Podcast / The Time of Monsters / Mar 30, 2026

Origins of the Imperial Presidency

David Sirota on how Trump got the power of a king.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Unpacking Platner / Fighting Fascism
byThe Nation Magazine

We said we'd talk about Graham Platner someday, and that day has arrived. We were all super excited about Platner. That excitement turned out to be misplaced. So what are the lessons we should draw from this saga? We also reflect back on the broader primary season, debate Woke 1, talk data centers, and look toward November, in this first just-us-cohosts-episode.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

President Donald Trump reacts during a Cabinet meeting.

(Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

As millions of Americans protest Donald Trump under the slogan of “No Kings,” it is worth asking how the nation ended up with such an authoritarian president. David Sirota and the team at The Lever have provided a great answer to this question in their new podcast series, Master Plan: The Kingmakers, which looks at the revival of the imperial presidency after the Watergate scandal of the early 1970s. I talked to David about the history uncovered in this podcast and why Trump is merely a symptom of a much deeper problem.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Trump’s Chaotic Foreign Policy w/ David Klion / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
byThe Nation Magazine

There’s an ongoing feud in the Trump administration between restrainers (advocates of a less hawkish foreign policy) and neoconservatives (advocates of militarism on multiple fronts). David Klion wrote about this conflict for the Nation but notes that the ideologies are less important than the fact that Trump is an impulsive bully who often changes his mind. I talked to David about this conflict and the larger incoherence of right-wing foreign policy.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Jeet Heer

Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation and host of the weekly Nation podcast, The Time of Monsters. He also pens the monthly column “Morbid Symptoms.” The author of In Love with Art: Francoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman (2013) and Sweet Lechery: Reviews, Essays and Profiles (2014), Heer has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The American Prospect, The GuardianThe New Republic, and The Boston Globe.

More from The Nation

Graham Platner on June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine.

Unpacking Platner Unpacking Platner

On today’s episode of Fighting Fascism, reflections on Graham Platner, the lessons of primary season, debates over “wokeness,” data centers, and what lies ahead in November.

US President Donald Trump and Air Force Col. Christopher M. Robinson walking to board Air Force One on August 14, 2026.

Israel Strikes Syria, Trump Escalates the Economic War on Iran, the US Seems to Move Toward Diplomacy With North Korea Israel Strikes Syria, Trump Escalates the Economic War on Iran, the US Seems to Move Toward Diplomacy With North Korea

Danny and Derek unpack the week’s global news, from Israel, Syria, Gaza, and Iran to Sudan, Ukraine, Korea, US tariffs, and Trump’s military agenda.

Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner

Signage outside a polling location during a primary election in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

Protecting the Midterms—at the Grassroots and in the Courts Protecting the Midterms—at the Grassroots and in the Courts

Leah Greenberg and Vanita Gupta join the show to discuss preparations to protect voting, ballot counting, and election certification in the midterms.

Jon Wiener

Anti-ICE protesters rally outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, on June 3, 2026.

How to Close a Camp—With John Washington How to Close a Camp—With John Washington

John Washington joins Fighting Fascism to discuss the fight against immigrant detention, the activists working to close camps, and their role in authoritarianism.

Trump’s Chaotic Foreign Policy

Trump’s Chaotic Foreign Policy Trump’s Chaotic Foreign Policy

David Klion on restrainers, neo-conservatives, and a flaky president.

Jeet Heer

March of the Jewish socialist Bund on May Day, 1930, in Poland.

The History of the Jewish Bund—With Molly Crabapple The History of the Jewish Bund—With Molly Crabapple

Molly Crabapple joins Danny and Derek to explore the history of the Jewish Labor Bund, its battles with Zionism and Bolshevism, and its legacy for the Jewish left.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

x