The episode takes stock of the early Trump presidency, focusing on how a norm-breaking president tests the resilience of American institutions and the Republican Party. Legal scholar Jack Goldsmith argues that courts, the press, the bureaucracy, and civil society have so far constrained some of Trump’s most extreme impulses, while warning that Trump’s real long-term damage may come from provoking other institutions into abandoning their own norms. The conversation then shifts to the GOP’s internal struggle between establishment leaders and a Trump-aligned base, with Mindy Finn describing how Trump has reshaped party incentives, primary politics, and attitudes on issues like Russia and identity. Finn and the hosts discuss what, if anything, Trump has clarified for Republicans about economic discontent and the limits of past outreach strategies, alongside concerns that the party may be trading broader demographic appeal for short-term power. The episode closes with reflections on what the speakers want to “keep,” including community solidarity after Hurricane Harvey and moments of perspective outside the daily political churn.