The Slow Motion Coup
Covering Politics in the Trump Era
Recordings
Journalism 298// Spring 2026// Monday 2 – 5 pm// North Gate 106
Mark Danner
Donald J. Trump is the most consequential president since at least Franklin Roosevelt. Whether you agree with his politics or despise them, he is undeniably a change agent, overturning many of the norms and rules that have guided American chief executives for a quarter of a millennium. And he produces a vast amount of news. Trump is, as one senator put it, a “content machine,” striving each day to dominate the news cycle – and usually succeeding. Though they have had nearly a decade to learn to cope with Trump the politician — and decades before that to grow accustomed to Trump the public figure — journalists still often seem bewildered when confronted with the basic problem of how to cover him. Too often, he seems to determine his own coverage and effortlessly dominate the press with his self-produced extravaganzas. In this seminar, we will study Trump the politician and Trump the media impresario as he makes news week to week. Our goal: to determine how to cover politics more effectively in the Trump era.
Course Goals: In this seminar, we will seek to achieve three broad and interconnected goals:
- To explore the present extraordinary moment in US politics and highlight why it is important
- To gain familiarity with current political conflicts and with those reporters who cover them
- To highlight basic techniques of reporting about politics
Class Requirements: This seminar will be a mixture of lectures, class discussions, and written assignments, backed by selected readings of books and articles and viewing of films. The most important requirements are that students:
*Attend all class sessions
*Keep up with reading and writing assignments
*Participate in discussions
*Do one presentation on a political correspondent or a problem of U.S. politics
*Complete one final work of political reporting or commentary
A student’s record of attendance and participation in class discussion, together with the quality of their writing, will determine the success of our class and contribute to the better part of the grade.
Schedule: Note that classes will meet on Mondays at 2 pm in North Gate 106 and will end at 5 pm.
Reading: Our primary reading will draw largely from a number of books and
articles on U.S. politics, classic and contemporary. I strongly urge you to obtain these books in your own copies and in the edition specified, either from local bookstores or from online suppliers, so that you will be able to highlight and annotate them.
Films: During the semester, we hope to be screening a number of films that bear
closely on the subject of U.S. politics.
Tracking the News: A significant part of each class will be given over to tracking
and discussing U.S. politics as it takes shape in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections. Following these events closely in various publications, beginning with the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and other legacy newspapers and websites, and familiarizing yourselves with the work of the leading contemporary political correspondents and commentators, is essential. Even if you are not a habitual newspaper reader, you must become one for this class. Also strongly recommended are The Guardian, New York and Politico, among other publications. Also a necessity is watching the major cable channels, including CNN, MSNOW and FoxNews.
Writing: You will write a 10-page final piece, which can be a work of commentary, an OpEd, or a reporting piece. We will discuss this assignment more fully in the first class. Note that a four-line precis of the final piece is due April 6, and the piece itself is due May 8. To bolster the clarity and vigor of your prose, I strongly suggest studying two works: George Orwell’s essay, “Politics and the English Language,” which can be readily found online, and Strunk and White’s little manual, The Elements of Style.
AI and Chatbots: Note that using AI tools or chatbots is not permitted on assignments in this course.
Office Hours: I will count on meeting with each of you individually at least once
during the course of the term. We will make these appointments on an ad hoc
basis. I am best reached via email and please use my personal address: mark@markdanner.com. My office is North Gate 32. My writing, speaking, and other information can be found at my website: markdanner.com.
Grading: Students will be graded on their preparedness and their participation in
class, the strength of their presentations, and the quality of their written work, as
follows:
Attendance 30 percent
Participation 30 percent
Writing 40 percent
Note that regular attendance is vital. Those who miss multiple classes will not do well in this course.
Course Assistant: Our course assistant this semester will be Minna Hibbits. Minna will be updating the syllabus with notes from each class, taping the sessions, keeping a list of presentations and otherwise making the trains run on time. Minna can be reached via email at mhibbitts@berkeley.edu.
Texts
Michael Wolff, All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America (Crown, 2025)
Peter Baker & Susan Glasser, The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017 – 2021 (Doubleday, 2021)
John Bolton, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (Simon & Schuster, 2024)
Martin Gurri, The Revolt of the Public (Stripe, 2018)
Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, The Tyranny of the Minority (Crown, 2024)
Luke Mogelson, The Storm is Here: An American Crucible (Penguin, 2022)
Donald J. Trump w/Tony Schwartz, The Art of the Deal (Random House, 2015 [1987])
Mary L. Trump, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man (Simon & Schuster, 2020)
Films
Ali Abbasi, The Apprentice
Dylan Bank et al, Get Me Roger Stone
Mark Burnett, The Apprentice (excerpts)
Adam Curtis, Century of the Self
Patricia DiCarlo, Assault on Democracy
John Frankenheimer, Seven Days in May
Jacob Kornbluth, Inequality for All
Jacob Kornbluth, Saving Capitalism
Mike Nichols, Primary Colors
Alan Pakula, All the President’s Men
D.A. Pennebaker, The War Room
Gillo Pontecorvo, The Battle of Algiers
Michael Ritchie, The Candidate
Syllabus
January 26 – In a Time of Emergency: Introduction to Course
Writing about politics in 2026. What’s the emergency? Politics as a death match. The dysfunctional political system. What Trump showed us. Minority as majority. The current world of political journalism. Objectivity: the eclipse of the old model. The Fox News model becomes universalized. The media and Donald Trump. Failures of the press. The plan of the course. Beginning with the contemporary. Our reading list. Projects and writing. The presentation.
Read: Robert F. Worth, “Welcome to the American Winter,” The Atlantic, January
25, 2026
February 2 – Our Politics on the Ground: The Extremist Background
Read: Luke Mogelson, The Storm is Here: An American Crucible (Penguin, 2022)
Mark Danner, “Be Ready to Fight,” New York Review of Books, 12 Feb.
2021
Susan B. Glasser, “It’s Time to Talk About Donald Trump’s Logorrhea,”
The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Watch: Patricia DiCarlo, Assault on Democracy
Summary:
We discussed the goals and structure of the course, which focuses on understanding the current moment in U.S. politics and analyzing how journalism covers it. The professor framed Trump as the most consequential president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, arguing that Trump has reshaped government largely through executive action and by challenging post-Watergate norms that once insulated the Justice Department from presidential interference. Using a front-page article from The New York Times about Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard arranging a call between Trump and FBI agents investigating 2020 Georgia ballots, we examined how unprecedented this direct involvement appears and how carefully the article was written to avoid overt editorializing. We connected this event to themes from The Storm Is Here, particularly ongoing claims that the 2020 election was stolen and how those narratives continue to shape political action. We also analyzed how the modern “attention economy,” social media competition, and politicization of facts affect journalistic tone and objectivity, noting that news coverage today is heavily Trump-centered.
Additional articles examined in class:
William Rashbaum, Devlin Barrett, and Julian E. Barnes, “Trump Had Unusual
Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search,” The New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
February 9 – Continuing Our Politics on the Ground: The Extremist Background
Read: Luke Mogelson, The Storm is Here: An American Crucible (Penguin, 2022)
Watch: Patricia DiCarlo, Assault on Democracy
Summary:
We discussed the overwhelming “fire hose” of current political news in the Trump era and how difficult it is to determine the most important stories amid constant developments. Major topics included Trump’s reposting of a racist video about the Obamas and rare Republican rebukes of it; the arrest of Don Lemon; the FBI’s conclusion that Jeffrey Epstein did not run a broader sex-trafficking ring for powerful elites; and how Democrats are using the Epstein issue as a political wedge to fracture Trump’s coalition ahead of midterm elections. We explored the concept of “wedge issues” historically and in the present, connecting it to proof-of-citizenship requirements and efforts to relitigate the 2020 election. We also discussed media transformations, including cuts at the Washington Post, shifts at CBS, and contrasting coverage between outlets like Fox News and the New York Times, emphasizing how editorial choices shape political narratives. Additional issues raised included public health controversies (measles outbreaks, tuberculosis, GLP-1 drugs, and “Trump Rx”) and U.S. military buildups near Iran. We characterized Trump’s foreign policy approach as favoring displays of force and quick strikes over long occupations.
Additional articles examined in class:
Erica Green, Isabella Kwai, and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, “I Didn’t Make a Mistake’:
Trump Declines to Apologize for Racist Video of Obamas,” The New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
February 16 – President’s Day — No Class
February 23 – Seeing His Mind: Psychoanalyzing the Donald
Read: Mary L. Trump, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the
World’s Most Dangerous Man (Simon & Schuster, 2020)
Donald J. Trump w/Tony Schwartz, The Art of the Deal (Random House,
2015 [1987]
Watch: Ali Abbasi, The Apprentice (2024)
Mark Burnett, The Apprentice (excerpts)
Summary:
We analyzed the front-page coverage in The New York Times and The Washington Post, looking at how stories are sourced, how bylines signal institutional beats (such as Pentagon reporters), and how leaks can function strategically. One Washington Post article about military caution regarding a potential strike was discussed as possibly an “engineered leak” meant either to slow momentum toward conflict or to serve as institutional “cover your ass.” We identified the biggest recent political development: the Supreme Court decision limiting Trump’s unilateral authority to impose tariffs, a ruling with major implications because tariffs are central to his economic agenda. We went on to discuss The Art of the Deal and Too Much and Never Enough as portraits of Trump, focusing on what they reveal about Trump’s character. Students noted tensions in his self-portrayal: he presents himself as self-made and hardworking while downplaying inherited advantages, and he seeks proximity to elite culture while seeming not to fully understand it. We discussed how supporters may know him more from The Apprentice than from his business record, and how his long history of media manipulation has helped construct his public image.
Additional articles examined in class:
Karen Tumulty, “Supreme Court put the brakes on Trump, after Congress helped
him step on the gas,” Washington Post, 22 Feb 2026
John Hudson and Tara Copp, “Trump’s top general foresees acute risks in an attack
on Iran,” Washington Post, 23 Feb 2026
Press Conference: Donald Trump Addresses the Supreme Court Tariff Decision
March 2 — A Broken System? Underlying Fractures in US Politics
Read: Levitsky & Ziblatt, Tyranny of the Minority (Crown, 2024)
David Leonhardt, “’A Crisis Coming’: The Twin Threats to American
Democracy,” The New York Times, 17 Sep. 2022
Watch: Michael Ritchie, The Candidate
Mike Nichols, Primary Colors
Summary:
We discussed the current U.S. military conflict with Iran as an extension of presidential executive power and questioned whether it marks the first extended conflict launched without meaningful congressional consultation or an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), raising serious constitutional concerns. We examined the history behind U.S.–Iran tensions, tracing them back to the 1953 CIA-backed coup against Mohammed Mossadegh, the rise and fall of the Shah, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and decades of proxy conflicts that shaped what became known as the “Axis of Resistance.” We also connected more recent developments, such as the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the aftermath of October 7, to the present escalation. As we analyzed President Trump’s speech announcing the war, we evaluated his justifications, especially the claim of an “imminent threat,” and debated the contradictions in calling for regime change while denying that it is the objective. We considered the limits of military force in producing political change and the risks of encouraging uprisings without the ability to protect civilians.
Additional articles examined in class:
Shawn McCreesh et al, “Rubio Says ‘Hardest Hits Are Yet to Come’ as Trump
Predicts Weeks of War,” New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
“Death toll in Israeli strike on southern Iran school rises to 165,” Al Jazeera, 1
Mar. 2026
Ross Anserson, “Inside Anthropic’s Killer-Robot Dispute With the Pentagon,” The
Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
March 9 – Things Fall Apart: The Collapse of Centralized Authority
Read: Martin Gurri, The Revolt of the Public (Stripe, 2018)
Watch: Jacob Kornbluth, Saving Capitalism
Adam Curtis, The Century of the Self (recommended)
Summary:
We discussed several major political developments from the past week, beginning with the ongoing war and its presence in the international news cycle. We talked about the removal of Kristi Noem from her position after a contentious congressional hearing, where she faced criticism over a $220 million advertising campaign that appeared to promote her personally. Her acknowledgment that the president knew about the campaign may have crossed a political “red line” by shifting responsibility back to him. We also talked about how this administration has had less turnover than Trump’s first term, largely because many officials without traditional qualifications have remained in their roles longer. We used these events to illustrate how political accountability, media coverage, and internal power dynamics shape decision-making and personnel changes within the administration.
Additional articles discussed in class:
Matthew Campbell, “Paul Bremer ran Iraq for Bush. His emails show what really
happened,” The Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Anderson, Ross, “Inside Anthropic’s Killer-Robot Dispute With the Pentagon,”
The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
March 16 – Populism in Power: Trump in the White House
Read: Baker and Glasser, The Divider: Trump in the White House (Doubleday,
2022)
Watch: Jacob Kornbluth, Inequality for All
Dylan Bank et al, Get Me Roger Stone
Summary:
Today, the professor began by having each student propose and refine final paper topics tied to the Trump era. Students discussed topics such as the emergence of alternative media ecosystems, Trump’s relationship to authoritarian leaders like Bukele, the use of the FCC and media ownership to pressure or reshape news coverage, and the effectiveness and spread of Trump’s “insult-first” or “troll” political style. The class repeatedly returned to the question of whether Trumpism is a personal phenomenon or a structural one rooted in polarization, with comparisons to figures like George Wallace and historical examples like Nixon’s use of the FCC. Other students explored tensions in Trump’s economic messaging, especially promoting manufacturing jobs while embracing AI that threatens white-collar labor, as well as the role of right-wing campus groups like Turning Point USA in mobilizing young voters, and the broader impact of celebrity culture and “fake news” on political trust. In the second half, the class analyzed front-page coverage of the ongoing U.S.–Iran war, closely reading how outlets like the New York Times frame events and debating whether that framing is actually neutral. Students argued that while coverage uses Trump’s own statements, it often highlights contradictions and fact-checks claims, which the administration perceives as bias. We also talked about the geopolitical situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where stalled shipping, rising oil prices, and reluctant U.S. allies illustrate the broader consequences of the conflict and strained international relationships.
Additional articles examined in class:
Samantha Schmidt and Anthony Faiola, “Trump says he’ll have the ‘honor’ of
‘taking’ Cuba: ‘I can do anything,’” Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Michael M. Grynbaum, “With Threats and Claims of ‘Treason,’ Trump Pressures
Media on the War,” The New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
March 23 – Spring Break
March 30 – Continuing Populism in Power: Trump in the White House
Read: Baker and Glasser, The Divider: Trump in the White House (Doubleday,
2022)
Robert Kagan, “America vs. The World,” The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
Watch: Alan Pakula, All the President’s Men
Summary:
Today, we discussed the escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran as an example of how Donald Trump’s personality shapes foreign policy, particularly through impulsive and high-risk decision-making. We focused on Trump’s ultimatum, delivered via tweet, that Iran had 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or the U.S. would “obliterate” its power plants, a threat that raised concerns about targeting civilian infrastructure and was quickly walked back. This kind of sudden, emotionally driven decision reflects a broader pattern of Trump making consequential choices without clear strategic goals or deliberation, as seen in the lack of defined objectives for the Iran war itself. More broadly, we analyzed how U.S. foreign policy in this context resembles a “game of chicken,” driven by escalation and personal brinkmanship rather than negotiation, illustrating how a “personalist regime” concentrates decision-making power in Trump’s instincts and temperament.
Additional articles examined in class:
David S. Cloud, Lara Seligman, and Michael R. Gordon, “U.S. War Planes and
Helicopters Kick Off Battle to Reopen Hormuz,” Wall Street Journal, 19 Mar. 2026
Greg Miller, “Israel targets Iran’s leaders with lethal expertise using new AI
platform,” Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2026
April 6 – Trump and the World
Four-line Precis of Final Paper Due
Read: John Bolton, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (Simon
& Schuster, 2024)
Mark Danner, “Be Ready to Fight,” The New York Review, 11 Feb. 2021
Watch: John Frankenheimer, Seven Days in May
Summary:
We began with a workshop-style discussion of students’ four-sentence precis proposals for their final papers. The proposed topics varied widely but centered on contemporary politics and media, including analyses of Donald Trump’s war rhetoric toward Iran, comparisons between Trump and authoritarian leaders like Bukele, the strategies of conservative campus organizations like Turning Point USA, the impact of AI and data centers on labor and Trump-aligned constituencies, and Silicon Valley’s tendency to treat truth and journalism as technological problems. The class then shifted to a real-time analysis of a recent Trump press conference about Iran. Students dissected Trump’s communication style, highlighting his inconsistency, exaggeration, and tendency to “claim victory” or redefine terms, as well as the strategic use of threats and public pressure as negotiation tactics. They also discussed challenges journalists face in covering such events, including reliance on government sources and the difficulty of verifying claims during wartime. The conversation expanded to broader geopolitical implications, particularly Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz and how that leverage could shift global power dynamics, raising the possibility that Iran could emerge stronger despite military losses.
April 13 – Continuing Trump and the World
Read: John Bolton, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (Simon
& Schuster, 2024)
Watch: D.A. Pennebaker, The War Room
Summary:
We analyzed the unfolding U.S. blockade of Iranian oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz as a case study in war strategy. We clarified that the “blockade” did not fully shut down the strait but instead targeted the remaining ships leaving Iranian ports, since most traffic had already been disrupted by Iran itself. The discussion framed this move as an economic strategy: the U.S. is attempting to cut off Iran’s oil revenue to force it back to negotiations, essentially engaging in a high-stakes “game of chicken.” We examined how this strategy is complicated by asymmetric warfare, where Iran’s use of small, low-cost boats and drones can threaten much more expensive U.S. naval assets, making full enforcement of the blockade risky and difficult. A major focus was the potential for escalation, especially involving China, which relies heavily on Iranian oil.
April 20 – Trump Redox: Populism Reasserts Power
Read: Michael Wolff, All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America (Crown,
2025)
Mark Danner, “Getting Out the Fear Vote,” New York Review, 7 Nov. 2024
Watch: Gillo Pontocorvo, The Battle of Algiers
Summary:
The class centered on analyzing the evolving U.S.–Iran conflict and the broader political and media dynamics surrounding it. A key focus was the contradiction in U.S. policy: while demanding that Iran keep the Strait of Hormuz open, the U.S. simultaneously maintained a naval blockade that prevented Iranian shipping, making negotiations logically inconsistent and difficult to resolve. The discussion emphasized how Trump’s aggressive and often exaggerated public rhetoric, meant to project strength and dominate the news cycle, can backfire by undermining diplomatic efforts, empowering hardliners within Iran, and making it politically risky for Iranian officials to negotiate. Students examined how both sides face internal pressures, with factions competing for influence and needing any potential deal to appear as a victory domestically. The class also explored how these dynamics are underreported in the media, which often fails to clearly highlight contradictions in policy. Additionally, the session touched on the challenges journalists face when covering a president whose statements may be misleading or false, raising questions about whether the press should simply report such statements or critically contextualize them.
Additional articles examined in class:
Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, “How Trump Took the U.S. to War With
Iran,” The New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Erika Solomon, “Facing hard-liners at home and bluster from Trump, Iran sends
mixed signals on peace talks,” The New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Map of revised routes through Strait of Hormuz
Sarah Fitzpatrick, “The FBI Director is MIA,” The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2026
April 27 – The Press, Democracy, and Donald Trump: Conclusions
Read: Michael Wolff, All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America (Crown,
2025)
Summary:
A major focus was the ongoing geopolitical standoff with Iran, where both sides remain in a deadlock, with Trump relying on economic and military leverage like the blockade, while Iran refuses to negotiate without concessions. We discussed how media narratives can obscure what actually happens, emphasizing the importance of reading coverage critically rather than accepting political “spin.” We also analyzed the attempted attack at the ballroom event, noting how such incidents quickly become politicized by both parties. More broadly, the conversation turned to what studying Trump has revealed: that he is both erratic and politically strategic, particularly in his ability to channel grievances and shape narratives. We emphasized the importance of taking Trump and his supporters seriously. Ultimately, the class highlighted how covering Trump requires balancing recognition of his unprecedented behavior with an awareness of the structural forces that make his politics resonate.
Ten-page final paper due on May 8
