The Fight for the Political Center

The David Frum Show

The Atlantic

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 July 2025

⏱️ ? minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On this episode of The David Frum Show, The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with a warning about President Donald Trump’s escalating attacks on press freedom. David discusses Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, explains how Trump is using presidential power to suppress coverage of his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and argues that Trump’s second term represents a deeper threat to the First Amendment than anything seen in modern American history. Then David is joined by Representative Ritchie Torres of New York for a conversation about the future of the Democratic Party. Torres explains why the Democratic center has become too passive; how the far left gained influence through intensity, not majorities; and why slogans alone can’t solve America’s affordability crisis. They discuss the rise of performative politics, the need for a serious governing agenda, and Torres’s personal journey from public housing to Congress. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at theAtlantic.com/listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Okay, so what if you could listen to all your books, docs, PDFs, and articles?
0:04.6	Well, you can.
0:05.8	With the 11 Reader app, you can turn anything into natural-sounding voice, like this one.
0:11.4	So download 11 Reader for free on your favorite app store today.
0:15.1	Music Hello, and welcome to another episode of the David Frum show.
0:29.8	I'm David Frum, a staff writer at The Atlantic.
0:32.6	My guest this week will be Congressman Richie Torres, who represents the South Bronx
0:36.7	in the United States
0:37.5	House of Representatives. It's such a pleasure and an honor to welcome Congressman Torres
0:41.2	to this program. We'll be discussing the contest, the struggle between Democratic centrist
0:46.4	and Democratic progressives in New York City, state, and federal politics. And we'll talk as well
0:51.2	about his vision for the future and direction of American politics
0:55.3	and his beliefs and principles as he's become one of the most important voices in the United
1:00.8	States Congress.
1:01.9	I want to begin with a few preliminary remarks about a new Trump administration attack on press
1:07.4	freedom and press integrity.
1:09.4	The Wall Street Journal recently released an important
1:12.2	story on the personal connections between Donald Trump, the private citizen, as he then was,
1:17.8	and Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex trafficker who died in 2019. President Trump,
1:24.5	as he now is, responded to the story by filing a massive lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, one of many lawsuits in a long series that Donald Trump has brought against press institutions.
1:35.1	Now, a private citizen who feels himself or herself ill-used by the press, of course, has a right to sue for defamation.
1:41.7	These suits usually don't go very far. It's difficult to win a defamation suit
	...

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