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Trending short videosPolitical survey results on Trump's presidency.
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@nytmag

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@nytmag Last year, ahead of the 2024 presidential election, @nytmag surveyed 50 members of Washington's legal establishment about what might happen to the Justice Department and the rule of law if Donald Trump were re-elected. The group was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. They had worked as high-level officials for every president since Ronald Reagan. We recently returned to our group with a new survey and follow-up interviews about Trump's impact on the rule of law since retaking office. The responses captured almost universal fear and anguish over the transformation of the DOJ into a tool of the White House. Just as chillingly, the new survey reflects near consensus that most of the guardrails inside and outside the Justice Department, which in the past counterbalanced executive power, have all but fallen away. Get the full story at the link in bio. Illustration by @derekbrahney.

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Video #8396 · Carousel

Political survey results on Trump's presidency.from @nytmag

[01]

Overview

This carousel post from The New York Times Magazine presents the results of a survey of 50 legal experts regarding the threat to the rule of law under a second Trump presidency. The first slide is a conceptual cover image, followed by four slides of pie charts visualizing the experts' overwhelmingly negative responses to specific questions about executive power and the Justice Department.

[02]

Simple outline

  1. 1Hook with provocative quote
  2. 2Establish expert authority
  3. 3Reveal data point by point
  4. 4Escalate systemic implications
  5. 5Drive to full analysis

[03]

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[04]

Classification

Format
Carousel
Concepts
Editorial Carousel
Elements
Text OverlayData Visualization GraphicSolid Color BackgroundSurreal Juxtaposition
Account
Brand
Topics
Politics

[05]

Hook analysis

What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds

Title hook · 45%

‘Bow to the Emperor’: We Asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency

Verbal hook · 20%

The responses captured almost universal fear and anguish over the transformation of the DOJ into a tool of the White House.

Visual hook · 35%

The cover image features a striking and surreal visual metaphor: a judge's gavel fused with a rusty axe head. This unexpected and symbolic object, set against a stark, solid red background, immediately creates a sense of alarm and suggests the violent destruction of justice.

[07]

Hook and payoff

The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back

Hook

A provocative, emotionally charged quote paired with a statement of massive authority and methodology to immediately establish credibility and high stakes.

Payoff

A final synthesis of the data that resolves the tension by driving the user to a comprehensive article or report via an external link.

[08]

Narrative framework

The structural pattern this video runs on

Framework

The Expert Consensus Reveal

Leveraging a structured survey of high-authority figures to validate a provocative premise, revealing the data point-by-point to build an overwhelming, undeniable case.

  1. 1

    The Baseline Reality Check

    The first data slide establishes the macro-level finding, comparing initial expectations to the current reality to set the baseline narrative.

  2. 2

    The Specific Offense

    Drills down into specific, highly concerning actions or behaviors, quantifying the severity of the issue through expert consensus.

  3. 3

    The Guardrail Assessment

    Evaluates the failure or success of systemic checks and balances, escalating the tension by showing the broader structural impact of the core problem.

Themes

  • rule of law
  • executive power
  • political commentary
  • authoritarianism
  • justice

Techniques

  • conceptual photography
  • data visualization
  • graphic design
  • minimalism

Trends

  • infographic carousel
  • data journalism

Post caption

Last year, ahead of the 2024 presidential election, @nytmag surveyed 50 members of Washington's legal establishment about what might happen to the Justice Department and the rule of law if Donald Trump were re-elected. The group was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. They had worked as high-level officials for every president since Ronald Reagan. We recently returned to our group with a new survey and follow-up interviews about Trump's impact on the rule of law since retaking office. The responses captured almost universal fear and anguish over the transformation of the DOJ into a tool of the White House. Just as chillingly, the new survey reflects near consensus that most of the guardrails inside and outside the Justice Department, which in the past counterbalanced executive power, have all but fallen away. Get the full story at the link in bio. Illustration by @derekbrahney.

Text overlays

  • title · photo_0

    ‘Bow to the Emperor’: We Asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency

  • informational · photo_1

    Has Trump's second term posed a greater or lesser threat to the rule of law than you expected?

  • informational · photo_1

    much more threat than I expected more threat than I expected similar threat to what I expected less threat than I expected much less threat than I expected

  • contextual · photo_1

    Based on our survey of 50 legal experts

  • informational · photo_2

    How much do you think President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have used the Justice Department to go after political and personal enemies?

  • informational · photo_2

    to a very significant and disturbing degree to a significant degree somewhat little or not at all

  • informational · photo_3

    How much do you think lower courts are constraining excessive uses of executive power in Trump's second term?

  • informational · photo_3

    a lot somewhat a little or not at all Trump is not using power excessively

  • informational · photo_4

    How much do you think the Supreme Court is constraining excessive uses of executive power in Trump's second term?

  • informational · photo_4

    a lot somewhat a little or not at all Trump is not using power excessively

  • branding · photo_0

    T

Political survey results on Trump's presidency. | Viral Hooks