All right, so we're back and diving into day three
of Trump's second term and, man,
are things already crazy?
Yeah, it's pretty wild, isn't it?
We've got a whole stack of news articles
from ElectroVote.com and they really give us
like a front row seat to everything that's going down.
What jumps out at you from these articles?
You know, I think what's really fascinating to me
is just how much bolder Trump seems this time around.
You know, it's not just like the amount of stuff happening
but it's the kinds of things he's doing.
He's really like pushing the limits, testing boundaries
and it seems like he doesn't really care about, you know,
what people think.
I mean, just look at what's going on at the southern border.
Yeah, the border.
ElectroVote really digs into that, doesn't it?
Trump didn't waste any time, did he?
He put out those executive orders, you know, the XOs,
almost immediately and basically shut down
the whole border with Mexico.
Exactly, and it's not just about like keeping people out,
right?
It feels like he's trying to like completely change
the whole immigration system.
So it's not just defense, it's like offense too, right?
Yeah, it's a total overall.
He's got the border patrol asking people about, you know,
communicable diseases, which let's be real,
is just a way to keep people out.
I mean, every country has some level of like communicable
disease going around, right?
Right, right.
And then you've got this whole logistical nightmare
because, you know, Mexican citizens are being released
because they're already in Mexico.
Makes sense.
But then citizens from other countries
are, you know, getting detained and it's just chaos.
It's putting a huge strain on everything.
Yeah, the article mentions that ICE is like scrambling,
trying to make more space to hold people.
They're building like four new facilities,
each with 10,000 beds and then 14 smaller ones on top of that.
It's a massive operation.
It really is.
And they're sending 10,000 troops to the border too.
Like on top of the 19,000 border patrol agents
already there, it's like a war zone.
Yeah, it's crazy.
So it makes you wonder, what's this gonna do
to the relationship between the US and Mexico?
And what about all the people who are being detained?
Where do they end up?
And I think the biggest question is,
what does all of this tell us about how Trump
is gonna handle immigration this time around?
Yeah, good point.
This isn't just like, oh, he's doing the same stuff
he did in his first term.
This feels much bigger, doesn't it?
Way bigger.
It makes me think about like Trump's leadership style
in general.
The electoral vote uses this phrase,
strong on dominance, weaker on actual leadership.
Which I thought was really interesting.
They're basically saying he's great at,
showing strength and getting his way.
But when it comes to actually running the country
and making things work, he's not as good.
I can see that.
It's like, he's really good at like,
this high stakes poker game,
bluffing and intimidating everyone.
But when it comes to actually like,
figuring out the details of how things are gonna work,
he kind of falls short.
Exactly.
The article gives some good examples of this,
like his cabinet picks, right?
They're all over the place.
You've got Marco Rubio, Secretary of State,
which seems pretty normal.
Yeah, pretty standard.
But then you have people like Pete Hegseth
for Secretary of Defense,
and he's got no experience in government.
And then Tulsi Gabbard,
who's been criticizing the Democrats for DNI,
like he's picking fights with Congress on purpose.
I think he is.
It's smart in a way.
By putting these controversial people in these positions,
he forces Congress to either give in
or like openly defy him.
And that just helps him with this whole image he has
of being the outsider fighting against the establishment.
And then you've got the TikTok ban.
Remember that Congress actually passed a law
and he completely ignored it.
He was basically like, what are you gonna do about it?
I know, it's like he loves to stir the pot.
He gets to be the tough guy,
the one who gets things done.
But then there are all these other problems,
like the immigration bill, the debt ceiling,
the aid to California after those wildfires.
He just throws those at Congress and says,
you guys figure it out
instead of actually taking a stand.
It's weird, right?
He's all about confrontation
when it's about something he wants,
but when it's something that requires compromise
and cooperation, he backs off.
I wonder if this can actually work long-term.
Can he really run the country with this combination
of like bullying and indecision?
That's the big question, isn't it?
It's kind of scary.
We see him being aggressive, almost authoritarian sometimes,
but then he also doesn't follow through.
He doesn't wanna deal with the actual work of governing.
That's a dangerous combination.
It really is.
And all of this is happening
against the backdrop of this huge cultural
and political divide that's probably worse
than it's ever been.
You know, Alex Horovod had this really interesting analysis
of what they call the culture wars.
And they say the right is winning,
not just politically, but culturally too.
Yeah, I thought that was fascinating.
Like they talk about how the right is dominating
new media, especially podcasts.
They say most of the top 10 podcasts are pro-manjie,
with Joe Rogan being number one.
Wow.
And then you got Tucker Carlson.
There's no one on the left who has that kind of reach.
It's a totally different media landscape
than it was just a few years ago.
I think it's a really big change.
The right has been so good at using new media
to like bypass traditional media
and connect directly with their audience.
They've built these echo chambers
where their ideas are constantly being reinforced
and the left hasn't really kept up for whatever reason.
And then there's Elon Musk and what he's done with Twitter.
It feels like he's turned it into like a safe space
for right wing voices and conspiracy theories,
which just makes things even more unbalanced.
Yeah, I think so.
It's like the right is controlling the conversation,
setting the agenda while the left is just trying to catch up.
It really does feel that way.
And it makes me think what's gonna happen long term
because of this change in how we consume
and share information.
How's it gonna affect public opinion and political discourse?
We already see so much polarization,
less trust in institutions and more misinformation.
If he keeps going in this direction,
I'm really worried about the future of our democracy.
That's a scary thought.
It makes these first few days of Trump's second term
even more important.
You know? Yeah.
It's not just about policy changes or politics.
It's about a fundamental change
in how we understand the world,
how we get our information and how we share it.
You're absolutely right.
That's why it's so important to pay attention to the details,
to look deeper and try to understand what's really going on
because these small little changes
can have a huge impact on history.
I don't know about you,
but I feel like we're living in this like crazy echo chamber
where up is down, a black is white,
and nothing makes sense.
It's exhausting.
Well, it is. It really is.
And it's dangerous too,
because when you have media like rewarding outrage
and crazy stuff over facts
and actual thoughtful analysis,
well, it creates a breeding ground for misinformation
and people just not trusting each other or anything.
And it's hard to even like have a conversation
about real problems when that's happening.
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah.
And speaking of problems,
this whole border shutdown is already causing serious issues.
Electoral vote mentions that religious groups
are like really upset about Trump's decision
to allow ICE DE to raid churches.
Churches have this long history of giving sanctuary
to people who are fleeing bad situations,
and this feels like a direct attack on that.
It's really strange to see, right?
Trump says he's a Christian, a devout Christian,
but then he's alienating a lot of his own supporters
by doing this.
It really makes you think, is this just about politics?
Is he just trying to appeal to
like the anti-immigration part of his base?
Or is there something more to it?
The article says that this could actually hurt him
in the long run.
A lot of religious leaders,
even ones who agree with him on other things,
are saying this is wrong.
They're saying it goes against everything Christianity
stands for, like compassion and helping people in need.
Exactly.
It shows this gap between what he says and what he does.
He talks about faith and family values,
but then his policies hurt vulnerable people.
And it's not just religious groups
that are pushing back either.
Businesses are starting to feel
the effects of the shutdown too.
Yeah, the article talks about how
supply chains are getting messed up,
businesses can't find workers,
and tourism is down.
It's like this domino effect,
impacting the whole economy.
Right.
And it reminds us that these policies
have real consequences for real people.
This isn't just a game,
it's about people's lives and how they make a living.
But let's switch gears for a minute
and talk about something else that's been in the news.
Trump's new passport rules.
Oh yeah, those.
They're really messed up.
Basically, they define gender based on like biology,
which is a huge step backward for transgender rights.
The article uses the example of Lynn Conway,
this amazing computer scientist who's also a trans woman,
to show how bad this could be.
Imagine your passport says you're one gender
when you identify as another.
Traveling could become incredibly dangerous and scary.
You could even face discrimination or violence.
Yeah, it's awful.
It just shows how these seemingly small changes,
like a rule about passports,
can have such a huge negative impact on people's lives.
And it's part of a bigger pattern we're seeing with Trump.
Taking away rights and protections
from marginalized groups,
it feels like he's targeting the most vulnerable people.
And that's really worrying.
It feels like he's trying to say trans people don't exist,
that their identities aren't real.
And it's not just this one thing,
it's the attacks on LGBTQ plus rights,
making it harder to get healthcare,
the way he talks about people,
like he's dehumanizing entire groups.
It's a scary time to be different in America.
It really is.
And we need to speak up about it.
We can't be silent.
Silence just means you're going along with it.
We all have to stand up for the people being targeted.
That's so true.
And this brings us back to another area
where Trump is trying to take control the media.
We talked about how the right is getting more powerful
in new media,
but he's also attacking traditional media more and more.
The article talks about how he's always putting down
journalists, calling them fake news,
and saying they're enemies of the people.
That's straight out of the authoritarian playbook.
You undermine anyone who questions you,
try to make them seem untrustworthy.
And it's really dangerous because it makes people lose faith
in the institutions that are supposed to keep
our democracy working.
When people don't know who to believe
or where to get accurate information,
it opens the door for propaganda and lies.
It's like he wants to create his own reality,
one where he's always right,
and anyone who disagrees with him is a liar or a traitor.
And it's working, at least on some people.
Yeah, his supporters seem to believe everything he says,
no matter how crazy it sounds,
which, you know, says something about how strong
his personality is and how he's able to connect
with their fears and anger.
But it also says something about how traditional media
hasn't done a good job of pushing back against his narrative.
Right, the article mentions that mainstream media
is too afraid of seeming biased.
So they don't really call out Trump's lies
as much as they should.
They're stuck in the details and trying to be nuanced.
While Trump just keeps repeating a simple emotional message
over and over again.
It's like they're speaking two different languages.
Exactly, it's a tough spot for journalists.
How do you hold someone powerful accountable
without seeming like you're taking sides?
How do you cut through all the noise
and show people the truth
when they already distrust the media so much?
I don't have the answers, it's a really hard problem.
It's a problem we're all facing now, right?
Too much information, everyone's divided,
it's tough to know what to believe.
Speaking of information, there's one more thing
from a electoral vote that caught my eye.
Trump is getting into cryptocurrency
with his own Trump coin.
Oh yeah, I saw that, politics, money,
technology, what a combo.
What do you think about it?
Honestly, it feels like a way to make money off his name.
The article talks about how it might be
against the emoluments clause and experts in the crypto world
are saying it's shady, not transparent,
and could be easily manipulated.
Yeah, that doesn't sound good.
Makes you wonder, is this just another way
for people to get on his good side?
Is it a real investment or just a scam waiting to happen?
People need to be careful before they throw their money
at anything with Trump's name on it.
It also makes you think about how money and power
are changing in this digital age.
You have this ex-president who got kicked off Twitter
for inciting violence, starting his own cryptocurrency.
It's like a sign of the times traditional power structures
are being challenged by these online communities
and it's hard to know what's gonna happen next.
It really is fascinating, like a case study
and how power is shifting.
It makes you ask a lot of questions
about regulations, accountability,
and how democracy is going to survive in a world
that's more and more controlled by technology.
But maybe that's getting too far ahead.
Maybe, but I think it's important to see
how all of these things are connected,
the border, the media, the cryptocurrency.
They all show how much Trump wants power
and how far he's willing to go to get it.
He doesn't care about rules or norms.
And that's something we all need to be aware of
because it affects everyone.
Absolutely, and it shows why it's so important
to think critically, question everything,
and be careful about the information we consume.
We can't just passively take in whatever we're told.
We have to be active, ask questions,
and hold people in power accountable.
Honestly, it's like whiplash.
Every single day, bam, a new scandal, bam,
something else to be outraged about.
It's hard to keep up.
It's hard to know what's actually important anymore.
It's just too much.
I get it, it's definitely information overload,
but I think it's more than that.
It's that information is being used as a weapon.
Remember we were talking about how the right
is winning in the culture wars?
Well, I think a big part of that
is how good they are at taking these really complicated
issues and boiling them down to simple stories
that play on people's fears and prejudices.
They're really good at controlling
how we talk about things.
Yeah, electoral vote had this analogy.
They compared it to wrestling.
The left comes in with this complex plan,
and the right just whacks them with a chair.
Not pretty, but it gets the job done.
It's true, and we're wired to want things simple.
Especially when you're stressed or scared,
it's easier to just accept a good guy, bad guy story
than to actually deal with the real world,
which is messy and complicated.
So how do we fight back against that?
How do we get people to actually engage with these issues
in a way that matters?
That's the tough question, isn't it?
Part of it is figuring out new ways to communicate.
Like telling stories that connect with people emotionally,
not just with facts and logic.
We have to meet people where they are,
not expect them to come to us.
And we have to be willing to challenge our own ideas.
To have those tough conversations
with people we disagree with,
it's easy to just stay in our own little bubbles
where everyone agrees with us.
But that doesn't change anything.
We have to step outside our comfort zones
and talk to the other side.
I totally agree.
And it's not about giving up on what we believe in, right?
It's about finding common ground,
realizing that even though we disagree,
we're all in this together.
I love that.
Building bridges, not walls, right?
That should be everyone's goal.
But it's hard, especially when you're constantly
hearing messages that make the other side
seem like the enemy, evil, stupid, un-American.
It's hard to see them as actual people,
people you can respect and empathize with.
It is hard, but it's the only way
we're gonna heal the divisions in this country.
And it starts with listening,
really listening to what the other side is saying,
trying to understand where they're coming from,
even if we don't agree.
And maybe if we really listen,
we might find some common ground,
some shared values that can help us build
a better, fairer society.
That's a great point.
It reminds us that even when things seem really dark,
there's always hope.
Hope for a better future.
Hope for a more united country.
Hope for a world where we can all live together peacefully.
I needed to hear that, for real.
It's easy to get cynical doing this show,
digging into all this news.
But we have to remember that there are good people out there,
people fighting for what's right,
people trying to make the world better.
And we need to support them,
share their message and join them.
You said it.
So to everyone listening, please stay informed,
stay involved and don't give up hope.
There's so much work to do,
but together we can actually make a difference.
Thanks for joining us on this deep dive
into the first three days of Trump's second term.
It's been a wild ride so far.
Who knows what's coming next.
But we'll be here to help you make sense of it all,
give you some context and analysis,
and hopefully offer a little bit of hope along the way.
Until next time,
stay curious and keep your hearts open.