Trump’s Retreat is Exactly What You Think

janvier 27, 2026

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Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Donald Trump is many things, most of which I cannot say in this newsletter without using asterisks. But if there's one thing he's definitely not, it is thick-skinned. The man's ego could be bruised by a light breeze. And the events occurring in Minnesota are much, much stronger than a light breeze. They are a monumental squall that is shaking the executive administration to its core. The president's polling numbers are understandably falling, and because his failing mind simply cannot handle the criticism, he's taking action in hopes of returning to the public's mediocre graces. Esquire political columnist Charles P. Pierce lays it out like it is in his newest post. Read it below.

—Chris Hatler, deputy editor

Plus:

Trump's Retreat from Minnesota Isn't About Justice—It's About Polling

The president's inflated ego can't handle the bad optics, and his cronies are paying the price.

In Washington, it has dawned on the president that slaughtering nurses and moms in broad daylight is not a good look, so we suddenly hear about the president making nicey-nice with Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz. Kristi Noem is hearing the ice crack under her feet, and there is even some loose talk about Stephen Miller's slipping beyond the pale, some of it apparently coming from Noem herself. The administration's allies in Congress are running around, as Abraham Lincoln once said of General Joseph Hooker, "like ducks hit on the head."

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The V-Neck Sweaters That Are Worth Investing In

It's official: winter is here. Yes, yes, we know the holidays already passed. As we write this, the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day are coming up, and we're underneath a foot of snow on the East Coast. But now at the end of January, this is when we're really thinking about layering. All the winter coats in the world won't keep us warm in times like this. We need a go-to layer. We need a V-neck sweater.

We already have parkas, your warm hats, snow boots, thick pants, and chunky crewnecks, but a V-neck sweater is a bit more dressed up than all of those. Most of the time, it'll be a thin layer of quality wool. You can wear on its own over a white tee or layered into a proper suit. A V-neck sweater adds warmth without bulk, and maybe it's just the cut but it feels slightly more elevated than chunkier knits.

By Gaby Keiderling

George Saunders Wants a Good Death

George Saunders insists, despite appearances to the contrary, that he's not obsessed with death. "I'm not walking around in my preordered shroud or anything," he tells me over Zoom. But thinking about the dead and dying does put a spring in his step.

"When I get up from writing about it, I feel good," he continues. "I'm not in bed. I'm not unconscious. It would be amazing if there was a drug that made you feel like total shit for two minutes a day called Here's What You're Going to Feel Like on Your Deathbed."

After writing blisteringly funny short stories for decades, Saunders is perhaps best known for Lincoln in the Bardo, his 2017 Booker Prize–winning novel set during and after the death of Abraham Lincoln's 11-year-old son. Now 67 years old, Saunders is back with another heartrending novel—Vigil, about the last night of an oil company CEO's life—which was at least partially inspired by Saunders's own fascination with mortality. It hits shelves today.

By Adam Morgan