To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes “The More Unpopular Trump Becomes, the More Extreme He’ll Get”
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May 2, 2026 
Susan Glasser, New Yorker staff writer known for sharp political analysis. She digs into threats to press freedom and how legal moves have become political revenge. She discusses Trump’s escalating grandiosity as popularity falls, fraught Ukraine and Russia policy shifts, and why modern warfare and drone tactics demand urgent reform.
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Justice Department Weaponized For Retribution
- The Trump 2.0 era centers on large-scale abuse of power through the Justice Department to punish political opponents.
- Susan Glasser ties Todd Blanche's Comey indictment and other politicized prosecutions to retribution and a White House rewarding loyalists who please the president.
Press Access Culture Normalizes Anti-Press Behavior
- Inviting Trump to a First Amendment dinner exposed a media contradiction: honoring free press while giving access-driven coverage to an anti-press president.
- Glasser argues the White House Correspondents' decision showed access culture overriding principled defense of press freedom.
Legacy Mode Fuels Escalation And Spectacle
- Trump's advancing age and 'legacy mode' drive grandiosity and legacy projects as his popularity declines.
- Glasser links Napoleon-like fantasies to physical monuments (ballroom, arch) and escalation when political support falters.