Trump's Plan to Tank America episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 24, 2026 · 50 MIN

Trump's Plan to Tank America

from On the Media · host Garrett M. Graff, Drew Harwell, Micah Loewinger, Brooke Gladstone, Joseph Cox

Children as young as five have been detained by immigration agents in Minnesota. On this week’s On the Media, how I.C.E. uses technology to surveil the public and recruit more members. Plus, following Trump’s threats against Greenland, ties between the United States and its closest allies are fraying.[01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Garrett M. Graff, journalist, historian, and author of the newsletter Doomsday Scenario, about Trump’s damage to the United States’ standing as a world power following his campaign for Greenland and his dismantling of core pillars of American policy. [19:14] Host Micah Loewinger talks with Joseph Cox, investigative reporter and co-founder at 404 Media, about his detailed reporting into ICE’s quietly widening arsenal of surveillance tools. [37:01] Micah sits down with Drew Harwell, technology reporter for The Washington Post, to discuss ICE’s elaborate “wartime recruitment” strategy, and what it means for immigration policy in the United States. Further reading / watching:“We Are Witnessing the Self-Immolation of a Superpower,” by Garrett M. Graff“‘ELITE’: The Palantir App ICE Uses to Find Neighborhoods to Raid,” by Joseph Cox“ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice,” by Joseph Cox“Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods,” by Joseph Cox“New Legislation Would Rein In ICE’s Facial Recognition App,” by Joseph Cox“ICE plans $100 million ‘wartime recruitment’ push targeting gun shows, military fans for hires,” by Drew Harwell and Joyce Sohyun Lee On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 24, 2026

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