Ross Douthat

Politics, religion, moral values and higher education. More

Ross Douthat joined The New York Times as an Opinion columnist in April 2009. His column appears every Tuesday and Sunday. He is also a host on the weekly Opinion podcast “Matter of Opinion.” Previously, he was a senior editor at The Atlantic and a blogger on its website.

He is the author of “The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery,” which was published in October 2021. His other books include "To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism,” published in 2018; “Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics” (2012); “Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class” (2005); “The Decadent Society” (2020); and, with Reihan Salam, “Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream” (2008). He is the film critic for National Review.

He lives with his wife and four children in New Haven, Conn.

J.D. Vance and the Tech-Trad Alliance
How Silicon Valley and religious conservatism might converge.
By Ross Douthat
Donald Trump, Man of Destiny
He is a figure touched by the gods of fortune in a way that transcends the normal rules of politics.
By Ross Douthat
The 4 Ways I See This Going With Trump
He is closer than ever to a second term, but what that would bring remains unclear.
By Ross Douthat
Do the Democrats Really Think Trump Is an Emergency?
They haven’t acted like it.
By Ross Douthat
Why Biden Is Unlikely to Defy the Naysayers
Trump’s refusal to quit in 2016 won’t work for the incumbent in 2024.
By Ross Douthat
Does America Need a President?
Why subordinates or the “deep state” can’t substitute for a vacuum at the top.
By Ross Douthat
The Perils of a Second Biden Administration
A second Biden term would be unusually dangerous for the country in a very significant way.
By Ross Douthat
Why Conservatives Shouldn’t Be Doomers
A late-Soviet debate night doesn’t mean we’re in late-Soviet America.
By Ross Douthat
The Biden and Trump Weaknesses That Don’t Get Enough Attention
The candidates have no shortage of flaws.
By Ross Douthat
What J.D. Vance Believes
In a long conversation, the first-term senator from Ohio talks about Trump, populism, the 2020 election, Ukraine and the Republican V.P. slot.
By Ross Douthat