I interviewed Mitt Romney more than 40 times for my 2023 book about him. On this week’s episode of my podcast, I wanted to ask him something I never had before: mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/does-mitt-...

Does Mitt Romney Still Believe in America?

I interviewed Romney more than 40 times for my 2023 book about him. On this week’s episode of my podcast, I wanted to ask him something I never had before.

mckaycoppins.substack.com

Some cool news about my "Cartel Olympics" story...

“There is that folk wisdom that prejudices are somehow the province of the old and thus they will die off as generations replace generations … Antisemitism certainly doesn't follow that rule.” Listen to my interview with @yair-rosenberg.bsky.social: mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/the-bleak-...

The Bleak, Bipartisan Rise of American Antisemitism

A conversation with The Atlantic's Yair Rosenberg on why so many young Americans across the political spectrum are falling prey to antisemitic ideas and conspiracy theories.

mckaycoppins.substack.com

Programming note: I'll be on leave from @theatlantic.com for the rest of the year as I work on a new book. I can't talk about it yet, but I'm very excited. I'll share details with my newsletter subscribers as soon as I can—sign up if you haven't yet: mckaycoppins.substack.com

McKay Coppins | Substack

Click to read McKay Coppins, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

mckaycoppins.substack.com

Programming note: I'll be on leave from @theatlantic.com for the rest of the year as I work on a new book. I can't talk about it yet, but I'm very excited. I'll share details with my newsletter subscribers as soon as I can—sign up if you haven't yet: mckaycoppins.substack.com

McKay Coppins | Substack

Click to read McKay Coppins, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

mckaycoppins.substack.com

I've been a longtime fan of @mckaycoppins.bsky.social and his latest piece is one of the best articles of the year. Psyched I got a chance to voice the audio version! www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

The Incredible Story of the Cartel Olympics

A Mexican athlete said he was kidnapped and forced to compete for his life in a tournament of gangs. But was he actually playing a different game?

theatlantic.com

Last year, I met a Mexican athlete who told me an incredible story—that he’d been kidnapped in 2023 and forced to compete for his life in a secret tournament of cartels. Once I started reporting, the story only got more surreal. For The Atlantic's May issue: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

The Incredible Story of the Cartel Olympics

A Mexican athlete said he was kidnapped and forced to compete for his life in a tournament of gangs. But was he actually playing a different game?

theatlantic.com

Practically overnight, Americans took an ancient vice and made it available on everyone’s phones, @mckaycoppins.bsky.social reports. He examines the unsettling suddenness with which gambling has come to permeate every nook and cranny of American life:. theatln.tc/Jxl7ryUR

have spent years being irritated that the Alabama state legislature's never let me put down 25 bucks on the couple of lines a month I stumble across that look out of whack have reached the conclusion I should probably send them a thank-you note (anyway, take a few minutes and read this)

Scott Stossel@stossel.bsky.social · 5mo ago

"Practically overnight, we took an ancient vice—long regarded as soul-rotting and civilizationally ruinous—put it on everyone’s phone, and made it as normal and frictionless as checking the weather. What could possibly go wrong?" www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

This is absolutely the best article I've seen about the dangers of sports betting, even as more of a libertarian on the issue

Scott Stossel@stossel.bsky.social · 5mo ago

"Practically overnight, we took an ancient vice—long regarded as soul-rotting and civilizationally ruinous—put it on everyone’s phone, and made it as normal and frictionless as checking the weather. What could possibly go wrong?" www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

As someone who believes sports betting is quietly destroying hundreds of thousands of Americans’ lives (and as a tennis fan horrified by the number of death threats players are currently getting from sports bettors), glad @mckaycoppins.bsky.social wrote this. FanDuel and DraftKings are destroying us

The Atlantic@theatlantic.com · 5mo ago

When @mckaycoppins.bsky.social set out to report on the explosive growth of the sports-betting industry, his editors thought he should experience the phenomenon firsthand. Coppins reports on his year as a gambler—and what the industry is doing to America: theatln.tc/Xh5Bbwux

Last year, The Atlantic gave me $10,000 to gamble with. What started as a journalistic gimmick turned into something more... unnerving. My cover story on the online betting boom that's warping sports, culture, politics, and the psyches of millions of young men: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

New: I've obtained portions of a forthcoming book about the dysfunction inside the Department of Homeland Security. It contains damning details about the relationship between Secretary Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski—and how it's warping the agency. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The First Couple of a Dysfunctional DHS

A forthcoming book reveals new details about Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski.

theatlantic.com

I had a great conversation with Jeff Flake about America’s evolving (eroding?) global reputation. At the end of the episode, we also get into a little debate about what will happen to the GOP after Trump. mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/jeff-flake...

Jeff Flake on Trump and America's Global Reputation

A conversation with the former Republican senator and U.S. ambassador on American decline, global instability, and the future of the GOP.

mckaycoppins.substack.com

Where did Stephen Miller's politics develop? "The thing that most struck me in talking to him years ago when I was profiling him was how much of his political worldview was forged in opposition to his upbringing," said @mckaycoppins.bsky.social.

For this week's Deseret Voices podcast, I talked to my brilliant Atlantic colleague Caitlin Dickerson about Minneapolis, the flood of Trump-era recruits to ICE, and what it's like to be an immigrant in America right now. Highlights in my newsletter: mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/trumps-new...

Trump's New ICE—and What It's Doing to America

A conversation with Caitlin Dickerson, the Pulitzer-winning immigration reporter, about Minneapolis, the flood of Trump-era recruits to ICE, and what it's like to be an immigrant in America right now.

mckaycoppins.substack.com

Reading the new biography of Harry Reid, I found a lot to admire about the late senator’s relentlessness. But the same thought kept occurring to me: Do we really want more of this in politics? My conversation with author Jon Ralston on Deseret Voices: mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/do-we-real...

Do we really need more "fighters" in politics?

A conversation with Jon Ralston, the author of a new biography of former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

mckaycoppins.substack.com

Boots on the ground in Caracas? Regime-change operations in Cuba or Colombia? An invasion of Greenland? For this week's episode of Deseret Voices, I talked to Richard Fontaine about the fall of Maduro, the future of Venezuela, and what Trump might do next. open.substack.com/pub/mckaycop...

Now What?

A conversation with foreign policy expert Richard Fontaine about the fall of Maduro, the future of Venezuela, and which regimes Trump might try to topple next.

open.substack.com

From April 2017

If you’re looking for last-minute Christmas presents, I wrote in my newsletter about my favorite books that I read in 2025. mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/trump-feed...

Had a great time talking to @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social for this week’s episode of Deseret Voices—what worries her about America’s future, what gives her hope, and what we get wrong about Trump voters. mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/trump-feed...

For this week's episode of Deseret Voices, I had a great, delightfully weird conversation with Ross Douthat about flying saints, atheism's failures, and why he thinks "God is up to something interesting with the LDS story." More in my newsletter: mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/the-ration...

The Rational Case for Being Religious

A conversation with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat about atheism's failures, flying saints, why everyone should go to church, and what he thinks "God is up to" with the LDS story

mckaycoppins.substack.com

For this week's episode of Deseret Voices, I talked to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox about how he's been "radicalized" against social media companies, his own Twitter addiction, and the startling things he’s learned from Utah’s legal fight with big tech. mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/how-spence...

How Spencer Cox was "radicalized" against social media companies

A conversation with the Utah governor about why he thinks algorithms are "evil," his addiction to Twitter, and his state's legal fight with the big-tech companies he accuses of wrecking the country.

mckaycoppins.substack.com

I assume you’ve read the seminal @mckaycoppins.bsky.social work from 2013: www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mcka...

Inside The Meltdown At America’s Most Conservative, Most Christian Political Consulting Firm

Rex Elsass built a Republican empire on his faith. But he found himself battling his closest allies over his immortal soul.

buzzfeednews.com

The president continues to behave in ways that not a single parent I know would tolerate from their elementary-school-aged kids.

Matt Novak@paleofuture.bsky.social · 9mo ago

"Quiet! Quiet, Piggy."

🎁 Forty-one days until Christmas. A perfect day to buy someone a gift subscription to The Atlantic: accounts.theatlantic.com/products/gif...

For my first episode of Deseret Voices, I talked to @SenMarkKelly about the plague of political violence, how to stop it, and why he thinks ICE agents should stop following unlawful orders from the Trump Administration. youtu.be/ExpTt31hfTI?...

Full Podcast: How to end the plague of political violence

YouTube video by Deseret News

youtu.be

Flying down to Austin this morning for the Texas Tribune Festival, where I’ll be interviewing former Sen. Joe Manchin and appearing onstage with several of my esteemed Atlantic colleagues. BBQ and taco recs welcome. Come say hi if you’re in town! festival.texastribune.org/event/c17d2d...

Grateful to the Deseret News for this profile, which covers my greatest professional achievement: my stewardship of the student newspaper at my kids' elementary school, The Sunshine Times. (There's some other stuff in the story, too.) www.deseret.com/politics/202...

Meet McKay Coppins, the Trump-provoking journalist and podcaster whose observations are ‘minor’ no more

Known for his work at BuzzFeed and The Atlantic, Coppins will be part of the new “Deseret Voices” podcast.

deseret.com

Excited to share that I’ll be co-hosting a new interview podcast, Deseret Voices. I wrote on Substack about why I’m taking this on, and my goals for the show. We’ve got some great guests lined up, but also taking suggestions—who should I interview? mckaycoppins.substack.com/p/some-excit...

Some exciting news

A new podcast that brings together my reporting, my curiosity, and hope for better conversations.

mckaycoppins.substack.com