Susan Glasser

I'm the only one that matters in our system. You know, he's long... I alone can fix it. Exactly. He's long betrayed sort of a complete... not just ignorance for the Constitution, but a sort of rejection of its basic principles. So he goes to the Middle East. He's surrounded by emirs and kings. He's greeted with monarchical reverence. Loves it. This is what he wants to be. This is who he is.

I'm the only one that matters in our system. You know, he's long... I alone can fix it. Exactly. He's long betrayed sort of a complete... not just ignorance for the Constitution, but a sort of rejection of its basic principles. So he goes to the Middle East. He's surrounded by emirs and kings. He's greeted with monarchical reverence. Loves it. This is what he wants to be. This is who he is.

It's not an accident that since he stepped on the world stage, it's our allies, our democratic allies he's consistently attacked, and it's our adversaries that he's praised. And just a point, it's not about lecturing, by the way. Human rights is not some abstract construct.

It's not an accident that since he stepped on the world stage, it's our allies, our democratic allies he's consistently attacked, and it's our adversaries that he's praised. And just a point, it's not about lecturing, by the way. Human rights is not some abstract construct.

Saudi Arabia, it's not just that they took a bone saw to a critic of theirs, Jamal Khashoggi, who was a columnist for the Washington Post. This is one of the most unfree societies on the planet. This is a place where women don't have basic rights. uh, granted to, uh, others in the West centuries ago. Uh, China, it's not just that Donald Trump wants to treat as an equal with Xi Jinping.

Saudi Arabia, it's not just that they took a bone saw to a critic of theirs, Jamal Khashoggi, who was a columnist for the Washington Post. This is one of the most unfree societies on the planet. This is a place where women don't have basic rights. uh, granted to, uh, others in the West centuries ago. Uh, China, it's not just that Donald Trump wants to treat as an equal with Xi Jinping.

It's that he's been perfectly fine. At times in his first term, he seemed to even, you know, wave away or to justify China's human rights crackdown on the Uyghurs putting a million people in camps, not a big deal to Donald Trump.

It's that he's been perfectly fine. At times in his first term, he seemed to even, you know, wave away or to justify China's human rights crackdown on the Uyghurs putting a million people in camps, not a big deal to Donald Trump.

Yeah. I mean, the fear is that an election is a long time away, first of all. Second of all, Democrats have a much harder road ahead to actually win back control of the Senate. So that seems more unlikely. The House is much more in reach in the midterm elections. But it's not just about the partisan advantage, right? The system is being changed right now in ways

Yeah. I mean, the fear is that an election is a long time away, first of all. Second of all, Democrats have a much harder road ahead to actually win back control of the Senate. So that seems more unlikely. The House is much more in reach in the midterm elections. But it's not just about the partisan advantage, right? The system is being changed right now in ways

some of which will be quite hard to undo. So that's first of all. Second of all, I do think that the drama of Republicans was the story of the first term. And Trump won that battle. That was a hostile takeover, as he and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, put it in the first term. And they succeeded in that hostile takeover. And

some of which will be quite hard to undo. So that's first of all. Second of all, I do think that the drama of Republicans was the story of the first term. And Trump won that battle. That was a hostile takeover, as he and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, put it in the first term. And they succeeded in that hostile takeover. And

Now you've essentially got Lisa Murkowski and a fully Trumpified GOP Senate. So, you know, I'm not wasting a lot of energy or breath thinking that Republicans are going to do anything other than the most mealy mouth of statements. In fact, Mike Johnson, you referenced him earlier. He also, I think, came out and said, oh, the plane crashed.

Now you've essentially got Lisa Murkowski and a fully Trumpified GOP Senate. So, you know, I'm not wasting a lot of energy or breath thinking that Republicans are going to do anything other than the most mealy mouth of statements. In fact, Mike Johnson, you referenced him earlier. He also, I think, came out and said, oh, the plane crashed.

Never mind, even though that emoluments clause in the Constitution specifically says it would require congressional approval for some kind of massive gift from a foreign government.

Never mind, even though that emoluments clause in the Constitution specifically says it would require congressional approval for some kind of massive gift from a foreign government.

Well, remember that Democrats and Republican presidents have participated in the creeping imperial presidency. You know, right now, Republicans definitely subscribe to much broader, more sweeping vision of executive authority. But, you know, most presidents want to have more authority not left. And the institutional shifts, like not just in foreign policy, but broadly speaking—

Well, remember that Democrats and Republican presidents have participated in the creeping imperial presidency. You know, right now, Republicans definitely subscribe to much broader, more sweeping vision of executive authority. But, you know, most presidents want to have more authority not left. And the institutional shifts, like not just in foreign policy, but broadly speaking—

toward the presidency are a long-term trend that have happened under Democrats and Republicans alike. So I think you would see some reorientation where Democrats to regain control of one or all of the branches of government. But I think that it's really hard to see a meaningful way where this is just going to be wiped away, given that one of our two major political parties has become

toward the presidency are a long-term trend that have happened under Democrats and Republicans alike. So I think you would see some reorientation where Democrats to regain control of one or all of the branches of government. But I think that it's really hard to see a meaningful way where this is just going to be wiped away, given that one of our two major political parties has become