Chris Lehmann

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Chris Lehmann is the DC Bureau chief for The Nation and a contributing editor at The Baffler. He was formerly editor of The Baffler and The New Republic, and is the author, most recently, of The Money Cult: Capitalism, Christianity, and the Unmaking of the American Dream (Melville House, 2016).

President William McKinley and Vice President Theodore Roosevelt.

Donald Trump Is Building a Bridge to 1896 Donald Trump Is Building a Bridge to 1896

The president-elect promises to rule with robber baron tactics and imperial belligerence—just like his role model, William McKinley.

Jan 10, 2025 / Chris Lehmann

Donald Trump stands while a choir of men imprisoned for their role in the January 6 insurrection sing at a campaign rally at in Waco, Texas, in March 2023.

Trump’s Next Term Will Make His Historical Revisionism Official Trump’s Next Term Will Make His Historical Revisionism Official

The president-elect continues to escape accountability for his election denialism and endorsement of the January 6 insurrection.

Jan 6, 2025 / Chris Lehmann

Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference on July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Trump’s Crackpot Crypto Scheme to Reduce Inflation Would Be a Financial Catastrophe Trump’s Crackpot Crypto Scheme to Reduce Inflation Would Be a Financial Catastrophe

A federal crypto reserve would only benefit the scoundrels and scammers who helped fund Trump’s presidential campaign.

Dec 31, 2024 / Chris Lehmann

Jimmy Carter with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, at the Baptist church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, 1976.

How Jimmy Carter Lost Evangelical Christians to the Right How Jimmy Carter Lost Evangelical Christians to the Right

The Baptist Georgia governor won a majority of evangelical Christian voters in the 1976 presidential election. Next time around, those voters had changed sides—for the long haul.

Dec 30, 2024 / Obituary / Chris Lehmann

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson paces just prior to the House's approval of a stopgap spending bill.

The Spending Fiasco Was a Preview of the Trump-Musk Administration The Spending Fiasco Was a Preview of the Trump-Musk Administration

Congress narrowly averted a shutdown, but the whole episode offers a sneak peek of the oligarchy in store.

Dec 21, 2024 / Chris Lehmann

John Fetterman and Elise Stefanik

Brain-Dead Bipartisanship Is Getting Us Nowhere Brain-Dead Bipartisanship Is Getting Us Nowhere

Democrats are making a show of their willingness to cooperate with the incoming Trump administration. That’s not their job.

Dec 20, 2024 / Chris Lehmann

A Guide to Some of the Key Movers and Influencers in Trump's Orbit

A Guide to Some of the Key Movers and Influencers in Trump's Orbit A Guide to Some of the Key Movers and Influencers in Trump's Orbit

While showboats like Elon Musk and RFK Jr. get all the attention, the real power in a second Trump term is likely to be wielded by quietly effective bureaucrats and policy intelle...

Dec 18, 2024 / Feature / Chris Lehmann

Donald Trump, George Stephanopoulos

Trump’s Attack on the Free Press Is Just Getting Started Trump’s Attack on the Free Press Is Just Getting Started

The president-elect’s recent settlement with ABC News is an early volley in an all-out MAGA war against media independence.

Dec 17, 2024 / Chris Lehmann

Kamala Harris at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

What Happened to the Democratic Party? What Happened to the Democratic Party?

The squalid state of our present political institutions points to a failure of not just individuals but the system as a whole.

Dec 16, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Chris Lehmann

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamie Raskin

Democrats Are Overdue for New Leadership Democrats Are Overdue for New Leadership

To mount an opposition under the coming Trump administration, the party needs new ideas—not the same establishment clinging to power.

Dec 12, 2024 / Chris Lehmann

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