Philip Bump
MS NOW Contributor
Philip Bump is a data journalist and creator of the “How To Read This Chart” newsletter. He spent 11 years at The Washington Post and is the author of the 2023 book “The Aftermath.”
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Philip Bump
Opinion
The cost of Trump’s Iran war is even more infuriating than it sounds
The federal government spent at least $11 billion in the first week of its war of choice on Iran.
Opinion
Trump’s favorite turn of phrase reveals how little he truly understands about war
The president says the Iran war is “way ahead of schedule,” but won’t explain what victory would look like. There’s a pattern here.
Opinion
Trump’s gaslighting on the economy isn’t going so well
New polling shows Americans remain skeptical of Trump’s leadership as president — including on what was once his strongest issue: the economy.
Opinion
Can James Talarico turn Texas blue? That’s asking the wrong question.
Election results in Texas and North Carolina have Democrats dreaming big about “turning” red states blue.
Opinion
The depressing reason Trump may not be worried about Iran war backlash
The unpopularity of Trump and this conflict make it less likely that he’ll be swayed by public opinion.
Opinion
Trump says more people are turning to religion because of Charlie Kirk. Let’s check the data.
As is sometimes the case with Trump’s false statements, this one appears to be a misrepresentation of an assertion made by someone else.
Opinion
Trump’s State of the Union exposed an electoral weakness
Republicans on the ballot need robust GOP support and turnout, and the president didn’t give them much to work with.
Opinion
The right’s latest buzzword is just racism by another name
What Elon Musk was really getting at when he incorrectly claimed “American culture” is of “English-Scotts-Irish origin.”
Opinion
Republicans are resorting to a ridiculous argument to defend the SAVE Act
Republicans defending the SAVE Act say, “You have to use an ID to show you’re 21 if you want to drink, so why not do the same for voting?” Here’s why that’s nonsensical.
Opinion
The story of the Trump economy? Old people.
All of the job growth since Trump returned to the White House has been in the private sector — mostly in health care and social assistance.