President Trump’s address to Congress was historically long and unusual in its style. Some Democrats booed and heckled him, and Trump did his own trolling of Democrats too. What does this address tell us about our politics and the future of Trump 2.0? Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Ramesh Ponnuru get into it.

Dana Milbank: In just five days, Trump has set the country back nearly 100 years

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This year’s top Oscar-nominated films are an eclectic mix, but share some common themes. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Alyssa Rosenberg discuss the not-so-straightforward heroes and villains in this year’s top movies, the limits of trying to transform oneself and what all of this says about the current moment.

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President Trump has elevated a podcaster who’s bragged about “owning the libs” to a top position at the FBI, after firing six top generals at the Pentagon last week. Meanwhile, Elon Musk continues to make confusing demands of federal employees. Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Philip Bump discuss whether this is all about loyalty and subservience to the president, or if there’s perhaps a bigger grand plan.

Additional reading by our columnists:

Philip Bump: The right-wing media machine is hitting a wall

Ruth Marcus: When the guardrails holding back law enforcement fail

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Names are important symbols, and President Trump is trying to change, or change back, quite a few. There’s the “Gulf of America” of course, but also the reversion of a military base from Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg, and efforts by his administration to erase the “T” in LGBT on government websites. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Theodore Johnson discuss what names say about our cultural values, and whether renaming places again and again misses the point.

Additional reading from the Washington Post:

What is Fort Bragg? Hegseth restores Army base name from Fort Liberty.

Park Service deletes trans references on Stonewall Inn monument page

Yes, really, it’s going to be called the Gulf of America.

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President Trump is trying to make good on his campaign promises to end wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and he has brought his shock-and-awe strategy to the world stage. Ruth Marcus talks to David Ignatius about the chaotic past week in Europe, whether Trump will sell out the Ukrainians in a deal with Russia, and how Trump is refusing (for now) to join Israel in bombing a weakened Iran. 

Additional reading by David Ignatius:

At Munich, Trump’s chaotic approach has allies rattled

Trump wants to play peacemaker. Israel may have other plans.

The art of the just Ukraine peace deal

As the Trump administration challenges Congress’s “power of the purse” and grumbles at court orders slowing down its deluge of executive actions, it seems like a showdown among the three branches of government is brewing. But is this panic warranted, or will President Trump and his allies do what the courts say? Columnists Ruth Marcus, James Hohmann and Jason Willick get into it. 

Additional reading by our columnists:

Ruth Marcus: Can the courts — can anyone — stop Trump?

Jason Willick: Save the panic over Trump’s ‘power grabs.’ It might be needed later.

Many U.S. office workers have gotten used to hybrid or remote work in the past few years. These arrangements changed where people live and added flexibility to their schedules. But now, the trend seems to be reversing – some companies are wanting people back in the office five days a week, and President Trump said federal employees need to end remote work, too. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Heather Long discuss how the balance of power between employers and their workers is shifting, and whether our cities and our lives can really go back to the way they were.  

Additional reading by Post columnists: 

Heather Long: Who will follow Amazon back into the office?

Catherine Rampell: Return-to-work mandates are an invisible pay cut

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One thing we can control is how we spend our money. So should the places where we shop align with our values, or is the politicization of corporate America just one more way the country is fracturing? Post Opinions’s Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Heather Long discuss boycotts on both sides of the aisle, from Chick-fil-A to Budweiser, and whether voting with your dollars can change anything.

Additional Reading:

Target’s DEI cuts have Black entrepreneurs saying ‘clear the shelves’

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