"Maybe Tucker didn’t want to disrespect the family. I don’t know why he didn’t just say it. Maybe he thought you can see it with your own eyes and it was just too painful to say it."
Douthat’s opinion-writing background, which I once viewed as a liability, actually helped him here. He thinks about big questions for a living. Therefore, he knew where to push Trump beyond the usual talking points.
"I get to talk about sports on a daily basis. I haven't lost the fandom for these teams. This is what I want to do, be as successful as possible. And do it for as long as I possibly can."