Ep077 - Trump's Tariffs on Mexico & Canada + Elon's DOGE Wrecking Ball

Covering the Trump administration is exhausting, quite frankly. Should we take everything he improvisation-ally says at a microphone seriously? Literally? Will today's executive order get rescinded tomorrow? Let's start briefly discussing why Trump's impromptu Gaza "plan" will go nowhere, despite knowing it will absolutely DOMINATE the news cycle. Then we move on to Elon Musk's DOGE crew taking over USAID and if critics are correct about the illegality or danger, as well as whether USAID is all good, all bad, or somewhere nuanced in between (spoiler alert: it's nuanced). Finally, is Trump's government employee buyout plan illegal?Chapters00:00 Introduction to Current Political Climate03:04 Media Coverage and Trump's Communication Style05:50 Analyzing Trump's Tariffs and Economic Impact09:08 The Doge Initiative and Government Efficiency27:14 Budget Cuts and Government Efficiency28:43 Elon Musk's Involvement with USAID31:30 The Need for Young Talent in Government35:17 Critique of USAID and Its Functions39:07 The Complexity of Government Budgeting41:53 Trump's Proposed Buyouts for Federal Employees46:06 Concerns Over Agency Reforms48:04 The Importance of Legislative Action52:22 Navigating Government NuancesNOTESUSAID’s Long Track Record of Wasteful Left-Wing Spending Made It an Obvious First Target for Muskhttps://www.nationalreview.com/news/usaids-long-track-record-of-wasteful-left-wing-spending-made-it-an-obvious-first-target-for-musk/Trump Administration Threatens USAIDhttps://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/trump-administration-threatens-usaid/The Boys of DOGEhttps://www.thefp.com/p/the-boys-of-dogeTrump’s Dramatic Plan to Cut the Federal Workforcehttps://www.brookings.edu/articles/trumps-dramatic-plan-to-cut-the-federal-workforce/Clinton Signs Bill on Buyouts for Federal Workershttps://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/31/us/clinton-signs-bill-on-buyouts-for-federal-workers.htmlThe North American Trade War Gets Postponed, for Nowhttps://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-north-american-trade-war-gets-postponed-for-now/ForeignAssistance.govhttps://foreignassistance.gov