
Inside the Hive
Amy Coney Barrett’s Week in Liberal Wonderland
The editors are joined by VF legal affairs contributor Cristian Farias to divine why the Supreme Court justice has bucked the MAGA-verse in recent rulings—and unpack the right’s long-standing legal crusade to defang the press.
By Jon Skolnik
The Jumbo Envy Fueling Donald Trump’s Rage at Boeing
The president wants a brand-new Air Force One immediately, and he’s called in Elon Musk to make sure Boeing delivers it. All the while, Xi Jinping circles the earth in a larger and sleeker aircraft.
By Clive Irving
Donald Trump and Elon Musk Are Driving America Over the Edge
The president and his billionaire sidekick turned the White House into a makeshift Tesla showroom amid a recession scare—a perfect encapsulation of the Trump-Musk regime.
By Eric Lutz
FROM THE MAGAZINE
How Elissa Slotkin, a Moderate Michigan Democrat, Is Fighting Trump Tooth and Nail
VF shadows the ex-CIA analyst during her first tumultuous months in the Senate.
By Marie BrennerPhotography by Frankie Alduino
DRIVING CHANGE
Even Elon Musk's Little Tesla Parade—at the White House, With Trump—Didn't Really Help His Net Worth
Trump claimed he bought 1 MAGA-red Model S Tesla, an $80,000 car. Unfortunately, Musk just lost the equivalent of 360,000 of them
By Kase Wickman
“Elon Won’t Be Reined In”: Inside a Trump Cabinet Attempt to Check Elon Musk
Was a fiery showdown between Marco Rubio and Elon Musk part of a broader attempt to clip the DOGE chief’s wings?
By Gabriel Sherman
MAGA Arts
Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham Are Going to Make the Kennedy Center “Hot”
The Fox News luminaries are part of the team tasked with MAGAfying the American public arts institution.
By Arimeta Diop
Politics
Bernie Sanders Is Packing Arenas on His Anti-oligarchy Tour: “People Are Really, Really Concerned”
The independent senator is injecting energy and urgency into a Democratic Party that’s politically adrift. “He’s not like a regular Democrat,” says one young supporter.
By Eric Lutz
LISTEN UP
Michelle Obama Reveals That Her Brother Convinced Her to Support Barack Obama’s “Crazy” Run
In the first episodes of her just-announced podcast, IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, the former first lady dishes on family, friendship, divorce, and her eight intense years in the White House.
By Kase Wickman
Elon Musk Is Coming for Your Social Security
The DOGE chief confirmed he wants to cut “entitlements,” despite Donald Trump’s past promise that “none of that stuff is going to be touched.”
By Eric Lutz
Q&A
“Harassed, Bullied, Intimidated”: Behind the Right’s Legal Crusade Against the Press
The New York Times’ David Enrich talks to VF about his new book, Murder the Truth, which chronicles a conservative legal movement targeting the news media, Donald Trump’s undermining of trust in journalism, and how the Supreme Court could change the way reporters do their jobs.
By Michael Calderone
Politics
Donald Trump’s Empty Promises Are Catching Up to Him
The president vowed to bring down prices on “day one”—something everyone would like to see. What happened with that?
By Molly Jong-Fast
Politics
Donald Trump Found His First Target in Campus Protest Crackdown
The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, marks a chilling escalation in the president's crusade to stifle political dissent.
By Issie Lapowsky
Excerpt
Sarah Palin Is Eyeing More Than Just Money in Her New York Times Defamation Suit
In his new book, Murder the Truth, David Enrich chronicles how the former Alaska governor ensnared the paper in a long and winding legal battle that could overturn decades of Supreme Court precedent.
By David Enrich
rage against the machine
Nationwide Tesla Protests Against Elon Musk Are Escalating
Since President Donald Trump's inauguration, more than a dozen “violent or destructive acts” have been directed at Tesla facilities: The Washington Post.
By Katie Herchenroeder
NEWSOM'S TRANS STANCE
California Governor Gavin Newsom Says Transgender Athletes Playing In Women’s Sports Is “Deeply Unfair”
The governor, a likely contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, made the comments during a podcast interview with Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist.
By Katie Herchenroeder
NOT IT
Elon Musk and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day for SpaceX, DOGE, and Musk Himself
It’s been a tough run for Musk, as Trump takes away his toys, his rocket explodes, and his net worth shrinks. Naturally, Musk took to Twitter—er, X.
By Kase Wickman
Politics
Donald Trump’s Student Visa Crackdown Doesn’t Seem Very Pro-Free Speech
The State Department plans to revoke visas of foreign nationals with “pro-Hamas” views, while the president has threatened to suspend funding for schools that allow “illegal protests.”
By Issie Lapowsky
Media
Why NPR Is “Vulnerable” in a New Trump Era
As Elon Musk calls for defunding NPR, On Air author Steve Oney talks with VF about the public broadcaster’s evolution, controversies, and accusations of liberal bias. “NPR,” he maintains, “has got a lot of strength out there in the heartland.”
By Natalie Korach
Politics
Donald Trump Is Trying to Cut Elon Musk Down to Size. Good Luck With That
The president reportedly told his Cabinet that the unelected billionaire does not have final say over agency personnel and policy—but it sure feels like he does.
By Issie Lapowsky
SCHOOL’S OUT
Next Up for Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Wood Chipper: The Department of Education
The president is expected to sign an executive order abolishing the department, fulfilling a long-held conservative fantasy. Since Congress created the DOE, expect yet another major legal battle.
By Eric Lutz