DAVID BROOKS SAYS GOODBYE

I was reading the Honolulu Star-Advertiser this morning, and noticed a farewell column in The New York Times by David Brooks.  He is one of the stars of op-ed (opposite the editorial page) news writing, and I'm sad to see him go.  He made a lot of sense.  

Of course, there are some others who did not like him.  Chump Lady, for example.  Here is how she started her column today.

Columnist David Brooks says goodbye to his New York Times gig and lectures us all on morality. Which is always rich coming from the guy who left his wife for his much younger research assistant.  

Say it isn’t so! David Brooks is leaving his job at the New York Times as finger-wagging moralist, deli meat snob, and righteous scold of single mothers. He doesn’t say exactly what his next job is, but you know he’ll be quoting Edmund Burke.

The Guardian had a particularly telling critique, beginning with:

The New York Times columnist David Brooks appeared in multiple photos from the estate of Jeffrey  Epstein that were released on Thursday by the House committee on oversight and government reform.

Brooks was also heavily dismissive of the Epstein story in a July appearance on the PBS NewsHour. “Every August, Washington goes crazy with some stupid story. And then in September we think, ‘What was that all about?’” he said. “And so this year we’re a little early.”

Well, maybe I'm the naive one, for I did not know him well at all.  Perhaps he was eased out of The New York Times.  However, the newspaper on 29January2026 had a praising goodbye article written by Kathleen Kingsbury, who is head of Opinion for the paper.  Here are a few comments.

Since he first joined Times Opinion in 2003, David Brooks has occupied a singular role: He is our resident cartographer of the American soul. 

His work has earned him a place among the most decorated observers of our time. As a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, David has made contributions that have been recognized with honors, and he’s been granted over 30 honorary doctorates from American colleges and universities. He has also written seven major nonfiction books.

It is because of this lifelong commitment to teaching and intellectual growth that I share the news that David will be departing The Times to join Yale University as a presidential senior fellow.

“I am so sorry to hear this news,” said his fellow columnist Thomas L. Friedman. “I cannot imagine reading The Times and not being able to savor one of David’s deep essays on politics, society and human connection. David and I have had a running joke all these years that we almost always end up in the same place politically, but we get there by totally different routes. We arrive at the same conclusion that our future depends on building and proliferating communities built on healthy interdependencies cemented by shared values. This news really leaves me bummed. Yale’s gain is our readers’ loss.”

From Google AI:

David Brooks is leaving The New York Times after 22 years to join The Atlantic as a staff writer and become a presidential senior fellow at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, according to reports from January 29–31, 2026. He announced his departure via a farewell column, shifting his focus to new writing and academic endeavors. 

Key details:

• Duration: Served as a columnist for 22 years.
• Next Roles: Joining The Atlantic as a staff writer and Yale University as a senior fellow.
• Context: His move involves launching a new podcast and focusing on cultural change, as detailed in his final column. 

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