This is the Sept. 25, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

The conservative movement is dead. 

The political truths passed down from Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk, and William F. Buckley Jr. have been all but discarded by Republicans, while the religious teachings of Jesus have been warped by Washington politicians into a gospel that serves the rich, abandons the poor, abuses the stranger, and insults everyone not in their cult. 

Below is an excerpt from a classic that defined postwar conservatism — Kirk’s “The Conservative Mind.”

The author’s words speak to dangers confronting us now — a generation after he first wrote them. 

Warnings against ideologues of every stripe, the worship of politicians as a substitute for religion, the vertiginous speed of alteration our society faces, and the disintegration of moral order apply all too well to Donald Trump, his followers, artificial intelligence, the Democratic Socialists of America, and the savage attack MAGA has waged on Kirk’s “convention and compromise.”

One can only hope the rage and radicalism that has defined the Trump era will be replaced by values that framed conservatism for over two centuries. Pragmatism and compromise, convention, and constitutional norms are conservatives’ only way forward.  

***

“For the conservative, custom, convention, constitution, and prescription are the sources of a tolerable civil social order. 

Men not being angels, a terrestrial paradise cannot be contrived by metaphysical enthusiasts; yet an earthly hell can be arranged readily enough by ideologues of one stamp or another.

“To general principles in politics—as distinguished from fanatic ideological dogmata—the conservative subscribes. These are principles arrived at by convention and compromise, for the most part, and tested by long experience. Yet these general principles must be applied variously and with prudence, humankind’s circumstances differing much from land to land or age to age. The conservative refuses to accept utopian politics as a substitute for religion.

Both the impulse to improve and the impulse to conserve are necessary to the healthy functioning of any society. Whether we join our energies to the party of progress or to the party of permanence must depend upon the circumstances of the time. 

Of rapid change, healthy or unhealthy, we seem sure to experience more than enough in the concluding years of this century. Whether the conservative impulse within modern society can suffice to prevent the disintegration of the moral order and the civil order by the vertiginous speed of alteration—why, that may hang upon how well today’s conservatives apprehend their patrimony.”

— Russell Kirk, “The Conservative Mind”

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THIS WEEKEND

A rare September nor’easter is working its way up the coast, with flood warnings from the Carolinas to Connecticut and up to a month’s worth of rain for Boston and Providence. Even the Red Sox are getting out of the way: Fenway moved Sunday’s game against the Cubs to a Friday doubleheader. Here’s what else is on, for now:

In Boston, the robots are taking over (or at least the Seaport). RoboBoston, now in its ninth year, shows off the latest in robotics from students, universities, and startups. Think part science fair, part street party. Given the forecast, check before you go.

In New York, the 64th New York Film Festival opens with new work from Pedro Almodóvar, Hong Sang-soo, Mani Haghighi, and a lineup that spans the globe. Prefer your stories on paper? The Brooklyn Book Festival kicks off this evening.

Just outside Philadelphia, fans of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” should make the trip to Elkins Park. Lynnewood Hall is opening its doors to the public for the first time in more than 80 years for “Fleurs de Villes,” a show of life-size floral mannequins inspired by the series. Very Mrs. Russell.

Farther down I-95, All Things Go brings three days of women-led lineups to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, rain or shine. Mitski headlines Friday, Hayley Williams takes Saturday, and Brandi Carlile closes it out Sunday. Pack a poncho.

In the Windy City, Chicago Gourmet is the biggest food festival of the year: a hunt for the best gourmet burger, a down-home brunch, a celebration of Mexican cuisine, and plenty of tastings in between. Pace yourself.

In Houston, things take an eastward turn at Tokyo X, the city’s largest Japanese festival. Tea? Sipped. Costumes? Encouraged. Ramen? Slurped, as quickly as possible.

Out west, where the forecast is behaving, more than 500 artists are taking to the pavement for the Pasadena Chalk Festival: portraits, originals, and some truly jaw-dropping work. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Finally, for our readers along the East Coast: keep an eye on the latest, stay safe, and stay dry.

Now, let’s read some mail.

MAILBAG

Many Republicans suddenly are separating themselves from Trump, afraid they’ll lose the election. Where were these Republicans in the past two weeks when Trump was doing lots of terrible things to make inflation rise, gas prices go up, etc.? They should be ashamed to show their faces and say they don’t agree with the war, etc. If they had been doing their job for the past two years we wouldn’t be in the bad place we’re in now.

— Louise T., Ellicott City, MD

Thank you for your question, Louise. 

Voters will remember the disastrous policies Republicans have implemented over the past 18 months. The GOP House and Senate have continually forfeited their constitutional rights to set tariffs and declare war. 

As a result of this Republican fecklessness, Trump’s policies have caused skyrocketing costs in grocery stores, at gas stations, and across the rest of the U.S. economy. 

Interest rates continue to skyrocket because of a bond crisis rattling Wall Street. High inflation and massive federal debt keep undermining the American dollar. Because of these Republican failures, the cost of borrowing for credit cards, mortgages, cars, and business keeps going up. That means the economy will grind along with little relief for Americans. 

For those politicians timidly trying to distance themselves from the president, rest assured their half-measures will backfire. 

Take Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, who told reporters last week the Iran war had to end. When given the chance to exercise his Article 1 authority by voting for the War Powers Act, the senator backed down again.

Voters will remember in November. 

Curious as to why President Trump is so candidly now admitting that nothing will happen — not the end of the war, nor the downturn in gas prices — until after the midterms. What has led to this belated realization on his part, and how is he thinking about this if you can possibly divine that?

— Anonymous

Trump has learned the radicals in Iran cannot be bribed into stopping the war he started. 

The Iranians have also shown they will not be cowed by threats of civilizational ruin. So both countries remain in a holding pattern, moving between a hot war and uneasy truce. 

No one can divine Trump’s intent on this or any other substantive matter at present. Trump is weirdly disconnected from the war, Americans’ economic suffering, and the upcoming midterm elections. As Maggie Haberman recently observed, Donald Trump’s interests have narrowed to construction projects and retribution. 

This is bad news for Republican majorities in the House and Senate. This war will likely go on for some time — though Iran put forward a seven-day plan this week.

Even if Iran’s political leaders pursue an end to the war, radicals running the Revolutionary Guard will push back against such efforts. The radicals see a generational opportunity to humiliate yet another American president, and they have no interest in letting Trump off the hook. This is especially true after he killed Iran’s supreme leader and a dozen other top officials there.

If the current government of Iran falls, economic pressure that has been building for years will cause its demise. Expect the White House’s efforts to apply maximum pressure to Iran’s economy to continue well into the future.

This question is for Steve Rattner … Steve, what signs do you see at the consumer spending level that might indicate a “recession pullback”? Things like cutting back on travel, buying ground beef instead of better cuts, chicken instead of beef … what we lower-middle class folk call the Costco effect. My social circle has been cutting back for some time.

— Mae T., Southfield, Michigan

Steve: The economy is in an odd place. The overall data is still positive but the dispersion seems higher than usual — the now-famous “K-shaped” economy that has become the phrase of the day. Those at the top continue to spend, in part because of the high stock market, while those further down are having to economize because wages have not been keeping up with inflation since the war began. While I wouldn’t predict an outright recession in the near term, you are right to be concerned.

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