Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
“Trump is he is a lifelong, malignant, narcissistic — I used to say sociopath, now I'll say psychopath… What we've seen with Trump, which I think is a little bit different than some of the other lunatics that we might have had, is he doesn't just dance up to the line and see how far he can goes. He jumps over the line and then just keeps jumping.”
Soaring gas prices, Medicaid cuts, war with Iran... Political scientist Norm Ornstein joins Zeteo's John Harwood in this Substack Live to unpack how Trump’s chaotic presidency could haunt Republicans long after he’s gone.
Donald Trump seems to think he can run for president again in 2028, and if the law still stands, he can’t – but that doesn’t mean the White House won’t go to one of his most loyal allies.
That’s why Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and JD Vance refuse to challenge Trump’s reign, argues Ornstein. In the conversation, he also breaks down how the Republican Party became so deeply tied with Trump. But with prices climbing and Americans struggling to afford healthcare, is standing beside a struggling president really a smart political bet?
Orstein also shares his take on what comes after Trump, how the president keeps Republicans in line, and why he believes Newt Gingrich and Mitch McConnell helped pave the way for the Republican Party’s current crisis.
This live conversation published on August 16, 2026 at zeteo.com. If you want early, exclusive access to this kind of independent, unfiltered journalism — subscribe to our Substack here: zeteo.com/subscribe
If you want to increase your financial support for our work and help us grow, donate to Zeteo! zeteo.com/p/donate-to-zeteo
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
02:15 The Fall of the GOP
06:45 Are Republicans in a Cult?
11:42 After Trump’s Presidency
20:50 Supreme Court
25:36 Running in 2028
30:15 Republican Voters
36:08 Right-wing Populism and the Press
41:59 Undoing Trump’s Damage
Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: zeteo.com/subscribe
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Find Mehdi:
Substack: substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo
“Trump is he is a lifelong, malignant, narcissistic — I used to say sociopath, now I'll say psychopath… What we've seen with Trump, which I think is a little bit different than some of the other lunatics that we might have had, is he doesn't just dance up to the line and see how far he can goes. He jumps over the line and then just keeps jumping.”
Soaring gas prices, Medicaid cuts, war with Iran... Political scientist Norm Ornstein joins Zeteo's John Harwood in this Substack Live to unpack how Trump’s chaotic presidency could haunt Republicans long after he’s gone.
Donald Trump seems to think he can run for president again in 2028, and if the law still stands, he can’t – but that doesn’t mean the White House won’t go to one of his most loyal allies.
That’s why Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and JD Vance refuse to challenge Trump’s reign, argues Ornstein. In the conversation, he also breaks down how the Republican Party became so deeply tied with Trump. But with prices climbing and Americans struggling to afford healthcare, is standing beside a struggling president really a smart political bet?
Orstein also shares his take on what comes after Trump, how the president keeps Republicans in line, and why he believes Newt Gingrich and Mitch McConnell helped pave the way for the Republican Party’s current crisis.
This live conversation published on August 16, 2026 at zeteo.com. If you want early, exclusive access to this kind of independent, unfiltered journalism — subscribe to our Substack here: zeteo.com/subscribe
If you want to increase your financial support for our work and help us grow, donate to Zeteo! zeteo.com/p/donate-to-zeteo
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
02:15 The Fall of the GOP
06:45 Are Republicans in a Cult?
11:42 After Trump’s Presidency
20:50 Supreme Court
25:36 Running in 2028
30:15 Republican Voters
36:08 Right-wing Populism and the Press
41:59 Undoing Trump’s Damage
Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: zeteo.com/subscribe
Find Zeteo:
Twitter: twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: instagram.com/zeteonews
TikTok: tiktok.com/@zeteonews
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/zeteo.com
Find Mehdi:
Substack: substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo
