Derek Thompson

The Meaning of Trump’s Mass Cancellation

This is how the president’s term ends—with the GOP dithering and CEOs swashbuckling, spared by the “deep state” but impeached in the free market.

• Derek Thompson
• January 12, 2021

The Deep Story of Trumpism

Thinking about the Republican Party like a political psychiatrist

• Derek Thompson
• December 29, 2020

We’re Never Going Back to the 1950s

The year 2020 shattered America’s shared reality.

• Derek Thompson
• December 16, 2020

American Elites Still Don’t Understand How COVID-19 Works

Nine months into the pandemic, government leaders can’t comprehend—or refuse to clearly say—what this virus is or how it spreads.

• Derek Thompson
• December 11, 2020

What Will Happen to Cities in 2021

Sifting through today’s clues to forecast the future

• Derek Thompson
• December 9, 2020

Go Home Now

U.S. COVID-19 statistics are about to look better—even though the reality is almost certainly getting worse. It’s time to hibernate.

• Derek Thompson
• December 1, 2020

Why Big-City Dominance Is a Problem for Democrats

Metro power comes with huge political and cultural drawbacks.

• Derek Thompson
• November 26, 2020

The Most Important Divide in American Politics Isn’t Race

The polarization of place and the depolarization of race are the stories of the moment.

• Derek Thompson
• November 7, 2020

Forget the Exit Polls, Watch Florida, Ignore Pennsylvania

An hour-by-hour guide to remaining patient, prepared, and epistemically humble throughout tonight (and tomorrow morning)

• Derek Thompson
• November 3, 2020

A Math Whiz on How to Stop Stressing About Election Forecasts

An interview with the mathematician Jordan Ellenberg about politics, election forecasting, and how to think about the future like a pro

• Derek Thompson
• November 2, 2020

Don’t Sweat the Polls

Why the 2020 election won’t be a 2016 sequel

• Derek Thompson
• October 29, 2020

The COVID-19 Fall Surge Is Here. We Can Stop It.

What we can learn from other countries to avoid the worst-case scenario

• Derek Thompson
• October 12, 2020

Do Trump’s Taxes Show He’s a Failure, a Cheat, or a Criminal?

Three possible explanations for why he only paid $750.

• Derek Thompson
• October 5, 2020

How Voting by Mail Could Cost Biden the Election

While in-person voting looks safer than expected, mail-in voting looks more dangerous—not because of fraud, but because of human error and partisan politics.

• Derek Thompson
• September 30, 2020

We Live in a Potemkin Autocracy Now

The White House memo declaring New York City, Portland, and Seattle “anarchist jurisdictions” isn’t federalism; it’s half-baked feudalism.

• Derek Thompson
• September 22, 2020

Where Joe Biden Is Underperforming Hillary Clinton

The Democratic nominee has a Latino-voter problem.

• Derek Thompson
• September 18, 2020

The Reason Trump Isn’t Trying to Save the Economy

He is stuck in a Pollyannaish fantasy of his own making.

• Derek Thompson
• September 16, 2020

What Young, Healthy People Have to Fear From COVID-19

The White House’s new science adviser says: nothing. The science disagrees.

• Derek Thompson
• September 7, 2020