Ta-Nehisi Coates on Bridging Gaps vs. Drawing Lines

The writer Ta-Nehisi Coates was harshly critical of my response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. In an article in Vanity Fair, he suggested I was whitewashing Kirk’s legacy, comparing it to the whitewashing of the Southern cause after the Civil War. So I wanted to have Coates on the show to talk out our disagreement, as well as some deeper questions that I think exist underneath it about the work of politics. What should the left do about the fact that so many Americans share Kirk’s views? What kinds of disagreements should we try to bridge? When is that work moral and necessary, and when is it a betrayal? This episode contains strong language. Mentioned: “ Charlie Kirk, Redeemed: A Political Class Finds Its Lost Cause ” by Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates “ My President Was Black ” by Ta-Nehisi Coates Book Recommendations: The Brothers by Stephen Kinzer Race and Reunion by David W. Blight The Sirens’ Call by Chris Hayes Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast . Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https:…