The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg Has Trump Betrayed His Base?| Interview: Ross Douthat
36 snips
Apr 6, 2026 
Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist known for sharp cultural and political analysis, joins to dissect Iran, whether U.S. strikes aimed at regime change, and the risks of targeting leadership. They debate if Trump’s Iran moves felt like betrayal to MAGA voters, explore Israeli influence, and argue about the future and coherence of post-Trump conservatism.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Decapitation Strategy Raised Iran's Escalation Stakes
- The Iran campaign began as a decapitation attempt aimed at regime change rather than merely degrading military capability.
- Ross Douthat argues that targeting leadership raises existential stakes for Iran, making their escalatory threats more credible and complicating off-ramps.
Regime Change Is More Than Leadership Turnover
- The term regime has been diluted; modern usage often conflates temporary leadership changes with regime change.
- Douthat and Jonah stress regime change should mean transformational disruption of ruling structures, not mere replacement of top figures.
MAGA Base Supported Trump Despite Influencer Criticism
- Early polling showed self-identified MAGA Republicans largely supported Trump's Iran actions despite criticism from prominent pundits.
- Douthat sees this as evidence that loud influencer voices don't necessarily reflect the broader MAGA base.