Christopher Caldwell On Trump And Europe

21 snips

Feb 28, 2025

Christopher Caldwell, a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and a sharp voice on conservative thought, engages in a deep dive into the complexities of contemporary politics. He discusses Trump’s consequential policies compared to Obama’s, the recent demise of affirmative action, and the evolving definitions of conservatism. Caldwell also touches on Biden's immigration strategies and the impact of DEI initiatives on political sentiments. The conversation critiques the dynamics between technology leaders and government, highlighting a transformative era in political leadership.

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ANECDOTE

Harris Pick: A Bridge Between Factions

Kamala Harris's VP selection reflects the Democratic Party's internal power struggles.
She served as a temporary bridge between conflicting interest groups.

INSIGHT

Immigration: More Than Just Numbers

Public perception of immigration isn't solely about numbers, but feelings of insecurity and cultural change.
Trump links immigration to crime, fueling this narrative despite its broad inaccuracy.

INSIGHT

Trump's Economic Impact: Shared Prosperity

Trump's economic policies resulted in lower overall growth but better wealth distribution than under Obama.
People remember the positive impact of this shared prosperity.

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.com

Chris — an old friend and, in my view, one of the sharpest right-of-center writers in journalism — returns to the Dishcast for his third appearance. He’s a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, a contributing editor to the Claremont Review of Books, a contributing writer for the NYT, and a member of the editorial committee of the French quarterly Commentaire. We covered his book The Age of Entitlement on the pod in 2021, and in 2023 he came back to talk European politics. This week I wanted to talk to a Trump supporter as we survey the first month. And we hashed a lot out.

For two clips of our convo — on the vandalism of DOGE, and why Chris thinks Trump has been more consequential than Obama on policy— see our YouTube page.

Other topics: the final demise of affirmative action; the 1964 Civil Rights Act; how DEI created racial strife; warring Dem interest groups; Biden’s belated border enforcement; why Harris was picked for veep and party nominee; the minorities disillusioned with Dems; the rise in public disorder; looming inflation; Trump’s tax cuts and tariffs; Trump vs Reaganism; DOGE vs Clinton’s downsizing; Bannon vs Musk; Thiel a harbinger of Trump’s broligarchy; USAID and NGOs; the Swamp; Musk calling for the impeachment of judges; his ignorance on government; his craving to be cool; RFK at HHS; Bezos ditching dissent at the WaPo op-ed page; America’s new foreign policy; Trump’s alliance with Russia against Ukraine; pushing reparations on an invaded country; NATO’s Article 5 void under Trump; his love of strongmen; Vance’s disdain of European leaders; Brexit; mass migration; the German elections; China and Trump; Syria and Obama; the DCA helicopter crash; the awfulness of Bluesky; the Gulf of America; and debating the extent to which Trump’s rhetoric is just noise.

Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Evan Wolfson on the history of marriage equality, Nick Denton on China and AI, Francis Collins on faith and science, Michael Lewis on government service, Douglas Murray on Israel and Gaza, Ian Buruma on Spinoza, Michael Joseph Gross on bodybuilding, and the great and powerful Mike White, of White Lotus fame. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.