Justin Amash on Why the President Isn't Above the Law
Plus: A listener asks the editors to guess if the real reason Donald Trump is so passionate about tariffs is because he sees them as a deal-making tool rather than a purely economic instrument.
In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Nick Gillespie welcome special guest Justin Amash to weigh in on President Donald Trump vs. the rule of law, Congress' inability to budget, and Vice President J.D. Vance's big trip to Europe.
04:04 - Trump quotes Napoleon
19:36 - DOGE wants to cut, Congress still wants to spend big
29:05 - Defunding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
38:37 - Weekly listener question
47:21 - Vance goes to Europe
56:58 - This week's cultural recommendations
Mentioned in this podcast:
"Justin Amash: 'I'd Impeach Every President,'" by Nick Gillespie
"The Problem With Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order," by Justin Amash
"The War on Bureaucracy," by Liz Wolfe
"DOGE Needs Data To Survive. These Lawsuits Are Trying To Starve It of Information," by Christian Britschgi
"Elon Musk's 'Proof' of Government Waste Is in the Pudding," by Robby Soave
"Kerry Howley: A Journey Through the Deep State," by Nick Gillespie
"Trump's 'Reciprocal' Tariffs Could Be Largest Tax Increase Since World War II," by Eric Boehm
"The Republicans' Underwhelming Budget," by Jessica Riedl
"Douglas Irwin: Why Trump's Tariff Plans Are Dangerous," by Nick Gillespie
"Trump Tariffs: Tracking the Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War," by Erica York
"DOGE Begins Publishing Data After Transparency Complaints," by C.J. Ciaramella
"The Disappointing Results of Trump's 'Deferred Resignation' Plan Are Part of a Pattern," by Jacob Sullum
"The 5 Worst Things About the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau," by Veronique de Rugy
"Elizabeth Warren's Hubris Allowed Trump To Defund the CFPB," by Eric Boehm
"The Media Love Negative Trends, but America Keeps Moving in the Right Direction," by Eric Boehm
"J.D. Vance Brings the Culture War to Europe: 'There Is a New Sheriff in Town,'" by Matthew Petti
"U.S. Tells Europe To Handle Its Own Defense," by J.D. Tuccille
"CBS Is Wrong About Free Speech in Germany and the Rise of Nazism," by Robby Soave
"The New Captain America Film Has Important Lessons for Trump and Biden Stans," by Matthew Rozsa
Reason Speakeasy: Brian Doherty, February 27, 2025
Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.
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Audio production by Ian Keyser
Assistant production by Hunt Beaty
Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve
- Video Editor: Ian Keyser
- Producer: Hunt Beaty
