Background Briefing: April 3, 2025
The Growing Grassroots Revolt Against the Slash and Burn of the American Government, Our Institutions and Our Democracy by Trump and Musk
We begin with an assessment of the turnaround in the political opposition as the Democrats start to fight back spurred on by a growing grassroots revolt against Trump and Musk’s nihilism as they slash and burn the American government, our institutions and our democracy. Joining us is Jeremi Suri, who holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is a professor of history and public affairs. He is the co-host of the podcast “This is Democracy” and the author and editor of a number of books including The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office, Henry Kissinger and the American Century and most recently, Civil War by Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. We discuss his article at his Substack, “A Hopeful Week For Our Democracy.”
Trump’s Broadside of Tariffs Amid a Blizzard of Lies From the Rose Garden
Then we examine Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs issued yesterday after the markets closed amid a blizzard of lies from the Rose Garden causing the markets today to tank as friendly nations were hit hard while countries like Russia were spared. Joining us is Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South program at the Quincy Institute and adjunct faculty at George Washington University, where he teaches a class on the geopolitics of climate change. His focus areas are geopolitical risk, grand strategy, trade and climate security, with a special emphasis on Asia and the Global South.
After Trump, Musk and RFK Jr. Have Purged Scientists, Researchers, Innovators and Experts, Who Will Make America Great Again?
Then finally, as Trump who claims to want to bring back innovation and entrepreneurialism to make America great again while he, Musk and RFK jr. fire scientists and researchers in droves while shutting down intellectual inquiry at universities, we will speak with Jonathan Cohn. A writer at The Bulwark, he was formerly a senior correspondent at the Huffington Post, a senior editor at The New Republic and an executive editor of The American Prospect. He is the author of Sick: The Untold Story of America’s Healthcare Crisis–and the People Who Pay the Price and The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage, and we discuss his latest article at The Bulwark, “When ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Actually Means the Opposite.”