Has Trump Betrayed His Base?| Interview: Ross Douthat

In this episode of The Remnant, Jonah Goldberg interviews Ross Douthat on the controversial U.S.-led military campaign against Iran, examining whether President Trump has betrayed his base by escalating the conflict. Douthat argues that the war, framed as a decapitation strategy targeting Iran's leadership, has raised the stakes to an existential level for the regime, enabling more credible escalatory threats like closing the Strait of Hormuz. While acknowledging military successes, Douthat contends that the lack of regime change and the absence of a clear plan to reopen the strait undermine the strategic success of the campaign. He challenges the narrative of betrayal from figures like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon, asserting that Trump’s actions are consistent with his Jacksonian, anti-establishment style—aggressive, impulsive, and focused on demonstrating strength. Douthat further critiques the hypocrisy of critics who supported Trump’s more provocative foreign policy moves (like threatening to annex Greenland) but now condemn his actions in Iran, calling it a selective application of restraint. The episode also explores the role of Israel in pushing for war, the risk of rising anti-Semitism, and the broader implications for the future of conservatism, with Douthat arguing that Trumpism lacks a coherent ideology and is better understood as a psychological and sociological phenomenon than a political doctrine. The conversation ends on a note of uncertainty, with both hosts acknowledging that the war’s outcome will define the legacy of Trump’s second term and the future of the Republican Party.