It’s Monday, February 23. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Will Rahn pays tribute to America’s hockey heroes. Are aliens real? We asked Tyler Cowen. Jed Rubenfeld, Kenneth Rogoff, and Rupa Subramanya on where the tariff fight goes next. Plus: How Tehran whitewashes its crimes. And much more.
But first: Tucker, Trump, and the right-wing war over the Jews.
On Friday, Tucker Carlson released a three-hour interview with Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The podcaster who, in recent months, has thrown white nationalists and Holocaust deniers softball questions subjected the ambassador to a grilling.
The interview ruffled feathers—on the American right, in foreign capitals, and beyond. But according to Michael Doran, it also laid bare exactly what Tucker Carlson is playing at. In an important, if disturbing, essay, Michael reveals how—and why—perhaps the most powerful media figure on the right today is trying to persuade Americans that Israel, and the Jews, are to blame for the problems we face. Read it here:
Carlson’s Huckabee interview—which featured extensive debate over scripture—made clear that the fight over antisemitism on the right isn’t just a political clash. It’s also religious. In his latest Free Press dispatch, Peter Savodnik reports on the divides among Christians over Israel and the Jews, and talks to those trying to fight back against the rising tide of hate. Read his report on a Christian civil war:
And where is the president in all this? Eli Lake reports on how the White House is navigating surging antisemitism and Tucker’s growing hostility to Trump’s policies. For a long time, Trump tried to skirt questions about Tucker. But that appears to be getting harder. Eli’s sources tell him that Trump spoke to Tucker about Israel. But if they hoped Tucker’s Huckabee interview would be a chance for a reset, they would soon be disappointed. Read Eli on Donald Trump’s Tucker Carlson problem:
—The Editors
Sunday’s gold medal hockey game between Team USA and Canada could have easily been a lopsided affair: All things pointed in the Canadians’ favor. Instead, it was the best game in a generation—and the Americans won. Their victory was for their fallen teammate Johnny Gaudreau—and for all of us. “I’m so proud to be an American today,” said Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal, after the game. So is Will Rahn. Read his tribute to the boys of Team USA.
Barack Obama recently told an interviewer that he believes aliens are real. Almost immediately afterward, he clarified online that he had seen no evidence of alien contact while in office—but by then, President Trump promised a full release of all alien-related documents. So is the truth out there? We asked Tyler Cowen what he expects from the extraterrestrial files.
In late December and early January, Iranians took to the streets to protest the regime’s leadership. But the regime in Tehran has sought to tell a very different story—and has done so with support of media outlets in the West. Jay Solomon and Negar Mojtahedi report on how Iran’s online propaganda network turned a domestic uprising into a global conspiracy, with the help of American journalists.
Trump’s Tariff Defeat
In the first blockbuster of its term on Friday, the Supreme Court finally decided the tariffs case—and it struck them down. It’s a major rebuke of President Donald Trump’s signature policy, and its effect will extend to every corner of the economy. But does last week’s ruling really mean the end of the tariffs? Our columnists, correspondents, and contributors help you make sense of the law, the economics, and the on-the-ground impact of the decision.
Up first, our legal columnist Jed Rubenfeld explains how the Court left the door open for a tariff revival—and how President Trump is capitalizing on it already. Read Jed on what will happen now:
Despite the controversy, Friday’s ruling hasn’t moved markets much. But as leading economist Kenneth Rogoff argues today, the economic impact is only a secondary story here. Read his piece to find out why the ruling against tariffs is really a bigger battle over the future of American institutions:
And third, Rupa Subramanya talks to a soybean farmer whose business has been hit hard by the tariffs. She asked him about how the ruling would change his bottom line:
Is our criminal justice system broken, and can it be fixed? This week, Coleman Hughes sits down with economist Jennifer Doleac to discuss her new book, “The Science of Second Chances: A Revolution in Criminal Justice,” which tackles exactly that question. Tune in to hear a conversation on what’s wrong with our prisons—and how to fix American justice.
MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS
THE NEWS
An armed man was shot and killed at Mar-a-Lago Sunday, after he breached its secure perimeter in his vehicle. The president was at the White House when the breach occurred.
The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” in an operation on Sunday. The high-profile killing plunged the region into chaos, with reports of shots fired at the local airport, and many airlines suspending flights to the region. The State Department advised Americans in the area to remain in a safe place given the disorder.
Blizzards began to sweep the East Coast on Sunday. The National Weather Service warned that snowfall could reach between one to two feet. Several states declared emergencies this weekend while New York City and New Jersey have issued travel bans.
President Trump said on Saturday that he plans to raise global tariffs to 15 percent. The announcement came just a day after a Supreme Court ruling struck down part of his tariff plan.
A new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll finds that six in 10 Americans disapprove of President Trump ahead of the State of the Union address on Tuesday. The speech comes soon after the president’s tariff defeat at the Supreme Court, and with U.S. forces amassed in the Middle East as Trump considers whether or not to strike Iran.
Russian drones and missiles attacked Ukraine’s power grid on Sunday, killing at least one man in Kyiv. The strikes came just before Ukraine was set to mark the fourth anniversary of the war on Tuesday, and following another round of failed peace talks.
Centerview Partners settled a wrongful termination lawsuit from a former analyst who alleged she had been fired for demanding more sleep. The plaintiff claimed that her mood and anxiety disorders required at least eight hours of rest per night, and initially sought $5 million in damages.
Proud of the US Hockey team. Proud of Jack Hughes.
The Olympics have again revealed the schism in America as witnessed by the anti American relations of many of our fellow citizens to the men's hockey gold and the Liu v Gu contrast . Just wait for July 4 or will the left all of sudden become PROUD Americans that week.