Jonathan Lemire

The Bubble-Wrapped President Trump surrounds himself with those who flatter him in places where he is comfortable.

There were tentative plans to get Trump on the road to support the Big Beautiful Bill

But he instead focused on Gaza and Putin summit - and didn’t want to face questions when Epstein scandal exploded

This year’s GOP candidates also only got tele-rallies www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The Bubble-Wrapped President Trump surrounds himself with those who flatter him in places where he is comfortable.

Trump’s echo chamber:

Very little U.S travel

No rallies or contact with supporters

Right-wing media

Dinners with rich donors and billionaires

Truth Social

Lack of staff to tell him no www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The Bubble-Wrapped President Trump surrounds himself with those who flatter him in places where he is comfortable.

Trump’s rallies always gave him a feel for his base - and a chance to meet local leaders

In the first year of initial term, he did a lot of domestic travel. This October and November: not a single U.S. trip beyond his own clubs www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump Has Never Been More Isolated Even Trump’s allies worry that he has become out of touch with what the public wants.

NEW: President Trump has never before been in such an echo chamber

His domestic travel has basically stopped. He sees rich donors and MAGA media, not actual voters

Everyone around him is saying he is right. But polls show more Americans think he is wrong www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The Trump Steamroller Is Broken Infighting. Bad polls. Party divisions. Midterm fears. It’s all back.

The Trump Steamroller Is Broken

Infighting. Bad polls. Party divisions. Midterm fears. It’s all back. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The Trump Steamroller Is Broken Infighting. Bad polls. Party divisions. Midterm fears. It’s all back.

“A rare GOP rebellion on Capitol Hill rattled the West Wing and embarrassed Trump. And although the White House likes to project a political image of never surrendering, a pair of retreats in the past few days has punctured Trump’s aura of invincibility” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump 2.0 Suddenly Looks Like Trump 1.0 Infighting. Bad polls. Party divisions. Midterm fears. It’s all back.

NEW: Ten months into the president’s second term, Trump 2.0 is for the first time starting to resemble the chaotic original

That new sense of political weakness has emboldened Democrats and given the GOP a chance to - just maybe - create a little space www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Epstein Returns at the Worst Time for Trump The president is desperate to make the questions go away, but there is no sign they will.

All this, of course, raises the question:

What exactly is Trump trying to prevent from being released? www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Epstein Returns at the Worst Time for Trump The president is desperate to make the questions go away, but there is no sign they will.

Some dread has crept into the West Wing now that Trump faces a rare rebuke from fellow Republicans, including some who have been among his most loyal MAGA foot soldiers

But though his efforts to bully the House failed, Trump may push GOP senators next www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Epstein Returns at the Worst Time for Trump The president is desperate to make the questions go away, but there is no sign they will.

NEW: Jeffrey Epstein is dead

But the scandal continues to shadow Trump and its reemergence dealt another blow to a president already at the weakest moment of his second term

Even a Trump ally says he is “not acting like someone who has nothing to hide” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Just When It Looked Like the Shutdown Might End Election Day happened.

NEW: Momentum was building towards ending the shutdown

And then Election Day happened

Quiet negotiations do continue. But both sides are digging in for a potentially long fight

Trump shows no interest in comprising. And more real-world pain is coming www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Mamdani Is the Foil Trump Wants Prepare to hear a lot about New York’s new mayor.

“Mamdani will take the oath of office on January 1 and start leading a city of nearly 8.5 million people. The five boroughs’ residents-–some excited, some uncertain-–will be watching. And so will one ex–New Yorker about 200 miles south” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Mamdani Is the Foil Trump Wants Prepare to hear a lot about New York’s new mayor.

Trump scrapped the Gateway Tunnel but has largely spared New York City - until now

He was waiting for the mayor’s race. But with Mamdani’s win, Trump intends to pressure NYC: ICE raids, National Guard, more cancelled projects

Mamdani says he’s ready www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Mamdani Is the Foil Trump Wants Prepare to hear a lot about New York’s new mayor.

NEW: Zohran Mamdani will be the unlikeliest mayor in NYC history

He vanquished Cuomo (again) and will have to trade lofty promises for gritty governing

And now Mamdani faces a war with the president, himself a New Yorker. It’s the fight Trump wants www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Don’t Blow This, Baseball The thrilling World Series shows that baseball is truly back—just in time for its next crisis.

We get a Game 7 tonight

Baseball is thriving. Don’t blow it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Don’t Blow This, Baseball The thrilling World Series shows that baseball is truly back—just in time for its next crisis.

NEW: Baseball is thriving. Now please, MLB, don’t blow it

A classic World Series shows again that the sport is back. But a long work stoppage looms after next year - and risks enraging fans and undoing all of the game’s momentum

Make a deal. My latest: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

The Government Is Closed. The President Is MIA. Trump has been busy with everything but the government shutdown.

“But when it comes to the government shutdown, Trump barely seems to be paying attention” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Government Is Closed. The President Is MIA. Trump has been busy with everything but the government shutdown.

“The president loves the idea of DONALD J. TRUMP BALLROOM—written in gold letters—etched in the White House. (He recently told reporters that he would not name it after himself, and, if you believe that, we’ve got a fully intact East Wing to sell you)” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Government Is Closed. The President Is MIA. Trump has been busy with everything but the government shutdown.

NEW: The government is closed. The President is MIA

Believing Democrats would splinter, Trump deliberately ignored the shutdown. But his polls have tumbled. And more Americans will hurt in the days ahead

Now even some in GOP think Trump needs to act www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The U.S. Is Preparing for War in Venezuela More U.S.-military firepower is headed to the Caribbean as Trump escalates his anti-Maduro rhetoric.

The U.S. hasn’t sent this many ships to the Caribbean since the Cuban missile crisis

The carrier group provides far more firepower than needed for occasional attacks on boats. But the ships could be ideal for launching a stream of strikes inside Venezuela www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

The U.S. Is Preparing for War in Venezuela More U.S.-military firepower is headed to the Caribbean as Trump escalates his anti-Maduro rhetoric.

Admiral Alvin Halsey left his post atop the Pentagon’s Southern Command after a tense meeting with Hegseth over Caribbean boat strikes

Since then, the U.S. has moved far closer to war in Venezuela. The next step could be attacks on land www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

‘Let Them Both Claim Victory’ Donald Trump has boasted that the Ukraine war would be easy to solve. It didn’t look that way today.

Zelensky went to Washington thinking he was getting Tomahawks. But he was undercut by Putin’s surprise call and summit invitation

Zelensky hoped to build on momentum from Gaza deal to push for an Ukraine ceasefire. But once again he got little from Trump www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

‘Let Them Both Claim Victory’ Donald Trump has boasted that the Ukraine war would be easy to solve. It didn’t look that way today.

The week began with a diplomatic breakthrough and a (fragile) cease-fire in one war. It ends with another conflict stuck in a bloody, frustrating rut

Trump got the Gaza deal by applying full pressure. But in Ukraine, he again would not push Putin www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Why Democrats Think They’re Winning the Shutdown Fight They’ve clearly succeeded in elevating the issue of health care.

NEW: Why Democrats Think They’re Winning the Shutdown Fight

The party has found its footing and succeeded in elevating the issue of health care

Cracks are starting to show in the Republican front - with polls showing the GOP taking more of the blame www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Boat Strikes Are Just the Beginning What the Trump administration is portraying as a drug mission may be about a lot more.

NEW: The Trump administration is portraying its boat-bombing campaign near Venezuela as an anti-drug mission

The evidence suggests it's about a lot more www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Retribution Is Here The president’s threats of revenge are no longer bluster.

First James Comey. Now Letitia James.

Trump’s retribution is here www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Retribution Is Here The president’s threats of revenge are no longer bluster.

“It bears pausing on the starkness of these facts: The president of the United States demanded the jailing of two elected officials who belong to the opposing political party” www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Retribution Is Here The president’s threats of revenge are no longer bluster.

NEW: Retribution is here

President Trump today called for the arrests of Illinois’ governor and Chicago’s mayor

And he has an AG who has proven pliant - as evidenced by the Comey arraignment minutes later

Inside Trump’s escalating campaign of payback: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

A Government Shutdown, Weaponized The president is boasting about doing things to Democrats that are “bad for them and irreversible by them.”

NEW: A government shutdown, weaponized

Projects slashed. Layoffs threatened. Russ Vought looming

It took President Trump fewer than 24 hours to turn a shutdown into a weapon wielded against the civil servants and opposing party he has long derided www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Trump’s Grand Plan for a Government Shutdown The Trump administration might use a shutdown to finish the job that DOGE started.

NEW: The federal government seems to be hurtling toward a shutdown

If that happens, the Trump administration might use it to finish the job that DOGE started

Inside the White House’s shutdown plan - which may include permanent mass firings www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...