Welcome back to the deep dive.
It's a, it's wild, right?
It's only day nine of Trump's second term.
I know, right.
And we're already seeing this kind of pattern developing
in a lot of the news.
Absolutely.
So today we're gonna look at some news excerpts
from just this past week
and try to answer a big question.
Great.
What did these early actions tell us
about what we can expect over the next four years?
Yeah, it's interesting because it feels like
all these different things happening
are actually pieces of the same puzzle.
Right.
You know, we've got these legal battles over spending,
then you've got these diplomatic clashes with Columbia,
and then you've even got these kind of weird things
happening inside the federal government.
Like, so there's a lot to unpack here.
Yeah, so let's start with this my way
or the highway approach to governing
that we're seeing from Trump.
He's facing pushback from like all sides at this point.
He is.
So what's your take on that?
I mean, some people are saying it's just classic Trump.
Right.
But I feel like there's gotta be more to it than that.
I think you're right.
It's definitely more than just his personality.
Right.
If you look at these lawsuits
challenging the freeze on congressional funds.
Right.
He's not just trying to control spending here.
Yeah.
I think he's aiming to like fundamentally change
the balance of power.
Okay, so how would that work?
Okay, so he's basically going after this law
called the Empowerment Control Act of 1974.
Okay.
Which basically limits a president's ability
to ignore Congress when it comes to spending.
Right.
So if he can get this law declared unconstitutional,
it sets a precedent for future presidents
to have way more power over the budget.
Oh, wow.
And that is a huge shift in power.
So it's not even about the money itself.
It's about who gets to make the decisions.
Exactly, yeah.
And this power grab, it extends beyond finances.
We're seeing it with the executive orders
targeting trans rights, which are already
facing legal challenges.
And then there's this whole thing with firing the commissioners
from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
like without following the procedures.
It's all about consolidating control.
It's interesting you say that consolidating control,
because that brings me to this whole new federal email system.
Oh yeah.
Everyone is freaking out about the privacy aspect of it,
but it also seems like another way to tighten
his grip on things.
For sure.
So I mean, is this level of control really sustainable?
Or is he just setting himself up for even more
legal battles down the road?
I think it's a risky strategy.
OK.
It might appeal to his base in the short term,
but he's alienating a lot of people.
And he's creating these potential legal vulnerabilities.
A good example of that is this whole Colombian situation.
He tried to force their president
into accepting these deported immigrants on his terms,
and specifically demanding the use of military aircraft.
Which was a whole thing.
Some people are saying that the Colombian president, Petro,
actually stood up to Trump and made sure
that those immigrants were treated humanely,
but couldn't that have backfired?
I mean, Colombia is a key ally for the US.
Was it worth the risk?
I think Petro actually played it really smart.
He knew that refusing Trump publicly
would be really popular back home,
and it actually forced Trump to compromise.
Oh, OK.
In the end, they used commercial aircraft.
OK.
And Petro got to look like this strong leader who
stood up to a bully.
So win for Petro.
Right.
But what about the bigger picture?
Well, that's where it gets interesting.
So by trying to bully a key ally,
Trump may have actually pushed Colombia and maybe other Latin
American countries closer to China.
Oh, wow.
They're all watching how the US treats its partners.
Right.
And if they see inconsistency or aggression,
they might start looking elsewhere
for economic and political alliances.
That's a really good point.
And we all remember how that little trade
spat we had with Colombia over this whole thing
caused coffee prices to spike here in the US.
So imagine what would happen if those trade relationships
were damaged permanently?
That's right.
It would be chaos.
Huge impact.
So maybe this my way or the highway approach
isn't so sustainable after all.
Yeah.
It definitely raises questions about the long term
consequences.
For sure.
OK, let's switch gears for a second.
Sure.
And talk about this deferred resignation offer
for federal employees.
OK.
It sounds like a really fancy way of saying, like,
get out now or you're fired.
It does, doesn't it?
So is he really just trying to purge the government
and replace everyone with people who are loyal to him?
Well, that's certainly one way to look at it,
especially when you consider that announcement email.
It was pretty blatant about job security.
But you have to remember Elon Musk and his people
are running the Office of Personal Management now.
They have their own goals.
And they might not line up exactly with Trump's.
So maybe this is more about shrinking the government
than about installing loyalists.
That's definitely a possibility.
But here's the thing.
Fewer government workers means longer wait times
for things like passports, IRS help, Social Security
assistance.
These are things that affect everyday people, voters.
So if this starts impacting people's lives directly,
it could really backfire.
It almost feels like they're not thinking about the long game
here.
They're just trying to make a big splash right now.
I think that's a fair assessment.
OK, speaking of short-sighted moves,
what about this whole situation with the Department
of Justice?
It seems like Trump is trying to turn the DOJ
into his own personal legal team.
Isn't that a little bit alarming?
Incredibly worrying.
What's so troubling is how systematic it seems.
He's reassigning these experienced prosecutors.
He's putting his political allies in key positions.
He's even targeting the inspectors general,
who are supposed to keep the DOJ accountable.
It's like he's trying to dismantle it from the inside.
Pretty much.
And then there are the intimidation tactics,
threatening local law enforcement,
going after the prosecutors who handled the January 6 cases.
Right.
It's like a total power grab.
Absolutely.
And then there's the reallocation of resources.
He's taking money away from counterterrorism efforts
to put more towards the immigration crackdown.
So is he compromising national security
for a political agenda?
It's a legitimate question.
It's all very unsettling.
It's like he's weakening the very institutions that
are supposed to uphold the law and protect the public.
It's a dangerous game.
All to just consolidate power.
It does make you wonder about the rule of law
and the balance of power in this country.
So we've seen attempts to control spending, reshape the DOJ,
even potentially influence the media.
Right.
It's a lot to take in.
It is.
And it kind of paints a pretty clear picture of where
things might be headed.
It's a pattern worth paying attention to, for sure.
Yeah, these early actions, they suggest this desire
for unchecked power, this disregard for the norms,
and even this willingness to use the government
for personal gain.
I think that's right.
So how this will all play out over the next four years,
I don't know.
But it's clear that we're in for a wild ride.
Absolutely.
Buckle up.
So, listener, we've covered a lot of ground here,
but we're just getting started.
Stay tuned for part two of this deep dive,
where we're going to look at some specific political
shake-ups.
Right.
Like Senator Gary Peters' surprise announcement
and those Florida special elections.
We'll also be looking at the bigger implications of Trump's
actions for the political landscape for the media
and, ultimately, for you, the voter.
So grab a pen and paper, jot down any questions or thoughts
that come up, because we'll be diving even deeper
in the next segment.
We've been forward to it.
Me too.
So we just spent some time talking about Trump
trying to consolidate his power within the executive branch.
But what about Congress?
Right.
How does all of this stuff impact the balance of power
there?
Yeah, that's a great question.
And it brings us to a pretty significant development.
Senator Gary Peters announcing he won't
run for reelection in 2026.
Wow.
Yeah, this is a big deal for the Democrats,
because they're already struggling
to keep control of the Senate.
Right.
Losing an incumbent is never ideal.
Never.
But I keep hearing people say that the Democrats have
a deep bench in Michigan.
Right.
What does that even mean?
Like, how could that play out in this race?
So a deep bench basically means they've
got a bunch of strong potential candidates who could run
and have a good shot at winning.
Some names that are already being thrown around
are like Pete Buttigieg and Mallory McMorough.
But Buttigieg has that national recognition
from when he ran for president.
So he might attract a wider range of voters.
And McMorough, she's kind of a rising star in Michigan
politics.
So she already has a strong base within the state.
But even with those potential candidates,
some analysts are saying that without Peter's
incumbency advantage, this race is going to be really tight.
Yeah, it's true.
Yeah.
Open seats are always more vulnerable.
Right.
So what could give the Republicans an edge here?
Well, on the Republican side, you've got John James,
who's run for Senate in Michigan twice already.
Right.
But he lost both times.
He did.
But he might have more name recognition this time around.
OK.
And then you've got Tudor Dixon, who lost the governor's race
in 2022.
Right.
But she could still get some of those Republican voters
energized.
OK.
And then there's around her Romney McDaniel, the chair
of the Republican National Committee.
She's kind of a wild card in this race.
So even though Michigan's been leaning Democrat lately,
the Republicans might see this as a real opportunity.
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
Definitely.
And this leads to another big question.
How will this whole fight for Congress
play out during Trump's second term?
Right.
Will we see more of these partisan battles?
Or could there be some weird alliances forming?
Yeah, good question.
Well, speaking of partisan battles,
let's talk about Florida.
OK.
They just had primaries for two House seats
that were vacated by, guess who, Trump loyalists.
Of course.
And the results are pretty much what you'd expect.
Yeah, no big surprises there.
So who are these new guys?
Well, the Republican nominees are Jimmy Petronas and Randy
Fine.
OK.
And they are very much cut from the same cloth
as the people they were replacing.
OK.
Petronas is a huge Trump supporter.
Like, he even tried to get the Florida legislature
to give Trump millions of dollars to cover his legal bills.
Wow.
And Fine is a super hard line conservative.
OK.
With a history of saying some pretty inflammatory stuff.
So not exactly a move towards moderation
within the Republican Party.
Not really.
It seems like they're going all in on Trumpism.
Even after all the controversy.
It really makes you wonder about the future
of the Republican Party.
Yeah.
Are they just going to keep going down this road
of aligning themselves with Trump's brand of politics?
Right.
Or will we see them shift back to more traditional
conservative values?
And how will this all affect the 2026 presidential election?
Right.
Is Trump going to run again?
And if he does, who could actually challenge him
from within his own party?
I mean, that's the million dollar question, isn't it?
Right now, it's hard to imagine anyone actually
being able to take him on within the Republican Party.
Right.
He's still got a really strong hold on the base.
But things could change if his legal problems get worse,
or if the economy takes a nosedive.
We might start to see some of that support weaken.
It's interesting how all of these smaller races,
like the Florida primaries or the Michigan Senate race,
can actually tell us so much about what's going on
in the country as a whole.
They really are like these little windows
into the soul of American politics.
Right.
They're like microcosms of all these bigger forces at play.
Exactly.
And they often give us a preview of what
we'll see happening on a national level.
OK, so we've talked about the power shifts in Congress
and the battle for control in 2026.
But there's another really important player in all of this
that we haven't really talked about yet, the media.
What role are they going to play in all of this,
especially with Trump seeming so determined
to control the narrative?
Well, the media's role is more important now than ever.
But they're in a really tough spot.
OK.
On the one hand, they have this responsibility
to report the facts and hold people in power accountable.
But on the other hand, they're constantly
being attacked and undermined and even threatened.
And we can't forget about the economic pressures
they're facing with viewership and ad revenue declining.
It's a tough environment for sure.
Yeah, like that whole thing with CNN and Jim Acosta.
It felt like CNN was trying to appease Trump
by getting rid of one of his biggest critics.
But is that really a good strategy in the long run?
Like, well, giving in to him actually protect them
from more attacks.
I think it's a dangerous game to play.
If news organizations start censoring themselves out
of fear, then we lose one of the most important ways
to hold power accountable.
And it sets a really bad example for other media outlets,
especially smaller independent ones,
who don't have the resources to fight back.
So how can they deal with this?
How can they balance the need to report the truth
with the very real threat of retaliation
from a president who has no problem punishing his critics?
That's the million dollar question.
There's no easy answer.
But it starts with a commitment to journalistic integrity,
to being accurate, to being fair, and to being independent.
It also means being willing to call out lies and misinformation,
even when it's coming from the president.
Even when it's coming from the most powerful person
in the country.
Exactly.
And it means standing up for their rights.
Even when it's hard or even dangerous.
It's a good reminder that a free and independent press
is so important for a healthy democracy.
Absolutely.
And it's something that we as citizens
need to protect and support.
100%.
And this brings up a bigger point
about the role of informed citizens in all of this.
Like, what can everyday people do
to make sure their voices are heard
and their rights are protected?
Yeah.
I mean, for one thing, we can't just sit back and passively
consume information.
We need to think critically, question what we hear,
and read, verify sources, be aware of our own biases.
All of that.
And we need to be willing to talk to people
who have different opinions.
Even if it's uncomfortable.
Exactly.
Yeah.
It's about having those tough conversations
and trying to find common ground.
Right.
And working together to hold our leaders accountable.
Right.
It's about actually being involved in our democracy,
not just watching from the sidelines.
Exactly.
And don't underestimate the impact of your actions.
OK.
Whether it's voting in local elections,
contacting your representatives,
supporting organizations that align with your values,
or even just talking about these issues
with your friends and family.
Right.
Every little bit counts.
It's a team effort.
It is.
We need to work together to protect the things that
make our democracy strong.
And that starts with each of us.
Absolutely.
So we've covered a lot of ground today.
We've talked about the potential power shifts
within the government, the future of the Republican Party,
the role of the media, and how important it is for citizens
to be informed and involved.
It's a lot to take in.
It is.
But we hope this is giving you some things to think about.
Remember, this is just a glimpse into the first nine
days of Trump's second term.
Yeah.
There's a lot more to come, and it's probably
going to be a bumpy ride.
But if we stay informed and engaged,
and keep our critical thinking skills sharp,
we can get through these crazy times together.
We can.
What are your thoughts, listener?
What stood out to you the most from this deep dive?
What questions are still on your mind?
Hold on to those questions and keep digging.
Because the more we understand what's going on,
the better prepared we'll be for whatever comes next.
And remember, knowledge is power.
So keep learning.
Keep asking questions and stay curious.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
It's crazy, right?
All these different things we've been talking about,
they all seem to be connected to this idea of control,
whether it's controlling the story or the information
people get, or just grabbing power.
It feels like that's what's really motivating
a lot of Trump's actions.
It's a pattern we've seen with him for a long time.
But it feels even stronger now that he's in his second term.
Right.
And it seems like he always prioritizes loyalty
over actual experience, or even following the rules.
Yeah.
And that can be really dangerous for a democracy.
Exactly.
We saw it with the whole DOJ thing and his battles
with the media, and even in how he handles foreign policy,
like with Columbia.
Right, he basically sees any pushback or criticism
as a personal attack that he has to shut down.
Right.
So how does that impact people?
Well, it can erode trust in institutions.
It weakens the checks and balances that are supposed
to keep things in check.
Right.
And it just makes society more divided.
So basically a recipe for disaster.
Pretty much.
So what can regular people do?
I mean, how do we deal with this crazy political landscape?
Like, what advice would you give to someone
who's just feeling completely overwhelmed by all this?
I think the most important thing is to not just give up.
OK.
It's easy to feel powerless when you see how much power
these people have.
But we can't forget that our democracy needs
us to be active and informed.
So what can we actually do?
Well, you can start by being really careful
about the information you consume.
OK.
Don't just believe everything you hear or read.
Question things.
Check the facts.
And think about your own biases.
So like, be aware of the echo chambers we all get stuck in.
Exactly.
Especially with social media.
Right.
You have to make an effort to get outside of that bubble.
OK.
And talk to people who see things differently.
Even if it's hard.
Exactly.
You might not always agree.
Yeah.
But listening to each other and trying
to understand different viewpoints.
Right.
That's what makes a democracy work.
And it's not just about staying informed, right?
It's also about doing something.
Absolutely.
Vote in every election.
Even the local ones.
Yeah.
Contact your representatives.
Tell them what you think.
Support organizations that are fighting for things you believe
in.
Right.
And don't forget about those conversations you
have with your friends and family.
Sometimes just talking about these issues
and sharing different perspectives can make a difference.
So it all comes back to being engaged.
We all have a role to play.
We have to be involved and informed and active
in our democracy.
Not just watching from the sidelines.
Well said.
That's exactly what we're trying to do with this show.
Right.
To give people the knowledge and tools they
need to make sense of all this.
Absolutely.
Because knowledge is power.
Right.
And the more we understand about what's happening,
the better prepared we'll be to create the future we want.
I couldn't agree more.
So as we wrap up this deep dive, we
want to leave you with a message of hope.
There are definitely challenges ahead.
Yeah.
But we can get through them if we work together.
We can.
So stay curious.
Stay engaged.
And stay informed.
That's the key.
The future of our democracy depends on it.
It does.
Thanks for joining us on this journey.
It's been great.
We'll be back soon with more deep dives into the news
and events that are shaping our world.
Looking forward to it.
Me too.
Until then, keep those critical thinking caps on.