Background Briefing: March 20, 2025
The MAGA Trump/Vance Takeover of American Education Using Money to Control Minds and Eradicate Intellectual Inquiry
We begin with President Trump’s signing an executive order today instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education, but since it cannot be closed without congressional approval, some critical functions like student loans and special education funding will continue in a much-reduced hollowed out department. We discuss the broader Trump/Vance strategy of destroying education as we know it in America outlined by the Vice President in a recent speech where Vance made clear the intention is to get rid of any liberal or progressive influence and have only MAGA Christian Nationalist teaching in the country’s schools and universities. Joining us is David Bateman, a Professor of Government at Cornell University. His books include Southern Nation: Congress and White Supremacy after Reconstruction and Disenfranchising Democracy: Constructing the Electorate in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
Trump and the GOP Aim to Cripple the Left by Defunding Democrats and It’s Underway
Then we speak with Ken Vogel, a reporter for the New York Times’ Washington bureau where he covers the confluence of money, politics and influence. He is the author of Big Money: 2.5 Billion Dollars, One Suspicious Vehicle, and a Pimp — on the Trail of the Ultra-Rich Hijacking of American Politics and we discuss his latest article at the New York Times, “With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left’’
Vengeance Drives Trump As He Tears Down People and Institutions
Then finally we examine how much vengeance drives Trump who appears more focused on tearing down people and institutions than building up America to be in any way great again. Joining us is Alex Isenstadt, a Senior Political Reporter at Axios who was previously the National Political Reporter at Politico where he covered Donald Trump since 2015. His latest book, just out, is Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power and we discuss his article at Axios, “Trump Unplugged: What he says behind closed doors.”