As nominees roll in, the reality of Donald Trump’s second administration is rapidly coming into focus. This week, Ross is joined by Opinion columnist David French to discuss the surprising picks and what they signal about the incoming president’s policy shifts this time around.

The Democratic Party needs to take a look in the mirror, and fast. This week, our old friend Lydia Polgreen joins the hosts to dissect what went wrong for Democrats, and what kind of leadership the party needs to win back voters in Trump’s America. Plus, something to do other than doomscrolling.

In this special post-election episode, the hosts take stock of Donald Trump’s triumphant night and what a return of his right-wing populism says about America.

Is this really the most consequential election of our lifetimes? On this last episode of “Matter of Opinion” before the election, the hosts reflect on some defining moments of the campaign (other than President Biden dropping out), from Donald Trump’s indictments to Project 2025 to Ron Desantis’s lack of charisma. Plus, a visit from the ghosts of election nights past.

There’s a whole world of 2024 elections that don’t involve Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. These races will be key to determining America’s future. As we inch closer to Election Day, the hosts zoom in on the congressional races that reveal something deeper — and stranger — about our politics. Plus, Ross has a new Vice.

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have been neck and neck in the polls for weeks. But past elections have proved the polls wrong. Can we trust them this time? This week, the hosts are joined by Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican pollster and Times Opinion contributor, to talk through what polls can — and can’t — tell us about how voting day will go. Plus, a taste for All Hallow’s Eve.

When Democrats coalesced around Kamala Harris this summer, they set their differences aside in the interest of preventing a second Trump presidency. But at what cost? On this episode, Lydia is joined by her fellow Opinion columnists Jamelle Bouie and Michelle Goldberg to discuss whether this temporary unity is good or bad for the future of the Democratic Party.

This week the hosts discuss what was obscured by the civility of the V.P. debate, and consider what JD Vance and Tim Walz really offer their running mates and their parties’ futures. Plus, Michelle won’t be washing away her stresses any time soon.

This week we're taking a break from the election and turn our attention to the allegations against Sean Combs: Where has #MeToo succeeded or fallen short? And what happens when the lines blur between rumor mill and conspiracy theory? The Opinion columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the Opinion writer Jessica Grose join the conversation. Plus, Jessica has a recommendation for Plath-heads.

Donald Trump and JD Vance have sparked panic over immigration in Springfield, Ohio. This week, the hosts talk about why our country’s immigration debate is now focused on a distraction instead of the core of the issue. Plus, Ross is hot and cold about a particular pet obsession.

Kamala Harris may have won the debate by baiting Donald Trump. But is it enough to sway undecided voters? This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the Opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie joins our hosts to talk about how each campaign should reconsider its nominee’s visibility in the next seven weeks to win the White House. Plus, Michelle wants to be seen less.

Opinion columnist David French is voting for Kamala Harris to save conservatism. Ross is… skeptical. On this very special episode, the two Christian conservatives debate how to chart the right’s course out of Trumpism and to the future.

While we take a quick summer break, we wanted to recommend a new show: “The Opinions.” Four times a week, in ten minutes or less, you’ll hear one of our columnists — Matter of Opinion hosts included — walk you through their take on an issue or idea you might not have considered. It’s like the Opinion pages come to life. In this episode, our very own Carlos shares what he learned reading Kamala Harris’s two memoirs. He reflects on how her criminal justice message has changed over time, and...

The hosts react to Kamala Harris’s convention speech in this special late-night edition of “Matter of Opinion”. Lydia, Ross and Carlos unpack how Harris had a “deft threading of a number of tricky needles” as she accepted her party’s nomination, and look at what the entire week revealed about the Democratic Party.

If you believe JD Vance, the American family is in crisis. But are attacks on “childless cat ladies” and pitches for enfranchising kids actual policy platforms or merely culture war cudgels? This week on “Matter of Opinion,” Jessica Grose joins Michelle, Ross and Carlos to debate the weird ways gender and family are showing up in the election and share their own roads to parenthood. Plus, Jessica suggests a deep dive into a culture of “tin pot dictators wearing LoveShackFancy.”

This week on the show, Michelle Goldberg joins Michelle and Ross to debate the gambles or gains Kamala Harris has made by picking Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate. They also discuss the ways the Trump-Vance ticket could recalibrate to regain their lead. Plus, Goldberg is sunny on a new show you probably haven’t heard of.

The 2024 presidential race is officially in its identity politics stage. From “White Dudes for Harris,” to “D.E.I. candidate” accusations, the hosts debate how race and racism are being deployed in the second week of the Harris v. Trump election.

Vice President Kamala Harris has gone from being one of President Biden’s many problems to the hope of the Democratic Party. This week Ross, Lydia and Carlos dissect the seismic campaign vibe shift in both parties. Plus, Ross criticizes another self-indulgent addition to the modern era’s Western canon.

The former president was expected to offer “unity” in his convention acceptance speech. But, after a wild week, the speech revealed the same old Donald Trump. In this episode, the hosts debate: Is Trump a “man of destiny”?

“The dam is breaking!” Have the Democrats reached their “break glass in case of emergency” moment? This week, Michelle, Ross and Lydia dig into the Democratic Party fissures, consider what could happen if President Biden refuses to bow out, and debate just how much this moment mirrors the Republican scramble against Trump in 2016.

Matter of Opinion is off this week, but the news hasn’t stopped. So this week we’re bringing you something from columnists across New York Times Opinion. With President Biden’s candidacy in question, we asked them: Who would you like to see as the Democratic nominee? These are their answers.

Ezra Klein joins Ross and Michelle to dissect the first presidential debate of 2024: “At some point Democrats have to decide if they want to try to win this election, or it is simply too uncomfortable for them to do anything but be on this train as it derails.”

We’re getting ready for this week’s presidential debate. In the meantime, we wanted to share an audio essay from Michelle Cottle on a make-or-break vote for the MAGA warrior Lauren Boebert. The controversial lawmaker is facing a primary in Colorado that will determine her political future. Michelle visited a biker bar in Douglas County, Colo., to understand the ways Boebert is tweaking her image in a new district in hopes of winning over more traditional conservatives. Can she do it without...

Populism, offered as a solution to economic and cultural woes, has gained ground in Europe following a slew of recent elections. Across the pond, the Ohio senator and potential Trump running mate J.D. Vance is championing an American version of populist politics that is also gaining traction. On this week’s episode, the hosts discuss Vance’s embrace of the ideology and consider why many voters find it so appealing. Plus, Ross shares a literary deep cut that not even Carlos has heard of.