The Opinions

Immigration has always been central to the American story, yet many Americans remain dissatisfied with the Trump administration’s aggressive approach. So how does the country move forward on this issue? In this “America’s Next Story” series episode of “The Opinions,” David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, speaks with Cecilia Muñoz, who helped shape immigration policy under Presid...

Tuesday’s election results have big implications for Democrats — and also for Republicans who have yoked their fortunes to President Trump. The Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle, along with the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French, discuss whether the results indicate a new dawn or a predictable political swing in an unstable year. Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com....

President Trump’s recent meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, led to a de-escalation of the tense trade war between the superpowers. But what could this truce mean for the United States in the long term, especially as China continues to demonstrate dominance? In this episode, the Opinion editor Ariel Kaminer speaks with Oren Cass, the founder and chief economist of the conservative th...

Bernie Sanders is not a fan of billionaires. His laser focus on economic inequality has made him one of the most influential politicians in the country. In this conversation with David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, Sanders explains why America’s next story must include economic justice for the country’s working class, and why progressives shouldn’t shun voters who disagree wit...

The legislative branch of the government is in crisis. The shutdown is entering a second month. Millions of Americans were given a reprieve on Friday after a judge ordered the Trump administration to continue paying for food stamps. The Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle discusses the repercussions of a weakening Congress with the Opinion columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French, an...

In the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters, “This is the savagery that we only remember from the Nazi crimes in the Holocaust. Hamas are the new Nazis.” Many Israeli politicians echoed that, invoking the Holocaust to describe the terrorist attacks. In an interview with the Times Opinion columnist M. Gessen, the Columbia University professor...

What’s the problem with marriage? That depends on whom you ask. The Times Opinion editor Meher Ahmad is joined by the Opinion writer Jessica Grose and the author Glynnis MacNicol to discuss the current shift away from marriage and romantic relationships, and what these cultural changes mean for our society at large. Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...

The Harvard historian Jill Lepore worries that citizens have become too passive, waiting for change to happen to them. She is on a mission to revive what has become a lost art in American politics: amending the Constitution. In this conversation with David Leonhardt, an editorial director for York Times Opinion, Lepore argues that demonizing Donald Trump inevitably backfires for the left and says...

The Conversation convenes this week with the Opinion columnist David Brooks, the contributing Opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the former host of NPR’s “All Things Considered” Robert Siegel to discuss and debate Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral run, gerrymandering and what the No Kings protests achieved. Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishak...

Senator Ruben Gallego won election in Arizona in 2024 by emphasizing prosperity over equity. Now, he wants the rest of the Democratic Party to follow suit. In this interview with David Leonhardt, an editorial director in New York Times Opinion, Senator Gallego gives the Democrats some tough love on border security and affordability and explains what he appreciates about the story New York’s mayora...

The South isn’t just a wellspring for American culture; it offers a blueprint for America’s future. For this week’s round table on “The Opinions,” three Southerners — the columnists Jamelle Bouie, David French and Tressie McMillan Cottom — explore how the nation’s fascination with Southern culture reveals deeper truths about race, class, belonging and the power of Trumpism. Thoughts? Email us at t...

What does President Trump’s peace deal between Israel and Hamas mean for Palestinians in the region? On this episode, the Opinion editor Dan Wakin interviews Diana Buttu, a former adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization, about her concerns over the agreement and what it really means for Palestinians. “My fear is that in this agreement, we’re just going to go back to the way it was before,...

Pete Buttigieg has a clear vision of where his party lost its way. Now Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary, wants to use those lessons to shape the Democratic Party of the future and America’s next story. “Sooner or later, one day Donald Trump will not be active in American politics. And the sooner we spend our energy thinking about what to do next, I actually think the sooner that day...

President Trump has deployed the National Guard to Memphis and Chicago and has his sights on Portland, Ore. It’s his latest effort to punish his enemies and provoke a response. In this episode, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle, the Opinion columnist David French and the contributing Opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. discuss the state of a divided America and what history can tell...

Two years after Hamas’s attack on Israel, delegates from Hamas, Israel and the United States are in Egypt this week to see if President Trump’s cease-fire proposal can lead to an end to the war. In this episode of “The Opinions,” the columnist Thomas L. Friedman explains why this round of peace talks could be different and what obstacles still stand in the way of making lasting peace a reality. Th...

What and who comes after President Trump? That’s the question behind America’s Next Story, a limited series from “The Opinions.” In this episode David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, talks to Gladden Pappin, a national conservative dedicated to furthering MAGA’s success in the United States. Pappin lays out his vision for the movement after Trump leaves office and argues with Le...

It’s Day 4 of the current government shutdown, and the Trump administration is threatening to use the moment to fire federal workers. In this episode, the Opinion columnists David French, Jamelle Bouie and Michelle Goldberg debate what this power struggle means for Democrats, Republicans and, most importantly, the American people. Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com. This episode of “The...

Aging isn’t easy, and topics like dementia and medically assisted dying can be hard to talk about. The British mystery writer Richard Osman is trying to change that. Osman has reimagined the notion of aging through his best-selling “Thursday Murder Club” series, centered on four seniors living in a posh retirement community who solve murders. In this episode, he sits down with the Opinion writer M...

President Trump’s threats to democracy have prompted a number of experts to warn that the United States is in the midst of a constitutional crisis. As the country grapples with how to move forward, David Leonhardt looks back to America’s founding, with the filmmaker Ken Burns. Burns’s upcoming documentary focuses on the Revolutionary War, and in this conversation he discusses the ideals of the cou...

Kamala Harris’s new memoir, “107 Days,” reads like a book of excuses. In this episode, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the Opinion columnists Carlos Lozada and Lydia Polgreen unpack why it misses the mark, and what it says about the “big, messy battle” Democrats need to have to find fresh leadership in 2028. Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com. This episode of “T...

President Trump’s way of communicating has wormed itself deep into American culture. His speeches, interactions with the press and social media posts have inspired countless memes and impersonations from both fans and critics. But according to the linguist and author Adam Aleksic, these memes are now becoming part of how we all speak. Aleksic, also known by his alter ego Etymology Nerd, joins the...

Senator Elizabeth Warren arrived on the political scene during the 2008 financial crisis with a very specific story about the economy — that it’s rigged against hardworking Americans. But it was Donald Trump who ran with that message all the way to the White House. In this episode, David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, talks to Senator Warren about her vision for a progressive e...

Jimmy Kimmel’s removal is the latest example of a wave of firings following the killing of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. On this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle is joined by the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French to talk about how the right is trying to redefine whose words are free speech. Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.c...

In this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion writer David Wallace-Wells sits down with Paul A. Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, shortly after the most recent vote by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, to discuss what the committee’s decision means for childhood vaccinations....

Donald Trump rose to power on a dark vision of American life: stagnation, lost greatness, unfairness. But he’ll eventually leave office — really, he will. David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, wants to know what’s next. What should America’s next story be? In the first in the series, he looks back to America’s founding story. What do you think America’s next story should be? We...