The Good Fight The Good Fight Club: Trump’s New Ballroom, a Looming Attack on Venezuela, and Why Social Media Explains the Rise of Populism
Oct 25, 2025
Francis Fukuyama, a senior fellow at Stanford and author, joins Mona Charen, a syndicated columnist and policy editor at The Bulwark, to delve into hot topics. They discuss Trump's controversial East Wing demolition and the implications of personalizing power. The conversation shifts to the potential U.S. military actions in Venezuela and the challenges of intervention, emphasizing risks of entanglement. They also explore social media’s role in the rise of populism, linking it to a broader global trend that reshapes politics today.
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Bypassing Institutional Review
- Francis Fukuyama argues presidents shouldn't unilaterally raise monuments to themselves.
- He notes Trump bypassed review processes and abused executive power with the renovation.
Let Courts Check Politicized Actions
- Expect courts to check attempts that mix official power with personal gain, like DOJ payments to Trump.
- Yascha Mounk suggests judicial review will likely constrain such politicized actions.
Corporate Pay-to-Play Signals
- Corporate donations to Trump's ballroom show major firms bending to political power.
- Mona Charen lists big tech and transport names and calls the phenomenon remarkable and troubling.