Every couple of years, David and Sam get to fulfil their (not so) secret desire of becoming political pundits. Today is that day! For our Midterm post-mortem, we’re joined by two pros who also happen to be brothers: David Wallace-Wells of The New York Times and Ben Wallace-Wells of The New Yorker. Although we recorded this on Wednesday afternoon, and a couple of races are still too close to call, it’s clear that the Democrats had a generational night. Yet so much is in the air and it remains entirely unclear what comes next.
The gang tries to make sense of it all: How much of these results are explained by a “normal” midterm backlash or one-offs such as the wars and the cost of living? Did the Trump decade lead us to misread a country that was “blue/purple” all along? What is the future of conservativism if the suburbs of Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas move away from the Republican party? And perhaps most importantly: How will this election shape the future Democratic party?
Ben and David wonder whether Trump will stick with MAGA or cut a deal with Democrats. Sam asks whether younger politicians will stop governing for old people. David brings it all back to property taxes and the “Buddhist” governors of Connecticut and Vermont. The political order may be in flux, but some things never change.
Referenced Readings
The Trump Era Is Fading, David Wallace-Wells, The New York Times (2026).
A Blue Wave Just Crashed on Trump, Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker (2026).
Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote, National Popular Vote.
Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity, Lilliana Mason, University of Chicago Press (2018).
Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth—and What to Do About It, Samuel Moyn, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2026).
The Great American Property Tax Freak Out, David Schleicher (2026).
The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There, Owen Zidar and Eric Zwick, Henry Holt and Company (2026).
How to Beat the Deficit Hawks, Zachary Liscow, The Argument (2026).