The Washington Roundtable discusses what surprised them in 2025, reflecting on the major shock-and-awe events that defined the first year of Donald Trump’s second term: the capitulation of major law firms, universities, and media companies; the evisceration of foreign aid; the sudden threats of war against Venezuela; and much more. The panel also considers the shape and state of resistance to Trumpism in 2025. “There is this tug-of-war going on about what kind of country we will be by the end of this process,” the staff writer Evan Osnos says. “It’s not just about how the big institutions will behave—it’s also about how regular people behave every day when they see things that are unbearable.”

This week’s reading:

“The Curse of Trump 2.0,” by Susan B. Glasser
“Will Trump Torpedo North American Trade?” by Stephania Taladrid
“How the Kennedy Center Has Been Transformed by Trumpism,” by Katy Waldman
“The Trump Administration’s Chaos in the Caribbean,” by Jonathan Blitzer
“Is the Supreme Court Unsure About Birthright Citizenship?” by Amy Davidson Sorkin

To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send in feedback on this episode, write to themail@newyorker.com with “The Political Scene” in the subject line.

The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.

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The Washington Roundtable’s 2025 in Review

The Political Scene | The New Yorker