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Trump's political rampage

Season 2026 Episode 21 | 5m 31s

There are contradictory signals about President Trump's political strength. On the one hand, his poll numbers are in the basement. On the other hand, he still has the power to punish his Republican enemies, as he just did with Rep. Thomas Massey of Kentucky and Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

Major funding for “Washington Week with The Atlantic” is provided by Consumer Cellular, Otsuka, Kaiser Permanente, the Yuen Foundation, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Extras
Full Washington Week with the Atlantic broadcast from May 22, 2026.
Hegseth’s turbulent time leading the U.S. military
Full Washington Week with the Atlantic broadcast from May 15, 2026.
Did Xi get what he wanted out of Trump's China visit?
What role does China play in resolving the Iran war?
Full Washington Week with the Atlantic broadcast from May 8, 2026.
Trump’s struggle to find an off-ramp from the Iran war
What’s driving Trump’s push to leave his mark on Washington
Full Washington Week with the Atlantic broadcast from May 1, 2026.
What the Iran war’s economic fallout means for the midterms