Articles from: The Atlantic

This Is Not What the National Guard Is For

The 1992 deployment in Los Angeles proved that troops operate best on the streets when the state is in charge.

The Atlantic Festival, September 18–20 in New York City, Announces First Speakers and Tickets on Sale

Festival to feature Mark Cuban, Clara Wu Tsai, Ken Burns, Lt. General H. R. McMaster, Monica Lewinsky

Red Tape Isn’t the Only Reason America Can’t Build

The failure to deploy rural broadband has become synonymous with excessive bureaucracy. The real story is more complicated.

The White House Is Delighted With Events in Los Angeles

But Trump aides know there are real risks for the president if troops are involved in violence.

Trump’s Revolutionary Logic Meets the California Protests

His military deployment in Los Angeles follows a long, disturbing tradition.

What Trump Missed at the Kennedy Center

The president may love Les Mis—but he completely misunderstands it.

A Parade of Ignorance

President Trump is sending tanks rolling through the streets of the capital not to honor service, but to celebrate power.

The Real Problem with Trump’s Parade

The military may start to see itself differently.

How Israel Executed Its Surprise Assault on Iran

Advanced espionage techniques made the most of Iranian vulnerabilities, but Israel’s ultimate aims may still be out of reach.

The L.A. Distortion Effect

Yet again, I’m running out of ways to explain how bad this is.

Trump Has Turned Deportations Into a Spectacle

The White House’s callous tactics are warping perceptions of reality.

In Minnesota, America’s Luck Ran Out

The United States is a fraying society, torn apart by polarization, intense disagreement, and ratcheting extremism.

The Week That Changed Everything for Gavin Newsom

“Sunday, I woke up a different guy.”

The Shame of Trump’s Parade

Today’s events are another step in an ongoing effort to turn the U.S. military into a partisan—and personal—instrument of the president.

No More Student Visas? No Problem.

Beijing has reasons to want its top students to stay home.

The Senator Who Failed America on Vaccines

The senator failed America on vaccines.

Photos: A Military Parade in D.C.

As millions of Americans protested at “No Kings” rallies across the country, onlookers gathered in Washington on the president’s birthday for a muted celebration.

Putin Isn’t Actually Enjoying This

Trump is turning out to be a liability for the Kremlin.

The Tyrant Test

A leader who uses military force to suppress his political opposition ought to lose the right to govern.

MAGA Is at War With Itself Over Iran

And Donald Trump is caught in the middle.

The Democratic Party Slides Into Irrelevance

Why aren’t these boom times for America’s opposition party?

We Need to Reckon With Ronald Reagan’s Legacy

Readers respond to our May 2025 cover story and more.

Trump’s Trouble With Tulsi

The president appointed an intelligence chief who resents the intelligence community as much as he does. But reality is setting in.

The New Danger in Trump’s Washington: Honoring Federal Employees

Can recognition for outstanding work suddenly be a bad thing?

Why Isn’t Russia Defending Iran?

Backing the most anti-Western Middle Eastern power was convenient until it wasn’t.

Tesla DOGE-d Itself

The future of the struggling car company rests on Elon Musk more than ever before.

Democrats Need More Hobbies

A party of political junkies will struggle to win.

How the Glucose Monitor Became a MAHA Fixation

The gadget is emblematic of the movement’s emphasis on self-reliance.

The U.S. Needs a Polite Way to Usher Politicians Out

If parties won’t nudge unfit politicians into retirement, what can?

The Myth of the Gen Z Red Wave

The best available evidence suggests that the youth-vote shift in 2024 was more a one-off event than an ideological realignment.

How Tehran Might Be Playing Trump

The mullahs of Iran join the bet that Trump always chickens out.

American Democracy Might Not Survive a War With Iran

The United States is well down the road to dictatorship. Imagine what Trump would do with a state of war.

Trump Got This One Right

The president has made many poor decisions, but in striking Iran, he acted where his predecessors had failed.

Trump Changed. The Intelligence Didn’t.

The president's decision to drop bombs on Iran was opportunistic, not a result of new information.

The Only Iran Hawk Is Trump

The president does what his predecessors would not.

Trump’s Two-Week Window for Diplomacy Was a Smoke Screen

Even as the president suggested that he was open to negotiations, he had already made up his mind.

Latinos Vote Differently Under Threat

Voters who care most about economic issues will still coalesce as an ethnic bloc if their community is attacked.

Attacking Iran Without Congress’s Blessing Leaves Citizens With No Recourse

Americans deserve a vote on the war.

Inside the Plot to Push Khamenei Aside

A well-placed group of Iranian insiders considers a future without the supreme leader.

Trump Wants to ‘Make Iran Great Again’

The president’s call for “regime change” brings unpleasant echoes of the Iraq War.

Sinwar’s March of Folly

Seldom has any action backfired so spectacularly as Hamas’s October 7 attack.

Extreme Violence Without Genocide

The plight of white South Africans is part of a much larger problem.

It’s Me, God, Explaining My Involvement

Everything that’s going on now is so depressing. I had to tune out for the sake of My mental health.

What Chris Murphy Learned From the New Right

The standard-issue Northeast progressive wants to take the Democratic Party down a populist path.

The Real Reason Men Should Read Fiction

Literature is often pushed on allegedly reluctant men as a machine for empathy. I read it for a different reason.

The Self-Deportation Psyop

With a repurposed app and free teddy bears, the Trump administration is pressuring migrants to leave.

A Military Ethics Professor Resigns in Protest

Over the course of several months, Pauline Shanks Kaurin concluded she no longer had the academic freedom necessary for doing her job.

This Pride Month, the Backlash Has Officially Arrived

Young LGBTQ people are facing the prospect of losing rights they thought they’d never have to worry about.

Tulsi Gabbard Falls in Line

The U.S. spy chief, who built her political identity opposing foreign intervention, is now prioritizing her loyalty to Trump.

Yes, the Iran Mission Was Successful. No, We Are Not Taking Questions.

Pete Hegseth’s guide to war

The President’s Weapon

Why does the power to launch nuclear weapons rest with a single American?

Trump Knows Iran Has Wanted Him Dead

Some allies privately wonder how much the ever-present risk shapes the president’s thinking.

The Tea Party Is Back (Maybe)

Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, and others are striking a tone of fiscal conservatism that sounds a lot like that of the 2010s.

Keeping Politics Out of the Military

U.S. national security depends on citizens’ trust in our armed forces. We lose that if we turn soldiers into law-enforcement officers.

The Politicization of National Intelligence

Is a shake-up coming for Trump’s national security advisers?

The Supreme Court Put Nationwide Injunctions to the Torch

That isn’t the disaster for birthright citizenship that some fear.

The Anniversary That Democrats Would Be Wise to Forget

The surest way for the party to end its prolonged slump is to jump straight to 2028.

A Reboot for Capitalism’s Operating System

Capitalism’s operating system is due for a major upgrade. How that turns out depends on enormously consequential political choices.

The Red State Where Republicans Aren’t Afraid of Trump

Some of the last remaining GOP holdouts hail from the same state.

Trump’s One-and-Done Approach to Military Force

The president has railed against America’s “endless wars.” But he’s found a style of attack that he likes.

The Iran-China-Russia Axis Crumbles When It Matters

Beijing likes allies who needle the U.S., but it values stability even more.

Trump Insults America—Again

The president of the United States seems to have no interest in appealing to a national sense of pride or honor.

Liberals Are Going to Keep Losing at the Supreme Court

And they need to look elsewhere for constitutional change.

For Chinese Students, America Feels Just Like Home

But not in a good way.

The Trend Disrupting Conventional Housing Wisdom

A conversation with Rogé Karma about whether the Sun Belt is going the way of Los Angeles and San Francisco

Trump World’s Wizard of Oz Problem

Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon don’t speak for Trump or his base. So why do people think they do?

No One Loves the Bill (Almost) Every Republican Voted For

But they didn’t want to anger the president.

The Most Perverse Part of the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

The Republican megabill could be setting America up for the worst energy-affordability crisis since the 1970s.

America Killing Its Chance to Find Alien Life...

America Killing Its Chance to Find Alien Life... (First column, 10th story, link)

The Problem With Having the Mightiest Air Force in History

American leaders refuse to learn from allies and overestimate the benefits of showy tactical attacks.

Scientists Are Afraid of What RFK Jr. Means for Autism

The health secretary’s approach to the condition gives the impression that two decades of research simply never happened.

Who’s Running American Defense Policy?

Trump’s national-security institutions are still in disorder.

The Missing Piece of RFK Jr.’s Agenda

The health secretary has been noticeably quiet about a major MAHA obsession: sleep.

Take Off the Mask, ICE

The federal government should prohibit the wearing of masks by ICE agents and require them to properly identify themselves.

Why Do So Many People Think That Trump Is Good?

The work of the moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre helps illuminate some central questions of our time.

Trump’s New Favorite General

Dan “Razin” Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, doesn’t want the spotlight—but with this White House, there’s no avoiding it.

The New Nuclear Arms Race

As American power recedes, South Korea, Japan, and a host of other countries may pursue the bomb.

Fast Fashion’s Death Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Tariffs won’t kill the industry. In fact, they might even make waste and exploitation problems worse.

The Real Trouble With America’s Flip-Flop on Ukrainian Weapons

The Trump administration has deprived Kyiv of one thing it desperately needs: predictable support.

Another Angry Billionaire Wants His Own Political Party

With this new venture, Musk is more likely to hurt Republicans than Democrats.

In Retrospect, You Should Have Known That Was Not Marco Rubio

11 signs to help distinguish between him and an AI impostor

Trump loves ICE. Its Workforce Has Never Been So Miserable.

A “mission impossible” deportation campaign has left many employees burned out and morally conflicted.

America Has Never Seen Corruption Like This

Trump’s Qatari jet was just the beginning.

Photos: The Scale of China’s Solar Power Projects

As the Trump administration’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” eliminates many clean-energy incentives in the U.S., China continues huge investments in wind and solar power, reportedly accounting for 74 percent of all projects now under construction worldwide.

The One Place Where Nuclear War Isn’t Abstract

A conversation with Ross Andersen about what he saw in Hiroshima

The Precarious Position of Iranian Jews

The remnants of an ancient community face a new age of anxiety after decades of uneasy coexistence with the mullahs’ regime.

Will Pete Hegseth’s ‘War on Woke’ Sideline Women?

Donald Trump’s Pentagon chief moderated his stance to get the job but is now pushing for change in the name of high standards.

Should You Be Having More Babies?

It’s time for liberals to engage in the depopulation debate, says Dean Spears, a co-author of After the Spike.

Going to Space Is Overrated Anyway

Trump wants to slash NASA’s budget. A Real World star will lead the agency. But everything’s okay!

Zohran Mamdani Reveals the Absurdity of Affirmative Action

Is the nominee for New York City mayor “African American”? Wrong question.

I Must Leave The FBI At Once To Solve The Epstein Conspiracy!

What good is being in a position of power when you could be podcasting?

A Strange Time to Be Trans

In this particular culture war, some self-described skeptics look less like truth-tellers than merchants of doubt.

Another Moderate Republican Opts Out

For the likes of Don Bacon, quitting Congress has become a familiar endgame.

Flattery, Firmness, and Flourishes

World leaders and diplomats quietly swap strategies for managing Trump.

Why Trump Suddenly Sounds Tougher on Russia

The real reason the president suddenly sounds tougher on Russia

Why Trump Can't Make the Epstein Story Go Away

His brainwashing powers are finite.

Censorship for Citizenship

Trump’s threat to revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship shows his conditional support for free speech.

Sexting With Gemini

Why did Google’s supposedly teen-friendly chatbot say it wanted to tie me up?

Disaster at FEMA

It’s getting harder for Americans to find relief under Trump’s vision of government.

Dismantling the Department of Education, Without Saying Why

The American people deserve to know the Court’s reasoning.

The Only Conspiracy Trump Considers Boring

Trump’s theory of the Epstein case is fanciful. But it isn’t dull.

In Trump’s Deportation Machine, Children Are Fair Game

More systematically than in his first term, the president is rolling back protections for undocumented minors.

The United States of MAHA

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is outsourcing his agenda.

The Power of the Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket

A conversation with Quinta Jurecic on why the justices aren’t explaining their rulings

Anti-Semitism Gets the DEI Treatment

University leaders may be implementing reforms that aren’t proven to work, or are proven not to work.

How to Tell If Someone Is a Criminal (According to the DHS)

“Except for the tiny, tiny, minuscule quibble that we have no evidence they’ve done any crimes, these people deserve to be locked up.”

The Wheels are Falling Off Netanyahu’s Government

The Israeli leader has been alienating his allies and is spiraling toward early elections.

The Court’s Liberals Are Trying to Tell Americans Something

Justices Kagan, Jackson, and Sotomayor aren’t merely disagreeing with the majority’s technical readings of the law.

The Dispute Behind the Violence in Syria

A strong central government in Damascus appeals to Trump but not to his allies in Israel.

Inside Trump’s Unsuccessful Attempt to End the Epstein News

The president was adamant about doing nothing. But the story wouldn’t go away.

Is Colbert’s Ouster Really Just a ‘Financial Decision’?

CBS no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt.

What to Do With the Most Dangerous Book in America

At a perilous American moment, the Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro explains why he wanted to read The Turner Diaries.

Can This Man Save Harvard?

To fend off illiberalism from the White House, the university’s president also has to confront illiberalism on campus.

The Road Map to Restoring American Democracy

How the political system can recover from a crippling lack of trust

Why CBS Snatched Its Talk-Show King’s Crown

The surprise cancellation of "The Late Show" is just the latest blow to the genre.

A Test Case for Future Funding Cuts

Panelists joined to discuss Trump’s request to cancel $9 billion in already-approved federal funding.

Don’t Degrade Church With Politics

Church intervention in electoral races is an efficient polarization machine.

Naturalized Citizens Are Scared

To become Americans, we promised to defend the laws of the United States. What if defending them now puts our status at risk?

Trump’s ‘Gold Standard’ for Science Manufactures Doubt

By emphasizing scientific uncertainty above other values, political appointees can block any regulatory action they want to.

The Pettiness of the President

Donald Trump seems to have no theory of governance beyond personal gain and retribution.

Democracy Upside Down

This isn’t the typical tug-of-war of federalism.

The Hype Man of Trump’s Mass Deportations

Gregory Bovino has taken his aggressive tactics and propaganda videos from the southern border to the streets of California.

How Medicaid Cuts Will Bleed Emergency Medicine

Many Americans get much of their health care from ERs. Defunding this service will be a financial and human disaster for everyone.

The Fight for the Political Center

It’s not enough for the center-left to oppose the far left, Representative Ritchie Torres tells David Frum—it needs to offer solutions to problems such as the affordability crisis. Subscribe and watch the full episode of “The David Frum Show”:

Columbia’s Dangerous Agreement With the Trump Administration

The university protected its funding and sacrificed its freedom.

A New Kind of Family Separation

The Trump administration is again going after undocumented minors—but its approach is different than during his first presidency.

A Bipartisan Governors’ Group Is Splintering in the Trump Era

Two Democratic governors are stepping back from the NGA over what they see as a tepid response to the president.

Why China Won’t Stop the Fentanyl Trade

The opioid that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year has become a source of political leverage that Beijing won’t easily give up.

The 2028 Presidential Race Has Begun

The next election won’t take place for another 1,202 days, but we’re already getting a taste of what the Democratic primary may look like.

Food Aid in Gaza Has Become a Horror

In the scramble for sustenance, Palestinians are gunned down for no reason, with no excuse.

What John le Carré Learned in Corfu

For authors, travel can generate new understandings of their characters—and themselves.

Trump Is Trying to Deflect Focus From the Epstein Case—Can He?

How a once-fringe conspiracy theory became a spiraling controversy

The Politics of Going Low

Is Jasmine Crockett the fighter that Democrats are looking for?

How TV Warps Trump’s Worldview

The president responds more to mass media than to the substance of underlying events.

The Pentagon’s Policy Guy Is All In On China

Elbridge Colby wants the U.S. military to pivot toward Asia, even if it means turning away from Europe and the Middle East.

The Pentagon Against the Think Tanks

Pete Hegseth finds a new enemy.

The Quickest Route to a Plum Judicial Appointment

Emil Bove has demonstrated that total sycophancy to the president can be a fantastic career move.

To See How America Unraveled, Go Back Five Years

What the summer of 2020 wrought

Hamas Wants Gaza to Starve

Starvation only helps Hamas end the war in a way that advances its aims.

Why Trump Broke With Bibi Over the Gaza Famine

The president wants the war to end and thinks Benjamin Netanyahu is standing in his way.

The Warped Idealism of Trump’s Trade Policy

The president once promised he’d prioritize Americans’ bottom line above all else. He’s abandoned that pledge.

ICE’s Mind-Bogglingly Massive Blank Check

Congress has appropriated billions with few strings attached, creating a likely windfall for well-connected firms.

Can San Francisco Be Saved?

Introducing No Easy Fix, a new three-part miniseries from Radio Atlantic, about the widespread addiction and homelessness that threaten the city’s future

A MAGA Attorney Hired Epstein’s Lawyer for His ‘Valuable’ Experience

A firm that represents Pete Hegseth and once represented Donald Trump now employs the co-executor of the disgraced financier’s estate.

Not With a Bang, but With a Truth Social Post

The president is rattling a nuclear saber as a distraction.

The Mystery of the Strong Economy Has Finally Been Solved

Turns out it wasn’t actually that strong.

How American Power Should Be Deployed

America’s retreat and its threat to democracy

A Terrible Five Days for the Truth

Trump’s latest moves represent an assault on reporting, statistics, and the historical record.

The Pentagon’s New Isolationism

An already insular Defense Department is sealing itself off from outside thinkers.

Trump Is Sabotaging His Own AI Plan

And setting America back in a race he desperately wants to win.

Donald Trump Doesn’t Want You to Read This Article

The president keeps trying to change the subject from Jeffrey Epstein, but his tactics are only making it worse.

The War Over America’s Birthday Party

As plans for the festivities became Trumpier, allies of the president tried to oust Republican commissioners.

How Democrats Tied Their Own Hands on Redistricting

Their threat to match Republican gerrymandering could be difficult to fulfill.

The Epstein ‘Client List’ Will Never Go Away

How can you prove the absence of a secret file?

A Political Game Could Redefine Voting in America

A push by Texas Republicans for a rare mid-decade gerrymander threatens to set off a vicious cycle.

So Much for the ‘Best Health-Care System in the World’

Republicans used to trumpet the innovation of the American medical sector. Now they’re taking a meat axe to it.

So, About Those Big Trade Deals

If you read the fine print, the “concessions” from America’s trade partners don’t add up to much.

What’s Really Driving Netanyahu’s Decisions

A conversation with Yair Rosenberg about the hard-line Israeli faction that has long wanted to resettle Gaza

The Flaw in the Texas Democrats’ Plan

Eventually, they’ll have to go home.

America Is Living in a Climate-Denial Fantasy

On climate, the U.S. and the rest of the planet are now in “completely separate worlds.”

Pete Hegseth Doesn’t Want to Talk About Golden Dome

National missile defense is still impossible—and expensive.

The Last Food Dye Standing

RFK Jr.’s crackdown on artificial dyes has left behind the chemical that turns food white.

Trump Is a Degrowther

What else do you call a strategy designed to raise prices and lower productivity?

The One Trump Flaw Most Americans Can’t Tolerate

Democrats should emphasize not that the president is corrupt or inmoral, but that he is incompetent.

How Trump Threw Out the Pandemic Playbook

The White House inherited a system for handling outbreaks. No one left knows how to use it.

Extreme Home Makeover: White House Edition

This old, fly-infested building needs some work.

How Not to Fix American Democracy

A new book argues for making the U.S. a “true” democracy, but fails at the essential strategy of persuasion.

How Kids’ TV Turned Into ‘Preschool Tinder’

Deciding what’s enriching for children to watch has become more daunting than ever.

Trump Is Right That D.C. Has a Serious Crime Problem

But he has the wrong answer for how to fix it.

Trump’s Dreams for D.C. Could Soon Hit Reality

The president will likely find that broad emergency powers do not give him free rein.

Teachers Have Become AI Super-Users

The chatbot takeover of education is just getting started.

Will Trump Get His Potemkin Statistics?

In authoritarian regimes, good numbers are always right.

Is This the Hardest Physical Contest in the World?

The Best Ranger Competition belies the idea that the Army is weak or “woke.”

The Damage to Economic Data May Already Be Done

Donald Trump’s choice to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t have to manipulate any numbers to undermine the reliability of the government’s jobs reports.

A Radical Answer to the Fentanyl Crisis

The conclusion of our three-part series, No Easy Fix

The U.S.-Russia Summit Is Already a Win for Putin

The meeting could reveal how serious Trump’s disaffection with the Russian leader really is.

Trump Has No Cards

Why would Putin need to make a deal with him?

The Democrats’ Biggest Senate Recruits Have One Thing in Common

They’re old.

Seven Weekend Reads

Explore stories about how why friendship could be the foundation of lasting love, the elite-college students who can’t read books, and more.

A Nation of Lawyers Confronts China’s Engineering State

As the Chinese economy surges forward, the U.S. has lost its capacity for physical improvement.

How Does Trump’s Federal Takeover End?

The president has opened the door to a permanent military occupation of the nation’s capital—and maybe other cities too.

Trump Buys More Time for Putin

The meeting at the White House today yielded little progress toward peace—but it could have been far worse.

Trump Doesn’t Understand What Lasting Peace Requires

The president hasn’t shown much interest in dealing with the messy details of diplomacy.

Zelensky Wasn’t Going to Repeat His Oval Office Disaster

The Ukrainian president had a new strategy—and backup from allies—during his meeting with Trump.

Europe’s Free-Speech Problem

Republicans are right to criticize Europe for attacking free expression, even if that makes them hypocritical.

The End of Niche College Sports

Letting schools pay revenue-generating athletes is long overdue. If that means letting squash and water polo die, so be it.

The Sword and the Book

Pete Hegseth is wrong to think that civilians have little role to play in military education.

Why International Recognition of a Palestinian State Actually Matters

International recognition of a Palestinian state isn’t just symbolic.

Trump Has No (Legal) Power to Mess With the Election

But that won’t stop him from finding ways to make chaos.

What Trump Actually Wants From a Ukraine Deal

The president has one goal clearly in mind—and his fixation may benefit Kyiv.

COVID Revisionism Has Gone Too Far

If the center and left succumb to the view that “nothing worked,” no one will remain to defend sensible public-health measures the next time a pandemic comes around.

MAGA World Is So Close to Getting It

Gavin Newsom’s parodies are riling people up—and they don’t quite seem to understand why.

Nobody Likes John Bolton

But no one can say definitively whether today’s raid is due to Bolton’s status as critic, Bolton’s bad judgment or malfeasance, or nothing at all.

The Bolton Raid Feels Like a Warning

In just one week, the administration has targeted dozens of its perceived critics, leaving national security officials angry and afraid.

Four Perfect Airplane Movies

And two other ways to enjoy your flight.

Actually, Slavery Was Very Bad

The president’s latest criticism of museums is a thinly veiled attempt to erase Black history.

The West Bank Is Sliding Toward a Crisis

Unless it changes course, Israel is closer to triggering a second war with West Bank Palestinians than to ending the disastrous conflict in Gaza.

New Jersey’s Most Notorious Dump Is a Model of Conservation

The protections that made its balance possible are disappearing.

How Abortion Bans Hurt Maternity Care

In places with significant abortion restrictions, many pregnant women experience delays, confusion, and other substandard care.

Scientists Are Caught in a Political Trap

Fighting back against the Trump administration means they start to look more like activists.

Seven Summer-Weekend Reads

Explore stories on what a person’s dishwasher-loading system says about them, why private schools have gotten out of control, and more.

The Real Reason American Socialists Don’t Win

Only part of the left’s most promising political party even wants to win elections or come to power.

Do AI Companies Actually Care About America?

“Democratic AI” is great branding for the Trump era.

Will Manatees Survive the Trump Administration?

Some species almost certainly won’t, if planned changes to environmental protections go through.

Trump’s Right-Wing Socialism

The president is embodying the type of big government that right-wing politicians and thinkers have been warning about for a century.

Trump Loses a Lawyer—and Much More

If Alina Habba’s appointment is illegal, so is much more of Trump’s DOJ takeover.

The Lisa Cook Case Could Be the Whole Ball Game

If the Supreme Court lets Trump replace Cook with a loyalist, he might soon achieve a full-blown takeover of the Federal Reserve.

Maybe a New Melania Magazine Cover Will Give Trump What He’s Been Seeking

What would’ve happened if long ago, the president got the cultural accolades he’s always wanted?

The Natural Endpoint of Trump’s Falsehoods

Someday, the president may need the American people to believe something he says—and they won’t.

Nick Fuentes Is Having a Moment

No matter how far the 27-year-old influencer pushes his bigotry, his influence continues to rise.

What’s Really at Stake if Fewer People Study the Humanities

Why the University of Chicago’s decision to pause admissions to some doctoral programs hurts so much

Europeans Can’t Tell What American Officials Agreed to With Putin

And they’re worried it could unravel progress in negotiations over the Ukraine war.

Who Wants to Work for ICE? They Do.

At a busy hiring expo in Texas, new recruits answer Trump’s call.

‘It Feels Like the CDC Is Over’

The CDC's departing leaders discuss the agency’s future—or lack thereof.

MAGA Has a New Favorite Slogan

Donald Trump and his allies would like to remind you that “no one is above the law.”

Show Me the Person, and I’ll Show You the Crime

Mortgage fraud is bad, but digging up dirt to target political opponents is worse.

A Postcard From an Occupied Washington

The presence of the National Guard on the streets of D.C. has terrified some, relieved others, and left even the troops themselves confused.

Ukraine’s Fight Is Far From Over

Documenting Russia’s occupation of Ukraine from the ground

Why Miriam Toews Writes

The Canadian novelist’s new memoir reckons with the deaths of her father and sister—and examines the forces that made her an author.

A Terrible Week for Pumpkin Spice

Tariffs are coming for the flavor of fall.

The Republican Who Isn’t Afraid to Hear From His Constituents

A lawmaker from Missouri bucked his party and held 15 public events this week. Here’s what he heard.

The Enemy That Hegseth and Trump Insist on Honoring

The U.S. won the Civil War. So why is the administration so keen on the Confederate side?

Trump’s Crime Crackdown Isn’t Holding Up in Court

Grand juries are not delivering the indictments that the Trump administration is asking for—and that may just be the start of a massive legal failure.

What We Lose by Distorting the Mission of the National Guard

A compact that has defined the National Guard’s legitimacy for generations is being shattered.

Higher Ed Has a Bigger Problem Than Trump

Universities should see the president’s interventions as a wake-up call, not the root of their troubles.

The Country Where Protest Is a Way of Life

A novelist traveled to Georgia in search of food and a story. She found a new understanding of how to stand up for democracy.

The Trump Administration Gets a Serious Scolding

A federal judge’s scathing opinion explains why Trump’s deployment of troops to California was more than just an overreach.

Putin and Xi Are Holding the West Together

Donald Trump has given America's adversaries an opportunity they haven’t seized, Michael Schuman argues: "Xi and Putin are, in effect, holding the U.S. alliance system together."

The Arrest That Demonstrates Europe’s Free-Speech Problem

The absurd detention of the comedy writer Graham Linehan underscores a deeper issue.

Goodbye FEMA, Hello Disaster Consultants

Pushing more responsibility for disaster response onto the states will mean depending more on private contractors.

The Biggest Test for the Supreme Court Yet

It is no exaggeration to say that the future of checks and balances hinges on what the Court does in the tariffs case.

The Military Wasn’t Built to Fight Crime

A missile strike in the Caribbean and National Guard deployments are pushing the armed forces beyond their traditional mission.

A Different RFK Jr. Just Appeared Before Congress

America’s health secretary has moved into attack mode.

Welcome to the Vaccine Free-for-All

States are making their own rules.

The World No Longer Takes Trump Seriously

At parades and in the halls of global power, America has been sidelined.

Why This Administration Can’t Fill Its Jobs

Making many officials work multiple roles is bad for governance.

The ‘Remarkable Ability’ Many Dissidents Share

The novelist Lauren Grodstein visited Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2023, and the protests she witnessed made her think differently about perseverance.

Tesla Wants Out of the Car Business

Elon Musk’s grand vision is coming into focus.

The Trump Crypto Empire Is Growing Up

In recent weeks, the family has dressed up its business dealings in the veneer of legitimacy.

What Cities Actually Want from Trump to Fight Crime

Proven solutions have been rejected by the administration in favor of no-tolerance policies and flashy shows of force.

Trump Boxed Himself in With the Epstein Letter

The president’s initial strategy of denying that the document exists leaves him with few options now that it has been made public.

The Abundance Delusion

I mean, what even is a Democrat at this point?

The Millennial Seminarian Trying to Turn Texas Blue

Democrats think James Talarico is the type of Senate candidate who could win back the voters his party lost to Trump. First he’d have to win the primary.

RFK Jr.’s New Tylenol-Autism Whisperer

William Parker, who says that children taking Tylenol causes autism, has spoken with the health secretary five times in the past month.

The Government Wants to See Your Papers

And the Supreme Court decides that the Fourth Amendment might not be for everyone.

The Real Cost of Tariffs on India

Donald Trump has brought new turbulence to U.S. relations with India, disrupting a partnership his predecessors considered crucial, Vaibhav Vats writes:

Russia’s Reckless Provocation

Whether by accident or malice, the Russians are risking a wider war in Europe.

NATO’s Moment of Truth

This is when the world finds out whether the United States remains committed to Europe’s defense.

The Horrifying Assassination of Charlie Kirk

The shooting of the conservative activist is the latest act of political violence in the United States.

How Originalism Killed the Constitution

A radical legal philosophy has undermined the process of constitutional evolution.

Trump’s Dangerous Response to the Kirk Assassination

Rather than condemning violence and calling for unity, the president of the United States accused his political opposition of being accessories to murder.

Kamala Harris Is Finally Creating Some Distance From Joe Biden

In her new memoir, Kamala Harris takes on the issue that has haunted Democrats for more than a year.

The Venezuelans Cheering Trump’s Drug War

To certain members of the opposition, the Caribbean anticartel operation seems to promise long-awaited salvation.

The Influencer FBI

The skill set required to succeed online may not always translate to effective law enforcement.

Leading Democrats Are Condemning Charlie Kirk’s Murder

Why is the online right having such a hard time recognizing that?

America’s Greatest Threat Comes From Within

Former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on America’s fragile democracy

The Epstein Scandal Finally Takes Down a Politician

Just not an American one

Christopher Rufo’s Cancel Culture

The right-wing activist is learning from his enemies—and changing the rules of the culture war.

Whither the Dictionary?

These are parlous times for lexicographers.

The Attorney General’s Attack on Free Speech

Pam Bondi stated that the federal government will “go after” Americans “if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.”

The Irony of Using Charlie Kirk’s Murder to Silence Debate

The conservative activist couldn’t have risen to prominence without robust free speech.

What Charlie Kirk Told Me About His Legacy

He didn’t just want to win elections. He wanted to win a generation.

Awe Is Essential

When we see ourselves in the context of wonder, it makes us humbler.

The Art of the Prisoner Deal

How Trump embraced the game of trading prisoners with Vladimir Putin

The Fed Rate Cut Won’t Be Enough to Appease Trump

The president is bent on consolidating his influence over the Federal Reserve.

CDC Employees on What Science From the Agency They Still Trust

Information on subjects other than vaccines is largely reliable—for now.

Mike Pence: Donald Trump Has Not ‘Changed the Republican Party’

The former vice president spoke at The Atlantic Festival about the president he once served.

A Government of All the Podcasters

The right-wing podcast-industrial complex is establishing new norms and taboos—and expanding the White House’s power.

It’s Time for a New Two-Party System

Bret Stephens says we need a new liberal party, and it’s not what you think.

‘2026 Is the Battlefield’

A conversation with Anne Applebaum and Garry Kasparov about authoritarian forces in America

Sex Ed Should Cover Fertility Too

When it comes to basic knowledge on reproductive health, one doctor says, “it’s been stunning how ill-informed so many people are.”

Sorority Madness

This isn’t Dubai; it’s Tuscaloosa.

Trump Offers a Golden Ticket

The president is rebranding the immigration process as a MAGA rewards program.

Control of the Fed Is About Much More Than Interest Rates

If Donald Trump takes over the central bank, he will have extraordinary power to reward his friends and destroy his enemies.

A Most Profound Transgression

In demanding that the attorney general go after his enemies, Donald Trump is upending fundamental norms of fairness and neutrality in the American legal system.

Does Trump Really Think Ukraine Can Win?

The president abruptly turned on Putin, but the sudden epiphany may not last.

Stephen Miller’s Hypocrisy Is Right There in His Speech

In the White House adviser’s view, violent rhetoric is allowed only when he and Trump are the ones spewing it.

Trump Dares the United Nations to Mock Him Now

The president made clear that he’s done “standing up for the world.”

Brendan Carr’s Half-Empty Threat

The FCC can do plenty of damage to free expression—even without revoking licenses.

The People Who Are Still Convinced Kamala Won

The left is dabbling in 2024-election-fraud theories.

Sure, Let’s Try Bribes!

If taxpayers want to influence policy, maybe this is our only option.

So Much for Class-Based Affirmative Action

The Trump administration considers even race-blind admissions policies illegal if they’re intended to achieve diversity.

Why Assassinations Shaped the 1960s and Haunt Us Again

Geoffrey Kabaservice on political violence and assassinations in the 1960s. Plus: Is Trump making a massive political miscalculation?

Is This ‘America First’?

Trump’s political nihilism was on full display yesterday at the United Nations.

Trump’s Strategy to ‘Make Memphis Safe Again’ Has Failed Once Before

The president’s plans for Memphis resemble the aggressive, showy, and ultimately failed crime-fighting strategy once used by the city’s police.

America’s Zombie Democracy

Its trappings remain, but authoritarianism and AI are hollowing out our humanity.

Jeffrey Goldberg Wins 2025 John Chancellor Award from Columbia Journalism School

The Chancellor Award is presented to a journalist for their cumulative accomplishments

What Republicans Can Do If They Really Want to Protect Free Speech

The best way to defend Americans’ expressive rights is to pass laws.

Some Clues That a Recession Is Coming

Cardboard-box demand can be a legitimate indicator. Hemline length? Not so much.

RFK Jr.’s Obsession With the Past

A conversation with Elizabeth Bruenig about the MAHA movement’s ideological underpinnings

The Pentagon’s New ‘Don’t Ask, We’ll Tell’ Policy

Pete Hegseth’s department is imposing restrictions that threaten to limit scrutiny from the press.

Nexstar and Sinclair Lost Their Game of Chicken

Broadcast-media companies may be growing, but they still couldn’t afford to reject Jimmy Kimmel forever.

The Race to Save America’s Democracy

Trump’s administration may seem chaotic, but Americans should not take the integrity of next year’s elections for granted.

Trump’s Shortsighted Campaign of Vengeance

As the president knows too well, efforts to censor or convict foes can often make them more popular.

The Blue State That’s Now a Bellwether

New Jersey is no one’s idea of a swing state. Or is it?

America’s Illiberalism Doom Loop

Republicans had real grievances with progressive orthodoxy—and are using them to justify drastic reprisals.

Hundreds of Generals Try to Keep a Straight Face

Pete Hegseth gathered commanders from around the globe to unveil new physical-fitness standards.

The President and His Television

If the big screen was lying to him, then everything would fall apart.

How Democrats Backed Themselves Into a Shutdown

Democrats surrendered a spending fight in March—and it all but foretold the October shutdown.

Pete Hegseth Is Living the Dream

A man who retired as a major lectures hundreds of generals about the need to meet his standards.

Portland’s ‘War Zone’ Is Like Burning Man for the Terminally Online

There’s more absurdity than menace on the city’s streets—at least for now.

There Is No Green Transition Without Consequences

A new book argues that simply replacing fossil-fuel extraction with critical-mineral mining is no way out of the climate crisis.

A Terrible Attack in Manchester

On the holiest day of the year for Jews, two people were killed outside a synagogue in the United Kingdom.

Why This Shutdown May Be Different

Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss the fight to fund the government.

The Continuation of Politics by Other Memes

Stale social-media comedy isn’t a substitute for coherent policy.

How Far Does Trump’s Immunity Go?

The Supreme Court’s 2024 decision threatens the system of international justice.

Trump Is Destroying One of America’s Oldest Traditions

America has always had a strong aversion to seeing the military on the country’s streets. That is not stopping the current president.

The Civil-Military Crisis Is Here

The leaders of the U.S. military may soon face a terrible decision.

Bari Weiss Still Thinks It’s 2020

She co-founded The Free Press as a bastion of liberalism in an illiberal time. Her arrival at CBS is paved with excuses for illiberal friends.

The Gaza War Isn’t Over Yet. But It Could Be Soon.

Trump may have ended the Gaza hostage crisis. Can he end the Gaza war?

The Boat Strikes Are Just the Beginning

What the U.S. government is portraying as a drug mission may be about a lot more.

The Nightmare of Despotism

Hamilton feared the mob. Jefferson warned against unchecked elites. But both thought that the republic could fall.

The National Guard Deployments Are Very, Very Expensive

If the Trump administration wants to reduce crime, it picked an inefficient way to do it.

How Trump Pushed Israel and Hamas to Yes

The president’s unconventional efforts have paid off in the Middle East, at least for now.

Trump’s Revenge Tour

The president is getting the indictments he wants, but the next phase will be much harder.

How Trump’s Revenge Campaign Could Transform the DOJ

Trump’s quest for retribution is remaking the department.

Photos of the Week: Horn Cupping, Target Practice, Pumpkin Forest

See images from around the world over the past week, including a long holiday across China, night surfing at a wave pool in Germany, reactions to a cease-fire deal in Gaza and Israel, the last day of Oktoberfest in Germany, and much more.

Just How Real Should Colonial Williamsburg Be?

Telling the full story of the town’s past is an easy way to make a lot of people mad.

How Are We Still Fighting About Obamacare?

The ACA worked, but nobody seems to know it.

The Many Lives of Eliza Schuyler

She lived for 97 years. Only 24 of them were with Alexander Hamilton.

Why the White House Is Hosting an MMA Fight

Donald Trump’s partnership with the UFC takes his desire to identify with winners to snarling new heights.

A ‘Paradoxical Optimism’ Dawns in Israel and Gaza

One era ends, and another begins.

Stop Lowering the Flag

The symbol of public mourning loses its meaning when it’s used too much.

The Existential Heroism of the Israeli Hostages

The release of the remaining October 7 captives shows that hope can survive even in the darkest hole.

The New Think Tank Infuriating Progressives

It thinks Democrats can take a lesson from Donald Trump.

Why Is Trump Making Excuses for Hamas?

The president seems undisturbed by the terrorist group’s murderous campaign against dissidents. In fact, he seems to admire it.

Don’t Blame the Democrats for Trump’s Revenge Tour

Defending Trump’s lawfare as just deserts misremembers what actually happened.

When Conservatism Meant Freedom

The biographer Charles Moore on Margaret Thatcher’s legacy, the soul of conservatism, and what today’s right has forgotten. Plus: David Frum on the current government shutdown and Stefan Zweig’s The World of Yesterday.

Vance’s Telling Defense of a Racist Group Chat

How a trove of bigoted and violent texts among young Republicans indicates the future of the party.

It’s Not a Dog Whistle If Everyone Can Hear It

A week of ostentatious bigotry in American politics

The Other Reason Americans Don’t Use Mass Transit

People will take buses and trains only if they feel safe while riding them.

The NIMBY in Chief

Donald Trump is using the power of the White House to load public-works projects down with bureaucracy.

Why Americans Should Care About Trump’s Boat Strikes

The precedent he is setting threatens the rule of law and everyone’s rights.

Europe Is Answering Putin’s Challenge

Members of the NATO alliance are showing real grit—and, for now, the U.S. is with them.

The Depth of MAGA’s Moral Collapse

How we got to “I love Hitler.”

Trump's Next Potential Deal: Ukraine.

The president has boasted that the Ukraine war would be easy to solve. It didn’t look that way today.

The ‘Anti-Woke’ Tax That All Americans Are Paying

Better broke than woke, right?

The Recapturing of America

A new history of the circumstances that led to the Great Depression sheds light on the systemic risks we face today.

No Kings, Only Decent Americans

The protesters’ modesty and depth of feeling moved me.

The Problem With Minimizing Chicago Crime

“Around here, we got trauma coming out of the womb.”

AI’s Invasive Species

The slop is winning.

Steve Bannon and the Murderers and Hitmen Who Became His ‘Besties’

What the man who has Trump’s ear learned in prison

Medicaid Is Preferred Here

At a Colorado clinic, neither appointments or private insurance are considered desirable.

The Group-Chat Presidency

What is it about the president's supporters and group texting that keeps resulting in fiascos?

The Triumphs and Tragedies of the American Revolution

Ken Burns joins David Frum to discuss how his new documentary captures both the triumphs and tragedies of the nation’s founding. Plus: Donald Trump’s TikTok giveaway and Benjamin Nathans’s To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause.

China Gets Tough on Trump

Beijing explores the leverage it now has to work its geopolitical will.

Jeremy Strong Knows His Process Sounds ‘Witchy’

The actor has spent years digging into intense characters—but he’s finally found some relief.

This Movie Makes Nuclear War Feel Disturbingly Possible

An interview with the A House of Dynamite screenwriter Noah Oppenheim and Tom Nichols

One Crypto Tycoon Pardons Another

The pardon of one of the world’s richest men is an overture to an industry that has made Trump millions.

Trump Demolishes the East Wing

Panelists discuss what authority the president may have to dismantle the historic White House.

De-Prince Prince Andrew

Jeffrey Epstein wouldn’t have been friends with plain Andrew Windsor. So the correct punishment for the disgraced royal is obvious.

No One Knows How to Pull Off the Gaza Peace Deal

Disarming Hamas may be a task that only the Israeli military can handle.

The Loophole Making Sports Betting Legal Everywhere

Gamblers can use so-called prediction markets to wager on the outcome of sporting events in all 50 states.

The Pentagon’s Version of Regime Propaganda

The Trump administration is trying to muddle reality—and create apathy.  

The Next Golden Age of the Death Penalty Is Beginning

Trump and the Republican Party are bringing capital punishment back to the forefront of American criminal justice.

The Atlantic’s December Cover: David Graham and J. Michael Luttig on “The Coming Election Mayhem”

Donald Trump’s plans to throw the 2026 midterms into chaos are already under way.

Election Shenanigans Are Coming

Americans don’t have to imagine what attempts to subvert an election could look like, because it’s already happening in North Carolina.

A Writer Who Did What Hillbilly Elegy Wouldn’t

In her new book, Beth Macy returns to her Donald Trump–voting hometown to find out how America got so divided.

The Deadline for a Major Shutdown Casualty

Roughly 42 million Americans may not get their SNAP benefits on Saturday.

The Year With Net-Zero Immigration

This year, for the first time in nearly a century, more foreign-born people will likely leave the United States than will enter.

Strike First, Explain Never

What is Trump up to with Venezuela?

Why Journalism Needs Literature

Fiction returned me to the world.

Traditional Values Came for TV’s Weirdest Dating Show

A season with a notably old-fashioned streak ended in a breakdown of Love Is Blind’s premise.

Trump's Plan Is Now Out in the Open

It’s getting ever harder to avoid connecting the authoritarian dots.

A Third Term Is a Legal Problem With a Political Solution

Republican leaders need to speak up now, loudly and clearly, against any schemes to put Donald Trump back into the White House yet again.

Mike Johnson: I Am Tuning Out the News Cycle to Focus on Self-Care

Don’t ask me about the news. I am protecting my mental space.

War Is Coming Back to Gaza

Until Hamas is disarmed, Gaza has no future.

Why Is Colombia’s President Provoking Trump?

Gustavo Petro seems to think that he’s better off being the American president’s victim than his friend.

Will the Supreme Court Side With Trump—Or Itself?

The Roberts Court has tried to curb exactly the kind of power Trump is abusing in the tariff case.

The People Who Will Determine Whether Musk Becomes a Trillionaire

This week’s Tesla shareholder vote could give the world’s richest man more money and more control.

Why Venezuela?

The United States is amassing an armada in the Caribbean as Trump figures out his endgame with Maduro.

Will 2026 Be a Fair Fight?

Democrats swept the 2025 elections. But Donald Trump is already laying the groundwork to subvert the next vote.

Is Marjorie Taylor Greene Playing Three-Dimensional Chess?

The “Jewish space lasers” lady may be positioning herself to lead the MAGA movement.

Voters Who Oppose Wars of Choice Have Nowhere to Turn

Anti-war Americans keep rejecting establishment hawks, only to see the supposed alternatives deploy force unilaterally.

Dick Cheney Didn’t Care What You Thought

The former VP’s indifference to approval made him a boogeyman for the left and the right.

What Worked for Zohran Mamdani

The mayor-elect of New York City won without cynical AI tricks.

Zohran Mamdani Is About to Confront Reality

The new mayor will face enormous challenges and needs to prove quickly that he is up for them.

Why This Shutdown Is So Dangerous

The way the president is disrupting essential services shows the dangers of his vision for big government.

The Mafia Style in American Politics

Trump is saying, essentially, If you don’t want to get hurt, you’ll do what I say.

SNL Has a Cold-Open Fix for the Trump News Cycle

James Austin Johnson has become the linchpin of the show’s catchall approach to political satire.

The Real Test for Democrats

The shutdown vote revealed how the party plans to contend with the challenges posed by Trump.

The First Amendment Won’t Go Quietly

Welcome to the third Red Scare.

Ditch the Translation App and Use Your Mediocre French

AirPods promise to perfect seamless interpretation, but bumbling your way through any language can be unexpectedly exhilarating.

China’s EV Market Is Imploding

Beijing’s grand ambitions threaten to take down the global car industry.

The Trump Administration Has a New Plan for Gaza

The U.S. wants to build housing for those displaced by the war, but not everyone is on board.

Baseball’s Big Whiff on Gambling

Federal charges against two players for pitch fixing are a warning about the league’s embrace of gambling.

What Democracy in Venezuela Would Require

Toppling a dictatorship is easier than building a functional state to take its place.

The Problem With ‘Moral Clarity’

Under Trump, progressives have embraced the rhetoric of “moral clarity.” It won’t help their cause.

20 U.S. Boat Strikes in Three Months

The Trump administration is trying to treat its extrajudicial killings at sea as routine, even as more concerns emerge from the people who know the most about them.

What Really Happens After the Shutdown Ends

Congress’s deal to reopen the government won’t immediately bring life back to normal for Americans.

Did Anyone Care About the Sex Crimes?

Republicans went after Epstein only when it was politically useful.

Michael Wolff’s Unsatisfying Explanation for Cozying Up to Epstein

The writer insists that it’s normal to “ingratiate” oneself with sources—even if that means serving as a de facto media adviser to the late sexual predator.

When QAnon Meets Veep

The dumb, abhorrent truth at the heart of the Epstein scandal

Four Simple Questions for Marjorie Taylor Greene

A few recent breaks with her party do not negate a lifetime of conspiracies.

Humans Can’t Wrap Their Minds Around This Economy

And that’s a problem for American society.

Galaxy Brain: The Internet Is a Misery Machine

Hank Green on outrage, creativity, and what, exactly, went wrong with the internet.

Russell Brand Called Me a Nazi at Anti-Vaxxer Prom

My weekend with America’s biggest RFK Jr. fans

Tell Students the Truth About American History

We owe it to Americans of all ages to be honest about the country’s past, including its contradictions.

Trump’s Toddler Response to the Epstein Saga

The president baits, deflects, and chews the scenery in a drama that just won’t die.

President Piggy

This is what consequence-free misogyny looks like.

How to Fix the Mess of College Sports

Athletic departments are spending too much money on the wrong things.

The Last Device You’ll Ever Need

Tech companies are racing to give AI a physical shape.

Death in the Time of Trump

While old Washington memorialized Dick Cheney, the sitting president rage-posted.

The Growing Fissures in MAGA World

The intraparty fight over the Epstein files was only the prelude.

Border Patrol’s Chaotic Week in North Carolina

Agents swept in and left residents to sort through fear, fact, and fiction.

Trump and Mamdani’s Strange First Meeting

A “communist” and a “despot” walk into the Oval Office …

Trump Has a Recipe for War and Corruption, Not Peace

Who would benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?

It Is Never Too Late to Speak Out

The conservative backlash against Nick Fuentes has yet to challenge the president who had him over for dinner.

The Shutdown Is Over, but Its Damage Is Not

Its effects will linger for some time.

Why Marjorie Taylor Greene Needed Donald Trump

In the sweep of history, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s time in Congress will be a blip.

Tilting the Playing Field

Trump and his allies seem to want to transform American politics into a system for producing Republican victory.

An Anatomy of the MAGA Mind

Under Trump, post-liberal intellectuals have abandoned tradition for radicalism and scholarship for vulgarity.

The Conservative Movement’s Intellectual Collapse

Trump is both a product and a cause of the decline in intellectual standards on the right.

The One Place Trump’s Power Remains Constrained

In the court system, when the president’s bluster collides with facts and evidence, he keeps losing.

The Hardest Job in San Francisco

“You spent six months to get somebody to take a medication. Was that really worthwhile?”

Hegseth’s Self-Incriminating Response to a Democratic Ad

For the president and his minions, loyalty is more important than legality.

Senator Mark Kelly Is in the Wrong Job

He should be secretary of defense.

Welcome to the Gerrymandering Apocalypse

America is quickly moving toward a system in which tens of millions of blue-state Republicans and red-state Democrats effectively have no congressional representation at all.

People Are Underestimating America’s Groyper Problem

Rising American anti-Semitism isn’t a foreign influence operation.

21st-Century Culture Has Hit a Wall. Here’s How to Break Through.

Even failures and half steps will be more interesting than the boring stuff.

What Is Steve Witkoff Trying to Do?

Trump’s envoy isn’t promoting peace. His interventions are helping Vladimir Putin and prolonging the war.

The Court Has an Easy Answer on the Fed

The Federal Reserve is best understood not as an administrative agency but as a federal corporation—and thus outside of Trump’s control over the executive branch.

The DOJ’s Cartels Memo Is Legal Quicksand

Factually bankrupt analysis doesn’t make unlawful orders lawful.

The Biggest Problem With Air Travel: Pajamas?

The transportation secretary seems to think that fashion will solve flying’s problems.

A Photo Appreciation of America’s National Wildlife Refuges

Since 1903, the United States has established more than 580 National Wildlife Refuges, designating a diverse array of lands and waters as protected areas for plants and wildlife.

The Will Stancil Show Could Be the Future

A racist TV series that makes fun of a minor social-media celebrity has attracted millions of viewers—and demonstrates the alarming possibilities of AI.

Inside Trump’s Latest Push for Peace in Ukraine

The most consistent thing about Trump’s 10-month search for an end to the war in Ukraine has been his inconsistency.

Peace Through Bungling

By its own efforts, despite the bungles and cowardice of its friends, Ukraine may have at least bought a chance for the freedom it is due.

Ukraine Says It Won’t Give Up Land to Russia

Ukraine’s chief negotiator, in an exclusive interview, says conceding sovereign territory is off-limits in peace talks

Donald Trump’s War on Christmas

It’s a bad year for shoppers. It’s a terrible year for small-business owners.

America’s Slide Toward Simulated Democracy

How our public sphere has drifted from reality to a “simulated” democracy—and what it might take to pull it back

What Is RFK Jr. After?

On Washington Week With The Atlantic, Michael Scherer joins a discussion about his story on the HHS secretary’s plans to remake America’s public-health system.

Why the Gulf Monarchs Shower Trump With Gifts

Until now, no president had yielded to royal temptations from abroad.

Trump Has Never Been More Isolated

Even Trump’s allies worry that he has become out of touch with what the public wants.

The End of Soft Power in Washington

David Rubenstein was the quintessential symbol of wealth and influence in the capital. Then Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Pete Hegseth Needs to Go—Now

A man with such contempt for the military should not run the Pentagon.

Trump Seizes Back the Spotlight

That may not be the boon he thinks it is.

Netanyahu Just Admitted He Shouldn’t Be Israel’s Prime Minister

In attempting to call off his corruption trial, Netanyahu didn’t incriminate himself, but he did something just as damning.

Olivia Nuzzi’s Tell-Nothing Memoir

Can American Canto turn scandal into literature?

Cattle Ranchers Are Beefing With Trump

Torn between supporting ranchers and bringing down prices, the president is trying to have it both ways on beef.

Trump’s Policy of Collective Punishment

“The actions of one individual do not represent an entire nation.”

Hegseth Risked Endangering Troops With Signal Messages

An inspector-general report finds that the defense secretary violated his department’s policies.

What Josh Shapiro Believes

The Pennsylvania governor has spent his life preparing to lead an America that might no longer exist.

Netanyahu Wants a Never-Go-to-Jail Card

His case for clemency rests on the assumption that he’s irreplaceable.

Three Ideas for Lowering Electricity Costs

For starters, recognize that clean energy is cheap energy.

Trump’s ‘Garbage’ Outburst

Immigration isn’t breaking our society. That’s a job Americans can do on their own.

Pete Hegseth’s Weak Excuses

His evasive responses to Signalgate are shameful nonsense.

Chatbots Are Surprisingly Effective at Swaying Voters

Could ChatGPT secretly tell you how to cast your ballot?

Trump Campaigned on Affordability. Now He’s Calling the Idea a ‘Con Job.’

His messaging on the cost of living contradicts itself.

The National Security Strategy Is Incoherent Babble

But mixed in with the ranting are three valuable points.

‘We Are Looking at a Massive Crisis’

Health-care costs are about to spike in a way that Americans can’t afford.

Putin Lives by a Code Trump Doesn’t Understand

Where Trump sees a deal, Putin sees submission.

Rage Bait Is a Brilliant Word of the Year

In the free market of language, the most innovative and incisive words win.

The Origin of Hegseth’s Anti-Beard Obsession

The fierce opposition to facial hair is less about policy and more about memory.

As Ukraine Fights Corruption, Trump Does the Opposite

Ukrainians want honest government, even as American and Russian kleptocrats circle their country.

Trump Is Repeating One of Biden’s Big Mistakes

Downplaying voters’ economic pain will backfire.

Dan Bongino Admits to Lying During His Pundit Days

Before he joined the FBI, Bongino spread bogus claims about the January 6 pipe bomber—and now says he did it because he was getting paid.

The Most Egregious Double Standard in Sports

For college coaches, greed is just business.

‘Sudan Is a Good Place to Wage Peace’

Readers respond to our September 2025 cover story and more.

Bring Back the Neocons

They could be an antidote to Trumpism.

The War Moves From Ukraine to the High Seas

New rules of engagement that allow Ukraine to hit oil tankers are a sign of Kyiv's desperation.

The Apocalyptic Potential of the Netflix–Warner Bros. Deal

A streaming company buying one of Hollywood’s most storied studios could spell doom for cinemas.

AI Business Deals Are Getting a Bit 2008-ish

The last time so much wealth was tied up in such obscure overlapping arrangements was just before the 2008 financial crisis.

Trump Confronts His Political Reality

The president has entered the lame-duck era of his career.

Trump Accounts: Don’t Believe the Hype

It’s hard to see how a savings vehicle with no tax incentives will bring anyone closer to the American dream.

Why Indiana Republicans Are Standing Up to Trump

Small-c conservatism is still a point of pride in the state.

So This Is What ‘America First’ Looks Like

The practical application of Trump’s isolationism is hardly the big break he promised.

Trump’s AI-Regulation Ban Is a Threat to National Security

The United States should not be lobbied out of protecting its own future.

He’s Undocumented. She’s Not.

A young couple decides whether to stay in the U.S.—or leave.

Sam Altman Got What He Wanted

For now

The Indiana Vote Is an Inflection Point

The spines of the state’s Republicans stiffened where so many others snapped.

The Fed’s Succession Drama

Trump’s choice of a new Federal Reserve chair could reflect a broader power play.

Trump’s Bizarre Chip-Export Own Goal

Lifting export controls on Nvidia’s second-best chip jeopardizes America’s AI advantage over China.

Trump’s Pressure on Ukraine

Panelists joined to discuss the administration’s shifting international priorities, and more.

How Not to Plan for War

The goal of Trump’s Venezuela squeeze is clear, but how to get there isn’t.

Stop Trying to Make the Humanities ‘Relevant’

For humanities departments to continue to matter, they must challenge the modern world rather than accommodate it.

An Absurdist Film About the American Dream

The genius of Problemista, folktronica music, and more culture and entertainment recommendations

Coming Soon: Season 3 of Autocracy in America

This is not business as usual.

What the Left Fails to Understand About Populism

The problem with fixating on inequality, oligarchy, and other abstractions

The Real Revelation in the Susie Wiles Interviews

It’s not the crime, but the cover-up.

The Misguided Temptation to Exaggerate Poverty

The misguided temptation to exaggerate poverty

Democrats Sound Like They’re in Doha

My fellow liberals are wrong about Israel.

The 14 Best TV Shows of 2025

The series that stood out in a year of noise

This Is What Presidential Panic Looks Like

Donald Trump delivered a fear-drenched rant live from the White House.

The U.S. Is on the Verge of Meteorological Malpractice

The Trump administration says it will dismantle a premier climate center, while somehow keeping weather forecasting intact.

MAGA’s Immigration and Pronatalist Goals Are at Odds

When deportations increase, the child-care workforce tends to decrease—which puts pressure on working families.

The Botched Rollout of Trump’s Autism Miracle Drug

Parents are desperate to get leucovorin for their children, but the administration has offered little help.

Rescheduling Marijuana Is an Enormous Mistake

Trump’s executive order does little more than offer a tax cut to an industry that profits from addiction.

The United States of Donald Trump

Donald Trump is slapping his name and face on everything he can, but America’s institutions don’t belong to him.

Epstein’s Victims Are Furious

The Trump administration’s release of long-awaited files didn’t provide what survivors were looking for.

Trump’s Power Grab Over the Budget Is Breaking the Constitutional Design

If this pattern holds, the result will be more wild swings in policy across administrations.

The Most ████ Administration Ever

The Epstein files are here, and they are too redacted to satisfy anyone.  

What Is Actually in the Epstein Files?

The heavily redacted trove of documents is shocking, disorienting, and—most important—incomplete.

The Trump Administration’s Guide to Christmas Giving

A piece of East Wing Rubble? An MRI for no reason? The options are endless!

CBS and CNN Are Being Sacrificed to Trump

Media conglomerates want the president’s permission for mergers—and control of news outlets is at stake.

Trump’s Plan to Corrupt the Media Is Starting to Work

CBS pulled a critical story after the president complained about the network’s coverage.

The Triumph of Free-Speech Hypocrisy

How we got to a place where free speech means whatever conservatives want to say.

‘It’s Very Controversial, but I Love Nick Fuentes’

The white-supremacist influencer cast a shadow over Turning Point USA’s annual gathering.

America’s Schools Are Less Divided Than You Think

Teachers are generally much more concerned about doing right by their students than they are about angering parents and community members.

So This Is Why Trump Didn’t Want to Release the Epstein Files

The latest batch includes many new references to Trump—and enough ammunition for Congress to keep pressing.

Stop Defending Bari Weiss

It is impossible to take her actions at face value given the context in which she is operating.

A Misremembered Working-Class Democrat

Can Daniel Patrick Moynihan show the left how to win again?

The President’s Busy Holiday

Donald Trump spent the past few weeks doubling down on foreign interventions.

Trump’s ‘Operation Iranian Freedom’

How many foreign wars does the “America First” president intend to start?

Trump Books Aren’t Selling Anymore

A decade into the Trump era, readers who were once hungry to learn about the man seem to have had their fill.

The Messiness of a Post-Maduro World

Trump’s apparent violation of international law will almost certainly go unpunished, but the rules and norms will be missed.

The Race for Global Domination in AI

The competition between China and the United States is about more than technology.

Trump Threatens Venezuela’s New Leader With a Fate Worse Than Maduro’s

The president told The Atlantic that Delcy Rodríguez needs to comply with U.S. wishes—or else.

Even Close Allies Are Asking Why Trump Wants to Run Venezuela

Nicolás Maduro was plucked out of Caracas, but the more shocking news was that the White House plans to run Venezuela.

Trump’s Audacious Success

The president’s operation targeting Nicolás Maduro can advance U.S. interests—but it’s unclear whether it actually will.

Trump’s ‘American Dominance’ May Leave Us With Nothing

The president’s moves in Venezuela foretell a new global system.

@Grok, Did Venezuela ‘Deserve It’?

The information war will be fought through chatbots.

The Memes Are the Point

Why the Trump administration is posting messages like “THIS IS OUR HEMISPHERE” after the attack on Venezuela

The Big Story: Venezuela and a Warning for Other World Leaders

Robert Kagan and Vivian Salama discuss the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela. Join the subscriber-only event.

Is This What Patriotism Looks Like?

Why an ex–police officer assaulted a fellow cop on January 6

January 6 Was My Fourth Day on the Hill

I barely knew where the bathrooms were. I had no idea how to deal with a siege.

The Polymarket Bets on Maduro Are a Warning

Get ready for the golden age of insider trading.

The Front-Runner

California’s Gavin Newsom would rather be wrong than weak.

The Military Isn’t MAGA

The Trump administration attempts to silence veterans.

A Trump Loyalist on the Verge of Immense Economic Power

Kevin Hassett might do Trump’s bidding at the Federal Reserve, marking a new stage in the president’s control over the American economy.

Trump’s Heathen Heart

The president seems intoxicated with military power.

The Accelerant

Stephen Miller is turning President Trump’s most incendiary impulses into policy.

The Venezuelan Opposition Has a Choice

As bad as things look, the country’s democratic forces broke through a similar jam in 1958.

A Deadly Shooting in Minnesota

A federal immigration agent’s killing of a woman driving an SUV fits into a tragic pattern.

The Anti-Vaxxers’ Next Move

Nothing seems to be stopping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from driving America over a vaccine cliff.

The Smear Machine

The Trump administration has perfected the smear campaign.

A High-Seas Gambit Humiliates Putin

Trump has pushed Russia out of Latin America and seized tankers while conceding nothing in Europe.

Deadly Force on a Frozen Street

Trump’s immigration crackdown takes a dark turn in Minneapolis.

The Pentagon Has Axed Its Office of the Arctic

The Trump administration is focused instead on seizing Greenland.

How ICE Lost Its Guardrails

The Minneapolis shooting will get less official scrutiny because of cuts by the Trump administration.

Trump’s Unexpected Opportunity

The president can help topple the Iranian regime—if he acts swiftly and decisively.

Federal Agents Are Violating the Rights of Americans

ICE and the National Guard are acting with impunity.

Trump’s Greenland Threats

Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss what this may mean for the United States’ relationship with its NATO allies, and more.

Big Oil Knows That Trump’s Venezuela Plans Are Delusional

The president’s thinking is stuck in the 1980s.

From ‘I’m Not Mad at You’ to Deadly Shots in Seconds

Frazzled agents, quick triggers, and a motor-powered protest movement are creating a uniquely dangerous moment on U.S. streets.

ICE Wasn’t Always Like This

In scaling back oversight, the administration has emboldened the agency.

Is the Iranian Regime About to Collapse?

Five conditions determine whether revolutions succeed. For the first time since 1979, Iran meets nearly all of them.

Put Humans in Charge Again

For America to function, we need to let officials use their judgment.

This Flu Season Is Rough—And All Too Normal

The virus is storming the country, a reminder of how terrible its toll can be.

The Purged

Donald Trump’s destruction of the civil service is a tragedy not just for the roughly 300,000 workers who have been discarded, but for an entire nation.

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Some Other Things Donald Trump Will Probably Try to Buy

The president is considering buying Greenland. What else might be on the list?

Trump’s Shrinking Coalition

The president can no longer present himself as anti-system, because he has become the system.

Trump’s Desperate Attempt to Bully the Fed

A criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will test whether Republican loyalty to the president has any limits.

A Breathtaking Week of Pure Trump Id

Military success in Venezuela has emboldened the president to flex his power even more.

The Candor of Jerome Powell

After months of stoicism, the Fed chair is taking a stand against Trump.

Putin’s Explosive Message to Trump

The Oreshnik missile that struck Lviv carried a political payload.

MAGA Thinks Maduro Will Prove Trump Won in 2020

The capture of the Venezuelan leader has revived a debunked conspiracy theory.

Trump’s Most Dangerous Obsession

His irrational fixation with Greenland could lead to global conflict.

The Climate Question That Economists Cannot Answer

Models can predict catastrophic or modest damages from climate change, but not which of these futures is coming.

How Doubt Became a Weapon in Iran

AI manipulation, and the very suspicion of it, serves those who have the most to hide.

For Trump, Everything Is an Existential Threat

The president and his allies are misleading the public about the threats they face.

Marco Rubio’s Empty Victory in Venezuela

Is it really a victory when the regime you detest stays in place?

The U.S. Military Can’t Do Everything at Once

Hot spots around the globe mean a heightened risk that any retaliation succeeds.

Jerome Powell’s Thankless Rescue of Trump

The Fed chair has saved Trump from his worst instincts but failed to do so for Biden.

Trump-Administration Officials Describe an Elementary School Drop-Off

Once they’ve identified you as the enemy, every action looks sinister.

Trump’s Fateful Choice in Iran

Taking military action is risky. Falsely encouraging freedom fighters would be shameful.

Trump’s Billion-Dollar Board of Peace

The new entity has a global remit and a steep price for a permanent seat.

Trump’s Mixed Messages

Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss what actions the president may be weighing abroad.

From Stopping Osama bin Laden to Killing Renee Good

Two decades after its founding, the Department of Homeland Security has become exactly what its critics feared.

Every Nation for Itself

President Trump wants to return to the 19th century’s international order. He will leave America less prosperous—and the whole world less secure.

‘Looksmaxxing’ in the Age of Trump

Meet the most narcissistic corner of the internet.

Harris’s Staff Questioned Whether Josh Shapiro Was an Israeli Double Agent

The Pennsylvania governor discusses the strange questions he received in his vice presidential vetting—and settles some scores.

The Power of Private Museums

The Equal Justice Initiative’s historical sites in Montgomery, Alabama, show what’s possible when history isn’t subject to federal funding cuts or executive orders.

‘I’d Frankly Like Trump to Kill Khamenei’

I asked Iranians whether they wanted U.S. intervention. The answers surprised me.

What We Learned About Trump This Past Year

The president’s recent follow-through on his threats represents a real shift in his approach.

Trump Isn’t Losing the Culture War. But He’s Not Winning, Either.

The president’s party has total control of government—but not what Americans care about.

American Democracy Is Showing Signs of Life

One year into Trump’s second term, the country’s institutions and civil society are still checking his authoritarian impulses.

Casey Means Is Manifesting a Healthy America

Trump’s nominee for surgeon general thinks improving health is a spiritual project.

Greenland, Davos, and a Flame-Throwing President

Trump heads to Switzerland as European leaders warn him not to seize sovereign land.

The Federal Government That Was

In his first full year back in office, Donald Trump presided over the destruction of America’s civil service, purging roughly 300,000 workers.

Your Phone Is a Slot Machine

Gambling is no longer confined to casinos, horse races, or backroom card games.

Gavin Newsom’s Record Is a Problem

The California governor’s pivot to the center may be too late for 2028.

The Real Fight for the Smithsonian

Its museums, more than any others, shape the nation’s narrative. No wonder the country argues about it.

Science Is Drowning in AI Slop

Peer review has met its match.

‘We Are Learning to Bully Back’

How Europe got Trump to cave on Greenland

Defund Science, Distort Culture, Mock Education

It’s not just about cuts to research. It’s about power.

Chinese Carmakers Are Closing In on America

The world is falling for China’s cheap electric cars. Is the United States next?

ICE Is Turning Real Conflict Into Viral Content

When officials record themselves, they become content creators, too.

The ‘One Other Thing’ That Comes With Every Trump-Era Dinner

The Agriculture secretary suggests one corn tortilla, one piece of broccoli, one piece of chicken, and one inscrutable last thing.

The Rise of the Tech Hamiltonians

The political coalition that has formed under Trump’s banner has the potential to reshape American politics.

Trump’s Rift With American Allies

Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at Davos, and more.

Police and ICE Agents Are on a Collision Course

Minneapolis may represent the beginning of a broader rupture between local police and federal agents.

The Four Donald Trumps

The president’s political power depends on his ability to play different roles for different parts of his coalition.

Yes, It’s Fascism

Until recently, I thought it a term best avoided. But now, the resemblances are too many and too strong to deny.

‘It’s a Really Scary Time’

Representative Maxwell Frost says he was assaulted by a man who yelled, “We are going to deport you and your kind.”

How the Bernie Goetz Shootings Explain the Trump Era

A notorious event in 1984 divided New Yorkers in ways that feel extremely familiar four decades later.

Colleges Are Stuck Between Bad Options for Fighting Hateful Ideas

Deans and administrators keep confronting the same dilemma.

America’s Most Fundamental Values Are at Risk

What’s happening in Minneapolis is potentially delegitimizing for law enforcement.

Welcome to the American Winter

In the frozen streets of Minneapolis, something profound is happening.

Donald Trump Can Be Stopped

The president’s retreat in Minneapolis is a stinging defeat for the national conservatives.

How Republicans Forced Trump to Shift Course in Minnesota

A flood of GOP statements sent an unmistakable message to Trump: Enough.

A Reckoning for the Tech Right

Silicon Valley’s top CEOs have been noticeably silent after the Minneapolis shooting.

What Should Americans Do Now?

We need a mass movement for basic decency.

How Minnesotans Faced Down MAGA

The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions.

Josh Shapiro Takes a Gamble on His Faith

The presidential contender’s memoir presents his Jewishness as a unifying force—and in this morally fraught moment, it might just work.

Donald Trump, Demolition Man

If his East Wing project stalls out, that will serve as a potent metaphor for his presidency.

America’s Convenience-Store Conundrum

The Trump administration’s “real food” campaign will go only so far as the offerings at your local mini-mart.

A Breakdown of the American Idea

The country’s founding principles will survive only if the public remains willing to fight for them.

Trump Shrugs Off the Ilhan Omar Attack

He baselessly claimed that the congresswoman “probably had herself sprayed.”

Whatever This Is, It Is Not Strategy

Defending the nation will take more than sycophancy, slurs, and slop.

What Oil Means to Venezuela

Many of its citizens don’t mind giving the Americans another chance.

The Long-Term Benefit of Gentrifying Cities

Bringing rich and poor together has major benefits.

Rise of the Trump Loyalist

The destruction of the civil service can destroy democracy, too.

Is Iran Next?

The Trump administration has targets but no endgame.

Katie Miller Makes a Classic Error

Does she oppose Enlightenment virtues, as her X posts suggest? Or is she just confused?

The Markets Are Getting Used to Trump

Traders have barely budged in response to recent Trump-related shocks.

The Iranian Hedgehog vs. the American Fox

The American and Iranian leaders are complete enigmas to each other—and the asymmetry in their beliefs is driving the crisis between their countries.

Trump’s New Method of Humiliation

The president doesn’t seem to fire people anymore, but he marginalizes them in other ways.

‘Trust Has Been Breached’

The broken relationship between Minnesota and the federal government

Trump’s Relationship With the Media

Panelists joined to discuss the arrest of former CNN anchor Don Lemon, and more.

Melania Is a Horror Movie

The first lady is trapped, and she doesn’t seem to know it.

Americans Love Their Neighbors

Statistics say this is a time of disconnection. Minnesota’s response to ICE shows otherwise.

The ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Could Flood the Earth. Can a 50-Mile Wall Stop It?

Scientists have long opposed polar geoengineering. Some now believe it will be necessary.

The Right-Wing Militia Leader Who Opposes ICE

Ammon Bundy’s criticism of the Trump administration has left him out of step with his own community.

Can Deadbots Make Grief Obsolete?

You can buy an AI version of your lost loved one. But should you?

The End of the Nuclear-Arms-Control Era

The last significant treaty is about to expire, and Trump isn’t putting anything in its place.

What Washington Landmark Will Donald Trump Destroy Next?

No building is safe.

This Is What Putin Thinks of Trump’s Peace Talks

President Trump asked Putin to hold off attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, which has been gripped by bitter cold. Putin showed his contempt by launching a massive overnight attack.

Trump’s New Threats to American Elections

The reasons to worry about election integrity are becoming more urgent.

The Second Death of Charlie Kirk

The activist’s assassination unleashed an anti-Semitism that is pulling the Trump coalition apart.

What the Kennedy Center Closure Really Means for Art

Central to the venue’s existence is the belief that democracy and the arts are intertwined—a vision of cultural life that is under attack.

How to Actually Reform ICE

Accountability, transparency, and trust must be centerpieces of “New ICE.”

The Murder of The Washington Post

Today’s layoffs are the latest attempt to kill what makes the paper special.

The Intellectual Edgelords of the GOP

The mainstreaming of transgressive ideas is the culmination of a yearslong conservative project.

How Jeff Bezos Broke The Washington Post

The paper of record for the nation’s capital cut a third of its staff this week. It didn’t have to be like this.

America’s Future With Measles Is Hanging in the Balance

How many deaths might tip vaccination rates back upwards?

You’ve Never Seen Super Bowl Betting Like This Before

Prediction markets are turbocharging America’s obsession with sports gambling.

The Evangelicals Who See Trump’s Viciousness As a Virtue

At the National Prayer Breakfast, the president tested his audience’s commitment to Christian ethics.

Trump’s Election Fixation

Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss the president’s call to “nationalize” the upcoming elections.

ICE After Minneapolis

Trump’s team wants a reset on its mass-deportation goals, not a retreat.

The Meaning of Melania

The most interesting part of the first lady’s film is what it leaves out.

What Does It Even Mean to Be ‘In the Epstein Files’?

The release of the documents is generating a wave of firings, resignations, and public apologies.

‘The Trust Has Been Absolutely Destroyed’

Some state election officials say they no longer trust their federal partners.

British Politicians Are Still Capable of Shame. Americans Aren’t.

The Epstein case keeps threatening politicians—just not in the United States.

Greenlanders Are Ready to Fight

Remote, frigid, desolate, and armed to the teeth: Greenland isn’t planning on submitting to Donald Trump.

This Is So Much Bigger Than Pete Hegseth or Mark Kelly

A decision against the senator could affect all military retirees.

The Risk of Speaking Spanish in Public

Trump’s immigration crackdown has Latinos wondering if they belong in his America.

When the Two Sides of the Culture War Meet

Turning Point USA’s halftime show had some surprising overlap with the performance it was meant to protest.

A Foreign Policy Worse Than Regime Change

The world is threatened by the president’s self-absorption and incoherence.

Trump’s Affordability Ideas Would Probably All Backfire

How not to solve the cost-of-living crisis

Trump’s Gaza Plans Are Profoundly Unserious

Conditions on the ground call for immediate humanitarian relief, not gauzy real-estate fantasies.

The Christian Influencers Protecting Their Peace

When can an influencer opt out of the news cycle?

Even After RFK Jr., Democrats Can’t Quit the Kennedys

Nancy Pelosi reportedly plans to endorse JFK’s grandson for Congress. Why?

Howard Lutnick’s Epstein Story Doesn’t Make Any Sense

The commerce secretary has no answer for his misleading statements about his dealings with the sex offender.

What Is Kari Lake Trying to Achieve?

The Arizona politician has wasted millions of dollars while blocking U.S. efforts to bring reliable news to repressive countries.

Protest Concerts Are an American Tradition. The Gaza Ones Have Been Rather Quiet.

Music history is full of united actions against war and humanitarian crises. So what’s changed?

Trump Has a Bridge He Wants to Sell You

The president’s closure of a trade route from Detroit to Windsor will help a billionaire and hurt basically everyone else.

What Is the Mellon Foundation Doing to Higher Education?

Its role as the country’s preeminent funder of humanities research has granted the foundation—and its president—enormous influence over American arts and letters.

Trump Is Suing His Own Government

The president is seeking billions in taxpayer dollars from his own IRS. Whether he can do this is perhaps less important than whether he should.

Carrie Prejean Boller Is Not Going Quietly

The former beauty queen, dismissed from Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, says that it’s “anti-Christian” to accuse her of anti-Semitism.

Trump Administration Announces That We Don’t Know Where the Sun Goes at Night

After deciding carbon dioxide does no harm, it was the logical next move.

Kristi Noem Watch

The DHS secretary is suddenly talking about more than just mass deportations.

The Clash of Civilizations Was an Inside Job

After 9/11, Samuel P. Huntington’s big idea was everywhere. But he missed the coming war within.

Where Trump Went Wrong in His Quest for the Nobel Peace Prize

In exclusive interviews, Norway's prime minister and the head of the Nobel Institute tell Isaac Stanley-Beckett and Simon Shuster how they handled the president's pressure campaign.

America Needs ‘Self-Evident’ Truths

The public reaction to the violence in Minneapolis suggests that we have held on to our sense of universal morality.

The Founders Would Have Opposed ‘Nationalizing’ Elections

The writers of the Constitution sought an approach the balanced control between the states and the federal government.

Why Young Voters Are Turning on Trump

Americans under 30 swung to the right in 2024, but they’re not getting what they voted for.

The Republicans Made Peace With Science

The Trump administration’s hostility to science is real, but it isn’t matched by the rest of the GOP.

For Europe, It’s Not Back to Business as Usual

Marco Rubio was more civil than J. D. Vance had been, but the message to longtime allies was the same.

Marco Rubio’s Impressive Speech

The secretary of state sought not only to reassure but to rally Europeans.

Europe Has Received the Message

Without America to rely on, the EU is gearing up to be a global power in its own right.

Do Not Be Cynical About Jesse Jackson

He was never the caricature his critics wanted him to be.

Seeing Ourselves in America’s Unfinished Revolution

Readers respond to our November 2025 issue.

What’s Behind the GOP’s Push to Demand Proof of Citizenship to Vote

The Trump administration’s support for the SAVE America Act is a ploy to help Republicans win elections.

The End of Reagan-Era Republicanism

Mona Charen on how Trump transformed the conservative movement and what the right got wrong. Plus: Signs of life from America’s guardrails and John Maynard Keynes’s “My Early Beliefs.”

Black History Month Is Radical Now

A nation that wants to forget its past must be reminded of all of it.

Trump’s Backlash to Black History

The efforts to whitewash history call for a new approach to memorializing Black history.

Why We Can’t ‘Nudge’ Our Problems Away

A new book buries the Obama-era idea that small shifts in personal behavior can greatly improve the world.

The Buzz in Kristi Noem’s Home State

South Dakota Republicans worry that she might return.

The Big Story: Signalgate, One Year Later

Jeffrey Goldberg and Adrienne LaFrance discuss reporting on national security and the political fallout after the Signal story.

The AI-Panic Cycle—And What’s Actually Different Now

Are we in another acceleration phase for AI?

What to Expect from Trump’s State of the Union Address

Panelists join to preview the president’s upcoming remarks.  

The Orality Theory of Everything

The decline of reading and the rise of social media are again transforming what it feels like to be a thinking person.

Call Them What They Are

The Republican Party has become a haven for Nazi sympathizers.

A Careful GOP Midterm Message Delivered by Everyone but Trump

Just because the president says it doesn’t mean candidates should repeat it.

The End of Diplomacy

The once-bustling corridors at Foggy Bottom are tomblike as ambassadors scrap for information.

Trump’s Chance to Turn Things Around Tonight

A conversation with Jonathan Lemire about what Donald Trump’s State of the Union address could achieve—if he doesn’t get in his own way.

The Trump Administration Can’t Kill Black History Month

We don’t need permission from the government to commemorate a complex past.

President Trump’s State-of-the-Union Variety Show

Were you not entertained?

Why Pick a Fight With Iran Now?

President Trump has yet to give a good rationale.

The Tariffs Loss Is Paradoxically a Win for Trump

The president will need the Court to have a veneer of legitimacy for when it blesses other, more damaging parts of his agenda.

The Degraded State of the Union

Presidential oratory once sought to elevate its audience, through high seriousness and artful rhetoric, but also by being high-minded and fair.

What Kind of Fighter Do Democrats Want?

The crowd was fired up. The candidate was on her game. And I was escorted out by armed guards.

The High-Stakes Fight Between Hegseth and Anthropic

Even when companies vow to develop AI responsibly, geopolitics may force them to abandon that commitment.

A Presidential Problem of Canine Proportions

Misbehaving dogs in the White House have plagued administration after administration.

The Undiplomatic Diplomats

Some of the president’s ambassadors keep getting into needless conflicts abroad.

Netflix Just Avoided a Huge Headache

The streamer saved more than money by giving up on Warner Bros. Discovery.

Elon Musk Moves Against the Russians in Ukraine

Russian forces falter as the world’s richest man intervenes in the war once again.

What Developers Know About the Dangers of Unbounded AI

Large language models are too powerful and too new to be set free from human oversight.

Trump and Khamenei’s War of Choice

The U.S.-Iran conflict grew from a high-stakes exchange of miscalculations between two men.

Trump’s Presidency Is Now in Iran’s Hands

The U.S. has launched combat operations despite little public support and widespread fears among allies.

Why Israel Wants to Wean Itself Off U.S. Military Aid

What the prospect of ending financial support says about America’s shifting ties with Israel

The Fallout From the Epstein Files

Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein investigation, and more.

What Can the Texas Primary Tell Us About Democrats?

Our reporter Elaine Godfrey on getting kicked out of a Jasmine Crockett rally

Trump’s Enormous Gamble on Regime Change in Iran

A few paths to success, many to failure

What $1 Million of Anti-Racist Leadership Training Buys You

The president of Wesleyan University objected to a recent Atlantic article—but didn’t criticize it on the merits.

Four Conditions Make Cash Transfers Save Lives

The success of other countries shows how cash-transfer programs can work in the United States.

Trump Rolls the Iron Dice

The uncertainties of Trump’s attack on Iran are enough to justify some queasy doubts.

Cuba Is Next

Trump’s campaign to take out long-standing U.S. irritants looks back to the Caribbean.

Hubris Without Idealism

Donald Trump has embraced a warped version of the neoconservatism he once derided.

After Khamenei, What Now?

Iranians want democracy. Trump wants a brief conflict. Neither seems likely.

The Big Story: The Iran War

In this virtual event, Atlantic reporters will discuss the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Trump administration’s response, the complicated history of regime changes, and what comes next.

Trump Opens the Pandora’s Box of Assassination

Killing anyone without a trial, let alone a foreign leader, involves a moral choice.

A Very Stable War

J. D. Vance says this Middle East entanglement can’t be dumb—because Trump is smart.

A War of Stockpiles

The U.S. and Israel are racing to destroy Iran’s missile supplies before their own air defenses are exhausted.

What Anti-Regime Iranians Can’t Agree On

A conversation with Arash Azizi about Iranians’ hopes for their country and what it will take to get there

In Defense of Effeminate Gay Boys

If anyone had suggested that I might really be a girl, I don’t know how I would have responded.

Why People Shed Tears for Tyrants

Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.

Trump Has Lost the Plot in Iran

Tehran hopes that he will declare a hollow victory and abort the mission.

The American King Goes to War

This is not what the Founders intended.

Pete Hegseth Treats Fallen American Soldiers as a PR Problem

His use of the Iran war dead to attack the media was disgraceful.

Is This the Best Use of American Missiles?

The United States is burning through scarce munitions while Russia and China watch and wait.

Tesla’s Secret Weapon Is a Giant Metal Box

Elon Musk’s car company is quietly poised to power the AI boom.

A Current and Not-So-Short List of America’s Global Conflicts

The Iran war is one in an extensive list of Trump-era interventions.

Talk to Your Doctor About Your Distrust of Public Health

The Trump administration wants Americans to have more conversations with their physicians. But it also can’t seem to stop disparaging the medical establishment.

Trump’s Unauthorized War

The Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the power to mobilize the military—and for good reason.

U.S. Capabilities Are Showing Signs of Rot

When a military force begins to decline, the first symptoms may be subtle.

Six Days of War, 10 Rationales

The administration has laid out a buffet of reasons for Operation Epic Fury—take your pick.

Hollywood Isn’t Directly Attacking Trump. It’s Doing Something More Interesting.

Less “what we need right now” and more “what it feels like to be alive.”

How Iran Could Retaliate Around the World

The regime is weakened but has very little to lose.

Anthropic’s Ethical Stand Could Be Paying Off

The AI company gave up a $200 million contract—and might be getting something more valuable in return.

An Air-Campaign Primer

The United States has seldom waged the sort of campaign now under way in Iran.

The Iranian Regime Doubles Down

Trump was hoping for an Iranian Delcy Rodríguez. Instead he may have produced an Iranian Kim Jong Un.

Just Don’t Say the W-Word

Trump’s administration has both used and avoided the word war in ways that seek glory and evade responsibility.

I Recognize the Look on Liam Ramos’s Face

The 5-year-old was briefly held at Dilley, where families are sent after ICE roundups.

The Police Report Complicating a White House Endorsement

A woman’s allegations of rape against a Republican House candidate have put Trump in a bind.

The Members of Congress Openly Attacking Muslim Americans

The United States is experiencing a resurgence of the attacks on Muslims and Islam that were common at that time—but this time with a president who has encouraged them.

The Republican Who Wants to Banish His Own Constituents

Representative Andy Ogles wrote on Monday that “Muslims don’t belong in American society.” He represents thousands of them in Congress.

Dubai’s Army of Influencers Gets Back in Line

After briefly playing war correspondents, their tune changed.

In War, the Enemy Always Gets a Vote

The Trump administration didn’t expect Iran to target the Strait of Hormuz.

The Jolene Doctrine

General Stanley McChrystal’s analysis of Donald Trump, courtesy of Dolly Parton

A Test for Trump’s Most Faithful

The longer the Iran war drags on, the more the president risks splintering a historically unified base.

High Stakes, and a Low Bar, For Markwayne Mullin at DHS

Trump’s nominee has one big thing going for him: He’s not Kristi Noem.

Why Trump Got Sick of Ric Grenell

The outgoing president of the Kennedy Center leaves the institution renamed, nearly closed, and wildly unpopular.

China’s Axis of Autocracy Isn’t Looking So Hot

Perhaps inadvertently, Trump is revealing the limits of Beijing’s friendship.

J. D. Vance Learns What Mike Pence Already Knows

The vice president is realizing that signing on with Donald Trump might seem like a shortcut to the top, but it’s actually a guarantee of humiliation.

Strength Means Owning Our Mistakes

Anyone can claim credit for success. A true leader knows how to handle failure.

What Happens Now to Kristi Noem’s Warehouse Jails?

DHS’s next leader will inherit a fast-moving $38 billion plan for industrial-scale immigrant detention.

The College-Educated Working Class

Can a generation of graduates frustrated by their economic prospects change American labor politics?

How Washington Can Help Lebanon

America has a historic opportunity for diplomacy, if Trump is willing to take it.

The Border Wall Is Back

With $46.5 billion to blow, Trump has resumed construction, even in remote areas with few illegal crossings.

The Cautionary Tale of Joe Kent

The conspiracist anti-war activist completely misunderstood the movement and the president he served.

One War, Two Mistakes

Those who favor the conflict with Iran and those who oppose it are each making a very large error.

I Remember a World Without Vaccines

Readers respond to our January 2026 cover story.

How ‘America First’ Became ‘America Alone’

The dangerous fantasy of total independence

Democrats Have a ‘Slopulism’ Problem

The party still refuses to prioritize the most important parts of its agenda and make the case that they’re worth paying for.

The Iran War’s Next Threat Is to Food and Water

A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could unleash a humanitarian crisis.

Trump Is Betraying Iran’s Pro-Democracy Protesters

He toyed with their hopes, raising expectations he never meant to fulfill.

Trump Is Kicking the Economy While It’s Down

How the war with Iran could lead to a recession

What Paul Ehrlich’s Fear of Scarcity Did to American Politics

Ehrlich’s lurid predictions of imminent planetary doom captivated the public, but they did not come true.

Trump Had No Plan B for Iran

And it shows.

The Hostile Corporate Takeover of an Entire Country

What Trump wrought in Venezuela could have come from a Wall Street playbook.

We’d Be Winning This War if It Weren’t for Your Coverage

Clap! Why don’t you clap?

The State That Decided to Topple a Political Giant

Phil Berger has been the most powerful person in North Carolina for 15 years. That wasn’t enough to save him from voters’ anger at incumbents and legalized gambling.

How Does Trump Define Victory in Iran?

Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss growing opposition to President Trump’s attacks on Iran and what winning a war with unclear objectives could like.

Donald Trump Is Nothing Like Robert Mueller

The absurdity of a man who avoided Vietnam due to “bone spurs” dancing on the grave of a decorated combat veteran

Trump’s Eye Is Already on Cuba

“Regime change is lined up,” awaiting the president’s signal, according to one administration official.

The Lecture I Couldn’t Give

Now more than ever, our armed forces need to understand the history of civil-military relations.

How to Fix DHS

The answer to the agency’s abuses is not reform; it is wholesale disassembly and restructuring.

Europe’s Far Right Is Turning on Trump

The president’s attempt to influence elections across the Atlantic is backfiring.

Iran Is Trying to Defeat America in the Living Room

The regime knows that its best ally against American power is American public opinion.

When Warning Lights Flash Red

Americans are learning that public safety is not a given.

A Useful Way to Understand Trump’s Decision Making

The war in Iran is a reminder that market movements can play an important role in the president’s decision making.

Why America’s Catholic Bishops Started Sounding Liberal

Trump’s second term has transformed the priorities of the U.S. Catholic hierarchy.

Abandoned by America

An Afghan family in hiding waits in fear and hope.

Trump Is Asking to Be Bailed Out Again

The president’s eagerness to act keeps getting him into difficult spots—which he then demands that legislators and the public help him escape.

The Deep Risk That Republican Hawks Overlooked

If the Iran war goes badly, the isolationist, anti-Israel wing of the party is likely to steer the GOP’s future.

The Far-Right Algorithm: Anti-Churchill, Anti-West

The historian Andrew Roberts on why many right-wing podcasters now believe that the wrong side won the Second World War, and the rise of algorithmically driven pseudo-historians. Plus: Trump is looking for an off-ramp from his war in Iran, and Gore Vidal’s no…

Where Are All the Campus Protests?

Two years ago, students occupied buildings and colonized the quad. Now the same places are strangely silent.

The U.S. and Iran Are Fighting a Massively Asymmetrical War

The Strait of Hormuz presents a classic war theater for an insurgency to bog down superior forces.

The War With Iran Is Exposing Big Problems for the Military

What we have learned about the strengths and weaknesses of the American way of war

LaGuardia’s Air Traffic Controllers Had Too Much to Do

Having two controllers on a midnight shift might be standard procedure, but they can still be overwhelmed.

Critics Have a New Way to Describe the Trump Administration

Calling his presidency a “regime” has some benefits, but it underestimates the resilience of the 250-year-old republic.

E-Verify Is No Silver Bullet

Focusing enforcement on employers might be the easiest choice in immigration policy—just as soon as you make all of the hard ones.

Meet the New ICE

Same as the old ICE?

The First Post-Reality Political Campaign

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is waging cognitive warfare on a new scale.

Airfare Is Just the Beginning

Expensive plane tickets are a preview of what could come next.

Trump’s Mixed Messages About Iran

Panelists joined to discuss the president’s shifting answers to how the conflict could end.

How Nick Fuentes Is Charming the Left

Viral clips of the far-right white supremacist make him palatable to progressives.

Photos From the Third Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protest

More than 3,000 marches and rallies took place yesterday in cities and towns across America during the third “No Kings” event, where millions protested against the policies and actions of President Trump and his administration.

Iran Has Broken the Trump Coalition

How many times can a coalition crack before it shatters?

Does the Constitution Protect This Congresswoman From Trump?

LaMonica McIver of New Jersey is arguing that the Department of Justice can’t prosecute her for an incident last May at an ICE facility.

MAHA Has Been Given an Impossible Task

The Trump administration seems to be leaning on the movement as a distraction.

Trump’s ‘Regime Change’ Swerve

Trump’s statement about Iran is premature.

The Gen Z Christian Revival That Wasn’t

Some pastors and politicians claim that a Christian revival is afoot among young Americans. Nationwide data tell a different story.

Trump’s Fateful Choice

The military is waiting for the president’s go-ahead for high-risk ground operations in Iran.

The Anger Trailing Congress Around the Country

Even TMZ is channeling the national discontent.

The Pro-Immigrant Case for Opposing Illegal Immigration

Any viable reform coalition has to include voters who oppose unlawful immigration but support legal channels.

Young People Are Falling Behind, but Not Because of AI

The case that AI is already stealing young people’s jobs is based on a statistical mirage.

An Army Shake-Up in the Middle of a War

A general is ousted and the Army secretary is in jeopardy, sources say.

Hegseth’s War on America’s Military

Someone needs to explain the Pentagon purges to the American people.

The Iranian Opposition’s Urgent Task

A fractious movement is coming to recognize the need for common ground.

Why Trump Thinks He Can Walk Away From the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. is feeling much less pain than its allies are.

The War in Iran Is a Failure of Intelligence

But not in the way you might think

This Is Not How Presidents Typically Communicate

In an Easter Sunday blast, Donald Trump broke with the way his predecessors comported themselves during times of war.

Venezuela Seems to Be Going … Well?

The administration’s plan is working, but democracy remains elusive.

The $97 Million Utah Warehouse ICE Bought for $145 Million

Trump wants industrial-size immigration jails, and money is no obstacle.

Did Trump Just Threaten to Use Nuclear Weapons in Iran?

If such an order comes to pass, the military can and must refuse.

Trump’s MAGA World Cup