#460 — When the Center Cannot Hold

Goldberg argues that Trump is running a 'personalist regime' where the distinction between his personal desires and state demands are completely blurred, leading to institutional decay that will be difficult to repair. He points to examples like federal judges rescinding the 'presumption of regularity' for government lawyers due to lying, and Trump loyalists punishing economists for stating basic facts about tariffs. Goldberg contends that both parties now primarily serve their angry bases rather than swing voters, due to structural changes in how primaries work and campaign finance operates. He explains that unlike other democracies, American parties have given up the ability to pick their own candidates, farming it out to 'the angriest people on the left and right.' The incentive structure rewards politicians who promise to 'tear the skull off enemies' rather than work across the aisle. He believes the only way to restore sanity is to have both parties become sane simultaneously, as having one crazy party gives permission for the other to be crazy as well. Goldberg predicts Democrats will likely retake the House in midterms and discusses the concerning schism on the right between those who think 'Nazis are probably still bad' and those willing to include them in a big tent approach. He characterizes figures like J.D. Vance as leading an 'anti anti-Nazi' movement - not necessarily being Nazis themselves but defending Nazi-adjacent figures for political gain.