The Politics Guys

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This week, Mike and Justin welcome conservative attorney Sam Dewey to the podcast. They start with a discussion of the big rulings this week on President Trump’s tariffs. Sam says the real issue is Congress giving too much tariff power to the president. Justin sees a troubling pattern of executive overreach. Mike highlights the irony that conservative legal doctrines may now limit Trump’s power.

Next, they turn to the latest bunch of clemency actions from President Trump. Sam defends the pardons as a response to “weaponized” prosecutions. Justin argues the beneficiaries are mostly Trump’s allies, not everyday people. Mike notes Trump’s deeply personal approach to justice.

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The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

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Justin and Ken start by digging into the passage of the so-called “big, beautiful budget bill”—a sweeping House measure with far-reaching fiscal and policy implications. Justin highlights the political maneuvering and procedural oddities that defined the bill’s passage, while Ken offers a critical breakdown of its contents, deficit impact, and the dramatic tradeoffs between tax cuts and program cuts. Both note the bill’s likely downstream effects on Medicaid recipients, rural healthcare, SNAP benefits, and America’s clean energy future, with Ken emphasizing the unprecedented deficit expansion and Justin focusing on the political optics and the challenge for Democrats to frame the debate.  

Next, the hosts turn to a landmark—and controversial—Supreme Court shadow docket decision, which summarily overturned decades of precedent on the independence of federal agencies. Ken explains the legal mechanics and historical context behind the decision, warning that the Court’s use of emergency orders for major constitutional shifts undermines process and stability. Justin, meanwhile, explores the practical consequences, especially the tactic of disabling regulatory agencies by denying them a quorum, and what this might signal for the future balance of power in government.

The episode closes with an examination of the highly publicized arrest of Newark mayor Ras Baraka and Congresswoman LaMonica McIver at an ICE protest. Justin and Ken both condemn the actions as heavy-handed and chilling, discussing how federal overreach in this context threatens principles of federalism, separation of powers, and civil dissent. Ken draws a line to broader Department of Justice trends, while Justin stresses the real personal and financial costs inflicted on those targeted by such arrests.

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Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

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Mike and Justin open with a discussion of the 90-day pause in the tariff war between the United States and China. Markets loved the move, and Mike makes the case that this may have been the Trump plan all along, and that at this point, he seems to be getting significant concessions. However, Americans have yet to feel the impact of the tariffs — something that will change before long.

Next, they turn to President Trump’s Middle East trip. Mike thinks he sees a fairly coherent strategy that he sort of likes, with a few (large) caveats. Justin points out the administration’s seeming complete lack of concern with human rights abuses in the Middle East, with Trump putting ‘making deals’ above human rights issues.

They close with a discussion of the jet Qatar has offered as a temporary replacement for Air Force One, as well as President Trump’s crypto business. Both Mike and Justin think there’s massive potential for corruption here, with Mike wondering if we’re at a point where the public (at least a large portion of it) has been almost inured to claims of corruption when they involve Donald Trump..

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Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.

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Mike and Ken open with a discussion of something lapsed-Catholic Mike thought he’d never see – an American Pope. While Pope Leo is unlikely to be as progressive as his predecessor, he’s no ultra-conservative who has said some critical things about Vice President Vance in the past.

Then they turn to tariffs: the just-announced agreement between the US and the UK, if and when more agreements may be forthcoming, the economic damage that’s almost certain even if deals start pouring in, and a strange proposal for a 100% tariff on movies made in ‘foreign lands’.

Next is a look at the Trump administration’s plan to pay undocumented migrants $1,000 to self-deport. Both Mike and Ken are skeptical that anyone will end up getting paid to leave the country, and Ken questions the President’s legal authority for the policy.

They close with a discussion of the lawsuit challenging major cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services brought by 19 states and the District of Columbia. 

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Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Trey and Ken open with a detailed look into Trump’s first 100 days in office. This includes a conversation as to why we rate presidents’ first 100 days along with detailed discussions of Trump’s handling of both economic policy and foreign policy. Imbedded in this conversation is a look at the U.S. / Ukrainian resources deal and what that means for the future of the war and an extended conversation on Mike Pence leaving as National Security Advisor and his chances to make it past the Senate to be the new ambassador to the United Nations.

Next, they turn to a detailed examination of Judge Fernando Rodriguez’s ruling against the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA). Included here is a conversation about how sympathetic Judge Rodriguez’s is and yet his ruling putting a halt to the Trump administration’s deportation plans.

They close the show with a look at Trump’s breaking budget on Friday.

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Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.