‘Donald Trump Will Not Be President Four Years Hence'

New York Times

01-05-2025

In a live event recorded at the Brooklyn Public Library on Tuesday, Opinion's deputy editor, Patrick Healy, was joined by the columnists Michelle Goldberg, M. Gessen and Bret Stephens to discuss how President Trump's second term has reshaped America in just 100 days.
Below is a transcript of an episode of 'The Opinions.' We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYT Audio App, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.
The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Patrick Healy: I want to start with a premise and a provocation to kick off our conversation. My premise is this: American voters knew last year exactly what Donald Trump was capable of as president, that Trump pretty much told us what he would do if re-elected. It prompted an editorial project by my Times Opinion colleagues called 'Believe Him,' and that Trump won a free and fair election last November.
So my provocation is this: America is getting the disruptive, destructive strongman presidency that millions of our fellow citizens wanted, and that Trump used these first 100 days to deliver on a mandate from November's plurality of voters. In other words, this is a presidency that more Americans voted for than voted against.
And Michelle, I'm going to go to you first because you are a Brooklyn-based columnist in the house. Michelle, have the last three months been a president putting a mandate to work?
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