America’s “Bad Emperor” Problem

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The Washington Roundtable discusses President Donald Trump’s health and the signs of his age-related decline: a noticeably reduced work schedule, fewer public appearances, and more rambling, profanity-laden outbursts. The panel examines how this undermines Trump’s self-styled image of strength and vigor, what lessons about aging Presidents can be drawn from the Biden and Reagan Administrations, and why America may be facing what scholars refer to as the “Bad Emperor” problem in Chinese history. “When strongmen get weak, watch out,” the staff writer Jane Mayer says.

This week’s reading:

“War Is Peace, the Dozing Don Edition,” by Susan B. Glasser

“The Dishonorable Strikes on Venezuelan Boats,” by Ruth Marcus

“Mikie Sherrill Intends to Move Fast,” by Gabriel Debenedetti

“The Undermining of the C.D.C.,” by Dhruv Khullar

“The Legal Consequences of Pete Hegseth’s ‘Kill Them All’ Order,” by Isaac Chotiner

“In the Line of Fire,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells

“What Can Economists Agree on These Days? ” by John Cassidy

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.