Podcast Summary: "Trump Just Did Something No President Has Tried Since 1798"

Podcast: To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes
Host: Charlie Sykes
Guest: Susan Glasser (The New Yorker)
Date: February 17, 2026

Overview

This episode tackles recent and alarming developments in American politics, focusing on Donald Trump's efforts to criminalize political opposition — something not seen since the late 18th century. Charlie Sykes and Susan Glasser discuss the attempted indictments of six sitting members of Congress, contextualize the attack on free speech, compare America's trajectory with global trends, and reflect on broader implications for democracy and the rule of law. They also explore international issues, media suppression, accountability in the Trump era, and notable political figures' responses.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Remembering Alexei Navalny & Putin's Tyranny

• Anniversary of Navalny's Murder:
  Sykes and Glasser open by marking the second anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s assassination, confirmed as a poisoning with a rare toxin linked to Ecuadorian dart frogs.
  • "[Putin] murdered one of the most prominent political leaders of the opposition. The whole world now understands what it is..." (Sykes, 03:00)
• Comparison to Modern Russia:
  Glasser reflects on how Putin’s regime is, in many ways, harsher than late-Soviet rule, highlighting the rollback of freedoms and increased danger for dissenters.
  • "I think you would have more to fear from expressing political speech in Russia today than you might have in the late Brezhnev era." (Glasser, 04:47)
• US Response & Trump’s Admiration for Putin:
  The discussion notes the symbolic weight of Putin's portrait still hanging in Trump’s White House and America’s muted official response. Sykes ties Trump’s amoral stance to a broader moral drift.

The Moral Shift in US Foreign Policy

• Trump’s Defense of “Murderous Thugs”:
  Citing Trump’s stance on MBS (Saudi Arabia) and Putin, Sykes notes how Trump dismissed concerns about political killings if US interests were at stake.
  • "He says, well, lots of people kill people." (Sykes, 07:38)
• Republican Discomfort and Accommodation:
  Glasser points out many Republicans remain mystified and disturbed by Trump's alignment with autocrats, even if they accommodate him publicly for political reasons.
  • "What is the American self interest that is represented by this?" (Glasser, 09:27)

Historical Precedent: Presidential Retaliation & Free Speech

• Trump’s Attempt to Indict Sitting Members of Congress:
  Glasser underscores how Trump's DOJ seeking to indict six members of Congress for protected speech goes beyond even dark chapters in US history.
  • "Not even in the most divisive, horrible, difficult times for American democracy...has a president ever jailed a member of Congress." (Glasser, 14:58)
  • Only precedent: Matthew Lyon in 1798 under the Alien and Sedition Acts.
• Hypocrisy of “Free Speech” Rhetoric:
  Trump campaigned on defending free speech but now uses the state to silence and punish critics, including journalists and legislators.

Systematic Attack on Press & Dissent

• Weaponization of DOJ and Retaliatory Lawsuits:
  Glasser details Trump’s efforts in his second term to file lawsuits against news organizations (CBS, ABC, NYT, BBC) and even pollsters he dislikes.
  • "When the New York Times recently published another poll he didn't like, he said he was going to sue them, too..." (Glasser, 20:25)
• Chilling Effect on Media & Political Speech:
  Sykes asks if this constant threat is “working.” Glasser says unequivocally yes, citing media self-censorship and silence from Republican officials afraid of retribution.
  • "Clearly there are many, many...Republican elected officials who aren't telling the truth to the public because they are afraid in some way of Donald Trump." (Glasser, 26:42)
• Surveillance & Big Tech Complicity:
  Recent reporting shows Trump’s DHS seeking personal information on regime critics from tech companies. Glasser argues this is not a possibility but a current reality.
  • "The lesson...is not could it happen here, but it is happening here, and what are we going to do about it?" (Glasser, 29:28)

The Broader Pattern: Revenge and Retaliation

• Culture of Personal Retribution:
  Both note the core agenda for Trump and his inner circle is not “America First” policy, but personalized revenge using the state — especially targeting critics, enemies, and “disloyal” officials.
  • "The ideology that Trump cares most about...is the use of the federal government as a weapon of personal revenge and retribution." (Glasser, 50:19)
• Cabinet Behavior:
  Officials like Pam Bondi and Tulsi Gabbard perform public acts of loyalty, debasing themselves or attacking opponents to win Trump’s favor.

The Epstein Files and Zones of Impunity

• Cover-Up and Lack of Accountability:
  Discussion covers the slow, heavily redacted release of Epstein case files. Glasser laments how global fallout has affected many, “everywhere except for Donald Trump and his cabinet.”
  • "It's sadly just another story about the impunity and lack of accountability that has largely existed in the Trump era." (Glasser, 37:40)

Obama Speaks Out & The Trump Cult of Personality

• Obama’s Measured Intervention:
  Barack Obama’s decision to call out Trump (using the term “clownishness”) marks a break with ex-presidents' tradition of silence — but in a characteristically restrained fashion.
  • "A clown with a flamethrower still has a flamethrower." (Sykes, 37:40)
• Trump’s Narcissism and Iconography:
  Referencing Peter Baker’s NYT piece, Sykes and Glasser analyze how Trump is actively cultivating a cult of personality, with self-glorifying imagery and “maga porn.”
  • "...there was something called maga...where other people would depict him all muscular and cut...Now Trump is posting this...himself." (Sykes, 43:28)
• Risk of Megalomania in Decline:
  Glasser warns that megalomaniacal leaders often become most dangerous when threatened or weakened.
  • "That's exactly when he may be doing more over the top, excessive things is when faced with a loss of power." (Glasser, 43:29)

Fears for 2026 and the Election

• Potential for Escalation:
  There’s deep concern about Trump’s talk of unilaterally changing voting rules, using ICE to monitor polling stations, and otherwise undermining electoral legitimacy.
  • "Let's take Trump seriously at this point. He said...that if Congress wasn't going to pass his proposed changes to elections...he was going to unilaterally declare that Americans would have to show IDs in order to vote." (Glasser, 45:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Putin and Trump’s Morality:
  "The amorality of American government right now at the very top."
  – Charlie Sykes (09:27)
• On unprecedented indictments:
  "Donald Trump going where no one else before him has."
  – Susan Glasser (14:58)
• On the state of the media:
  "The effort to cow the media owners has been unfortunately, extremely effective."
  – Susan Glasser (26:42)
• On tech, surveillance, and reality:
  "The lesson...is not could it happen here, but it is happening here, and what are we going to do about it?"
  – Susan Glasser (29:28)
• On cabinet self-abasement:
  "It's the kind of thing that the Saturday Night Live skit writers would probably tone it down because it was too embarrassing."
  – Susan Glasser (48:13)
• On the true agenda:
  "The use of the federal government as a weapon of personal revenge and retribution."
  – Susan Glasser (50:19)

Key Timestamps

• Alexei Navalny anniversary, Putin & Trump – 03:00–09:27
• US moral shift in foreign policy – 07:38–11:41
• Trump’s attempt to indict Congress members, historical context – 13:24–19:01
• Trump’s attacks on free speech, legal retribution against media/critics – 20:25–25:48
• Chilling effect on media/Republican voices – 26:42–28:35
• Big Tech and government surveillance – 28:35–32:16
• Epstein files & culture of impunity – 34:35–37:40
• Obama’s response, Trump’s cult of personality – 37:40–45:17
• Megalomania, threats to democracy, potential escalation – 43:29–47:02
• Pam Bondi, cabinet sycophancy, “boiled frog” effect – 47:25–50:19

Takeaway

This episode provides a sweeping, sobering analysis of the erosion of democratic norms and escalating attacks on dissent under Trump’s second term. Both Sykes and Glasser stress that what once seemed outlandish is now happening in plain sight — from criminalizing political speech to intimidating media and political opponents. The episode closes with a reminder that, while the situation is dire, those feeling alarmed are not "the crazy ones"; vigilance and courage are required to defend fundamental democratic principles.