Politics

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photo of woman with long hair pushing hand mower across rural two-lane road with mountains in background — Jason Andrew for The Atlantic

I Tried to Be the Government. It Did Not Go Well.

My five-month quest to monitor the weather, track inflation, and inspect milk for harmful microorganisms

Alexandra Petri

January 8, 2026

Police officers and bystanders at the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis — Tom Baker / AP

Lethal Force on a Frozen Street

Trump’s immigration crackdown takes a dark turn in Minneapolis.

January 7, 2026

A pointed index finger ripping through a black-and-white image of the Capitol Building — Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic. Source: Jim Watson / AFP / Getty.

Does Congress Even Exist Anymore?

The fast fade of a co-equal branch of government

Russell Berman and Elaine Godfrey

January 7, 2026

Illustration of a golden snap trap formed by the sharp spikes of a jeweled crown, with a gold chain anchoring it. — Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani. Source: Pieter Ferreira.

‘You Are Now a King, Under a Different Name’

America went to extraordinary lengths to throw off the rituals and titles of monarchy. Why would we fall for royal trappings today?

January 7, 2026

Multiple overlaid torn images of Stephen Miller — Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic. Sources: Demetrius Freeman / The Washington Post / Getty; Kayla Bartkowski / Getty; Samuel Corum / Sipa / Bloomberg / Getty.

The Wrath of Stephen Miller

The man who turns President Trump’s most incendiary impulses into policy

Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer, and Nick Miroff

January 7, 2026

A portrait of Gavin Newsom — Ryan Young for The Atlantic

The Front-Runner

California’s Gavin Newsom would rather be wrong than weak.

January 6, 2026

photo of man in red, gray, black jacket and jeans standing over and pushing his thumbs into the eyes of a kneeling police officer in helmet and gear — United States District Court for the District of Columbia

Donald Trump Wants You to Forget This Happened

January 6, five years later

January 6, 2026

photo of man wearing helmet and goggles with face painted in U.S.-flag stripes carrying Trump MAGA flag with gallows behind — United States District Court for the District of Columbia

MAGA’s Foundational Lie

The movement claims to stand with the police. Trump’s decision to pardon the cop-beaters of January 6 exposed his movement for what it is.

Jeffrey Goldberg

January 6, 2026

Illustration of a black-and-white image of Donald Trump walking across the Americas on a globe — Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Aaron Schwartz / Getty; THEPALMER / Getty.

Trump’s Retro Imperialism

The president holds some misguided views about wealth, power, and natural resources.

January 5, 2026

Edited photograph of Zohran Mamdani’s silhouette with blue and red warbles and a blurred background, as if glitching — Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Adam Gray / Bloomberg / Getty

The Question-Mark Mayoralty

Zohran Mamdani ran an unabashedly progressive campaign. But how he will govern New York remains something of a mystery.

January 1, 2026