Mary Katharine Ham: What's Trump's Agenda?

Fox News commentator Mary Katharine Ham discusses Trump's new policy agenda.

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Mary Katharine Ham: What's Trump's Agenda?

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Where does former President Donald Trump want to take this country?

As the Republican Party coronates Trump as its presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, there will be a lot of talk about Trump's vice presidential pick, his dominance in the polls, and the decline of President Joe Biden. But what about policy? What is the Trump agenda? Trump's opponents implore us to fear Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation proposal that they characterize as a vengeful, authoritarian power grab. Trump himself waves that away and tends to focus more on his plans to levy tariffs on foreign goods, deport illegal immigrants, and yes, finally build that wall. Neither Trump nor the Democrats seem interested in talking much at all about our soon-to-be $35 trillion national debt, which has eclipsed our total national gross domestic product for the first time since World War II.  

To help us anticipate what an increasingly likely second Trump term might look like, and help explain how Trump 2024 is even possible all things considered, we've invited Mary Katharine Ham, a conservative political journalist and commentator at Fox News and on her own podcast Getting Hammered. We wanted to talk with her because she's Trump-critical, but also understands the conservative mind and movement as someone who's been immersed in it for years.

Note that this episode was recorded on Friday, July 12, 2024. A new introduction by Zach Weissmueller was recorded on Tuesday, July 16, contextualizing this conversation in light of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher.

Sourced referenced in this conversation:

1. Project 2025's Official Site
2. Joe Biden's campaign website page on the project
3. Understanding the National Debt | U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data
4. Brookings Institute: Data on how the suburbs voted in 2020
5. St. Louis Federal Reserve: Gross Federal Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
6. The U.S. Justice Department Is Not Independent | The Center for Renewing America
7. Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts on the War Room, July 2, 2024
8. Steve Bannon on Tucker Carlson's podcast, June 11, 2024
9. Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) on Just Asking Questions

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Context for this pre-recorded episode
• 02:11 Setting the Tone for the Episode
• 03:08 Analyzing Trump's 2024 Agenda
• 05:41 Key Issues for the Suburban Vote
• 09:03 Trump's Vice Presidential Pick
• 14:04 Abortion and the 2024 Election
• 20:58 Libertarian Appeal and Trump's Strategy
• 28:58 National Debt Concerns
• 33:24 Navigating the Political Spectrum
• 36:29 Project 2025
• 42:45 Concerns Over Expanding Executive Power
• 47:26 Vengeance vs. Accountability in Politics
• 01:01:35 The State of the 2024 Election
• 01:04:22 Final Thoughts and Reflections

• Producer: John Osterhoudt

Comments

[Longtobefree]

To help us anticipate what an increasingly likely second Trump term might look like, we refuse to review the actual results of the first term.

[sarcasmic]

"Past performance is no guarantee of future results"

[LIBtranslator]

Then again, France did get led into war with the 84-year-old Pétain at the helm. Back then there was no young, healthy, sensible, rational Libertarian alternative like Chase stepping up to the plate. Instead they had Pétain as Joe Biden, Hitler as Donald Trump, Pierre Laval as the Green Party Communist. Liberté, Fraternité, Egalité quickly morphed into Travail, Famille, Patrie with Mussolini's Italy ordering religious catechism in government schools next door. Pétain and Laval were convicted of treason, one exiled in bewilderment the other duly shot.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Still going with major cope eh?

I think you mean "ignore all past actions and instead hyperventilate on what the DNC says he will do"

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Will Sarc finally die of alcohol poisoning if Trump prevails?

Can’t wait to find out.

[Mother's Lament]

“Past performance is no guarantee of future results”

"This time he’ll be the Hitler that I hoped he’d be."

[Roberta]

Yeah, but, you got a better predictor?

[Uncle Jay]

Trump should do just the exact opposite of what Biden did, and the US will be just fine.

[LIBtranslator]

How apropos! I am just now halfway through reading "Nazi Women of the Third Reich" by Paul Roland. The book does explain the conservative mind in considerable detail, and only cost me a dollar and seven cents on Kindle.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Did they have a bikini beach volleyball team? I thinks that's what readers really want to know.

[TJJ2000]

Funny how USA conservatives are entirely against [Na]tional So[zi]al[ism].

Perhaps you just read explanations on the Democrats minds work in considerable detail. Did it say anything about Self-Projection?

[Mother's Lament]

Hank still lives in 1973.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

A book about Nazis has nothing to do with conservatism. It’s indicative of people like you Hank. You’re a leftist, and so are the Nazis. Maybe you were one during the war.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

What is this "policy" thing that you speak of? I thought we were supposed to choose candidates based on how closely I identified with them. Or something.

[Mother's Lament]

I'll remember this post for when you start talking about Project 25.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

You mean, you will later try to use this sarcastic post of mine and dishonestly try to present it as my literal sincere opinion? Totally checks.

[Mother's Lament]

"I was just being retarded on purpose, I can't believe you fell for that, lol"

[Mother's Lament]

"We wanted to talk with her because she's Trump-critical"

Hahahahahahhahaha.... whew.

You'd shun her like a leper if she weren't. Who do you guy's imagine your fooling.

[TJJ2000]

NO-MORE Cares Act fumbles.
NO-MORE Gun-banning fumbles.
NO-MORE SCOTUS throwing away Individual Rights.
NO-MORE Deficits / Spending.

MORE SCOTUS rulings blocking [Na]tional So[zi]al[ism].
MORE De-Regulation.
MORE Cancelling Nazi-Treaty deals (i.e. Paris Accord).

Or in summary; A MORE U.S. Constitutional Republic.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""What's Trump's Agenda?""

Based on current event, I would say trying to stay alive. I'm pretty sure Iran still has a price on his head and he just got a preview of how well the Secret Service handles that kind of thing.

[Mother's Lament]

“What’s Trump’s Agenda?”

Trump’s Project 25

1. Bring back 5 for $5 at Arby’s
2. Cigarette vending machines are back
3. Sit down Pizza Huts again with red cups
4. $5 Subway footlongs
6. Subsidized UFC
7. McDonalds French fries will be fried in beef tallow again
8. 1975 Trans Am for every American
9. Seatbelts and child seats back to being optional. Parents don’t have to stop so mom can nurse on long trips
10. Free American flag with every case of beer
11. Boys will wear fucking pants unless they can prove they’re Scottish. DNA test required
12. The Confederate battle flag goes back on the roof of the General Lee
13. No limit fishing in Minnesota
14. “Hold my beer and watch this” will be a valid legal defense
15. Pool slides mandatory for every pool larger than 200 gallons
16. Skiing with a rope tied to the cars bumper legal again
17. Bringing back lawn darts
18. Subsidized mud derbies
19. Rodeo week is a national holiday
20. Keystone pipeline will end at new crude shipping terminal to be built at Martha’s Vineyard
21. No theft insurance for businesses that don’t house a revolver under the till
22. Trailer Parks in the Hamptons
24. A degree from Harvard excludes you from government employment
25. No fat chicks

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Well, Arby’s did bring back the potato cake.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Finally, a platform I can get behind.

[Stuck in California]

Don't care about most of it, but McDonald's fries really WERE way better back then. They need to go back to the old method.

Fuck man, ditching the beef tallow and changing the cooking temperature were done to appease the vegans who were attacking McD's. Why the fuck would you do something to appease them as a hamburger joint? That's like listening to a teenage boy's complaints when designing your tampons. They just aren't your demographic.

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

#25 is also critical.

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

Hopefully some actual Swamp Draining. There needs to be wholesale firings, purges, and prosecutions

[Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Yes, wholesale firing squads.

[justme]

if all trump does is close the border his presidency will be successful