Amanda Carpenter: The Worst President Ever

In this episode of The Bulwark Podcast, host Tim Miller welcomes back Amanda Carpenter to discuss the escalating political and moral crisis under Donald Trump's second presidency. Carpenter argues that Trump is not only failing as a leader but actively undermining American democracy through a series of reckless actions: a war in Iran without clear justification, the use of sacrilegious imagery portraying himself as Christ, and the appointment of loyalists to key government roles who are both ineffective and ideologically driven. She highlights how Trump’s executive orders aim to nationalize elections, suppress mail-in ballots, and dismantle electoral guardrails like CISA. The episode also examines the broader threat of election denialism, the manipulation of markets for personal profit, and the abuse of presidential pardons. Carpenter emphasizes that Trump’s actions—ranging from naming public institutions after himself to promoting fake Bible verses in military prayers—constitute a profound corruption of public trust and American values. She calls for a national reckoning, urging the country to recognize Trump as the worst president in U.S. history and to begin rebuilding democratic institutions with accountability and reform. The discussion also touches on the psychological and cultural dissonance of Trump’s behavior, from his self-deification to the bizarre anecdote about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cutting out a raccoon’s penis on a highway—a story used to underscore the disturbing nature of the current political elite. Despite the gravity of the situation, the episode ends with a note of cautious hope: resistance is growing, and even Trump’s most loyal allies are beginning to falter. The episode concludes with a call to action for Democrats to develop a clear anti-corruption agenda, focus on structural reforms, and prepare for the 2028 election with both moral clarity and strategic precision.