The Trumping of America | The Coffee Klatch for August 2, 2025

Friends,Today, Heather and I look at how Trump has moved almost all law and policy into personal deal-making — whether it’s what tariff rate (that is, import tax) is to apply to which country, which corporations will be exempted from import taxes, which universities have to do what to satisfy him, which law firms have to do what to avoid his penalties, which media corporations have to genuflect in which ways to gain his approval or avoid his wrath, and so on. It’s a form of government completely foreign to the United States until now and that is based on Trump’s personal whims, his vindictiveness, and payoffs made to him. Call it, well, fascism. We also take a look at the economy — a bad jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which caused Trump to kill the messenger and fire the commissioner of Labor Statistics. He’s nuts. Out of his gourd. And very dangerous. The Trumping of America continues. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, take our poll, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe