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The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Trumpism and Conservatives' Identity Crisis

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The New Yorker

President, Barack, News, Politics, Wnyc, Obama, Lizza, Washington, Wickenden

4.33.9K Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2019

⏱️ 22 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

One of the big stories of the 2016 presidential election was the rupture within the Republican Party. "Never Trump" traditionalists lost their fight to prevent the nomination of Donald Trump, but a small faction still strenuously objects to his scorched-earth style and many of his policies. Earlier this month, Catholic University hosted a debate between two prominent conservatives representing two distinct visions. On one side, the constitutional lawyer and National Review staff writer David French, a voice for traditional Republicanism who sees Trump as a threat to democracy. On the other side, Sohrab Ahmari, the op-ed editor of the New York Post and who fervently supports the president and describes politics as "war and enmity." Benjamin Wallace-Wells joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss what their opposing positions mean for the future of the Republican Party.

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Transcript

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This is the political scene, a weekly conversation with New Yorker writers and guests about politics.

1:19.5

It's Thursday, September 12th. I'm Dorothy Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker.

1:25.8

One of the big stories of the 2016 presidential election was the rupture within the Republican Party.

1:32.7

Never Trump traditionalists lost their fight to prevent the nomination of Donald Trump, but they haven't gone away.

1:39.2

They still strenuously object to his scorched earth style and many of his policies.

1:45.3

The rift between this anti-Trump faction and Trump's defenders can be clearly seen in an ongoing debate between David French of the National Review,

1:55.5

who regards President Trump as a threat to the future of democracy, and so Rob Amari, the op-ed editor of The New York Post,

2:03.6

who cheers Trump's politics.

2:06.1

This summer, Amari published an essay called Against David Frenchism, and last week, French

2:11.9

and Amari met in a debate at Catholic University in Washington.

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