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Culture War Roundup for the week of December 1, 2025

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If so, why not pause all sources?

Because the donor class do not, and have never wanted this

Is that not what his voters want?

It's charming, funny, and slightly sad you think this is a consideration. He's on his last term in office, and you already voted for him. He does not care what you think, it is too late, you have 0 leverage over him.

This is the equivalent of a girl going "but I let Chad McPlayer fuck me on the first date! Why isn't he texting me anymore???" Girl... You gave it up for free, you have no power here.

By that same argument, he doesn't need campaign money ever again.

In the real world, Donald Trump does have an inner life, and also midterms to worry about.

and also midterms to worry about

He should be worried given how bad his approval rating is. Below both Biden and Trump1.

Yeah, it's pretty comparable to where he was a year before winning the White House, the House, the Senate and the popular vote.

Just a quick calibration question, but you did peg Ann Selzer as being full of shit, right?

This is just an argument for never voting, and being cynical and dejected, and feeling smug about it because you can always be right. Trump doesn’t listen to his voters? That’s pretty patently false

This is just an argument for never voting,

No it's not. Most politicians do want to win again,Trump is unique in that 1) he literally cannot and 2) his brand is about aggressively not giving a fuck (about you)

Thinking that Trump cares what (you) think is absolute tomfoolery and if anyone wants to attempt to defend that point I'd love to see them try

Trump is unique in that 1) he literally cannot

Trump is not our first lame-duck president. Lame duck presidents do care about winning midterms and mandates and successors.

his brand is about aggressively not giving a fuck (about you)

Trump’s brand includes “They’re after you I’m just in the way” and “Kamala is for they/them I’m for you”.

Thinking that Trump cares what (you) think is absolute tomfoolery and if anyone wants to attempt to defend that point I'd love to see them try

This is ridiculous, come on. If Trump didn’t care about any of this he would have stayed in his Tower circa 2015 or he could have run on some sort of Conservacon platform.

You wrote this as if in an attitude of just-telling-the-truth as though everyone has to give it to you. But this is a basic failure to have a theory of mine for Trump, or of American politics over the last ten years at all. Is Trump faking it every time he calls a grieving widow? When he gets up on stage and channels the crowd? When he says controversial things to defend his base that no single other politician was willing to represent?

Trump obviously trivially cares or we wouldn’t be having this discussion at all.

No it's not. Most politicians do want to win again,Trump is unique in that 1) he literally cannot

There is nothing unique about a term-limited president.