Trump 2.0: Group Chats and a New Spat

Over the past five years, the activist Christopher Rufo has spearheaded the conservative critique of and assault on critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, organizing effective campaigns against government offices, corporations and American universities.In the process, Mr. Rufo has become an influential voice in the ear of the Trump administration as it turns his strategy into a wide-ranging government crackdown on higher education.Michael Barbaro speaks to Mr. Rufo about how far his agenda will go.Guest: Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist and writer.Background reading: Mr. Rufo helped make critical race theory a conservative rallying cry.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Chona Kasinger for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

11 Apr 43min

After promising that tariffs against dozens of countries were here to stay, no matter how much they hurt businesses or the stock market, President Trump has abruptly reversed course.But there’s an exception: his levies on China, which he said he would raise to 125 percent.Jonathan Swan, who covers the White House, explains why the president changed his mind, and David Pierson, who covers China, discusses why Beijing won’t back down.Guest:Jonathan Swan, a White House reporter for The New York Times.David Pierson, a foreign correspondent for The New York Times covering China.Background reading: Inside President Trump’s reversal on tariffs.The United States and China are engaged in a risky game of chicken with no off-ramp in sight.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Eric Lee/The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

10 Apr 28min

Over the past few weeks, some of the most prestigious universities in the country have faced a threat to their very existence.President Trump has frozen billions of dollars in federal funds in an attempt to rid higher education of what he calls its woke ideology.Rachel Abrams speaks to the president of Princeton University, Christopher L. Eisgruber, who has vowed to fight.Guest: Christopher L. Eisgruber, the president of Princeton University.Background reading: President Trump paused dozens of federal grants to Princeton.Mr. Trump’s orders threaten the financial foundations of higher education, but few universities have protested openly.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Christopher Goodney/Bloomburg Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

9 Apr 38min

On Monday, global stocks whipsawed over President Trump’s tariffs, a bear market briefly became official in the United States and tit-for-tat retaliation with China intensified.As trillions of dollars in corporate value evaporates and Mr. Trump’s support in the business world is cracking, even Republican members of Congress are debating whether to take away the president’s power to wage a trade war.Andrew Ross Sorkin, who covers business and policy, and Jonathan Swan, who covers the White House, talk through the tumultuous past few days on the stock market.Guest:Andrew Ross Sorkin, a columnist and the founder and editor-at-large of DealBook, which publishes the flagship business and policy newsletter of The New York Times.Jonathan Swan, a White House reporter for The New York Times.Background reading: DealBook: Does Mr. Trump Have an “Off Ramp”?What is a bear market? Are we in one?China says it will “fight to the end” after Mr. Trump threatens more tariffs.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

8 Apr 36min

Over the past few weeks, President Trump has used executive orders to wage war on law firms, specifically targeting those whose lawyers have investigated or sued him, or represented his enemies in court.Michael Barbaro speaks to Thomas Sipp, a lawyer who chose to quit after his firm, Skadden, negotiated a deal to placate the president.Guest: Thomas Sipp, a lawyer who left his firm after they negotiated a deal with Mr. Trump.Background reading: Read about how, Paul Weiss, a major democratic law firm, ended up bowing to Mr. Trump.Ever since the elite law firms Skadden and Paul Weiss reached deals with the Trump administration, top partners have closed ranks in support of the agreements.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: John Taggart for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

7 Apr 35min

“The force of his will is the thing I remember about him,” says Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who wrote a profile of Val Kilmer for The New York Times Magazine in May 2020. “He was sure he was going to come back to his exact former self. ”The two met for an interview just as a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic seemed all but certain to happen.Mr. Kilmer, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and had undergone a tracheotomy, was still performing. Mr. Brodesser-Akner credits him with providing “the first whiff of overarching hope and positivity that I’d witnessed in I couldn’t remember how many months.”“What does somebody do when the thing that they are known for, which is being a superhero, which is being an action hero, which is being handsome, which is being this sort of picture of good health and vigor, what do you do next?” she said. “And a lot of people, they fade away. But that’s not how it went for Val. ”Mr. Kilmer, who played classic roles such as Batman and Iceman in “Top Gun,” died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 65. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

6 Apr 53min

The actor talks about his new film “The Friend,” his jerky past and what he doesn’t get about himself. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

5 Apr 51min

The reverberations from President Trump’s new global tariffs have rocked financial markets and world capitals. American stocks have plunged, and foreign leaders have issued forceful condemnations.The Times journalists Michael Barbaro, Peter Goodman, Natalie Kitroeff and Jeanna Smialek sit down to try to make sense of Mr. Trump’s strategy and its consequences.Guest:Peter S. Goodman, who covers the global economy for The New York Times.Natalie Kitroeff, the Mexico City bureau chief for The New York Times.Jeanna Smialek, the Brussels bureau chief for The New York Times.Background reading: Read about how Mr. Trump’s one-for-one tariff plan threatens the global economy.The trade war set off “max pessimism” in the global markets.The tariffs have widened the chasm between allies and Washington.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Scott McIntyre for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

4 Apr 34min