In this bold episode of Modern Age , Dan McCarthy brings together two unexpected figures: Donald Trump and Edmund Burke. The goal is to uncover what is really at stake in today's constitutional and institutional debates. Ten years after Trump came down the escalator and now six months into his second term, Dan explores how Trump’s disruption of elite institutions mirrors Burke’s 18th-century critique of concentrated power in the British monarchy. Using Burke's analysis of formal and informal authority, Dan considers how America's own elite institutions—universities, media, think tanks—now function as an unelected aristocracy. Has Trump reawakened the democratic core of the American Constitution by challenging these forces? What happens when informal power overrules public will? And does Burke's vision offer a warning, a guide, or something in between? This episode goes deep into political history, conservative thought, and the ongoing struggle between institutional power and the sovereignty of the people.
