The best witness against Trump? The president of the U.S.

By Herb Strentz | April 7, 2026
Herb Strentz was dean of the Drake School of Journalism from 1975 to 1988 and professor there until retirement in 2004. He was executive secretary of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council from its founding in 1976 to 2000. A contrast between President Harry Truman and our would-be King Donald Trump is relevant and overdue because of the need to…Read More

Operation Enduring Stereotype

By Jeb Lund | April 2, 2026
There isn’t much to hand George W. Bush, but he did peg Trumpism better and earlier than most of the Beltway when his immediate response to Trump’s first inaugural speech was allegedly, “That was some weird shit.” Last night, we got the horrifying shit. The nicest thing you could say about Trump’s address on the Iran War is that it…Read More

Donald Trump Became President By Appealing to Conspiracy Theorists — Now He’s Driving Them Away

By Mike Rothschild | February 5, 2026
This excerpt is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.  Donald Trump may not have been the first president to believe in conspiracy theories, but he was definitely the first candidate whose election was fueled by pandering to those who do. As his popularity soared among those on the fringe during his 2016 campaign, their internet…Read More

Is the Trump administration backing down in Minneapolis?

By Cameron Peters | February 4, 2026
Federal agents detain a protester in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 3, 2026. | Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration says it will remove 700 federal immigration agents from…Read More

Family of JFK Call BS on Trump Shuttering of Kennedy Center

By Stephen Prager | February 2, 2026
The descendants of former President John F. Kennedy are denouncing President Donald Trump’s order to shutter the Kennedy Center and calling bullshit on his reasons for doing so.On Sunday, Trump abruptly announced on Truth Social that beginning on July 4, the performing arts center in Washington, DC, which he recently renamed after himself, would shut down for two years for…Read More