Matter of Opinion

Is Joe Biden more of a Jimmy Carter or a James Buchanan? It may be years before the outgoing president’s legacy is truly understood, but that didn’t stop the hosts from debating how Biden’s term in office will be remembered.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

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We’ll be back next week with a new episode, but in the meantime we’re kicking off 2025 with a great conversation from our friends at “The Opinions.” 

In this episode, the New York Times Opinion columnist David French, a lifelong evangelical, speaks to Jonathan Rauch, an atheist and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, about the crisis of Christianity in the United States and how faith might be the only way to redeem democracy.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

In this special year-end conversation, Carlos and his columnist colleague Pamela Paul each share one book that can help us understand and define our current moment.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Happy holidays! Our gift to you is full access to a recent subscribers-only bonus episode. 

After a “stranger than fiction” presidential race, the hosts take a deep dive into the messy movie and television plots that actually put this election to shame. Enjoy!

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

While we are off this week, we wanted to share a great piece from our colleagues. 

President Biden has only a few weeks left in office. Here’s what he could do to optimize that remaining time — and improve his legacy. 

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Is Donald Trump the chicken or the egg? On the cusp of his second administration, the hosts of dissect whether the president-elect is a cause or symptom of trends in popular culture.

Plus, Michelle brings all the nostalgia to the Christmas party.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Recommended in this episode:

• “The Shape of Water” directed by Guillermo del Toro
• “Yellowstone” created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson
• “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo
• ‘Erasure” by Percival Everett
• “American Fiction” directed by Cord Jefferson
• ‘The Elementary Particles” by Michel Houellebecq
• “The Plot Against America” by Philip Roth
• “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis
• “Reagan: His Life and Legend” by Max Boot

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We are off for Thanksgiving. But we have a special treat for you from “The Opinions,” a fellow New York Times Opinion podcast.

After our own Carlos Lozada immigrated to the U.S. from Peru as a child, he never felt being an immigrant was his overriding identity. But after years of hearing Donald Trump talk about immigration, his feelings have changed. 

If you enjoyed this, subscribe to "The Opinions" wherever you get your podcasts.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

After a “stranger than fiction” presidential race, the hosts take a deep dive into the messy movie and television plots that actually put this election to shame.

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

On this episode, Ross is joined by his good friend Reihan Salam, a former housemate and co-author and the president of the Manhattan Institute. As young conservatives, the two teamed up in the waning days of the George W. Bush era to write “Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream.”

After Donald Trump’s second election victory, the two look back at their prescriptions and debate what they got right and wrong about building a durable Republican majority.

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) 

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

As nominees roll in, the reality of Donald Trump’s second administration is rapidly coming into focus. This week, Ross is joined by Opinion columnist David French to discuss the surprising picks and what they signal about the incoming president’s policy shifts this time around.

(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Recommended in this episode:

• “There Will Always Be a Trump. That’s Only Part of the Problem.,” by David French
• “What JD Vance Believes,” by Ross Douthat
• “Donald Trump Is Dead Serious About Getting Matt Gaetz to DOJ” by Marc Caputo

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.