WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.980 All right, so welcome everyone to our deep dive 00:00:02.980 --> 00:00:05.120 today. And you guys have obviously been keeping 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:07.080 up with all the news about Trump's second term. 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:09.800 Yeah, it's a lot to keep up with. It is. It is. 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:11.859 I mean, we've got all these articles here about 00:00:11.859 --> 00:00:14.599 the political and economic landscape of early 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:18.300 2025. Yeah. And well, like I said, it's a lot. 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:21.140 It's unpredictable. It is. And you might want 00:00:21.140 --> 00:00:23.059 to hold on to your wallets. You might want to 00:00:23.059 --> 00:00:25.589 hold on to everything, actually. Everything feels 00:00:25.589 --> 00:00:28.030 a little shaky right now. Yeah, speaking of shaky 00:00:28.030 --> 00:00:31.949 my 401k is Feeling a little lighter these days. 00:00:31.949 --> 00:00:35.090 I don't know about yours, but yeah a 9 % drop 00:00:35.369 --> 00:00:38.829 in the S &P 500 in just a month. Yeah, that'll 00:00:38.829 --> 00:00:41.609 make you sweat. That's a lot, right? Yeah, it 00:00:41.609 --> 00:00:43.189 is. That's not normal. No, that's not normal. 00:00:43.250 --> 00:00:46.210 I mean, we're talking potential recession territory 00:00:46.210 --> 00:00:49.109 here. Oh, wow. Yeah, when businesses are uncertain 00:00:49.109 --> 00:00:50.990 about the future, you know, with all this talk 00:00:50.990 --> 00:00:52.990 about trade wars and tariffs and things like 00:00:52.990 --> 00:00:55.329 that, they don't really want to invest or hire. 00:00:55.409 --> 00:00:58.710 Makes sense. And when businesses aren't growing, 00:00:59.109 --> 00:01:01.250 well, the economy isn't either. So it's not just 00:01:01.250 --> 00:01:03.740 that the numbers are down. It's that the whole 00:01:03.740 --> 00:01:06.280 system is kind of like frozen. Yeah, it's like 00:01:06.280 --> 00:01:07.700 everyone's waiting to see what happens next. 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:10.579 Exactly, a wait and see kind of thing. And it's 00:01:10.579 --> 00:01:12.700 not just an American problem, is it? I mean, 00:01:12.819 --> 00:01:15.159 the EU is pushing back against these tariffs. 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:17.620 Oh yeah, they're definitely not happy. And they're 00:01:17.620 --> 00:01:19.900 getting pretty creative. Yeah, instead of those 00:01:19.900 --> 00:01:22.840 broad tariffs, they're going after specific products. 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:26.670 Oh really? Yeah. Like chewing gum. Chewing gum. 00:01:26.670 --> 00:01:32.049 Chewing gum, communion wafers, even women's negliges. 00:01:32.109 --> 00:01:35.030 What is going on? Well, it's all very strategic, 00:01:35.090 --> 00:01:38.129 actually, these products. They're largely manufactured 00:01:38.129 --> 00:01:40.530 in districts that heavily support Trump. Oh, 00:01:40.530 --> 00:01:42.090 so they're thinking about this. Yeah, they did 00:01:42.090 --> 00:01:44.790 their research. It's a way to put pressure on 00:01:44.790 --> 00:01:47.670 those Republican lawmakers, you know, maybe get 00:01:47.670 --> 00:01:49.650 them to question the president's approach. So 00:01:49.650 --> 00:01:51.950 they're not just so it's not just economic, it's 00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:54.430 political. Exactly. It's hitting. it hurts. Oh, 00:01:54.909 --> 00:01:57.329 so while we're all nervously checking our retirement 00:01:57.329 --> 00:02:00.790 funds, the EU is out there playing 4D chess. 00:02:01.230 --> 00:02:03.129 Well, they're thinking ahead, that's for sure. 00:02:03.269 --> 00:02:05.670 Yeah, and if the economy actually does take a 00:02:05.670 --> 00:02:08.150 nosedive, somebody's got to take the blame right. 00:02:08.349 --> 00:02:10.650 Right. I mean... Well, you know, it seems like 00:02:10.650 --> 00:02:13.689 the administration might already have a scapegoat 00:02:13.689 --> 00:02:16.349 lined up. Oh, really? Commerce Secretary Howard 00:02:16.349 --> 00:02:19.780 Lutnick? Oh, yeah, that guy. What's his... What's 00:02:19.780 --> 00:02:21.680 the deal again? Well, let's just say his grasp 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:25.020 of global trade policy seems a bit shaky. He's 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:27.719 the one who said, what are tariffs? OK, maybe 00:02:27.719 --> 00:02:30.120 he didn't actually say that, but he has contradicted 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:32.719 Trump publicly on occasion. Oh, that's not good. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:35.979 No, not in this administration. Loyalty is key. 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:38.060 Right. Well, let's shift gears a little bit and 00:02:38.060 --> 00:02:40.979 talk about Congress. They just passed a continuing 00:02:40.979 --> 00:02:44.159 resolution, which basically just keeps the government 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:46.240 funded, right? Yeah, that's the main gist of 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:48.259 it. Like keeping the lights on. But there's more 00:02:48.259 --> 00:02:50.960 to it than that. House Republicans, they kind 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:53.639 of slipped in some language that actually limits 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:57.280 Congress's own power to check Trump's use of 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:59.219 national emergencies, you know, the ones he likes 00:02:59.219 --> 00:03:02.159 to declare all the time. Oh, so basically they're 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:05.259 giving him even more power to do whatever he 00:03:05.259 --> 00:03:07.979 wants, even if it hurts American businesses and 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:10.520 consumers. That's one way to look at it. So even 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:13.759 if these tariffs are a bad idea, they can't really 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.270 do anything to stop him. Well, it makes it a 00:03:16.270 --> 00:03:19.849 lot harder. And is that even like, is that constitutional? 00:03:19.969 --> 00:03:22.849 That's a good question, because the power to 00:03:22.849 --> 00:03:26.129 impose tariffs, that's supposed to be with Congress, 00:03:26.310 --> 00:03:28.409 not the president. So this could end up in court. 00:03:28.650 --> 00:03:30.669 Easily. OK, so Congress is basically handing 00:03:30.669 --> 00:03:32.629 him a blank check. Seems that way. And hoping 00:03:32.629 --> 00:03:35.849 for the best. OK. Speaking of handing things 00:03:35.849 --> 00:03:38.710 out, did you hear about this self -deportation 00:03:38.710 --> 00:03:42.789 app? What? Apparently, the Trump administration 00:03:42.789 --> 00:03:47.189 just released this app. for free to help people 00:03:47.189 --> 00:03:50.509 leave the country. You're kidding. No, I'm serious. 00:03:50.569 --> 00:03:53.930 Seriously. Yeah. Like, is this real? That's wild. 00:03:54.090 --> 00:03:56.229 It's like, I mean, you'd think they'd charge 00:03:56.229 --> 00:03:58.349 for that, at least. Right. But this is just part 00:03:58.349 --> 00:04:00.009 of their whole immigration thing, right? Yeah, 00:04:00.030 --> 00:04:01.909 it's all part of their strategy. You know, they're 00:04:01.909 --> 00:04:05.250 also running that $200 million ad campaign. Oh, 00:04:05.270 --> 00:04:07.430 the one with the DHS secretary. What's her name? 00:04:07.629 --> 00:04:10.289 Noam? Yeah, Kristi Noam. Where she's basically, 00:04:10.289 --> 00:04:12.550 like, praising Trump and then threatening people. 00:04:12.699 --> 00:04:15.580 Yeah, it's pretty intense. I mean, chilling is 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:18.279 a good word for it. But it's effective. Oh, it's 00:04:18.279 --> 00:04:20.360 effective. Immigration lawyers are telling their 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:24.879 clients to stay away from that act. Really? Yeah, 00:04:25.100 --> 00:04:27.899 they're concerned that ICE could use the data 00:04:27.899 --> 00:04:31.240 to track down and arrest undocumented immigrants. 00:04:31.540 --> 00:04:34.319 Wow, so it's like a trap. Pretty much. So and 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:36.240 it's the opposite of what Biden was doing. Oh, 00:04:36.300 --> 00:04:38.139 yeah, completely. I mean, the Biden administration 00:04:38.139 --> 00:04:41.319 had an app to help people apply for asylum. And 00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:43.699 now we have a deportation app. Yeah. And they've 00:04:43.699 --> 00:04:47.680 also cut funding for immigration courts. So the 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:49.620 backlog is just going to get worse. It's already 00:04:49.620 --> 00:04:51.959 enormous. Wow. So yeah, this is just going to 00:04:51.959 --> 00:04:54.560 make it harder for people to navigate the system. 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:57.620 It's clear that the priority is deterring and 00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:00.759 deporting. immigrants. Yeah. And not processing 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:02.839 applications. Definitely not. OK, but here's 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:05.860 where it gets interesting. Remember how Trump 00:05:05.860 --> 00:05:09.100 used to say, I love the poorly educated? Yeah. 00:05:09.300 --> 00:05:11.100 Well, it seems like that wasn't just a campaign 00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:14.100 trail gaffe. What do you mean? Well, he's ordered 00:05:14.100 --> 00:05:16.620 the firing of half the staff at the Department 00:05:16.620 --> 00:05:19.699 of Education. Oh, wow. And he's even hinted at 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:21.959 dismantling the whole department. Seriously? 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:25.100 Yeah. And this actually aligns with some recommendations 00:05:25.100 --> 00:05:29.769 from that conservative group, Project 2025. Oh, 00:05:30.009 --> 00:05:32.730 the group that wants to dismantle huge chunks 00:05:32.730 --> 00:05:35.269 of the federal government? Yeah. Wow. They have 00:05:35.269 --> 00:05:37.730 this whole blueprint for getting rid of the Department 00:05:37.730 --> 00:05:40.529 of Education entirely. It's like their vision 00:05:40.529 --> 00:05:42.790 is becoming reality. It's a little too convenient, 00:05:42.930 --> 00:05:44.829 don't you think? Yeah. And I mean, think about 00:05:44.829 --> 00:05:46.310 everything the Department of Education does, 00:05:46.569 --> 00:05:50.180 student loans, civil rights in schools. teacher 00:05:50.180 --> 00:05:52.279 support. And can they even function with half 00:05:52.279 --> 00:05:54.519 the staff? Let alone no staff. That's a good 00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:56.800 question. Yeah. And the Civil Rights Division, 00:05:56.959 --> 00:05:58.899 which investigates discrimination in schools, 00:05:59.459 --> 00:06:02.259 they've been hit especially hard. Oh, wow. So 00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:05.019 is this really about efficiency? Or is it something 00:06:05.019 --> 00:06:07.220 else? It makes you wonder. This isn't the only 00:06:07.220 --> 00:06:09.920 group that Trump's targeting, though. No. He's 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:12.360 also set his sights on the legal profession. 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:15.879 Really? What happened? Well, he issued an executive 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.860 order blacklifting the law firm Perkins Coy. 00:06:19.139 --> 00:06:21.620 Perkins Coy? Why them? You know, the firm that 00:06:21.620 --> 00:06:23.680 represented the Clinton campaign. Oh, right. 00:06:24.699 --> 00:06:27.759 And the Steele dossier? Yeah. Wow. So basically, 00:06:28.060 --> 00:06:30.139 he's going after anyone who's ever crossed him. 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:32.540 It seems that way. He's barring the government 00:06:32.540 --> 00:06:35.060 from hiring them, banning their employees from 00:06:35.060 --> 00:06:37.939 federal buildings. Whoa. Even revoking their 00:06:37.939 --> 00:06:40.480 security clearances. That's pretty extreme. I 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:42.160 know. It's like he's holding a grudge. Well, 00:06:42.259 --> 00:06:44.819 a judge did block some of those penalties. Oh, 00:06:44.819 --> 00:06:47.579 she did. Yeah, federal judge. She called it an 00:06:47.579 --> 00:06:49.860 attack on the rule of law. She even said that 00:06:49.860 --> 00:06:52.980 Trump's actions sent chills down her spine. That's 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:55.360 scary. Yeah. So it seems like he's trying to 00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:57.920 silence anyone who opposes him. It's a dangerous 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:02.029 trend. And it's not an isolated incident. Really? 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:04.750 He's targeted other law firms and individuals 00:07:04.750 --> 00:07:07.750 for defending people he doesn't like. It's like, 00:07:07.889 --> 00:07:11.269 what happens when lawyers are too afraid to represent 00:07:11.269 --> 00:07:14.029 people who are critical of the government? It's 00:07:14.029 --> 00:07:16.670 a slippery slope. A healthy democracy needs a 00:07:16.670 --> 00:07:19.649 strong and independent legal profession. This 00:07:19.649 --> 00:07:22.089 is starting to feel like a dystopian novel. Yeah, 00:07:22.170 --> 00:07:24.310 that's a little unsettling. OK, so we've got 00:07:24.310 --> 00:07:27.110 a shaky economy, a Congress that seems happy 00:07:27.110 --> 00:07:30.790 to give up its power. attacks on education, and 00:07:30.790 --> 00:07:33.750 now this attack on the legal profession. What 00:07:33.750 --> 00:07:36.889 could possibly be next? Well, if you listen to 00:07:36.889 --> 00:07:40.250 Trump and his new buddy Elon Musk, our retirement 00:07:40.250 --> 00:07:43.430 safety net might be next. You mean social security? 00:07:43.889 --> 00:07:46.509 That's the one. But nobody touches social security. 00:07:46.709 --> 00:07:49.149 Well, they might be trying to. Trump and Musk 00:07:49.149 --> 00:07:51.389 have been talking about all the waste, fraud, 00:07:51.529 --> 00:07:53.430 and abuse in the system. Oh, I've heard that 00:07:53.430 --> 00:07:55.009 one before. Yeah, it's usually what they say 00:07:55.009 --> 00:07:57.639 before they try to cut funding. Right. And Musk 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:00.379 seems to think that AI can solve every problem. 00:08:00.540 --> 00:08:02.899 Is he suggesting we replace human oversight of 00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:05.560 social security with robots? He hasn't said that 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:07.939 outright, but he has made some pretty outrageous 00:08:07.939 --> 00:08:10.480 claims. Like the one about there being 20 million 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:13.040 people over the age of 100 collecting benefits. 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:17.060 I know. That's statistically impossible. It is. 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:19.459 But he's trying to paint this picture of social 00:08:19.459 --> 00:08:22.279 security as this program riddled with fraud. 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:25.079 And you know what comes after that? Yeah, cuts. 00:08:25.379 --> 00:08:28.300 And with Musk's whole AI obsession, it makes 00:08:28.300 --> 00:08:31.759 you wonder if he's going to push for using it 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:35.240 to evaluate claims, which could make it even 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:37.379 harder for people to get the benefits they deserve. 00:08:37.460 --> 00:08:41.340 Right. So we've got a potential recession, a 00:08:41.340 --> 00:08:44.100 power hungry president, and a tech billionaire 00:08:44.100 --> 00:08:46.460 who wants to automate our social safety net. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:48.759 It's a lot. It's a lot to take in, and we're 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:50.500 just getting started. So stay tuned for part 00:08:50.500 --> 00:08:53.320 two, where we'll explore how all of this is playing 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:56.320 out in the lead up to the 2026 midterm elections. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.179 It's going to be interesting. It is. That's for 00:08:58.179 --> 00:08:59.940 sure. OK, well, we'll be back. See you then. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:03.720 OK. So welcome back to our deep dive into early 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:06.879 2025. It's a wild ride. It is, isn't it? I mean, 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:09.679 we've already uncovered so much, and it seems 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:13.360 like Trump's second term is. Well, even more 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:15.419 tumultuous than his first. Oh, yeah, the stakes 00:09:15.419 --> 00:09:19.320 are definitely higher. They are and The potential 00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:21.740 consequences. I mean for everyone they seem so 00:09:21.740 --> 00:09:24.100 much bigger this time around. Oh, yeah for sure 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:26.039 This isn't just political theater anymore. This 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:29.059 stuff has real impact Yeah, exactly and while 00:09:29.059 --> 00:09:31.279 that whole Greenland thing is super interesting 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:34.980 It's out there. It is it is but let's maybe bring 00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:36.539 it back down to earth for a minute and talk about 00:09:36.539 --> 00:09:39.909 something that affects all of us, the economy. 00:09:40.330 --> 00:09:43.429 We talked about the stock market jitters and 00:09:43.429 --> 00:09:46.950 that possibility of a recession, but what does 00:09:46.950 --> 00:09:49.129 that actually mean for people? I mean, like, 00:09:49.129 --> 00:09:51.690 for the average person listening right now. Well, 00:09:52.029 --> 00:09:54.049 a recession, it isn't just about numbers on a 00:09:54.049 --> 00:09:56.690 screen. It's about people losing their jobs. 00:09:57.490 --> 00:10:00.470 Wages not growing. That sense of security, yeah, 00:10:00.470 --> 00:10:02.610 that starts to disappear. You know, it affects 00:10:02.610 --> 00:10:04.789 your ability to just live your life, you know? 00:10:05.210 --> 00:10:08.200 Put food on the table, pay your bills. Plan for 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:10.740 the future. Yeah, that's scary. It is. And the 00:10:10.740 --> 00:10:13.659 thing is, a lot of this uncertainty right now, 00:10:14.039 --> 00:10:16.059 it's because of these trade wars. Yeah, because 00:10:16.059 --> 00:10:18.080 nobody knows what's going to happen next. Right. 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:21.120 It's impossible to plan when the rules are constantly 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:23.159 changing. Exactly. And it's not just American 00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:24.639 businesses that are feeling this, right? Yeah. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.840 I mean, the EU, they're pushing back with their 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:29.120 own tariffs. Oh, yeah. They are not messing around. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.519 They're being very strategic about it, too. Yeah, 00:10:31.539 --> 00:10:34.149 with those, uh... those products they're targeting, 00:10:34.490 --> 00:10:37.289 like the communion wafers and the negliges. Exactly. 00:10:37.470 --> 00:10:40.669 This isn't random. They're going after products 00:10:40.669 --> 00:10:43.889 made in districts that heavily support Trump. 00:10:44.190 --> 00:10:45.789 So they're thinking about the politics, too. 00:10:45.889 --> 00:10:48.169 Oh, absolutely. They're trying to put pressure 00:10:48.169 --> 00:10:51.690 on those Republican lawmakers, you know, maybe 00:10:51.690 --> 00:10:54.590 make them rethink their support for the president's 00:10:54.590 --> 00:10:56.970 policies. OK, so it's not just about the economics. 00:10:57.070 --> 00:11:00.360 It's about the politics. It's both. It's a multi 00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:02.639 -layered strategy. So while we're all worried 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:06.039 about our 401k, the EU is out there playing 40 00:11:06.039 --> 00:11:08.639 chess. Pretty much. They're thinking long term. 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:12.059 And if the economy really does tank, someone's 00:11:12.059 --> 00:11:13.639 going to take the blame for it. Oh, for sure. 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:15.600 Somebody always does. And it seems like they 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:17.840 might already have their scapegoat. Howard Lutnick. 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:19.779 Yeah, the Commerce Secretary. The guy who doesn't 00:11:19.779 --> 00:11:22.960 seem to understand basic economics. Yeah, he's 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.320 an easy target. He's the one who contradicted 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:28.850 Trump on tariffs. Yeah, multiple times. Not a 00:11:28.850 --> 00:11:31.909 good look. Not in this administration. Okay, 00:11:32.250 --> 00:11:34.570 but this whole situation with the economy, it 00:11:34.570 --> 00:11:38.350 makes me wonder. Shouldn't Congress be doing 00:11:38.350 --> 00:11:41.730 more? You would think so, right. There's supposed 00:11:41.730 --> 00:11:43.710 to be a check on the president's power. Right, 00:11:43.990 --> 00:11:45.909 oversight and all that. But that's the thing 00:11:45.909 --> 00:11:48.470 about this. It's not just about economic policy. 00:11:48.549 --> 00:11:51.370 It's about power itself. Yeah. And it seems like 00:11:51.370 --> 00:11:53.590 they're more than happy to just hand over their 00:11:53.590 --> 00:11:55.850 power to the president. Yeah. You know, like, 00:11:55.990 --> 00:11:58.330 with that provision, they snuck into the continuing 00:11:58.330 --> 00:12:00.509 resolution. The one about national emergencies. 00:12:00.889 --> 00:12:03.809 Exactly. They basically gave Trump a free pass 00:12:03.809 --> 00:12:06.409 to impose tariffs whenever he wants. So even 00:12:06.409 --> 00:12:09.070 if it hurts American businesses and consumers, 00:12:09.230 --> 00:12:11.269 they tied their own hands. It's like they're 00:12:11.269 --> 00:12:14.509 saying, go ahead, break it. We don't care. Well, 00:12:14.529 --> 00:12:16.409 they're definitely not doing much to stop him. 00:12:16.610 --> 00:12:19.299 OK. And this whole thing with immigration. It's 00:12:19.299 --> 00:12:22.360 getting worse. Oh, yeah, for sure. The app, the 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:26.399 ads, the cuts to the courts. It's like they're 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:28.960 trying to create a hostile environment for anyone 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:31.519 who's not already here. It's about sending a 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:33.740 message. You know, don't even think about coming 00:12:33.740 --> 00:12:35.840 here. And it's working, right? Yeah. I mean, 00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:38.220 people are scared. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Especially 00:12:38.220 --> 00:12:40.399 with those ads. They're terrifying. And they're 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:42.500 effective. Oh, very effective. I mean, they're 00:12:42.500 --> 00:12:45.340 basically telling people to self -deport or face 00:12:45.340 --> 00:12:47.100 the consequences. And they're making it harder 00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:49.690 to seek asylum. with the cuts to the courts. 00:12:49.789 --> 00:12:51.730 Yeah, the backlog is only going to get worse. 00:12:51.990 --> 00:12:54.529 It's a humanitarian crisis in the making. It 00:12:54.529 --> 00:12:57.470 feels like a deliberate attempt to dismantle 00:12:57.470 --> 00:13:00.049 any kind of support system for immigrants. Yeah, 00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:01.830 like they're trying to make it as difficult as 00:13:01.830 --> 00:13:04.450 possible for people to come here legally. And 00:13:04.450 --> 00:13:07.950 if you connect this to the bigger picture with 00:13:07.950 --> 00:13:10.690 the Department of Education and the attacks on 00:13:10.690 --> 00:13:12.389 the legal profession. Right, it's a pattern. 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:15.379 It seems like a concerted effort to weaken these 00:13:15.379 --> 00:13:17.399 institutions. Yeah, the institutions that are 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.899 supposed to protect us. And it's not just Trump, 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:22.980 is it? No, it's bigger than him. Remember Project 00:13:22.980 --> 00:13:26.159 2025, that conservative group? Yeah, the ones 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:28.759 who want to shrink the government. Right. They 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:32.220 have this whole plan for dismantling these agencies, 00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:35.460 and it seems like their vision is becoming reality. 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:38.000 It is terrifying. It is. But there is some hope. 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:41.419 Well, the 2026 midterms are coming up. Yeah. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:45.299 And historically, midterm elections tend to favor 00:13:45.299 --> 00:13:48.159 the party that's not in the White House. So there's 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.019 a chance for things to change. There's always 00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:52.799 a chance. But it's going to be a fight. Republicans 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:55.320 aren't going to give up their power easily. And 00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:58.240 with Senator Shaheen retiring. Yeah, that's a 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:00.700 tough one for Democrats. New Hampshire could 00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:03.139 go either way. So control of the Senate could 00:14:03.139 --> 00:14:05.639 come down to just a handful of races. It's going 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:08.080 to be close. It's a lot to think about. It is. 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:09.919 And we're only a few months into this. It's going 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:12.340 to be a long couple of years. Well, before we 00:14:12.340 --> 00:14:14.740 get too overwhelmed, let's take a break. We'll 00:14:14.740 --> 00:14:16.820 be back with the final part of our deep dive, 00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:18.820 where we'll talk about some potential scenarios 00:14:18.820 --> 00:14:20.919 for the future. And what we can do about all 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:22.980 of this. Exactly. Because it's not all doom and 00:14:22.980 --> 00:14:25.139 gloom. There's always something we can do. Right. 00:14:25.139 --> 00:14:27.799 We have to stay hopeful. OK. We'll be right back. 00:14:28.419 --> 00:14:30.899 All right. So welcome back to the final part 00:14:30.899 --> 00:14:34.440 of our deep dive into early 2025. It's been a 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:37.200 journey. It has. It's been a lot. I'm kind of 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:39.490 exhausted, to be honest. I hear that. It's a 00:14:39.490 --> 00:14:41.750 lot to process, for sure. Yeah, but before we 00:14:41.750 --> 00:14:44.090 all go take a nap, we got to talk about what 00:14:44.090 --> 00:14:46.190 this all means. Like, what are the long -term 00:14:46.190 --> 00:14:48.029 consequences of all this stuff we've been talking 00:14:48.029 --> 00:14:50.169 about? Well, one thing that's really concerning 00:14:50.169 --> 00:14:53.529 is this growing divide between people. You mean, 00:14:53.549 --> 00:14:56.750 like, politically? Yeah, the polarization and 00:14:56.750 --> 00:15:00.429 the erosion of trust in institutions. It's like 00:15:00.429 --> 00:15:02.289 everyone's picking sides and nobody's willing 00:15:02.289 --> 00:15:04.750 to listen to each other anymore. Yeah, and that 00:15:04.750 --> 00:15:07.269 makes it impossible to solve problems, doesn't 00:15:07.269 --> 00:15:11.419 it? Exactly. How can you address things like 00:15:11.419 --> 00:15:13.960 the economy or climate change when everyone's 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:17.539 too busy fighting? And it's not just disagreeing 00:15:17.539 --> 00:15:20.080 about policy. It's deeper than that. It's like 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:23.179 people are questioning the very legitimacy of 00:15:23.179 --> 00:15:26.700 our institutions, the media, the courts, even 00:15:26.700 --> 00:15:30.080 elections. So like the foundation of our democracy 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:32.580 is cracking. Yeah, it's like the ground is shifting 00:15:32.580 --> 00:15:34.879 beneath our feet. And this goes back to what 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:37.610 we were talking about with Congress, right? If 00:15:37.610 --> 00:15:40.710 they're so willing to give up their power, what's 00:15:40.710 --> 00:15:43.009 stopping future presidents from doing the same? 00:15:43.669 --> 00:15:47.129 Or even worse? It's a scary thought. What happens 00:15:47.129 --> 00:15:49.570 when the people in power are the ones trying 00:15:49.570 --> 00:15:52.350 to dismantle the guardrails? It's like, OK, so 00:15:52.350 --> 00:15:55.090 we're all kind of freaked out now. What can we 00:15:55.090 --> 00:15:57.669 actually do about this? Besides yelling at the 00:15:57.669 --> 00:15:59.509 TV. Well, the first step is to stay informed. 00:15:59.610 --> 00:16:01.549 OK. And I don't just mean reading headlines. 00:16:01.750 --> 00:16:04.929 Right. It's about digging deeper, you know, finding 00:16:04.929 --> 00:16:07.269 different perspectives, actually evaluating the 00:16:07.269 --> 00:16:09.590 information you're getting. So like fact checking 00:16:09.590 --> 00:16:12.210 everything. Pretty much. We all have to be more 00:16:12.210 --> 00:16:13.990 critical, especially with all the misinformation 00:16:13.990 --> 00:16:15.950 out there. Right. Don't just believe everything 00:16:15.950 --> 00:16:19.080 you read. OK, so we're informed. Now what? Then 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:22.059 we have to act. Knowledge without action is useless. 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:24.460 OK. We have to engage in the political process, 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:27.480 contact our representatives, support organizations 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:31.259 that align with our values, especially vote in 00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:33.639 every election, not just the presidential ones. 00:16:33.820 --> 00:16:36.559 So those 2026 midterms are going to be huge. 00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:39.480 It could be a turning point. Midterms are often 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:41.799 a way for voters to send a message to the party 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:45.259 in power. Right. And if people are unhappy, they 00:16:45.259 --> 00:16:47.700 can change the balance of power. So every vote 00:16:47.700 --> 00:16:50.460 matters. Absolutely. But voting isn't the only 00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:53.299 thing we can do. We can also get involved in 00:16:53.299 --> 00:16:56.039 our communities, volunteer, organize, speak out 00:16:56.039 --> 00:16:59.710 against injustice. Find our people. Exactly. 00:17:00.129 --> 00:17:02.909 Find your tribe. Connect with like -minded folks. 00:17:03.450 --> 00:17:05.849 Build coalitions. Because collective action, 00:17:06.049 --> 00:17:07.970 that's how we create real change. It's about 00:17:07.970 --> 00:17:10.970 reclaiming our power. Exactly. Not just as individuals, 00:17:11.089 --> 00:17:13.450 but as a society. It's easy to feel powerless 00:17:13.450 --> 00:17:15.349 when you see all this stuff happening. It is. 00:17:15.390 --> 00:17:17.450 But we're not powerless. We have a voice. We 00:17:17.450 --> 00:17:20.349 have a choice. Right. We can't give in to fear. 00:17:20.750 --> 00:17:22.970 We have to believe that things can get better. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.900 Well, that's about it for our deep dive into 00:17:25.900 --> 00:17:29.740 early 2025. It's been a wild ride. It has. But 00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:31.440 hopefully you've learned something. Yeah. And 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.619 maybe even feel a little bit empowered. Remember, 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:37.420 knowledge is power. Stay informed, stay engaged, 00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:40.140 and stay hopeful. Yeah. Don't let the bastards 00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:42.339 grind you down. Thanks for joining us on the 00:17:42.339 --> 00:17:43.599 deep dive. We'll see you next time.