Trump’s Lonely War

Key Takeaways

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  Vulnerable Republicans are distancing themselves from Trump - Incumbents like John Cornyn and Martha McSally are publicly breaking with the president's COVID-19 response to protect their own re-election campaigns as poll numbers slide.

  “The fact that she is in a race, in his distancing, you've got two people, and she's almost in an impossible race, she's going to lose.”

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  The 2020 presidential race is heading toward a historic landslide - Current polling trends and the national mood suggest a significant break against the incumbent, with the potential for Democrats to reach a 55-seat Senate majority.

  “I feel very optimistic that we'll be well over, you know, I think we'll be closer to 55, to 50 I really do.”

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  Institutional leaders face backlash for COVID-19 hypocrisy - High-profile figures like Notre Dame’s president are drawing fire for attending maskless White House events while enforcing strict social distancing mandates on their own students.

  “For Father Jenkins, who's insisting on social distancing at Notre Dame, and kids can get kicked out if they don't socially distance, to go 200 people and not wear a mask.”

Episode Description

As the war in Iran drags on, President Trump keeps signaling that it is about to end. But the fighting shows no signs of letting up. All the while, America’s closest allies in Europe continue to refuse Mr. Trump’s demands for help. Mark Landler, who covers trans-Atlantic relations for The New York Times, explains why European countries want no part in this war. Guest: Mark Landler, the Paris bureau chief of The New York Times, who covers France, as well as trans-Atlantic relations and the future of Europe. Background reading:  Mr. Trump has lashed out at Europe for its lukewarm support against Iran. Analysis: As American and Israeli warplanes bomb Iran, European allies have been left on the sidelines. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.