The Decency Era is Over

This week’s double-header episode confronts America’s moral crisis from two sides of the same coin: what happens when leadership becomes corrupt and power-hungry—and what it looks like when leaders choose decency instead. First, journalist Mary Clare Jalonick joins Rick to break down her urgent new book Storm at the Capitol, a chilling account of how ambition, radicalization, and moral cowardice led to January 6 and exposed what happens when power is severed from principle. Then, veteran political voice Chris Matthews offers a stark counterpoint with Letters from Bobby, drawing on Robert F. Kennedy’s words to remind us that leadership is a moral act rooted in restraint, empathy, and responsibility. This conversation couldn’t be more timely as ICE violence and aggressive enforcement tactics come to a head across the country, putting into sharp relief the real-world consequences of unchecked power and moral collapse. One episode. Two books. One unavoidable truth: democracy doesn’t fail all at once—it fails when leaders abandon decency first.•••••You can find Mary Clare Jalonick @MCJalonick on X, and you can stay up to date with her congressional reporting at the AP. Also, her new book, 'Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th,' is available now, wherever fine books are sold. Chris Matthews is on X @HardballChris, and you can check out his Substack at thechrismatthews.substack.com. His new book, 'Lessons from Bobby: Ten Reasons Robert F. Kennedy Still Matters,' is available now, wherever fine books are sold. Rick Wilson is on X at @TheRickWilson, on Bluesky at @TheRickWilson.bsky.social, and you can check out Rick's Substack at therickwilson.substack.com. You can check out more of LP's work at www.lincolnproject.us and on X at @ProjectLincoln. Visit www.growtherapy.com/lincolnproject to find out how you could get started with a therapist that works with you. #ad Go to www.webroot.com/lincolnproject for up to 60% off. #ad