'The problem with deliverism is that it presumes voters will notice'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
'Biden's failure to deliver this campaign promise might have cost Democrats'
Ryan Teague Beckwith at MSNBC
If Americans "want to debate what Biden should have done to put the Democratic ticket in a better place, we should start with what he wanted to do and couldn't," says Ryan Teague Beckwith. This "includes most of the social safety net expansion that Biden campaigned on." To "break through that wall of indifference, a president needs not only to deliver, but to do it in such a tangible way that voters notice and connect the results with the president's actions."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'How America embraced gender war'
Jia Tolentino at The New Yorker
The "big two genders are said to be at war. The results of the presidential election can hardly be read otherwise," says Jia Tolentino. Kamala Harris' strategy "reflected a reality that has since been unveiled by the results — a gendered battle intensified by young people, who are fighting for a sense of individual purchase on a world they have barely begun to properly live in." For "those of us whom God made heterosexual, the intimate realm is politicized."
'Massie should go full Milei on the USDA'
Dominic Pino at the National Review
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) "would be a good person to lead" the USDA, which is "perhaps our most socialistic government department," says Dominic Pino. Massie "would be a positive sign that Trump intends to keep his promise to shake up the federal bureaucracy." Massie would be a "departure from Trump's first term, when he increased subsidies and the farm bill continued its long-running expansion." It "could be a good test case of the new powers available to cut the administrative state."
'Why Trump being president again is not actually good for Truth Social'
Alex Kirshner at Slate
There is a "paradox behind Trump's win," says Alex Kirshner. While "his victory has already been good for Trump Media stock, his return to power is unambiguously horrible for Truth Social's actual business." The "business fundamentals of Truth Social have so far been untethered from its company's stock performance," but Truth Social's "path to being a serious player as a social media platform is even longer than it was before Trump beat Kamala Harris."
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
A lemon-shaped exoplanet is squeezing what we know about planet formationUnder the radar It may be made from a former star
-
Political cartoons for January 4Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include a resolution to learn a new language, and new names in Hades and on battleships
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
‘Let 2026 be a year of reckoning’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Jack Smith: Trump ‘caused’ Jan. 6 riotSpeed Read
-
Wave of cancellations prompts Kennedy Center turmoilIN THE SPOTLIGHT Accusations and allegations fly as artists begin backing off their regularly scheduled appearances
-
Trump considers giving Ukraine a security guaranteeTalking Points Zelenskyy says it is a requirement for peace. Will Putin go along?
-
Why is Trump’s alleged strike on Venezuela shrouded in so much secrecy?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Trump’s comments have raised more questions than answers about what his administration is doing in the Southern Hemisphere
-
Vance’s ‘next move will reveal whether the conservative movement can move past Trump’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
What have Trump’s Mar-a-Lago summits achieved?Today’s big question Zelenskyy and Netanyahu meet the president in his Palm Beach ‘Winter White House’
-
‘Care fractures after birth’instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
