Ross and Jack Goldsmith, who was the head of the White House’s Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush, discuss which cases are most likely to win in the courts and permanently expand the executive branch — for better or worse.

• 00:02:03 Donald Trump’s “moonshot on executive power”
• 00:04:16 What has surprised Goldsmith the most
• 00:06:57 Are we in a constitutional crisis?
• 00:08:59 Alien Enemies Act
• 00:14:02 The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
• 00:25:23 Godel’s loophole and Supreme Court enforcement
• 30:10 Trump’s firings of federal employees and restructuring of U.S.A.I.D.
• 36:11 Trump’s power over congressionally appropriated funding
• 41:29 Obama v. Trump’s discretion on enforcing laws passed by Congress
• 43:03 The TikTok case
• 45:46 Lawsuit over Trump’s tariffs
• 51:57 How the Supreme Court (maybe) thinks about picking its battles
• 54:24 Worst case scenarios
• 56:59 What the Supreme Court can do if the Trump administration does not comply
• 01:01:32 What a Trump executive power revolution could look like in 2028 and beyond
• 01:04:39 If Democrats win in 2028, what happens?

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

There’s a saying that comes to mind these days: May you live in interesting times. It’s understood to be a curse, even though it sounds like a blessing.

“Interesting Times With Ross Douthat” is a new weekly podcast from New York Times Opinion. Every Thursday, he will map the new world order through interviews and conversations. Answering questions like: What does our new political era really look like? What is the future of democracy around the world, with American empire in retreat? What happens to movies and books — all of culture — in our digital and A.I.-dominated age?

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.