A New Podcast.
Night Owls mulls the off-year elections.
Below is the latest ‘Night Owls’ episode, which we recorded yesterday. You will not be surprised to learn that the entire episode is devoted to Tuesday’s election results.
I think it’s fair to say (and fairly obvious) that the elections were, in large measure, referenda on President Trump, even though his name did not appear on any ballots. It was a stunning rebuke, not because the Democrats won the three major races (New Jersey, Virginia and California), but rather because (1) they won them by such large margins and (2) they won elections of various flavors everywhere else (Maine, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Mississippi, etc).
Joe and I go on to discuss what this might mean for the president, for the Congress, for state and local politics and for the next 12 months.
“Just like that your life can change” is the refrain of a great Bonnie Raitt song. The same is true of politics. Tuesday night’s returns shifted the balance of political power in the United States, immediately and perceptibly.
Where that takes us is the next chapter of Trump 2.0. Here’s the podcast:
(‘Night Owls’ podcast. Joe Klein/John Ellis. Recorded 5 November 2025)