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Headshot of Perry Bacon
Perry Bacon

Perry Bacon is a staff writer at The New Republic and host of the TNR show Right Now With Perry Bacon. Prior to TNR, he was a weekly columnist at The Washington Post. Perry has also been a commentator at MSNBC, a fellow at New America and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, and a political writer at Time, TheGrio, NBC News, and FiveThirtyEight. He has covered six presidential campaigns and interviewed Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Nancy Pelosi, and numerous other prominent politicians. He is a graduate of Yale University and lives in Louisville, his hometown.

All Articles
January 27, 2026
Perry Bacon
Democrats Have Much to Gain—and Nothing to Fear—From Attacking ICE
Some will still shy away from saying “abolish” for now. That’s OK—but what they mustn’t do is foreclose the possibility of future abolition.
January 21, 2026
Perry Bacon
Abigail Spanberger’s First Move as Virginia Gov. Was a Masterstroke
Even moderate Democrats can be boldly anti-MAGA. Other centrist Democrats should follow her example.
January 15, 2026
Perry Bacon
Amazingly, the Democrats Have a Shot at a Senate Majority
Alaska’s Mary Peltola’s candidacy changes things. And even if they can’t pull it off this year, they could take steps toward a 2029 majority—with a Democratic president and House.
January 13, 2026
Perry Bacon
GOP Pols and Judges Are Accomplices in Democracy’s Destruction
Trump, Noem, Miller, Vance—yes, they are the chief authors of this tyranny. But Washington is full of enablers. Be mad at them too.
January 8, 2026
Perry Bacon
On Venezuela, Democrats Are Actually Acting Like an Opposition Party
Even some moderate Democrats who’ve capitulated to Trump are taking a stand on the Venezuela madness. It’s a good sign—for now.
January 5, 2026
Perry Bacon
Bari Weiss Is Dead Wrong—Good Journalism Isn’t About Being Pro-America
The CBS boss and her new evening anchor have released new “principles.” Among them: “We Love America.” They have no understanding of journalism—but they sure know where their bread is buttered.
December 26, 2025
Perry Bacon
Under Kash Patel, “FBI” Means Foolish, Belligerent, and Incompetent
All of Trump’s law enforcement people are toadies. But Patel and number two Dan Bongino have brought extra incompetence to the party.
November 25, 2025
Perry Bacon
Um … Is Donald Trump Seriously Going to Start a War with Venezuela?
His moves these last three months have been bellicose, aggressive—and almost completely undebated by Congress. Are we doing regime change again?
November 18, 2025
Perry Bacon
A Tea Party for Democrats? No. There’s A Much Better Strategy
In the wake of the Senate eight’s capitulation, some are calling for extreme measures. There are better models to follow that can still lead to the needed big changes.
November 11, 2025
Perry Bacon
Voters Hate Trump. Good. But Democrats Should Take No Solace in That.
It’s great that voters have turned against Trump. But they turned against Biden. They keep turning against presidents. Here’s how Democrats can deal with that.
November 5, 2025
Perry Bacon
Hey, Uh, Democrats, Can You Finally Please Stop Fighting Over 2024?
Last night showed that the party is far from doomed—and the country is simply not as conservative as it seemed in November 2024.
October 30, 2025
Perry Bacon
There’s a Good Identity Politics—and Then There’s Karine Jean-Pierre
Her book tour has been a train wreck. You can’t just brush off legit tough questions by asserting your identities. There’s a broader lesson here for Democrats.
October 28, 2025
Perry Bacon
Yes, Virginia! Democrats Actually Can Be Feisty and Cunning!
Democrats in the Old Dominion get it: On redistricting, they’re acting less like Barack Obama and more like Mitch McConnell.
October 21, 2025
Perry Bacon
Suddenly, Democratic Politicians Are Running Away From AIPAC
A long-overdue reckoning on Democrats and Israel is finally happening. Even centrists see which way the wind is blowing.
October 16, 2025
Perry Bacon
Not All Old Candidates Are Joe Biden, and Not All Young Ones Are Great
All things being equal, sure, Democrats ought to lean toward younger candidates. But there are many times when all things aren’t equal.
October 14, 2025
Perry Bacon
The Mainstream Media Is Moving Right. Here’s What We Can Do About It.
At The Washington Post, CBS, and maybe CNN, the trend line is terrible. But liberals do have the power to reverse these trends.
October 6, 2025
Perry Bacon
MAGA Lite: What “Bari Weiss Conservatism” Is, and Why It’s Dangerous
The new CBS executive isn’t exactly MAGA. But her polite Trumpism will still help destroy America as we know it.
October 2, 2025
Perry Bacon
Shutdown: Why I Worry That the Democrats Are Screwing It Up Again
At least they’re fighting. But for how long? And are they fighting about the right things?
September 29, 2025
Perry Bacon
With Portland, Trump’s Police State Is Getting Bigger and More Radical
If the National Guard and ICE can run wild, as Trump wants them to, then America is not a free country.
September 26, 2025
Perry Bacon
Zohran Mamdani Is Threading One of the Trickiest Needles in Politics
For the general election, Mamdani has managed to expand his base while staying basically true to his primary-season beliefs. There’s a lesson in there for all Democrats.

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