“Donald Trump is trying to tighten his grip on the news media”

Summary

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Deadline: White House – March 16, 2026

Episode Theme:
"Donald Trump is trying to tighten his grip on the news media"

Host: Nicolle Wallace (with guests Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Tim Miller, Eddie Glaude, Kevin Blackistone)
Episode Date: March 16, 2026

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Overview

This episode centers on the ongoing efforts by Donald Trump and his administration to clamp down on the independent news media amid increasing criticism and waning popularity. The conversation examines Trump’s escalated rhetoric—accusing news organizations of treason and threatening to revoke broadcast licenses—within the context of his mismanaged war with Iran and parallels to autocratic behavior abroad. The panel further discusses broader cultural, political, and institutional implications, including public resistance, the role of satire, fissures in right-wing media, shifts among key voter groups, and fresh controversies in the lead-up to the World Cup.

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Key Segments & Insights

1. Trump’s War on the Media and “Truth”

[01:42–09:09]

• Nicolle Wallace details a series of Trump’s attacks on the press, including his accusation of treason against outlets critical of the administration's handling of the Iran war, and the FCC chair’s (Brendan Carr) threats to revoke broadcast licenses.
  • “Donald Trump suggested news outlets could be charged with treason, a crime that is sometimes punishable by death.” (Wallace, [02:59])
  • Trump’s recent tirades, including berating reporters and labeling ABC News “maybe the most corrupt news organization on the planet.”

Analysis: The panel interprets this as a calculated move by a “losing” autocrat attempting to reshape reality through information control, paralleling tactics in authoritarian states.

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2. Media Capture, Complicity, and Resistance

[05:13–09:09]

• Ruth Ben-Ghiat (NYU professor, author) unpacks the acceptance speech from the Oscar-winning documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” drawing a line from small acts of complicity to the erosion of democracy and press freedom:

  • “Corruption is a process. Media capture is a process… anybody can stand up to power and set an example.” (Ben-Ghiat, [05:48])

• Tim Miller highlights both the dangers and, paradoxically, the resilience of independent voices, referencing historical patterns from Hungary and the inability of Trump’s team to fully control the narrative.

  • “The truth is getting out about his disastrous war effort...Trump is lashing out...because people aren't afraid and people are still speaking out.” (Miller, [08:11])

• Wallace and Miller note that the list of “capitulators” is longer, but the number of “nobodies” speaking out is growing.

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3. Satire, Popular Culture, and Political Reality

[09:09–12:33]

• SNL and cultural satire are discussed as alternative avenues for critique when traditional political channels falter.

  • “It’s satire, but it lands in a different way than political combat on a Sunday morning show.” (Wallace, [10:24])

• Eddie Glaude (Princeton professor) adds that information silos and the proliferation of fake/AI-generated news erode the shared foundation of democratic discourse:

  • “Trying to make a reality—an informational autocracy—which goes to the heart of how democracies function.” (Glaude, [10:58])

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4. Internal GOP & Media Discontent

[12:33–17:41]

• Even Trump allies (e.g., Sen. Ron Johnson) express discomfort at direct government intervention in news coverage.

  • “I do not like the heavy hand of government, no matter who's wielding it.” (Johnson, [13:10])

• Ben-Ghiat identifies Trump’s “Orwellian” inversion of patriotism, where truth-tellers are labeled traitors.

  • “If you tell the truth, you're betraying the nation. That’s what makes you a patriot now—if you veil reality.” (Ben-Ghiat, [14:13])

• Miller discusses infighting within right-wing media (Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham) as a sign that cracks are showing within Trump’s coalition.

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5. Autocratic Behavior and Historical Parallels

[16:50-25:01]

• Ben-Ghiat: “He’s already in phase two, because phase one is that you’re in your bubble. …I wrote an op ed for the New York Times… that said this is when autocrats go to war because they need a distraction.” ([16:58])

• Wallace: Trump’s erratic public behavior and meltdown references, with Miller and Ben-Ghiat offering analogies to Mussolini and Hitler’s leadership styles:

  • “For God’s sake, don’t tell anything to Hitler he doesn’t want to hear.”... (Ben-Ghiat, [23:32])

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6. Trump’s Plummeting Popularity Among Young Voters

[26:44–30:16]

• Wallace underscores Trump’s declining poll numbers, especially with young Americans who feel betrayed by war and the economy:

  • “Just 30% feel the economy is good or excellent…70% of 18 to 29 year olds disapprove of Donald Trump’s handling of the entire presidency.” (Wallace, [28:00])

• SNL satires are again cited as both cultural criticism and potential bellwethers.

  • Miller: “Mocking is a really important element...he’s giving them a lot of material.” ([30:24])

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7. Institutional Complicity and Prospects for Resistance

[31:25–35:10]

• Wallace points to law firms, universities, and businesses “capitulating” to Trump out of perceived necessity, but wonders if courage will go national:

  • “As that illusion fades away, …will the courage of the Epstein survivors …become a national movement?” (Wallace, [31:25])

• Glaude reflects on political disengagement and cynicism among youth after disillusionment and the risks of widespread apathy.

  • “Will they opt out? …What are the long-term implications of us drowning in lies?” (Glaude, [33:57])

• Miller warns the “moral weakness” that enabled Trumpism won’t vanish quickly, and worries about the radicalizing of young MAGA voters, even as moderates peel away.

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8. World Cup Controversy and Trump’s “Peace Prize”

[37:43–44:10]

• Trump’s bizarre social media post offers a pseudo-invitation/threat to the Iranian soccer team ahead of World Cup matches on U.S. soil:

  • “The Iran national soccer team is welcome…but I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be here for their own life and safety.” (Trump, [38:02])

• Sports columnist Kevin Blackistone and Glaude condemn Trump’s behavior as unfit for an international host country, noting FIFA’s own questionable links.

  • Blackistone: “To say that about Iran, that you may not protect them…is just shameful…this administration has made our country an unfit host for these global sporting events.” ([39:05])

• Wallace and panelists deride the “Peace Prize” awarded to Trump as a farce, further highlighting the global embarrassment.

  • “There is still sort of a bottomless pit of people who will jump in the trough with Trump.” (Wallace, [43:12])

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9. Trump’s Takeover and Collapse of the Kennedy Center

[44:10–45:58]

• Trump’s politicization and “fixation” on the Kennedy Center, including renaming and installing loyalists, has led to mass cancellations, staff turnover, and declines in attendance.
  • “…Trump affixed his name to the Kennedy Center and installed a loyalist…those performances that still take place often play to semi-empty houses.” (Wallace, [44:10])

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Memorable Quotes & Highlights

• Nicolle Wallace:
  “Donald Trump suggested news outlets could be charged with treason, a crime that is sometimes punishable by death.” ([02:59])

• Ruth Ben-Ghiat:
  “Corruption is a process. Media capture is a process…anybody can stand up to power and set an example.” ([05:48])
  “If you tell the truth, you’re betraying the nation. That’s what makes you a patriot now—if you veil reality.” ([14:13])

• Tim Miller:
  “The truth is getting out about his disastrous war effort... Trump is lashing out... because people aren't afraid and people are still speaking out.” ([08:11])

• Eddie Glaude:
  “Trying to make a reality—an informational autocracy—which goes to the heart of how democracies function.” ([10:58])
  “Will they opt out?... What are the long-term implications of us drowning in lies?” ([33:57])

• Kevin Blackistone:
  “To say that about Iran, that you may not protect them...is just shameful...this administration has made our country an unfit host for these global sporting events.” ([39:05])

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Notable Moments with Timestamps

• [01:42] Wallace opens main discussion: Trump’s threats to media, war with Iran.
• [05:13] Clip from “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” sets the tone for resisting autocracy.
• [08:11] Miller on reality outpacing Trump’s narrative control.
• [10:24] Wallace on satire’s unique impact in fomenting critique.
• [13:10] Ron Johnson's direct pushback against government policing news.
• [14:13] Ben-Ghiat on the Orwellian inversion of patriotism.
• [16:58] Ben-Ghiat: “Autocrats go to war because they need a distraction.”
• [23:32] Ben-Ghiat draws direct parallels to Mussolini and Hitler’s leadership.
• [28:00] Wallace references damning youth poll numbers.
• [30:24] Miller: “Mocking is a really important element [of resistance].”
• [33:57] Glaude: “Long term implications of us drowning in lies.”
• [38:02] Trump’s threatening invitation to Iranian soccer team.
• [39:05] Blackistone: “Unfit host for these global sporting events.”
• [44:10] Wallace: Trump’s sabotage of the Kennedy Center.

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Summary Table

| Topic | Key Takeaway | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Trump’s Media Crackdown | Threats of treason/prosecution; FCC license revocation | 01:42–09:09 | | Cultural/Satirical Resistance | Growing acts of courage, SNL as bellwether | 09:09–12:33 | | Fractures in Pro-Trump Media | Intra-right infighting, critics among former allies | 14:38–17:41 | | Youth Voter Disillusionment | Plummeting support, cited betrayal on war/economy | 26:44–30:16 | | World Cup/Global Ridicule | Trump’s antics politicize international sports, highlight U.S. isolation | 37:43–44:10 | | Institutional Complicity | Law firms, universities folded under Trump’s pressure, but pushback rising | 31:25–35:10 | | Kennedy Center Saga | Trump’s politicization leads to collapse, cancellations, exodus | 44:10–45:58 |

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Conclusion

The episode lays bare the escalation and repercussions of Trump’s attempts to dominate the media narrative amid mounting domestic and international crises. Through expert analysis, lived parallels from history, and rich cultural references (from SNL to real-life activism), the conversation tracks rising resistance and offers stark warnings about the fragility of democratic institutions and truth itself in the face of orchestrated disinformation and autocratic ambition.

For listeners looking to understand current threats to press freedom, cultural flashpoints, and the stakes for democracy in 2026, this episode is essential, unflinching, and, at times, darkly humorous.

Transcript

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[Nicole Wallace]

Hi again, everybody. It's five o' clock in New York. I'll show you what happened next in a minute, because it's also part of this conversation, one of an aspiring autocrat increasingly unpopular with the American people, celebrities and otherwise, the war he started and the frightening lengths to which Donald Trump appears ready to go to control what people know and to define what is truth. Over the weekend, not long after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used time during a war briefing to attack a cable news channel for its coverage of the war, Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, made a that the federal government will revoke the licenses of major broadcasters over what they see as negative coverage of the war. I'll read it to you. Quote, broadcasters must operate in the public interest and they will lose their licenses if they do not, end quote. Not leaving a lot of room for ambiguity there. And then yesterday, in the course of accusing the news media of using an AI Video to report fake news. Donald Trump suggested news outlets could be charged with treason, a crime that is sometimes punishable by death. He also accused news outlets of, in so many words, wanting the United States of America to lose the war with Iran. Politico describes it like this as a, quote, 20 minute briefing on Air Force One where Trump raged at reporters and mainstream outlets alike. Media organizations making false claims about the war were pretty criminal. ABC News was, quote, maybe the most corrupt news organization on the planet, end quote. One reporter was told she was a, quote, very obnoxious person. Another was accused of knowingly peddling Iranian myths. A question about US Military options was ridiculed. The another on deceased US Service men and women was simply ignored. All of this is yet another example happening in full view of all of us, of the press, if we keep our eyes open wide enough of Donald Trump very publicly trying to tighten his grip on the truth by tightening his grip on the media as he loses his popularity and his grip politically over his own base and the broader swath of the American people. And we have to add perhaps reality itself. Of course, this wasn't the first aggressive action threatened or taken against people who are on the air. There have been investigations and inquiries and targeted pressure campaigns. There have been large sums paid. There was the instance of Jimmy Kimmel himself for a joke he made on his late night program. So as we mentioned, we want to show you what happened last night after Kimmel presented the Oscar for best documentary feature to the film Mr. Nobody Against Putin watch.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Mr. Nobody Against Putin is about how you lose your country. And what we saw when working with this footage that you, it's that you lose it through countless small little acts of complicity, when we act complicit, when a government murders people on the streets of our major cities, when we don't say anything, when oligarchs take over the media and control how we could produce

it and consume it.

We all face a moral choice. But luckily, even a nobody is more powerful than you think.

[Nicole Wallace]

Wow. That's where we start the hour. Professor of history at New York University, Ruth Benghiat is here. She's the author of Strongman Mussolini, the Present plus political analyst, host of the Bulwark podcast. Tim Miller is here. And with me at the table, Princeton University professor and political analyst Eddie Glad is here. Ruth, I could play that acceptance speech every day and it could tee off a conversation about what we're witnessing with our own eyes. Just talk about that statement, how you lose your country. You lose it through a thousand little acts when you don't say anything and when oligarchs take over the media.

[Ruth Ben-Ghiat]

Yes. And it shows that corruption is a process. Media capture is a process. And I've seen that wonderful film and it's about a teacher in a rural kind of mountain region that's just deciding that he was not going to stand anymore for the lives at great risk to himself. And he was the Mr. Nobody of the title. And the whole film is about anybody can stand up to power and set an example that others can follow, even against the Kremlin.

[Nicole Wallace]

Tim Miller I feel like around here we have kept a running tab and you do this incredible work every day yourself. But we've tried to keep tabs of the capitulators and the people standing up. And the capitulator list is tragically a lot longer. And it includes really and better financed, I would say it includes most powerful, biggest, most prestigious law firms in our country, the most prestigious universities in our country, the most successful tech companies in our country, the most skilled and cutting edge AI creators in the world and in our country. But the list of nobodies is growing, too. And I wonder how you see this fight today.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah, I was wrestling with this this morning myself, Nicole, because there is sort of two ways to look at it, and I think they're kind of both true in a sense. One, the attempts, the assault on free speech, the complicity of the owners of many of these platforms, and in some cases more than complicity, actually working actively together with the government to crack down on people. That is dangerous. And we've seen it. And Ruth's probably better talked about this than me, the ways that we've seen that same story plot in other countries, particularly in Hungary. And it's something that we should be vigilant about. And so I don't want to understate the threat there. On the other hand, I was kind of thinking of that phrase from Jurassic park, the Jeff Goldblum phase, where he says life finds a way. And there is kind of like a reality finds a way element, at least for now in this world still and with a lot of nobody speaking up. We saw it yesterday in those clips that you've played. We saw it in Minneapolis. And if you just look at the numbers, Trump is lashing out right now and threatening treason on journalists and all this because the truth is getting out about his disastrous war effort. They're complaining. The Secretary of War is complaining about the Kyrons on TV because they aren't unable to control the narrative. And Trump's been So good over his career at controlling the narrative. And they can't right now. People see the reality. They see that the management of the war has been incompetent. They see that it doesn't really impact their lives. They see it meaningfully from a security standpoint, but it is impacting their lives negatively economically when they go to the gas station. And so that reality is getting out because people aren't afraid and people are still speaking out and whether they be nobodies or somebodies. And that's a good sign amidst the threats.

[Nicole Wallace]

Yeah. I mean, the only thing I think people are afraid. I think there's just. I mean, he's at generously 35% and it may have taken 65% of the country to oppose him for some of the cultural levers to operate snl. My personal opinion is that it got a little bit of a slow start, but this was their cold, open Saturday night. Kids, we're going to have to leave

[Narrator/Advertiser]

one of you behind. What? Why?

[Nicole Wallace]

Gas crisis, darling.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Dad, why does gas cost so much?

[Ruth Ben-Ghiat]

The Epstein final.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Kidding, but possibly not. It's called butterfly effect.

[Ruth Ben-Ghiat]

Right.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Epstein was first. Domino Epstein.

[Nicole Wallace]

Bing, bing, bong, bong, bing, bing, bong, bong, bong.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

War. Anyway, hi, it's me, Donald Trump.

You might remember me from such campaign

promises as lower gas prices and no more wars.

Psych.

We love to make promises because a promise is just a lie that hasn't happened yet.

[Nicole Wallace]

It's satire, but it lands in a different way than political combat on a. On a Sunday morning show.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Absolutely. Popular culture is always this kind of reservoir, this resource to bring critique to bear on power. And so it's the messiness of democratic life that can't. Can't be captured so easily. But I think it's important to echo Tim and Ruth to understand that these things are happening at two different registers. We know Donald Trump and his supporters are in some ways trying to engage or trying to make a reality an informational autocracy.

[Eddie Glaude]

Right.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Which goes to the heart of how democracies function. So even if you have everyday ordinary people, whether you want to describe them as nobodies or not, trying to fight back the capture of their imaginations, what happens when you plug up information flows where folk have to find the truth in these various silos and you don't know what is true and what isn't. And so it leads to an informed public, I think, but it's always coming with an asterisk. And so we have to be mindful of the impact on how democracies function.

[Nicole Wallace]

I mean, that's where Minneapolis was, the breakthrough moment. I think the Epstein survivors, seeing them with our own eyes, that they went to Washington and they literally put their bodies on the steps of the Capitol and said, some of us voted for Donald Trump and we are not a hoax, we are real. And then they won over Republicans and Democrats, mostly Republican women in Congress was just this undeniable peace where you didn't, you didn't have to, you didn't have to rely on any stream of information. They were there before our eyes.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

And the images coming out of Iran and coming out of Lebanon, those coming out of Gaza, those images are what they are. And so I think you're absolutely right. But then the other images, the fakes. Right. The AI. The AI generated images, the stories that you don't quite know. So you have to constantly cross reference or you're in your silos where you only get certain kinds of information. So there's the fragmentation of the way in which citizens, ordinary people, get their information. Then there's the assault on how we get the truth. It just makes for a very difficult way in which democracy functions.

[Nicole Wallace]

I mean, I think Eddie's getting at something that makes these two pieces of sound pretty interesting. I mean, this is Ron Johnson who lives deep inside whatever fragment you're in, he's in it. If you're maga.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Right.

[Nicole Wallace]

He is a Trump ally through and through. And this is what he said about Brandon Carr's threats over the weekend. But do you think it's the role of the government to police that kind of coverage, you know, from. From where they sit?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah, I'm a big supporter of the First Amendment. I do not like the heavy hand of government, no matter who's wielding it.

So, no, I would rather the federal government stay out of the private sector as much as possible.

And really the federal government's role is to protect our freedoms, protect our constitutional rights.

[Nicole Wallace]

So even if you're not Ruth, watching this program that was deep in the coverage over on Fox News.

[Ruth Ben-Ghiat]

Yeah. And using the heavy hand of the treason, you know, accusation or threat is really Orwellian, because what it's saying is that you are considered because somebody who betrays the nation if you tell the American people the truth. And this is just a sign of how desperate Donald Trump is. He's gotten into what I describe as autocratic backfire. He doesn't listen to people. He has people around him who are sycophants, who are not Middle Eastern specialists. And he embarked on this grandiose fantasy and now he's in big trouble. And so that's when autocrats want to control the message even more. They feel desperate if things get out. And so this is this Orwellian thing that's going to backfire all the more telling people that if you tell the truth, you're betraying the nation. And the inverse would be, I guess you're a patriot if you're telling Donald Trump's lies and trying to veil reality and hiding things from the American people. That's what makes you a patriot now.

[Nicole Wallace]

Well, I mean, the tricky thing I think, Tim, is that Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson have been two of the most scathing and Laura Ingraham have been scathing critics of the conduct of the war in Iraq. All three of them have teed off in the Trump administration for, well, at least with Megyn Kelly and Tucker for the war itself. And Laura Ingraham includes herself among the earliest and vocal critics of the strike against the Iranian girls school.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah, and visceral infighting is happening over there, you know, and that shows, I guess, what I was saying earlier about how it's hard to give Megyn Kelly or Tucker Carlson or Laura Ingraham credit for reality finding a way. But you know, if things get sort of true. I know, yeah, the broken clock theory over there, I guess. But like if things get are so bad among their viewers that they feel like in order to maintain audience they have to express their opposition to what the administration is doing, that tells us something. It tells us something about how about the pushback that they're receiving and about the real potential damage that is already happening or that they see possibly happening to their own voters in the case of Trump, their own audience in the case of those commentators. So look, I think that the crackdown that they're trying with the media or the crackdown they're trying on the First Amendment, let me say, is effective in two ways. It's pretty effective in the micro. And you can't tell Rameza Ostark, who was detained for a month or months over an op ed that they haven't had some success going after people. So regular people have been cracked down on. It's had a chilling effect. We've seen that and we've talked about that a lot on the show. People who just aren't speaking out that would otherwise. But at this big level, the idea of that they can control how people talk about the Iran war just by putting their friends in charge of the networks and threatening journalists, maybe that could work sometime it works in China. But it's not working so far for these guys.

[Nicole Wallace]

Ruth, what happens next as you describe this as the autocrats desperate phase?

[Ruth Ben-Ghiat]

Well, he's already in phase two because phase one is that you're in your bubble. You're not listening to anyone. Didn't he recently say, I'm only constrained by my own mind? Which is really not reassuring. His popularity is tanking. And I wrote an op ed for the New York Times Published February 1 that said this is when autocrats go to war because they need a distraction.

[Nicole Wallace]

Right.

[Ruth Ben-Ghiat]

So we're already in that. And, but they're not able to. Course. Correct. And so that's what they do. They, they try and, and remake reality into what they need it to be. And that's what we're seeing now why they're going after the press so aggressively.

[Nicole Wallace]

No one's going anywhere. We'll continue this conversation on the other side. Also ahead, another key block of voters who helped propel Donald Trump to the White House is having a serious case of buyer's remorse. The betrayal they say they feel and how damaging it could be for Donald Trump and the Republicans in the midterms. Also ahead, what many people are calling a threat by Donald Trump against athletes as America gets ready to host one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. We'll explain later in the hour. Devlin Whitehouse continues after a quick break. Don't go anywhere.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Democrat or Republican, we cannot have the government arbitrating truth or opinion. Mr. Chairman, my question is this. So long as there is a public interest standard, shouldn't it be understood to encompass robust First Amendment protections to ensure that the FCC cannot use it to chill speech?

[Eddie Glaude]

Yes, Senator, I agree with you there.

[Nicole Wallace]

So either Mr. Carr didn't mean what he said or he changed his mind because in a post on Saturday on Twitter, he warned that he would deny or revoke government issued licenses if broadcasters run what that agency deems as, quote, fake news. So the doublespeak is in their own responses to the questions from their own most prominent members of their political coalition.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah, Ruth described it as Orwellian. But what we do know is that free speech applies to their speech. Free speech is really a way in which to open up space so that they can engage in a kind of rhetoric, a kind of discourse, tell a certain kind of story that sets up their political aims and ambitions. Anyone who opposes it can be dealt with accordingly. Remember, Ruth said, they've flipped what it means, they've emptied out what we mean by what patriotism entails. That is patriotism anything that seeks to hold it accountable, hold all of that to account. Any person who holds a view contrary to it are seen as people who are not only not patriots, but potentially traitors.

[Nicole Wallace]

Can I come back to Trump's threats in and of themselves? Because we're pushing him through a First Amendment civ, which is really important. But can I ask you, Tim, to push this through an attached to reality sieve for me? This is Trump quote. Not only was it not burning, it was not even shot at. Iran knows better than to do that. Exclamation point. The story was no. And in a certain way you can say that those media outlets that generated it should be brought up on charges for treason for the dissemination of false information. Trump went on to praise Carr for threatening the licenses of these corrupt and highly unpatriotic news organizations. A bunch of bizarre punctuation and capitalizations. And then Carr on Saturday threatens to revoke the broadcasting licenses. I mean, we, we, we're all in a hurry. There is a lot happening. There is more important stuff happening to the men and women of our military, but there is also very public meltdown happening of the commander in chief and it blobs into his utterances about our allies. Not wanting to understand why Prime Minister has to talk to his people. I mean, maybe because when you talk to your people, they'll tell you that the war in Iran will result in the Strait of Hormuz closing. I mean, the whole conduct is just out there. He's just naked in all of his Trumpness. And it is an unbelievable, revealing moment for his political life.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah, and I think that you just read one of his posts, his bleeds. I believe he did a couple thousand words last night.

[Nicole Wallace]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

And it's like, I just, this is not healthy behavior. It's not a way to run any organization. Forget about running a country. I mean, imagine if, you know, the principal at your kid's school was like, up at one in the morning posting strange demands about what was going to happen the next week. I think you'd start looking to transfer them immediately. Or even less important things than your kid's schooling. It isn't the sign of somebody who has control of his emotions, at least, if not his faculties. And look, some of this stuff we've come to stroll your eyes at when he ends up tacoing. The Greenland thing was really meaningful to the people of Denmark. And at some point the chickens might come home to roost on that and that relationship. But also, at the end of the day, the people in Our country weren't really affected. Besides those of us who were driven to the bottle at night having to pay attention to his random musings. Right, but this is serious. This is very real. The ramifications are real, obviously, for the men and women over there, serving for people at home, paying more at the pump for our allies, having to decide whether to help support a madman in this crazy attempt to keep the Strait of Hormuz open so the gas prices in their country can start to come back down. And because we've caused huge energy spike spikes across the world for our allies. And yeah, and I don't think he's getting good information. And again, like knocking good information, you know, can, can be not that cannot end up mattering that much when it's about, you know, domestic political concerns. But in this and this, this is too serious for that. And I don't really see how it's going to get fixed. And I don't think any of us imagine that in privacy there's anyone in that crew of Hegseth Vance Rubio that's delivering bad news to him.

[Nicole Wallace]

Yeah, I mean, Ruth, just give us an historical parallel to the public conduct that is deeply erratic.

[Ruth Ben-Ghiat]

So my book Strongman is full of quotes of people who tried to, who served or were around Mussolini, Hitler, all of the dictators. And there's one quote from an industrialist who later had to flee the nation. He said, for God's sake, don't tell anything to Hitler he doesn't want to hear. And then Mussolini's slogan was, literally, Trump has stolen was Mussolini. Mussolini is always right. And there were huge signs all over Rome and other cities that Mussolini is always right all the time. And then he wasn't right and Italy lost the war. And everything he did was against his general's advice. He didn't listen to anyone. He micromanaged. And he didn't want to accept reality, taking a turn that he hadn't expected. And so when Trump says, oh, we were all shocked that Iran went after all these countries, nobody expected that. Well, people did expect that. And there are Middle Eastern experts who study for years to expect that. You do war games. There's a thing called war games. And maybe he's the only person who's surprised because he only listens to his own mind. And so this never ends well in history, and it causes casualties that the American people should not have to sustain and not to mention the Lebanese and everything else going on. And so it leads to tragedy.

[Nicole Wallace]

Simply put, Ruth Ben Ghiat, your indispensable voice is much appreciated, especially on days like today. Thank you for starting us off. When we come back, Donald Trump's failure to bring down the costs of anything and to keep America out of foreign forever wars is causing him to crater among another group of voters who help elect him this time. That's our next story. Don't go anywhere.

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I think I have tremendous support on this. This is something that's been incredible. I have my the best poll numbers I've ever had now and it's not because of this. I think we just, you know, the economy is great. It's a little bit of a we take a little winding road for a little while, but we have to wipe out the evil.

[Nicole Wallace]

Quick fact check. His poll numbers are not great. They suck. To use a political technical term. He's at 35 to about 40% on the question of whether the economy is good or excellent. Just 30% feel that way. So his approval rating on the economy a solid 10 points lower than his overall approval rating. But he is desperately trying to make that true and claim that his decision to start a war in Iran is not deeply unpopular. Unfortunately for him, the war at this juncture is unpopular and it's just the latest decision he's made that is causing a key demographic group to regret voting for him 14 months ago. Which of course spells trouble for the Republican Party's chances in the November midterms. According to reporting in the Washington Post, between Donald Trump starting a war in Iran and his handling of the economy, young voters have buyer's remorse. Those who voted for him. This is what one voter told a focus group of young voters outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Quote, I feel betrayed. I don't know why we are fighting in Iran if we have never been attacked. I just don't understand why. Another young voter cited Donald Trump's handling of the economy saying this. Quote, I wouldn't even say it's living. James Weiss, a 23 year old arcade technician from Mooresville, North Carolina, said of his life, quote, it's more survival. And the numbers. The polls paint an even starker picture for Donald Trump. A Washington Post poll finds that 70% of 18 to 29 year olds disapprove of Donald Trump's handling of the entire presidency. Just 29% of them approve of him. We're back with Tim and Eddie. Tim, I want to show you one other place where again, culture may even be leading the news media's ability to capture how insane Trump's policies are. This is again from SNL on the Maha Hospital

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[Eddie Glaude]

Her sea were thrown back to me.

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[Nicole Wallace]

Sir, are you up to date on your vaccine?

[Ruth Ben-Ghiat]

Yes.

[Nicole Wallace]

Loser again. If we accept Heilman's edict that all politics is downstream from culture, they are losing young people in a way that follows culture and maybe doesn't lead it.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah, I think that's the first appearance for bull Seaman on deadline White House. The archivist will have to weigh in

[Nicole Wallace]

on that And Harry Styles, right?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Harry Stiles. We love Harry. New record is good. Yeah, look, this is true across the board. And I think that one thing that I try to tap into, despite my advancing age and child, is listening to some of the more right wing, if you want to call it comedy that you see on podcasters and YouTube. And I was listening to some of those guys over the weekend. And there's just a lot to mock right now. I mean, he's giving them a lot of material. And in some ways, earnest opposition is necessary, but is maybe not sufficient for standing up to him. And I think that mocking is a really important element to it. And. And I think it's harder for him to combat in a lot of ways. And whether it's some of the maha silliness that you just showed or just the Epstein stuff or the war and the way this is spiraling out of control, he's providing him a lot of fodder.

[Nicole Wallace]

Yeah. And I mean, I think, Eddie, the piece of it that to me bubbles up and makes it important indicators is that law firms like Paul Weiss went down to Donald Trump and obeyed in advance, capitulated to Donald Trump. The capitulation among universities where they let Trump reach way in and make decisions that they never would have given to anybody who's a joke or who's at 35% happen because of the illusion of power. And as that illusion fades away, I guess what I'm watching for is to see if the courage of the Epstein survivors, the courage of the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota, becomes a national movement. Because it might take courage to get through the next three years.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

It may, if not a national movement, but certainly provides examples for other moments of courage. Right. And we have to think about these institutions that capitulated so quickly. They were probably using Trump as cover to self to engage in their own version of self correction. So we have to begin to interrogate that capitulation a little bit more carefully. I was just thinking as I was watching that and thinking about all the data that you were dropping of a point by William Sloan Coughlin. Right. He was the former God bless you

[Nicole Wallace]

for elevating my bull semen clans.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

But I was thinking about it. You know, he's the former chaplain of Yale, the former senior minister at Riverside, and he was talking about how young people had been inundated with lies during the Vietnam War, had been. Had lost fundamental trust. And I want to connect this to the first segment.

Right.

So when we begin to think about this assault on democracy as such, and we see These young folk making a judgment not only of Trumpism, but of the country that it's broken. What does that, what does that suggest? What does it foreshadow about their role and their participation in the democratic process? Will they opt out? Will they just simply say, this is not for us? They mock it. They may mock it, but what are the long term implications of us being, of us drowning in lies? Every time I see that, I get this image in my head that we're holding ourselves together by a safety pin and our babies are spiraling around us, not knowing where to go. So you get that and then you get at fiu, the Republicans, those young folk, I think it was FIU around the Nazism and the Nazi stuff that's circulating among Republicans. So I'm just wondering, what does this mean? What does it suggest for our democracy in the long term?

[Nicole Wallace]

Tim, you want to try to answer that?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Well, I think it's right to be vigilant when you think about this, because it's like anything, you'll have this initial reaction to Trumpism. Right. And I think that there's something that's happening that we're seeing out there that's a little bit encouraging, at least that which is folks are frustrated with it. He's getting mocked. His status in the culture is being diminished. And that's a good sign. And I think that'll be a good sign for the midterms. But the question of what replaces that, I think that this, I'm trying to think of what the right Eddie Glaude word would be. The moral, the sinfulness in our culture, the moral weakness and degeneracy in our culture that brought Trump here is not just gonna go away and disappear in a night. And I think if you look at young voters, I think it's right to be worried, particularly on the MAGA side. If you look at polls of them, like the youngest voters are the most radicalized on a lot of these cultural issues, particularly around race and gender. And so I do think that there's a lot of long term work that remains even as we kind of enjoy Trump's political standing. Start to dissipate here.

[Nicole Wallace]

Yeah. I think the other thing about young voters is they're a swing group of voters. Right. And where MAGA made great gains, some of the ones that, that are really stuck to the ideology, they're not the swing voters that we're talking about. Right. They're not the ones in the poll in North Carolina that are really upset about the economy and the military because the ones that voted for no forever wars and for a better economy are not the ones that you're talking about who are really stuck and entrenched in the culture wars. But it is interesting to watch just about every group lose both numbers and intensity for Donald Trump so early on. Tim, thank you for being here for all of this. You're the perfect person. The bull semen clip. I'm so glad it was us. When we come back, there were already big questions about the United States hosting the World cup this summer. And that was before Donald Trump's latest bananas remarks. What he said and why people are outraged and worried. We'll tell you about it next.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Eddie Glaude]

Huh?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Nibbles gone too soon.

[Nicole Wallace]

May he scurry in peace.

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[Nicole Wallace]

This was back in December. What you're watching is the first ever FIFA International Peace Prize. It's being awarded to Don FIFA. The Federation of World Soccer stated at the time that the award was intended to recognize individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world. That really happened and Trump really liked it. Now, just months out from the World Cup, FIFA finds itself trying to persuade their very special Peace Prize winner into allowing the team of the nation he started a war with to play. Last week, Donald Trump in a truth social post, managed both to invite and threaten the Iranian team, saying this quote, the Iran national soccer team is welcome to the World cup, but I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be here for their own life and safety, end quote. Iran is set to play three matches on U.S. soil in Los Angeles and Seattle. Iran is yet to formally pull out of the tournament set to begin in June. I want to bring in national sports columnist professor of journalism at the University of of Maryland. Kevin Blackistone is back with us. Eddie's still here. Kevin, weigh in. I mean, this is crazy and this is muddled even by Trumpian standards. You can come, but you might not make it out alive.

[Eddie Glaude]

What a welcome mat. It's absolutely stunning, but I guess we shouldn't be stunned by anything these days. You're the host to the largest tournament, sports tournament, one sport tournament in the world. You won that, right? This country did somehow, some way with your neighbors in Canada and your neighbors in Mexico. And everyone who makes it this far, advances this far should expect to be treated fine. They're treated like guests and you enjoy their athleticism and their, their wins and you agonize with their losses. This is a grand tournament. And to say that about Iran, that you may not protect them when they are here, is just shameful. And I would also wonder, are Iranians under attack in this country? I don't think so. I think everyone here is welcoming them and wants to see all of these teams play. So this is just more troubling. And I should also point out, reiterate something that I wrote, I think last summer, that this administration has made our country an unfit host for these global sporting events, whether it's FIFA, which starts in about three months, or whether it's the 2028 Olympics, with the way that we have. This administration has treated immigrants, treated people of color, treated people who speak a different language, even treated its own citizen.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Citizen.

[Eddie Glaude]

We are not a fit host for the rest of the world right now.

[Nicole Wallace]

Let me come at this on the FIFA side as well. Kevin, this is from the athletic. Infantino has taken every step imaginable and unimaginable to please and appease Donald Trump. He opened an office for FIFA in New York City's Trump tower and abandoned FIFA's plans and extensive negotiations to hold the World cup draw in Las Vegas instead of switching it to the Kennedy center on Trump's recommendation. Along the way, he has effectively become an extended member of Trump's traveling entourage, joining him on trips to Qatar and Saudi Arabia last May, which caused him to turn up several hours late to FIFA's own Congress in Paraguay. This triggered a walkout by European executives who accused Infantino of accommodating private political interests ahead of the sport he is supposed to represent. He claimed he was in the Gulf region acting in FIFA's best interest. This is a question about. This is obviously the head of FIFA a question of his fitness for this role as well. I mean, the Peace Prize ends up being a joke and a ridicule here, but there are places where it connotes some credibility onto Donald Trump.

[Eddie Glaude]

That is amazing. Infantino, of course, apologized for. For what happened to workers who were building the World cup facilities in the Middle East. In Qatar, he also chummed up with. With Vladimir Putin. So that's who this guy is. And. And this is who Donald Trump is, is to him. You know, the IOC opened an investigation into his. Into his chumming up with. With Donald Trump around that peace prize and wearing a political slogan, wearing that hat that we've all become way too familiar with, because FIFA says that politics are not supposed to be a part of their games. Yet with this head of FIFA, clearly they are.

[Nicole Wallace]

It's amazing, Eddie, that there is still sort of a bottomless pit of people who will jump in the trough with Trump.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah. It gives us a sense of the depth of depravity that ensnares us these days. I'm just thinking about what, you know, sport, the World Cup. In the midst of all of the darkness of our days, sports offers us these opportunities.

[Nicole Wallace]

But for Donald Trump, this isn't sort of a last bash. This is the first step he reaches for.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

You know, can you imagine? I mean, he even tries to occupy those spaces that allow us just for a moment to root for our teams, to feel a sense of exuberance and joy as well as, you know, the agony of defeat, as they used to say on ABC World Sport. It just shows you how he just wants to infect every aspect of our lives and steal all of our joy.

[Nicole Wallace]

Yeah. It also shows, though, what a sort of childlike brokenness there is if they gave him a fake prize. And that has to be part of every story that we tell. Kevin Blackistone, it's great to see you. To be continued, as you said, this is an event that's set to get underway in about three months. We'll stay on top of this with your help. Eddie, thank you for spending the hour here with me. When we come back, a big development in Donald Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center. We'll tell you about it next. The board of the Kennedy center voted today to shut down. Donald Trump had urged his hand picked board to close the performing arts center so that he can complete the renovation project. He has fixated on claiming it is on the verge of collapse. But it is Trump's politicization of the Kennedy center that has sped its collapse. Donald Trump affixed his name to the Kennedy center and installed a loyalist named Rick Grinnell as the its president. Grinnell is now stepping down after a dramatic tenure there. From the Washington Post reporting on Grinnell's exit. Quote, the center has experienced reams of cancellations from artists and been abandoned by audience members disturbed by its direction. Those performances that still take place often play to semi empty houses. A former president of the center's defined Grinnell's term to the Washington Post as, quote, the least productive in the history of the Kennedy Center. Well, stay on top of that. Another break for us. We'll be right back. Thank you so much for letting us into your homes on this Monday. We are grateful. Why have we asked our contractor we found on Angie.com to be our kid's legal guardian? Because he took such good care when redoing our basement that we knew we could trust him to care for our kids, all eight of them, should something happen to us.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Are you my dad now? No, sorry. I do basements.

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