Vox

Even Trump voters are mad | Today, Explained - January 31, 2026 - Vox

Trump’s approval rating is one of the lowest in recorded history. And it’s fallen to new lows in recent weeks, as the nation reels from the recent killings of two anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota. Yet, the Trump White House shows no signs of backing off its agenda or moderating to reflect public opinion.

This week, Today, Explained is taking a pulse check on MAGA. We’ve looked at focus groups, talked to pollsters, and checked in with some of the voters from the 2024 presidential campaign trail. In this episode we ask whether MAGA is still defending the president. Host Astead Herndon brings that question to two people who follow Trump’s base closely: John Fredericks, the host of the right-wing radio show The John Fredericks Show, and Sarah Longwell, the founder and publisher of the conservative-leaning publication The Bulwark.

Today, Explained is a daily news podcast from Vox that explains one story in the news or culture each day while doing its best not to bum you out. Every Saturday, we’ll be in your audio feeds and right here on YouTube with more interesting interviews with key figures in politics and culture. You can also get new episodes of Today, Explained every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite listening app.

If you enjoy our reporting and want to hear more from Vox journalists, sign up for our Patreon at patreon.com/Vox. Each month, our members get access to exclusive videos, livestreams, and chats with our newsroom.

Thanks to The Bulwark’s Focus Group podcast for use of their swing voter footage.

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How Finland defeated fascism - January 30, 2026 - Vox

In the 1930s, a radical conservative faction almost pushed Finland into full authoritarianism. Called the Lapua movement, it was a far-right group of Finns who sought to overthrow the republic, marginalize communists, and install an authoritarian government. They managed to disrupt Finland’s political order through threats of violence and symbolic kidnappings, in which they would capture political rivals and drive them to the Soviet border.

They earned the support of center-right and moderate politicians who believed they could harness the passion and support of this radical nationalist group. The movement also included prominent businessmen, newspaper owners, and key members of the military.

But then… something happened. Almost overnight, the Lapua movement collapsed. Within three years of its founding, this far-right faction was banned from Finnish politics, and democracy in Finland has been stable ever since.

Vox producer Nate Krieger investigated the rise and fall of the Lapua movement to find out exactly how Finland managed to stave off this anti-democratic threat — and what modern democracies can learn from this perilous moment in history. By tracing how Finland successfully reversed course, we explore what actually works to halt fascist movements and restore democracy: early and collective action.

Sources and further reading:

Part of the inspiration for this video was the article “Democracy’s ‘Near Misses,’” written by Tom Ginsburg and Aziz Huq, the latter of whom was interviewed for this story. The full article can be found here https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/democracys-near-misses/

For a comprehensive history of Finland, see Jason Lavery’s aptly titled The History of Finland. More information about this text can be found on his website https://history-of-finland.com/

The National Library of Finland maintains a fantastic archive of Finnish historical images, and can be found here finna.fi

This story was supported by a grant from Protect Democracy. Vox had full discretion over the content of this reporting.

If you enjoy our reporting and want to hear more from Vox journalists, sign up for our Patreon at patreon.com/vox. Each month, our members get access to exclusive videos, livestreams, and chats with our newsroom.

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Why Americans can't quit football | The Gray Area - January 26, 2026 - Vox

America is football.

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Why do we love football so much? Why does this sport dominate American culture in a way nothing else can? Why does it feel essential even to people who barely like sports? And what does it say about us that we keep watching, even as the risks and contradictions become harder to ignore?

Today’s guest is Chuck Klosterman, cultural critic and bestselling author, whose new book Football tries to explain the game at the height of its power. Sean and Chuck talk about how football became the defining spectacle of modern America, why it’s easily the best television show we’ve ever seen, and why it presents a ton of moral dilemmas we can’t really solve.

Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling)

Guest: Chuck Klosterman, author of Football

00:00 Intro

00:40 This is not a love letter to football

04:17 Taylor Swift and football are America's only monocultures

11:26 Football is chaos and control

21:04 Watching football in the stadium vs on TV

28:19 Should we let athletes do dangerous things?

43:28 Is football doomed?

We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.

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Why is Trump obsessed with Minneapolis? | Today, Explained - January 24, 2026 - Vox

Minnesota has become ground zero for the biggest federal immigration operation in US history. Thousands of immigration officers are patrolling the streets of Minneapolis, leading to the death of one anti-ICE protester, Renee Nicole Good, and setting off a massive swirl of protests.

Vice President JD Vance visited Minneapolis late this week — showing his support for law enforcement, and sending a political message at the same time: that this White House is doubling down on its war against blue cities, and Minneapolis specifically.

Now, President Trump has subpoenaed the state’s top Democratic officials, alleging they were impeding federal immigration enforcement actions. The Justice Department has promised to arrest anyone who impedes the immigration enforcement actions, and a Trump official accused some state officials of “terrorism.” With Minnesota now in a full-blown conflict with the Trump administration, the Democratic state leadership is front and center in the standoff.

In this video episode of Vox’s Today, Explained podcast, host Astead Herndon interviews Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison about the Somali fraud scandal that first brought on the ICE surge in his state. Did Democratic officials do enough to staunch the fraud? What more could they have done to cut the fraud off at its knees? And now that ICE is in Minnesota, what more can they do? Are the courts the only recourse, if President Trump does as he has been threatening, and invokes the Insurrection Act?

00:00 Intro

01:21 The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good

03:26 The DOJ going after Democratic state officials

07:38 Minneapolis protests against ICE

10:17 Trump's threat to impose the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis

12:30 "Defund the Police" and "Abolish ICE"

16:41: Is Minneapolis a sanctuary city?

19:19 The fallout of the Somali fraud scandal in Minnesota

23:40 The fallout from the scandal on Democratic leadership

24:29 Pushing back on the Trump administration

Today, Explained is a daily news podcast from Vox that explains one story in the news or culture each day, while doing their best not to bum you out. Every Saturday, we'll be in your audio feeds and right here on YouTube with more interesting interviews with key figures in politics and culture. You can also continue to get new episodes of Today, Explained every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite listening app.

Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.

Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE

Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o

Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H