Podcast Summary: ‘Trump Has Lost the Country’

Podcast: Interesting Times with Ross Douthat
Host: Ross Douthat (New York Times Opinion)
Release Date: February 4, 2026

Main Theme

In this episode, Ross Douthat delivers a sobering analysis: a year into his second term, Donald Trump has “lost the country.” Through direct monologue, conversation with voters, and political analysis, Douthat explores the reasons Trump’s coalition has unraveled, the consequences for the right, and what history (and the left’s experience under Biden) can teach the Republican Party about the dangers of ignoring moderates and swing voters.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Dissolution of Trump’s Political Coalition

• Ross Douthat (00:04–00:26):

  • Opens by declaring, “Donald Trump has lost the country.”
  • Cites Trump’s 37% approval rating—the lowest in his second term.
  • Notes the “grand coalition” that beat Kamala Harris has disintegrated.

• Quote:

  “A year into his second presidency, Donald Trump has lost the country.”
  —Ross Douthat (00:07)

• Predictable Downfall:

  • Douthat reflects that Trump’s early approach—ignoring moderates and swing voters—laid the groundwork for the administration’s current woes.

Conservative Voter Disillusionment

• Conservative Voter (00:26–00:50):

  • Reflects on personal fallout: farm labor lost due to deportations.
  • Expresses regret for voting for Trump.

• Quote:

  “I regret voting for Donald Trump.”
  —Conservative Voter (00:50)

The Cost to the Right: When the Coalition Breaks

• Ross Douthat (00:54–01:30):

  • Argues it’s the right—not moderates—who suffer most from Trump’s plummeting popularity.
  • Identifies policy priorities at risk: border security, university reforms for ideological diversity, rolling back DEI.
  • Warns: “All of that agenda will just disappear if the Republican Party can’t win elections.”

• Quote:

  “It’s not moderates and swing voters who lose out when a right wing administration loses popularity. It’s people on the right, people like me... who like seeing universities pressured... who want to see DEI reset and rolled back. All of that... will just disappear if the Republican Party can’t win elections.”
  —Ross Douthat (00:54–01:23)

Midterm Disaster Signals

• Conservative Voter & Political Analyst (01:30–01:46):

  • Hints at looming electoral trouble: Texas Republicans lose a seat Trump won by 17 points in 2024, a 30+ point swing leftward.

• Quote:

  “This was a district that Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024. That’s an over 30 point shift to the left.”
  —Political Analyst (01:37)

Ignoring the Obvious: How Both Sides Alienate the Middle

• Ross Douthat (01:46–02:17):

  • Draws a parallel: Left in the Biden era insisted Biden was “very popular” and blamed problems on “right wing misinformation,” while in reality, Biden governed from “the left of the country” and lost his coalition.
  • Now, the right repeats the pattern, claiming Trump is “the best in the business”—or blaming losses on his supposed moderation rather than alienation of moderates.

• Quote:

  “You just can’t have a transformative agenda if you don’t keep moderates and the general public on your side. Now, that may seem like an obvious truism of politics, but in fact, both right and left treat it like this great secret.”
  —Ross Douthat (01:46)

Right-Wing Media & the Problem of Echo Chambers

• Ross Douthat (02:17–End):

  • Warns the right’s media bubble means few admit the real problem: “Millions of Americans look at [Trump’s] behavior and get freaked out.”
  • Conservatives who do acknowledge reality are dismissed as “New York Times conservatives,” “squishes,” or “Trump skeptics.”

• Quote:

  “There’s no one there to point out the bleeding obvious: that the Trump administration is losing ground because millions of Americans look at its behavior and get freaked out...”
  —Ross Douthat (02:09)

• Offers tough-love advice: being more moderate and less extreme is essential for the survival of Trump’s policies and legacy.

• Closing Quote:

  “Unless the administration can act a little bit more moderate and a little bit more normal, there won’t be any Trump legacy at all.”
  —Ross Douthat (02:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “A year into his second presidency, Donald Trump has lost the country.” (Douthat, 00:07)
• “I regret voting for Donald Trump.” (Conservative Voter, 00:50)
• “You just can’t have a transformative agenda if you don’t keep moderates and the general public on your side.” (Douthat, 01:46)
• “There’s no one there to point out the bleeding obvious: that the Trump administration is losing ground because millions of Americans look at its behavior and get freaked out…” (Douthat, 02:09)
• “Unless the administration can act a little bit more moderate and a little bit more normal, there won’t be any Trump legacy at all.” (Douthat, 02:41)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:04–00:26: Introduction; Trump’s loss of support
• 00:26–00:50: Conservative voter regrets and immigration fallout
• 00:54–01:30: The right’s agenda at risk by loss of popularity
• 01:30–01:46: Electoral warning signs—swing district shifts
• 01:46–02:17: Lessons from the Biden years; repeating mistakes
• 02:17–End: Douthat’s direct challenge to the right; need for moderation

Takeaway

Ross Douthat presents a candid, critical assessment of Trump’s faltering second-term coalition. Drawing on recent electoral setbacks, voter testimony, and political analysis, he argues that both the left and right ignore the basic axiom that alienating moderates is a path to losing power—and ultimately, the policy victories they seek. His urgent message to conservatives: only by acknowledging and addressing this truth can the right hope to preserve its legacy.