The Trump administration promised to release the Epstein Files, but ended up disappointing MAGA die-hards instead. Can Elon do what the DOJ couldn't? In more important news, Trump and Musk continue shredding the government, with the NIH and FDA among the latest targets. House Republicans pass their "big, beautiful bill" and swear they won't touch Medicaid to pay for their tax cuts—but the math doesn't add up. Jeff Bezos makes a drastic change to The Washington Post's Opinion section. Meanwhile, Trump posts a deranged, AI-generated video of his vision for Gaza's future and announces a new oligarch-friendly immigration policy. Jon and Dan discuss the latest cuts and chaos, and how Democrats can use their limited leverage with a government shutdown approaching. Then, Jen Psaki joins the hosts to talk about the White House's press and communications strategy in a special preview of our subscriber-only show, Inside 2025. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
Is Elon Musk really running the government?
No, I was going to say, we have... said now many times that Democrats don't have much leverage and much power in this Trump presidency, at least for these two years. And that is true, except for moments like this, right? Moments where you need 60 votes in the Senate is like the only leverage we have.
And we've just talked about stories where the courts are issuing rulings that are not being followed, where Elon Musk and his people are going in, getting access to our private data and personal information. They are firing people that are providing services that are in some cases lifesaving that people depend on. And Democrats are complaining, sending letters.
In some cases, Republicans are starting to complain and send letters. Those letters are not being responded to at all. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are basically saying, fuck off, as are the rest of the people they have in the government. There are nominees that were voted into the cabinet that just lied during their hearings, said they weren't going to do this, weren't going to do that.
And now we're just doing it anyway. So, like, yeah. Yeah. If you want our votes in the Senate, then you need to start following the fucking law and being responsible stewards of people's tax dollars and not cutting the services that they depend on.
There has been this real dissonance at times between Democratic rhetoric and Democratic actions. We talk about the existential threat of Donald Trump. We talk about the deeply damaging things he is doing or could do. But our response exists in the frame of normal politics.
Yes.
And if this is as dangerous as we believe it is, and I think Senate and House Democrats believe it is as they say it is, then you have to be willing to engage in more politically risky maneuvers to try to do something to stop it.
Yeah. Yeah. And I think, like, I think they need the fight, you know? Well, we'll be talking more about this in the next couple weeks. One more thing here on the serious topics list. It's a long list.
On Wednesday, Jeff Bezos sent out a memo to the staff of The Washington Post, which, of course, he owns, saying that from here on out, the opinion page would, quote, be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars, personal liberties and free markets. We'll cover other topics, too, of course. But viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.
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