Trumpism is Fracturing (with Sam Harris)

Neuroscientist, philosopher, and Making Sense podcast host Sam Harris joins Preet Bharara to examine why good-faith debate has become so difficult—and what that breakdown has done to American politics.

They discuss social media’s fragmentation of the information landscape and declining trust in the press and public institutions. They also consider Donald Trump’s resilience in the face of scandal, the different standards applied to the political left and right, the Democratic Party’s relationship with its activist wing, and whether Trumpism can survive Trump.

Then, Preet and Sam turn to the rule of law: the growing impulse to prosecute political opponents, the limits of relying on norms, the difference between accountability and retribution, and what it would take to restore a measure of normalcy to American political life.

In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Sam draw on philosopher Harry Frankfurt’s essay, On Bullshit, to distinguish the liar from the bullshitter—and consider why Trump’s shamelessness can be mistaken for authenticity.

Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Visit https://staytuned.substack.com/ to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work.

Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website: www.cafe.com

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: https://cafe.visitlink.me/MpB3pe

Shop Stay Tuned merchandise and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront.

Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Bluesky or X with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail.

Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Photo credit: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

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