Corruption Toppled Viktor Orbán. Could Donald Trump Be Next?

Corruption Toppled Viktor Orbán. Could Donald Trump Be Next?

Author: The New Yorker April 18, 2026 Duration: 41:23
The Washington Roundtable discusses how the anti-corruption candidate Péter Magyar brought down Hungary's autocratic Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, and what implications that victory holds for the far-right movements around the world that Orbán helped embolden. The panel is joined by Kim Lane Scheppele, a Princeton professor who has lived in Hungary and studied its democratic backsliding. Together, they unpack how Magyar’s campaign succeeded by connecting Orbán’s corruption to the everyday struggles of Hungarians, and how that approach might inform Democratic strategy in the 2028 Presidential election. This week’s reading: “America’s Orange Jesus,” by Susan B. Glasser “The Hungarian Election Shows That Even Strongmen Can Lose,” by Andrew Marantz “TMZ Gets Political,” by Paula Mejía “Who Is the U.S. Negotiating with in Iran?,” by Sudarsan Raghavan “ ‘The Peace President’ Gets Belligerent with Iran and the Pope,” by Robin Wright “How Much Has the War in Iran Depleted the U.S. Missile Supply?,” by Garrett M. Graff “How Project Maven Put A.I. Into the Kill Chain,” by Gideon Lewis-Kraus “The Extremes of Israeli Public Opinion,” by Isaac Chotiner The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts.

Each week, The Political Scene | The New Yorker brings the magazine’s signature depth and clarity directly to your ears. This isn’t just a recap of headlines; it’s a sustained conversation with the people who spend their days investigating the forces shaping our world. You’ll hear from the publication’s own writers and editors, whose reporting and analysis provide essential context for understanding today’s complex political landscape. The rhythm of the week structures these discussions: Mondays feature editor David Remnick in thoughtful conversations and narratives about unfolding events. Then, on Wednesdays, senior editor Tyler Foggatt selects one consequential story and explores it thoroughly through interviews with both New Yorker staff and leading outside voices. Fridays round out the week with contributions from the magazine’s staff writers, offering their distinct perspectives. Tuning into this podcast means getting behind the scenes of the journalism itself, listening as sharp minds dissect power, policy, and the human stories at the heart of it all. It’s for anyone who wants to move beyond the noise and find a more nuanced, informed take on American politics and global affairs.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Political Scene | The New Yorker
Podcast Episodes
How the War Has Reshaped Life in Iran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:05
The reporter Cora Engelbrecht joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss what life is like for the people of Iran as war unfolds. They talk about Engelbrecht’s reporting, which is based on dispatches from a dissident in Tehran who m…
Is Cuba Trump’s Next Target? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:13
The staff writer Jon Lee Anderson has reported from Cuba for many years, and recently wrote about the deteriorating economic conditions on the island. His newest piece for the magazine dives into the potential outcomes o…
From Critics at Large: Why We Cling to the Kennedy Myth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:01
The Washington Roundtable is off today, and will be back next week. In the meantime, enjoy an episode of The New Yorker’s Critics at Large podcast about the FX series “Love Story,” which drops audiences into the lives of…
The Pentagon Wants an Obedient A.I. Soldier. Will It Get One? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:10
The New Yorker staff writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the escalating standoff between the A.I. company Anthropic and the Department of War. They consider recent reporting on the use of Claude—Anth…
Social Media Goes to Court [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
In the book “The Anxious Generation,” Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, argues that social-media platforms are detrimental to youths’ well-being, and that society needs to treat them as litera…
Pete Hegseth’s Holy War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:09
The Washington Roundtable considers how the ideological commitments of Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, are at play in the conflict with Iran. Their guest, the journalist Katherine Stewart, has covered the MAGA right…
The Kristi Noem Show Is Cancelled [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:25
The New Yorker staff writer Jonathan Blitzer joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Kristi Noem’s removal from her post as Secretary of Homeland Security. They talk about the lead-up to her firing—which included accusations of f…
The Global Fallout of Donald Trump’s War on Iran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:51
As Iran’s retaliation hit American allies throughout the Middle East this week, David Remnick was joined by two New Yorker writers with decades of experience reporting from the region. Robin Wright has reported from Iran…
The Washington Roundtable on the Iran War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:21
The Washington Roundtable discusses the war that the United States and Israel have started with Iran, how the conflict might evolve and affect the whole region, and the Trump Administration’s rationale for launching the…
Special Episode: War in Iran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:59
The foreign-affairs journalist Ishaan Tharoor joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the fallout from the United States’ joint military operation with Israel in Iran. They talk about the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah…