The Freakout Over 'Big Balls' and DOGE
Plus: NYC trans medicine protest, airplane collision (again), and more...
Trump Administration
This Trump Appointee Could Bring Fiscal Sanity to the White House
"Personnel is policy" has shaped past administrations. Kevin Hassett, who has been tapped to lead the National Economic Council, will have a hand in tax reform, debt reduction, and more.
Trump's Tariff Threats Can't Win the Unwinnable War on Drugs
After promising to stop the flow of drugs during his first term, the president blames foreign officials for his failure.
Trump's FBI Purges Could Reduce Danger Posed by the Bureau—or Make It His Weapon
A defanged FBI could minimize our reliance on politicians’ (rarely) good intentions.
Here Is How Trump Can Falsely Claim His Tariff Threats Helped Win the Drug War
The president can cite meaningless "adequate steps," ambiguous drug seizure numbers, and a decline in drug deaths that began before he took office.
Trump's North American Trade War Accomplished Nothing
Canada and Mexico agreed to keep doing things they were already doing, and Trump revealed that he cannot be trusted with unilateral tariff power.
FEMA Is a Disaster. Trump Is Right To Demand Changes.
The agency is ineffective, duplicative, and expensive.
Is DOGE a 'Constitutional Crisis'?
Plus: USAID and Education Department cuts, tariff deal reached, and more...
Will Trump Embrace the AI Future or Succumb to His Protectionist Impulses?
Trump and Biden both backed trade restrictions that ultimately lead to higher prices for the computer chips necessary to power artificial intelligence.
Trump's Dumb Trade War
Plus: A listener asks the editors about the implications of Trump personally suing CBS to obtain transcripts from an interview with Kamala Harris.
FBI Nominee Kash Patel, Who Vowed To 'Come After' Trump's Enemies, Disclaims 'Retributive Actions'
At his confirmation hearing, the president's pick to run the nation's leading law enforcement agency ran away from his record as a MAGA zealot.
Trump's Theory of Tariffs Makes No Sense
We can tax our way to prosperity, Trump claims, but we'll just…not do that, I guess?
Trump Praised His A.G. Pick for Reducing Opioid Overdoses. In Reality, Drug Deaths Surged Under Her Watch.
Pam Bondi cracked down on "pill mills" in Florida. The result was increased consumption of black-market alternatives.
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Sets Up Another GOP Budget Showdown
Almost exactly one year after Congress swore off self-inflicted fiscal crises, we're back to the same tired theatrics.
Why Is Paramount So Keen To Settle Trump's Laughable Lawsuit Against CBS?
The company is worried that the president's complaints about a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris could block a pending merger.
Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China Could Start This Weekend
Trump's second trade war has apparently arrived. There remains much uncertainty, but expect it to be costly.
Trump's Deportation Plan Is About Numbers, Not Safety
Once everyone is a priority, no particular group, including criminals, is singled out for enforcement.
Wireless Capacity Is Running Thin, but Spectrum Auctions Can Save 5G
Billions of dollars in government revenue is a no-brainer.
Biden's Record-Breaking Regulatory Run
In four years, Biden issued regulations costing an estimated $1.8 trillion, by far the highest total in American history.
California's Rationalist-Linked Death Cult
Plus: Air traffic control failures that led to a plane crash, "why shit not working" in New York City, and more...
Obama's Failure To Close Guantanamo Meant It Was Open for Trump To Use
President Donald Trump ordered the government to prepare 30,000 beds at Guantanamo to house undocumented migrants.
Trump's Pro-Growth, Anti-Trade Positions Are on a Collision Course
The stark disconnect not only runs the risk of choking off much of the global commerce the president claims to welcome but threatens to stick U.S. consumers and businesses with higher costs.
The 'Cruel Kids' Are Still Rebelling Against Political Correctness
Reflections on a theory behind Trump's 2016 and 2024 victories.
Trump's TikTok Reprieve Won't Fix the Law's Free Speech Problems
Extending the deadline gives TikTok a temporary lifeline, but the real issue—government overreach in tech and speech regulation—still needs a congressional fix.
Julia Gelatt: What Happens if Trump 'Seals the Border'?
Demographer Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute joins Just Asking Questions to discuss the likely effects of the president's executive orders on immigration.
The White House's 'Feverish Dream' About $50 Million for Condoms in Gaza
The Trump administration made an extreme claim about wasteful foreign aid that just wasn't true.
Trump's Pick for Commerce Secretary Wants More Industrial Policy for Chipmakers
Howard Lutnick told senators that CHIPS Act subsidies were "an excellent down payment."
Is Humphrey's Executor in the Crosshairs?
Firing members of "independent" agencies would seem to set up a direct challenge to a longstanding precedent.
Was It Legal for Trump to Fire Seventeen Inspectors General Without Notice?
Jack Goldsmith offers his analysis.
Alex Nowrasteh and Bryan Caplan: The Case for More Immigration
Immigration experts Alex Nowrasteh and Bryan Caplan make the case for significantly more and easier immigration to the U.S.
Chinese AI Enters the Chat
Plus: Federal employees offered buyouts, immigration crackdown continues, and more...
Trump's Citizenship Decree Signals His Willingness To Flout the Constitution
The executive order contradicts the 14th Amendment and 127 years of judicial precedent.
Trump Rolls Back FDA Menthol Ban
Biden's FDA pushed a prohibition that disproportionately targeted marginalized communities. Trump's reversal may mark a shift toward smarter drug policy.
Like Biden, Trump Does Not Control the Price of Eggs
Though he promised to lower costs on Day 1, Trump remains just as beholden to the laws of supply and demand as his predecessor.
Trump's Tariffs To Tank Tequila
The owner of a famous cocktail bar in Dallas warns that tariffs on Mexican imports will mean higher menu prices and reduced availability of specialty tequila.
No More Government Assistance
Plus: RFK Jr.'s plan to squash Big Pharma, J.D. Vance vs. the bishops, and more...
Trump Revives Biden's Failed Proposal To Remove Palestinians From Gaza
Trump wants Arab countries to take in Gaza’s population. The Biden administration already tried, and failed, to bribe and cajole Egypt into doing so.
Trump's Davos Speech: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
President Donald Trump doubled down on both domestic deregulation and protectionism in his speech to the World Economic Forum.
Neocons Wage a Rearguard Action Against Trump's Middle East Peace Drive
Trump wants to negotiate instead of bombing Iran. Jilted war hawks are blaming his advisers.
Trump Tries To Fire Inspectors General, Likely Violating Federal Law
A law passed in 2022 requires the president to give Congress a "substantive rationale" for removing inspectors general. Trump has not done that.
Trump's Orders Feature Nonexistent Emergencies, Illegal Power Grabs, and Blatant Inconsistencies
But at least he restored respect for a tariff-loving predecessor by renaming a mountain.
The Problem With Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order
Former Rep. Justin Amash explains why President Donald Trump's interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment is wrong.
Trump Reportedly Preparing an Executive Order Banning Federal Funding of Gain-of-Function Research
The past three administrations have tried to limit gain-of-function research. The second Trump administration might be the first one to be successful at doing so.
Debating Birthright Citizenship (Again) [UPDATED]
The arguments are not new. The willingness of an Administration to act on them are.
Federal Judge Blocks Trump's 'Blatantly Unconstitutional' Birthright Citizenship Executive Order
“I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Judge John C. Coughenour.
Congress Should Extend the Trump Tax Cuts. The Path Won't Be Easy.
Not doing so could be harmful for just about everyone.
