Opinion Today
February 16, 2026
Trump claims victory on affordability as public anxieties persist Isaac Arnsdorf and Natalie Allison, Washington Post [unlocked] Advisers had been encouraging the president to sound more empathetic toward struggling Americans. But as some bright spots emerge, the messaging has shifted. Concerns over autocracy in the U.S. continue to grow Frank Langfitt, NPR News Is America still a democracy? Scholars tell NPR that after the last year under President Trump, the country has slid closer to autocracy or may already be there.