All right, so inauguration day 2025.
Feels kind of surreal to say that, you know,
Donald Trump is back in the White House.
It does feel like we've stepped back in time, in a way.
Back to the future, almost, right?
Anyway, today we're gonna be diving deep into some excerpts
from the electoral vote newsletter,
specifically the one from January 20th.
We've got a lot to unpack.
We do, it's a mountain of political and tech news, really.
Our mission to extract the most insightful,
the most surprising takeaways for you.
We're gonna try to make sense of it all.
Exactly, think of us as like your personal news digest,
but way more fun.
More fun and hopefully more insightful.
Exactly, so let's jump right in.
Let's.
First up, the inauguration itself.
Ah, yes.
The weather, well, the weather wasn't exactly cooperating,
was it?
Freezing temperatures, strong winds.
Yeah, forced the whole ceremony indoors.
Had to move everything to the rotunda.
It's a little reminiscent of William Henry Harrison's
inauguration, wouldn't you say?
It is, although hopefully no one comes down
with fatal pneumonia this time around.
Right, of course, but think about it,
trying to cram Congress, the Supreme Court,
all of Trump's entourage.
Into a spacemen for what, a few hundred people?
It's a far cry from his 2017 inauguration
where the big concern was, you know.
Empty space.
Exactly.
I guess this time around, the scramble was for those
golden tickets to actually get inside.
I can say that again.
And speaking of 2017, hotel bookings in DC
are way down this time.
Makes you wonder.
It does, doesn't it?
Maybe the enthusiasm's waning a bit.
Maybe.
Or maybe people just don't want to brave the cold.
True, but you know it's not waning?
Trump's eagerness to get things done.
Word is, he's got a stack of executive orders ready to go.
Yeah, and a lot of them seem to be aimed
at reversing Biden-era policies.
That seems to be the theme, immigration, for one.
He's going after catch and release again,
that policy of releasing undocumented immigrants
while they await their hearings.
Right, and there's even talk about challenging birthright
citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.
That's a big one.
Huge.
The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship
to anyone born on US soil, challenging that.
That's a direct confrontation with a core
constitutional principle.
Could set the stage for some serious legal battles.
Absolutely.
And then there's the talk of potential pardons
for those involved in the January 6th riots.
Not exactly a unifying gesture.
No, definitely not.
Could spark outrage further deep in the political divide.
You think?
And that's not all.
Executive action on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs,
transgender people in the military,
even the definition of gender itself could be targeted.
It's like he's hitting the ground running.
Yeah.
Or maybe sprinting is more like.
More like a full-on headfirst dive.
OK, but let's switch gears for a minute.
Let's talk TikTok.
Remember the Supreme Court upholding that ban?
Oh, right.
Led to that temporary blackout of the app.
170 million American users left in the dark.
It's a fascinating case study, really.
The clash between technology, national security, free speech.
Yeah, because on one hand, you've
got those concerns about data privacy, potential Chinese
government influence.
But on the other hand, millions of users, content creators,
whose livelihoods depend on the platform.
Not to mention the investors.
Lots of money at stake.
Lots.
And then Trump throws a wrench into the whole thing,
extends the deadline for TikTok to negotiate a deal.
90 days to maneuver.
But the legality of that extension, debatable.
Very debatable.
So what can he actually do?
Good question.
Could he force a sale of TikTok to a US company?
Maybe one with ties to, you know.
Damn.
Exactly.
And what about the rise of those alternative Chinese-owned apps
filling the void?
The stakes are incredibly high.
This is like a high stakes game of tech
and international politics.
It is.
OK, but here's where things get really interesting.
Let's talk about Trump's cabinet picks.
This time around, it's like a who's who of billionaires.
Unprecedented, really.
This level of concentrated wealth in government.
Yeah, never seen anything like it.
Makes you wonder about the influence of wealth
on policy decisions.
Does it ever?
Will this administration prioritize
the interests of the ultra-wealthy?
Right.
And what does it mean for public trust in government?
Excellent questions.
We've basically entered a new gilded age, haven't we?
It seems that way.
And it's already impacting the DC real estate market,
by the way.
High-end properties are in high demand
as these billionaires settle in.
Imagine getting a call from a real estate agent,
asking if you'd sell your house to a billionaire cabinet
member.
I'd probably think it was a prank call.
Me too.
But speaking of billionaires, we can't forget about Trump's
own forays into the world of cryptocurrency.
Ah, yes.
The digital trading cards, the DJT stock.
And now, his very own Trump's P crypto coin.
Reached a paper value of $27 billion in a single day.
Astonishing.
It's wild, right?
Makes you think, what does this say
about the state of the crypto market?
And the power of Trump's brand.
Is this genuine investor confidence
or just a speculative bubble waiting to burst?
Tough to say.
There's this concept called the greater fool theory.
Basically means people buy an asset, like a cryptocurrency,
believing they'll find someone else willing to pay even more
for it later.
So it's all about finding that greater fool to cash out to.
Essentially, yes.
And with Trump's SEC pick focusing heavily
on shareholder value above all else.
Raises concerns about the potential for market
manipulation.
Definitely.
Oh, and let's not forget Melania.
She's getting in on the action too.
Right.
With her own Melania coin.
Power couple in crypto, I guess.
Who would have thought?
But while the Trumps are building their crypto empire,
the Republicans in Congress are facing a familiar challenge.
The national deficit.
The one and only.
They're pushing for tax cuts again.
But this time around, those deficit hawks,
the fiscally conservative members of the party.
They're not so thrilled.
Not exactly.
Remember the 2017 tax cuts?
Those to pay for themselves?
Didn't quite work out that way.
Not quite.
The deficit's ballooned to $36 trillion.
Repeating that claim this time around might be a tough sell.
It's like deja vu, but with even higher stakes.
Exactly.
And it's going to be fascinating to see
how this internal battle within the Republican Party
plays out.
Can they reconcile their desire for tax cuts
with the need for fiscal responsibility?
Well, speaking of reconciliation,
that's the process they'll likely
use to push through those tax cuts
and any other legislative priorities.
But it's a complicated process, full of potential pitfalls.
Definitely not a smooth ride.
Not at all.
And the person at the helm of this legislative ship,
Representative Jody Arrington, the new chair
of the House Budget Committee, he's
got some ambitious plans.
Let's just say that.
Ambitious might be putting it lightly.
Yeah, you could say that.
But he got in mind.
Oh, you'd major cuts to social programs?
Like what kind of programs are we talking about here?
We're talking Medicaid, Medicare.
Even the Affordable Care Act is on the chopping block.
Yeah.
Oh, and he's also looking to slash climate change mitigation
efforts.
Well, hold on a second.
Those are some pretty massive cuts.
What kind of impact would that even have?
Well, millions of Americans could lose their health care
coverage for starters.
That's a huge deal.
It is.
And slashing climate change funding, I mean, come on.
That could have devastating long-term consequences
for the environment.
You're not wrong about that.
But here's the kicker.
A lot of these proposed cuts, they fall
under the jurisdiction of other committees.
So he's kind of stepping on some toes here.
Oh, big time.
Yeah, this is going to lead to some serious in-fighting
within the GOP.
You've got these competing interests,
different factions within the party,
all vying for control and influence.
Sounds like a recipe for political gridlock.
It is.
So we've got this internal GOP battle over spending cuts,
a ballooning deficit, and this super complicated reconciliation
process is probably going to be a nightmare to navigate.
What else is in store for us?
Oh, well, don't forget about the debt ceiling.
Right.
Raising it is never popular.
Never.
And this time around, it's going to be even more contentious,
because it's tied up in this whole reconciliation mess.
It's like a political pressure cooker.
Multiple things coming to a boil at once.
Exactly.
And then you add in Trump's anti-China stance.
Things get even more complicated, especially
when it comes to TikTok.
Right.
He can't be seen as caving to Beijing,
but banning TikTok outright.
He'd alienate millions of American users.
It's a tough balancing act.
It is.
It really highlights that tension,
the growing tension between national security concerns
and the global reach of technology.
You've got the concerns about data privacy,
the whole potential Chinese government influence thing.
Yeah.
But you also have to consider the economic impact
of banning a popular platform like that.
It's like walking a tightrope.
One wrong step could have major consequences.
Absolutely.
And it's not just about TikTok.
Remember those alternative Chinese-owned apps,
the ones that users flocked to when the ban was looming?
Yeah.
Well, they posed the same security risks,
and they're gaining popularity.
It's like a hydra.
Cut off one ahead, two more grow back.
So we're stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Pretty much.
But this whole TikTok saga, it really
highlights the power of social media.
Doesn't it?
It's not just about silly dances and viral videos anymore,
social media platforms.
They're major players on the global stage.
Yeah, they can influence elections,
shape public opinion.
They can even spark geopolitical conflicts.
It's kind of scary when you think about it.
It is a little bit frightening.
Yeah.
But also fascinating, right?
No, absolutely.
It's a double-edged sword.
It can be a tool for connection, for creativity.
But it can also be a weapon, disinformation, manipulation,
all that.
And like we've seen with TikTok,
it can be a pawn in a much larger game,
international power politics.
Oh, exactly.
OK, so while Trump's busy navigating
this complex tech landscape, what's
happening with Tulsi Gabbard's nomination
as director of national intelligence,
last we heard it was facing some pretty strong opposition.
Yeah, and that opposition, it seems to be growing.
Every time you turn around, there's
another revelation about her past that just raises more eyebrows,
just fuels the fire.
What kind of revelations are we talking about here?
Oh, you know, her past statements,
praising Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad,
her cozying up to right-wing figures,
her support for Edward Snowden, and then there
are the concerns about her qualifications, her experience.
It sounds like a lot of baggage for someone
who's supposed to be the nation's top intelligence official.
It is, yeah.
Raises some serious questions about her judgment,
her integrity, her fitness to lead our intelligence community.
Sounds like her nomination is in serious jeopardy.
It does, doesn't it?
Frankly, it wouldn't be surprising
if she just withdrew her name from consideration
before it even gets to a vote.
That would be a dramatic turn of events.
OK, let's shift gears again for a second.
Let's talk about something that's been on a lot of people's minds,
Trump's approach to immigration.
We know mass deportations are a logistical nightmare,
not to mention financially difficult.
So what's the plan?
Well, it seems he's banking on a strategy that's both,
well, chilling and effective.
Fear, he's trying to create an environment,
an environment that's so hostile, so uncertain,
that undocumented immigrants feel like they have no choice
but to self-deport.
So he's using fear as a weapon.
Basically, yeah.
And it's working.
People are uprooting your lives, leaving behind
their communities, their homes, their jobs,
just to escape the threat of being detained,
to be deported.
Stop breaking.
Family is being torn apart like that.
It is.
But what's fueling this climate of fear?
What specific actions are we talking about?
Well, we're seeing a resurgence of ICE raids on workplaces.
There's been a shift in deportation priorities,
targeting anyone who's undocumented,
regardless of criminal history.
And then, of course, there's the constant rhetoric,
the dehumanizing language, the portrayal of immigrants
as criminals, as threats to national security.
It's a strategy.
It's calculated to make life as difficult as possible
for undocumented immigrants, hoping they'll eventually
just give up and leave.
Exactly.
It's cruel.
It's cynical.
It preys on people's anxieties.
There are hopes for a better future for their children.
It forces them to make impossible choices.
Weighing the risks of staying against the pain of leaving
everything they know behind.
Exactly.
It's a tragic situation.
And it speaks to a larger issue, I think,
the demonization of the other.
You're absolutely right.
It's about creating a climate of fear, of division.
Pitting people against each other
based on their differences.
And that's a dangerous path to go down.
One that erodes our shared humanity,
weakens the fabric of our society.
I couldn't agree more.
But let's circle back to Trump's billionaire cabinet
for a moment.
We touched on this earlier, but I think it's worth
the delving a bit deeper.
Yeah, absolutely.
It's unprecedented.
Having so many ultra-wealthy individuals in positions of power,
what are the implications of that?
Well, there are concerns about conflicts of interest.
These billionaires, they have vast business empires,
financial holdings that could influence their decision making.
So the worry is that they might prioritize
their own financial interests over the needs
of the American people.
Exactly.
And then there's the question of representation.
Can a cabinet composed primarily of billionaires
truly understand and address the needs of everyday Americans?
It raises questions about who our government is truly serving.
It does.
And it feeds into that growing sense of disillusionment,
that distrust that so many people feel
towards our political system.
It's like a widening gap between the ruling class
and everyone else.
Exactly.
And that gap has been widening for decades.
But this billionaire cabinet, it seems
to symbolize that divide in a very stark way.
It's definitely a cause for concern.
It is.
And it's something we need to keep a close eye on
as this administration unfolds.
Absolutely.
But amidst all this political turmoil,
there's one area where Trump seems to be thriving,
the world of cryptocurrency.
Yes.
His foray into the wild west of digital assets.
It's been a wild ride, hasn't it?
Yeah.
The digital trading cards, the DJT stock,
and now the Trump P-coin, he's building his own crypto empire.
He is.
And it's generating a lot of buzz, both good and bad.
What are some of the concerns surrounding his crypto ventures?
Well, there are concerns about potential market manipulation,
especially given his SEC picks focus on shareholder value
above all else.
And there are questions about the long term viability
of these projects.
Are they legitimate investments or just speculative bubbles
waiting to burst?
That's the million dollar question, isn't it?
It is.
The high risk, high reward game.
Only time will tell how it all plays out.
It definitely adds another layer of intrigue
to an already fascinating political landscape.
It does.
It's another example of how Trump is constantly pushing
boundaries, disrupting the status quo.
Love him or hate him.
He's a master at capturing attention.
He is.
And it's going to be fascinating to watch
how he wields that power over the next four years.
Absolutely.
So we've covered a lot of ground today.
We've still got more to discuss, right?
Let's dive back into this after a quick break
to gather our thoughts.
Stay with us.
We'll be right back for the final part
of our Inauguration Day deep dive.
Welcome back.
Before the break, we were talking about Trump's approach
to immigration, that whole idea of using fear
to encourage self-deportation.
It's a pretty unsettling thought.
It really makes you think about our values as a country.
Are we truly a nation that welcomes
those seeking a better life?
Or are we closing our doors to those in need?
It's a question we all need to ask ourselves, I think.
This administration, it seems like they're really pushing
the boundaries of what it means to be American.
Yeah.
And speaking of pushing boundaries,
let's circle back to Tulsi Gabbard's nomination
as Director of National Intelligence.
Doesn't look good for her, does it?
No.
Not really.
Those past statements, her associations,
it's proving to be a real obstacle.
And it's not just about political differences.
It's about judgment, integrity.
Exactly.
And for someone who would be handling sensitive intelligence,
I mean, those qualities are essential, wouldn't you say?
Imagine being a foreign leader, trusting her
with state secrets, knowing her history.
Right.
Makes you wonder if this nomination was ever
a serious consideration or just some kind of political game.
Who knows?
But either way, it seems like her time in the spotlight
might be coming to an end.
It'd be interesting to see who Trump picks as a replacement.
Definitely.
OK.
But stepping back for a minute, looking at the big picture,
this inauguration day, it's been a whirlwind.
Executive orders, a potential debt ceiling crisis,
this complicated budget reconciliation process,
and just a whole lot of political drama.
It's a lot.
Feels like we're entering a new era in American politics.
Volatility, uncertainty, deep divisions.
Yeah.
It's almost overwhelming.
But that's why we do this, right?
To try to make sense of it all, to offer some clarity.
Exactly.
We're here to guide you through it all, offer insights,
analysis, help you understand what's happening
and why it matters.
So as we wrap up this deep dive into inauguration day 2025,
what's the one key takeaway you leave our listeners with?
I think the biggest takeaway is this.
We're at a crossroads.
The decisions made in the next few months, even the next few
weeks, they're going to have a huge impact
on the direction of our country for years to come.
More than ever, it's important to stay informed,
stay engaged, make your voice heard.
That's a powerful message.
And I think it's a great place to end our conversation today.
Thanks for joining me on this deep dive.
It was my pleasure.
And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in.
We hope this deep dive has been informative, thought
provoking.
Until next time, stay curious, keep exploring.