January 26, 2025 • 29 mins
Is America's political landscape bracing for a seismic shift? We explore this question through President Trump's whirlwind of policy changes during his first week back in office. From immigration to climate policy, his executive orders are setting a new and controversial direction for the nation. We dissect the implications of rolling back protections for asylum seekers, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the bold move to expand fossil fuel use. We also tackle the controversial reshaping of federal diversity programs and the pardoning of individuals tied to the January 6 Capitol incident, unveiling Trump's broader agenda to redefine American life and politics.
The episode delves deep into the provocative question of federal economic interdependence between red and blue states. We explore the irony and complexity of red states, which often champion smaller government, benefiting the most from federal aid funded by blue states. How does this reality impact infrastructure, public services, and even the migration of skilled professionals? We analyze the socio-economic challenges and brain drain that result from these political decisions, as well as the contrasting affordability and quality of life between red and blue states.
To wrap up, we assess how Trump's executive actions are shaking up both domestic and international realms. His decisions to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, restrict recognition of gender identity, and withdraw from international organizations like the WHO could have far-reaching global implications. We question the sustainability of the red state economic model and the potential fallout if they were to pursue secession. Join us in unpacking these bold moves that could reshape the United States and its position in the world.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Darrell McLean Show.
I'm your host, darrell McLean.
Independent media that won'tlead you to tribalism.
We have one planet.
Nobody is leaving, so let usreason together.
We're on episode 440.
So as we get into PresidentTrump's blunt message after a
whirlwind week of executiveorders and presidential
proclamations may boil down tothis, take me at my word.
(00:24):
Proclamations may boil down tothis.
Take me at my word.
So during four years inpolitical exile after his first
term, trump vowed to radicallyreshape American life, culture
and politics if he got anotherchance.
In the first week, hedemonstrated that he will seek
to do just that, and fast, as heraces to make good on the
promises that vaulted him backinto power.
(00:45):
Not all of his directives willsucceed in the end, but already
the United States is in adifferent place than it was just
a week ago.
Several efforts to addressclimate change have been
rescinded and more land openingto oil drilling.
The government now recognizesonly two immutable genders male
(01:05):
and female.
Migrants now are referred toofficially as aliens and they
are turned away at the border,and immigrants' agents now have
the freedom to target hospitals,schools and churches in search
for people they think areillegal, and they tend to deport
.
Large-scale tariffs have beenimposed have yet to be imposed,
(01:30):
but nations around the world arebracing for those that Trump
has said will come on February1st.
Diversity efforts in thefederal government has been
dismantled and employees turnedinto snitches.
Federal money will once againbe barred from paying for
abortions overseas.
Mount Denali once again will beknown as Mount McKinley, and
(01:52):
the Gulf of Mexico, according tothe Interior Department, is
going to be called the Gulf ofAmerica.
Career officials and agenciesacross the government have been
let go as a part of Trump'spledge to get rid of what he
considers disloyal members ofthe deep state.
Security clearances andprotections have been stripped
(02:12):
from people Trump considerspolitical enemies.
Tiktok was given a temporaryreprieve from a forced shutdown,
even as Trump rescinded hispredecessor's efforts to
establish guardrails around thedevelopment of artificial
intelligence.
New regulations and new federalhiring are frozen.
For now.
More than 1,500 people who wereconvicted of crimes connected
(02:34):
to the storming of the UnitedStates Capitol on January 6,
2021 have been pardoned or hadtheir sentences commuted,
including those people whocommitted violent crimes.
Here are some of the biggestchanges that happened this week
Immigration.
No single issue received moreattention in the first few days
(02:58):
in this new administration thanimmigration.
The issue has been long at thecenter of presidential political
identity, and he promisedthroughout the 2024 campaign to
make a far-reaching policychange.
Trump issued more than a dozenimmigration-related orders that
included scores of policyoverhauls based on the premise
(03:20):
that the United States is beinginvaded by dangerous immigrants
crossing over the border fromMexico.
Many of the most aggressivechanges, including new powers to
deny asylum seekers fromentering the country, are aimed
at aliens engaged in invasion.
Trump quickly eliminatedpolicies that prevented
immigrants, immigration andcustomsforcement officers from
(03:44):
raiding churches, schools andhospitals.
He blocked the entry ofthousands of refugees who
already had been cleared to cometo America but legal basis and
halted civil programs allowingtemporary residency, including
(04:06):
people from Ukraine, cuba, haitiand Venezuela.
He made good on hislongstanding promise to scale
back birthright citizenship, anorder that a federal judge
quickly blocked, calling itblatantly unconstitutional.
Basically, the notion is thatyou cannot change the United
States Constitution viaexecutive order.
(04:27):
The Trump administration hassought to enlist state and local
officials in federalimmigration law enforcement and
directed federal officials toinvestigate and potentially
prosecute officials in citiesand states who interfere with
government's deportation efforts, and the administration
directed agencies to withholdfunds from so-called sanctuary
cities in which officials refuseto cooperate with federal
(04:50):
immigration agents.
When it comes to the climate,trump issued a half a dozen
executive orders related toenergy aimed at expanding the US
use of fossil fuels, curbingrenewable energy and abandoning
the federal government's effortsto address climate change
period.
He pulled the United States outof the Paris Climate Agreement.
(05:11):
He shut down several efforts toprepare for a risk of a warming
planet.
He initiated plans to openlarger areas in Alaska to drill
for oil and he ordered a freezeon federal permits for wind
farms across the country.
Trump's promises to unleashAmerican energy, which he
(05:32):
defined as everything exceptwind and solar power, would take
time to have an impact.
He ordered agencies tostreamline permitting for gas
pipelines and miming and repealthe rules to promote electric
cars, but there is largely arequired process legally for the
redoing of federal regulationsthat could take years and has to
(05:55):
pass muster with the courts.
Other actions may end up beinglargely symbolic, as Trump
declared an energy emergency andhe claims he has authority
(06:18):
tohape the nation's energylandscape.
But many oil and gas companiesare not looking to significantly
increase output, which isalready at record levels, since
doing so could lower the priceand squeeze profits, but the
wind industry, a frequent targetfrom Trump, is bracing for a
(06:40):
backlash on some companies thathave already delayed or canceled
new investments.
When it comes to tariffs intrade, trump has previously
written on social media that hewould impose a 25% tariff on
products from Canada and Mexicoand an additional 10% tariff on
products from China on day oneof his administration, accusing
(07:04):
those countries of not doingenough to stop flows of drugs
and migrants into the UnitedStates.
Instead, he released anexecutive order that requested
reports on exhaust, a list oftrade issues from various
agencies, by April 1st.
Some business groups expressedrelief, but the sentiment was
(07:25):
short-lived, because on Mondaynight, trump told reporters he
planned to put a 25% tariff onproducts from Canada and Mexico
beginning on February 1st, andon Tuesday night he said he
would also put an additional 10%tariff on Chinese products by
the same date.
It remains to be seen if thosetariffs actually go into effect,
(07:46):
but even if they do not, trumpwill have plenty of
opportunities in the comingmonths to make good on his
campaign promises to imposesweeping tariffs on foreign
products, including high levieson China and universal tariffs
on most imports.
That can help raise money tooffset tax cuts when it comes to
gender and transgender rights.
(08:08):
Specifically, with an executiveorder billed under a Protecting
Women from Gender IdeologyExtremism, trump ordered the
government to excessivelyrecognize only two immutable
sexes male and female.
By proclaiming that a personmust be a permanent gender
identity, the administrationreversed efforts by the Biden
(08:30):
administration to accommodatepeople who were intersex,
transgender and allow them toself-identify in interactions
with the government.
It also rejected the mainstreammedical understanding amongst
groups such as the americanmedical association, which
recommends viewing gender andsex as a falling along a
(08:52):
spectrum.
The order has already promptedadministrative changes.
The State Department removedthe unspecified or other gender
identity category from passportapplications, where, broadly, it
directs agencies to scrub anymention of non-binary gender
identity from official documentsand memos.
Certain agencies were urged toprotect men and women as
(09:12):
biological to stake sex, in partby maintaining single-sex
spaces, such as prisons andshelters for women, from which
transgender women will now bedenied access under the policy
and the order explicitlyrejected the Biden
administration's interpretationof the Supreme Court ruling
protecting transgender workerswas a basis for extending its
(09:35):
protections to transgenderstudents through Title X last
year when it comes to diversity,equity and inclusion.
After declaring in his inauguraladdress that he would usher in
a colorblind and merit-basedsociety.
Trump ordered federal agenciesto immediately purge the
(09:56):
concepts of diversity, equityand inclusion from federal
government policies, programsand practices.
Targeted civil rightsprotections from government
contractors.
He rescinded an executive orderfrom Biden that sought to
advance equality for women andblack and Hispanics and Asian
(10:17):
and Native American people, aswell as people with disabilities
.
Trump also then issued an ordertitled Ending Radical, wasteful
Government DEI Programs andpreferring and preferencing,
which halts all work in thefederal agency's aims at
reversing any systemic racism,any systemic sexism and any form
(10:39):
of inequality.
The order required the shutdownof offices dedicated to
diversity, equity and inclusionwork across all government
agencies and the immediatedismissal of all and any
employees working on suchinitiatives.
The employees were placed on anadministrative leave this week
and are to be laid off withinthe next month.
(11:00):
In an effort to root outdiversity, equity and inclusion
incentives in disguise, federalemployees were told to report
any colleagues that attempted tocircumvent the order to a newly
created email address.
Those who know of any suchactivities but do not report
them within 10 days would alsoface adverse consequences,
(11:20):
according to the emails thatwere sent to all agency heads.
Trump also went all the wayback to the 60s and revoked the
Civil Rights Era order, signedby President Lyndon B Johnson in
1965, that banneddiscrimination in government
contracting.
So now you can't officiallydiscriminate in government
contracting.
The order has seen as anunderpinning of the federal
(11:45):
government commitment to haveaffirmative action when it comes
to tech and artificialintelligence.
Right after he was sworn intooffice, trump rescinded a 2023
executive order that establishedguardrails around artificial
intelligence.
On Thursday, he issued anexecutive order directing his
staff to come up with a plan topursue a policy that will
(12:06):
sustain and enhance Americanglobal AI dominance.
The president also issued anexecutive order to establish a
group that would come up with apolicy proposal related to
cryptocurrency, an industry thatTrump has personal investments
in himself.
Trump intervened in a battleover the future of TikTok.
Officials in Washington fearthat the immensely popular video
(12:29):
app could pose a nationalsecurity threat.
Congress passed a law last yearto force TikTok owner ByteDance
to sell the app or face a banfrom working with the app stores
and cloud providers.
The Supreme Court upheld thelaw this month.
The ban took effect on Sunday,but Trump on Monday told the
Justice Department not toenforce the law for 75 days and
(12:52):
to instruct companies like Apple, google and cloud computing to
provide Oracle that during theperiod, there is no liability
related to the work and disruptand maintain the app.
The app is currently working inthe United States, but is still
unavailable in Apple and Googleapp stores.
(13:15):
When it comes to health andforeign aid, hours after taking
the office, trump withdrew theUnited States from the World
Health Organization, a move thathe pursued in the last year of
his first term.
As the coronavirus pandemicraged on the first day in office
four years ago, biden blockedthe withdrawal from going into
effect, as he did in 2020.
(13:36):
Trump this week accused agencyof botching its response to the
pandemic and claimed that itasked for unfair and erroneous
payments, with china paying lessthan the united states.
The withdrawal means that thecenter for disease control and
prevention, considered theworld's leading infectious
disease agency, would not haveaccess to the global data of the
(13:58):
world health organizationOrganization that it provides.
It also deprives the WorldHealth Organization of a key
funding source that it uses toprotect public health programs
in other countries, a shortfallthat public health experts say
could eventually hurtdisease-fighting efforts of
American health officials duringinternational outbreaks.
American health officials duringinternational outbreaks.
(14:18):
The Trump executive orderMonday halted all development
aid, at least to 90 days, toforeign countries affecting
programs aimed at alleviatinghunger, disease and wartime
suffering.
As a part of the order, trumpadministration stopped
(14:41):
disbursements of funds forprograms that supply most of the
treatment for HIV in Africa anddeveloping countries around the
world.
The administration also revivedthe Mexico City rule, which
bars federal funding fromoverseas non-government
organizations that perform orpromote abortions.
Trump, on his first day inoffice, also rescinded a health
order that called federalagencies to expand access to
(15:01):
coverage of the Affordable CareAct's health insurance
marketplace in Medicaid, thejoint federal state agency's
program for low-income Americans.
Russell T Vaught, trump'snominee to run the White House
Budget Office, told lawmakersthis week that he supported
Trump's first administrationstrategy of encouraging states
(15:23):
to add work requirements forMedicaid.
Trump's health department alsosaid officials are to refrain
from public communications,including publishing reports on
things like bird flu and anyoutbreak.
Meeting on the adversary'spanel on health issues were also
canceled.
Trump administration officialsdefended the move, saying it
(15:44):
allowed them to catch up to theactivity in the department
before signing off on a newpublic messaging.
But the scope and the durationof the pause unnerved career
officials and most outsidescientists.
Now, when it came to thefederal workforce, the
administration issued in oneexecutive order that makes it
(16:05):
easier to fire federal employeesby subjecting them to rules
governing political appointees,who have a much weaker due
process rights.
Trump also issued a memoinserting his authority to fire
several thousand members of theso-called senior executive
service top bureaucrats acrossthe government and the
(16:26):
administration began to removesome of them.
Other memos told agencies torequire employees to return to
an office full-time as soon aspracticable.
Some federal employees said hehad prompted them to look for
new jobs outside the governmentand a list to employees who were
still completing theprobationary period required of
(16:49):
new hires, typically for one ortwo years depending on their
role and the category of theemployee.
The memo noted that employeescould be terminated during their
probationary period withouttriggering any appeal rights and
suggested that theadministration would seek a thin
the civil service ranks byeliminating many recent hires.
Trump also initiated a 90-dayhiring freeze, causing agencies
(17:12):
to rescind job offers forcandidates whose starting date
was imminent.
The National Treasury EmployeesUnion, which was about 90,000
active members across the agency, has filed a lawsuit in federal
court on Monday challenging theexecutive order and making it
easy to fire federal employees.
Other unions were stilldigesting the slew of orders and
(17:35):
memos to understand the preciseimplications.
What's extremely interestingabout a lot of the executive
orders is, if you watch thepress conference, it becomes
somewhat apparent that thepresident did not actually know
about the executive orders hewas signing.
If you watch the conference,before he signs the order, he
(18:01):
has people come up Sometimes itwas David Sachs, it was other
people and he says what am Isigning here?
And they explain what he issigning.
And then there's even sometimeswhere there's an awkward
silence while he's signing andhe says just explain a little
(18:21):
more, please.
There's even a period of timewhere he is signing a order to
release some people from prisonand Donald Trump says how many
people are being released?
And the person has to tell himhow many people are being
released, what they're beingreleased for, and then Donald
(18:43):
Trump promptly says it's such atragedy and it's an honor for me
to sign this, etc.
Etc.
It was something to see, to saythe least.
So a few weeks ago actually, tobe fair, a few months ago, it
(19:05):
was way back in November Iposted a side-by-side comparison
of two states, oklahoma andMassachusetts, and I said was
doing the comparison that in2024, only two states had voted
unanimously for one red and oneblue.
Oklahoma voted unanimously red,massachusetts voted unanimously
(19:31):
blue.
Now, when I looked at thestatistics, it showed Oklahoma
was 44th in education, 49th inhealth care, 44th in quality of
life, 50th in test scores, top10, worst in poverty.
When it came to Massachusetts,it was first in education,
second in health care, first inquality of life, first in test
(19:54):
scores, top 10, least poverty.
And so I asked what was thedifference?
I asked what was the differenceand the explanations that I got
were varied from well, itcouldn't be a great quality of
(20:15):
life in Massachusetts becausethe taxes are very high and it's
very expensive.
The cost of living is way moreexpensive to buy a house than it
must be in Oklahoma, and Iimagine it's probably due to the
dense population relative tothe physical size of the state.
I'd also try to see anydifferences in the quality of
roads or anything like that, orhealth care, and the person went
(20:38):
on to say that they, when itcomes to Massachusetts, you
don't get free health care.
You know they get.
They get free health care inmassachusetts, just like you
don't get free health care inoklahoma or any other state
which is also bs, because Ibelieve the majority of people
in the country uh thinks our taxdollars should provide us with
free health care.
(20:59):
And another person saidoklahoma sucks, uh, but come on,
uh, this is like comparing nycto the middle of nowhere.
Us massachusetts has damn neardoubled the population and earns
10k more annually per household.
Policy plays some factors, butthere, but some state economies
and locations definitely play abigger role and um, so this,
(21:24):
this made me want to tackle thisquestion of what I think is a
big ideological lie that hasbeen going on about the
difference and why there's thesedifferences between these red
states and blue states.
And it's.
The truth is that the redstates and blue states, and the
truth is that the red states arenot doing as great as they
(21:47):
would like you to think.
Now, for decades, conservativepoliticians have championed the
virtues of self-reliance, ruggedindividualism and small
government and, of course, to dothat, they painted blue states
as bastions of wasteful spending, moral decay and economic
mismanagement, while holding upred states as paragons of
(22:09):
personal responsibility andfiscal discipline.
But when you dig into the dataand this is what I've been
working on since november thiscould not be further from the
truth.
Red states, when it comes to thenumbers, are actually propped
up by economic engines of bluestates and the federal
(22:31):
government.
If the US were actually dividedinto two nations, one red and
one blue, the red states wouldface an economic catastrophe,
driven not by liberal policiesbut by the very structural flaws
backed in their ideologies.
The numbers are actually fairlyclear now.
Red states, on average, are thelargest recipients of federal
(22:55):
aid relative to what theycontribute in tax revenue.
Mississippi, alabama andKentucky, for instance, receive
far more in federal dollars thanthey send to the federal
government.
In contrast, blue states likeCalifornia, new York and
Massachusetts constantlycontribute more to the federal
(23:18):
government than they receive,effectively subsidizing their
red state counterparts.
This imbalance is particularlystriking given the rhetoric from
red state leaders.
Governors and legislators whorail against big governments,
routinely reject federalprograms like Medicaid expansion
under the Affordable Care Act,leaving millions uninsured and
(23:39):
hospitals underfunded.
Yet they rely heavily onfederal funds for roads, schools
and public services.
The irony is glaring Withoutblue state tax dollars, many red
states would struggle to keepthe lights on.
Red states' economic strugglingare merely the result of
(24:00):
circumstances.
They are often the directconsequences of policy choices.
Anti-union laws, such as theso-called right to work policies
, keep wages low and workerspowerless, leading skilled
laborers to seek betteropportunities in other states.
This brain drain exacerbatesincome inequality and stifles
(24:24):
any economic mobility, leavingred states with older, less
educated workforce that demandgreater public support.
At the same time, red statesprioritize cultural wars over
infrastructure, housing andhealth care.
Infrastructure, housing andhealth care Legislative energy
is spent on banning bookstargeting LGBTQ individuals and
(24:53):
restricting access toreproductive rights, while
critical issues like poverty andpublic health are ignored.
The results are stark Redstates constantly rank worse in
health care outcomes, withhigher rates of maternal
mortality, opioid addiction anddeath from preventable diseases.
(25:25):
Out Driven by a deregulated,profit-first approach, texas
infrastructure crumbled under asevere winter weather, leaving
millions without heat orelectricity.
It was a chilling reminder ofthe dangers of prioritizing
short-term gains over long-termreliance and resilience.
One of the most telling trendsis the migration of the educated
(25:46):
professionals and skilledworkers from red states to blue
states.
The data now shows that stateswith restrictive policies on
things like abortions are seeingdeclines in college educated
residents and healthcareprofessionals.
Doctors, particularly OBGYNs,are leaving states like Texas
and Mississippi, where theythink that the laws are
(26:10):
draconian and they are sufferingfrom the threat of legal
repercussions, and they feelthat it now makes it necessary
and that they leave because itis increasingly difficult for
them to practice medicine.
Meanwhile, in high-skilledindustries, they have gravitated
towards blue states, drawn bybetter infrastructure, higher
(26:34):
wages and more inclusive socialpolicies.
The results are red states areleft with dwindling tax bases
and a growing reliance onfederal aid to sustain basic
services.
Conservatives often argue thatred states are more affordable
(26:54):
to live in than their bluecounterparts.
Comes at a cost Lower wages,fewer public schools and weaker
safety nets mean that life inred states often cheaper because
it is a worse place to live.
The blue states have a highercost of living, by contrast,
(27:15):
because it reflects the economicvibrancy and the demand for
access to the infrastructure,education system and job market.
California, frequently deridedby conservatives, boasts a GDP
larger than most countries.
His innovation and productivitystand in stark contrast to the
(27:37):
economic stagnation of stateslike Mississippi, whose reliance
on federal aid underscorestheir lack of self-sufficiency.
The red state model isunsustainable.
Their economics are built onborrowed time and the blue
state's generosity, even astheir leaders vilify the very
(27:58):
systems that keep them afloat.
Proposals for succession, afavorite fantasy of some
conservative pundits wouldexpose this fragility, leading
to an economic collapse that AynRand herself might find too
grim to script.
As younger, more educatedworkers continue to flee red
states and federal aid becomesincreasingly politicized, the
(28:21):
gap between rhetoric and realitywill only widen.
Red state leaders can railagainst immigrants, liberals and
even drag queens, but theireconomic woes begin at home, in
the very policies that theychampion.
There is an argument to be madethat the blue states should
reconsider how much theysubsidize the red states.
(28:42):
While cutting off federal aidmay not be practical or ethical,
it is worth exploring ways tohold red state leaders
accountable for their relianceon blue state dollars.
If red states actually want theindependence that they so often
champion, perhaps it's timethey start paying for it and
(29:02):
putting the money where theirmouth is.
Welcome to the Darrell McLean Show.
I'm your host, darrell McLean.
Independent media that won'tlead you to tribalism.
We have one planet.
Nobody is leaving, so let usreason together.
We're on episode 440.
So as we get into PresidentTrump's blunt message after a
whirlwind week of executiveorders and presidential
proclamations may boil down tothis, take me at my word.
(00:24):
Proclamations may boil down tothis.
Take me at my word.
So during four years inpolitical exile after his first
term, trump vowed to radicallyreshape American life, culture
and politics if he got anotherchance.
In the first week, hedemonstrated that he will seek
to do just that, and fast, as heraces to make good on the
promises that vaulted him backinto power.
(00:45):
Not all of his directives willsucceed in the end, but already
the United States is in adifferent place than it was just
a week ago.
Several efforts to addressclimate change have been
rescinded and more land openingto oil drilling.
The government now recognizesonly two immutable genders male
(01:05):
and female.
Migrants now are referred toofficially as aliens and they
are turned away at the border,and immigrants' agents now have
the freedom to target hospitals,schools and churches in search
for people they think areillegal, and they tend to deport
.
Large-scale tariffs have beenimposed have yet to be imposed,
(01:30):
but nations around the world arebracing for those that Trump
has said will come on February1st.
Diversity efforts in thefederal government has been
dismantled and employees turnedinto snitches.
Federal money will once againbe barred from paying for
abortions overseas.
Mount Denali once again will beknown as Mount McKinley, and
(01:52):
the Gulf of Mexico, according tothe Interior Department, is
going to be called the Gulf ofAmerica.
Career officials and agenciesacross the government have been
let go as a part of Trump'spledge to get rid of what he
considers disloyal members ofthe deep state.
Security clearances andprotections have been stripped
(02:12):
from people Trump considerspolitical enemies.
Tiktok was given a temporaryreprieve from a forced shutdown,
even as Trump rescinded hispredecessor's efforts to
establish guardrails around thedevelopment of artificial
intelligence.
New regulations and new federalhiring are frozen.
For now.
More than 1,500 people who wereconvicted of crimes connected
(02:34):
to the storming of the UnitedStates Capitol on January 6,
2021 have been pardoned or hadtheir sentences commuted,
including those people whocommitted violent crimes.
Here are some of the biggestchanges that happened this week
Immigration.
No single issue received moreattention in the first few days
(02:58):
in this new administration thanimmigration.
The issue has been long at thecenter of presidential political
identity, and he promisedthroughout the 2024 campaign to
make a far-reaching policychange.
Trump issued more than a dozenimmigration-related orders that
included scores of policyoverhauls based on the premise
(03:20):
that the United States is beinginvaded by dangerous immigrants
crossing over the border fromMexico.
Many of the most aggressivechanges, including new powers to
deny asylum seekers fromentering the country, are aimed
at aliens engaged in invasion.
Trump quickly eliminatedpolicies that prevented
immigrants, immigration andcustomsforcement officers from
(03:44):
raiding churches, schools andhospitals.
He blocked the entry ofthousands of refugees who
already had been cleared to cometo America but legal basis and
halted civil programs allowingtemporary residency, including
(04:06):
people from Ukraine, cuba, haitiand Venezuela.
He made good on hislongstanding promise to scale
back birthright citizenship, anorder that a federal judge
quickly blocked, calling itblatantly unconstitutional.
Basically, the notion is thatyou cannot change the United
States Constitution viaexecutive order.
(04:27):
The Trump administration hassought to enlist state and local
officials in federalimmigration law enforcement and
directed federal officials toinvestigate and potentially
prosecute officials in citiesand states who interfere with
government's deportation efforts, and the administration
directed agencies to withholdfunds from so-called sanctuary
cities in which officials refuseto cooperate with federal
(04:50):
immigration agents.
When it comes to the climate,trump issued a half a dozen
executive orders related toenergy aimed at expanding the US
use of fossil fuels, curbingrenewable energy and abandoning
the federal government's effortsto address climate change
period.
He pulled the United States outof the Paris Climate Agreement.
(05:11):
He shut down several efforts toprepare for a risk of a warming
planet.
He initiated plans to openlarger areas in Alaska to drill
for oil and he ordered a freezeon federal permits for wind
farms across the country.
Trump's promises to unleashAmerican energy, which he
(05:32):
defined as everything exceptwind and solar power, would take
time to have an impact.
He ordered agencies tostreamline permitting for gas
pipelines and miming and repealthe rules to promote electric
cars, but there is largely arequired process legally for the
redoing of federal regulationsthat could take years and has to
(05:55):
pass muster with the courts.
Other actions may end up beinglargely symbolic, as Trump
declared an energy emergency andhe claims he has authority
(06:18):
tohape the nation's energylandscape.
But many oil and gas companiesare not looking to significantly
increase output, which isalready at record levels, since
doing so could lower the priceand squeeze profits, but the
wind industry, a frequent targetfrom Trump, is bracing for a
(06:40):
backlash on some companies thathave already delayed or canceled
new investments.
When it comes to tariffs intrade, trump has previously
written on social media that hewould impose a 25% tariff on
products from Canada and Mexicoand an additional 10% tariff on
products from China on day oneof his administration, accusing
(07:04):
those countries of not doingenough to stop flows of drugs
and migrants into the UnitedStates.
Instead, he released anexecutive order that requested
reports on exhaust, a list oftrade issues from various
agencies, by April 1st.
Some business groups expressedrelief, but the sentiment was
(07:25):
short-lived, because on Mondaynight, trump told reporters he
planned to put a 25% tariff onproducts from Canada and Mexico
beginning on February 1st, andon Tuesday night he said he
would also put an additional 10%tariff on Chinese products by
the same date.
It remains to be seen if thosetariffs actually go into effect,
(07:46):
but even if they do not, trumpwill have plenty of
opportunities in the comingmonths to make good on his
campaign promises to imposesweeping tariffs on foreign
products, including high levieson China and universal tariffs
on most imports.
That can help raise money tooffset tax cuts when it comes to
gender and transgender rights.
(08:08):
Specifically, with an executiveorder billed under a Protecting
Women from Gender IdeologyExtremism, trump ordered the
government to excessivelyrecognize only two immutable
sexes male and female.
By proclaiming that a personmust be a permanent gender
identity, the administrationreversed efforts by the Biden
(08:30):
administration to accommodatepeople who were intersex,
transgender and allow them toself-identify in interactions
with the government.
It also rejected the mainstreammedical understanding amongst
groups such as the americanmedical association, which
recommends viewing gender andsex as a falling along a
(08:52):
spectrum.
The order has already promptedadministrative changes.
The State Department removedthe unspecified or other gender
identity category from passportapplications, where, broadly, it
directs agencies to scrub anymention of non-binary gender
identity from official documentsand memos.
Certain agencies were urged toprotect men and women as
(09:12):
biological to stake sex, in partby maintaining single-sex
spaces, such as prisons andshelters for women, from which
transgender women will now bedenied access under the policy
and the order explicitlyrejected the Biden
administration's interpretationof the Supreme Court ruling
protecting transgender workerswas a basis for extending its
(09:35):
protections to transgenderstudents through Title X last
year when it comes to diversity,equity and inclusion.
After declaring in his inauguraladdress that he would usher in
a colorblind and merit-basedsociety.
Trump ordered federal agenciesto immediately purge the
(09:56):
concepts of diversity, equityand inclusion from federal
government policies, programsand practices.
Targeted civil rightsprotections from government
contractors.
He rescinded an executive orderfrom Biden that sought to
advance equality for women andblack and Hispanics and Asian
(10:17):
and Native American people, aswell as people with disabilities
.
Trump also then issued an ordertitled Ending Radical, wasteful
Government DEI Programs andpreferring and preferencing,
which halts all work in thefederal agency's aims at
reversing any systemic racism,any systemic sexism and any form
(10:39):
of inequality.
The order required the shutdownof offices dedicated to
diversity, equity and inclusionwork across all government
agencies and the immediatedismissal of all and any
employees working on suchinitiatives.
The employees were placed on anadministrative leave this week
and are to be laid off withinthe next month.
(11:00):
In an effort to root outdiversity, equity and inclusion
incentives in disguise, federalemployees were told to report
any colleagues that attempted tocircumvent the order to a newly
created email address.
Those who know of any suchactivities but do not report
them within 10 days would alsoface adverse consequences,
(11:20):
according to the emails thatwere sent to all agency heads.
Trump also went all the wayback to the 60s and revoked the
Civil Rights Era order, signedby President Lyndon B Johnson in
1965, that banneddiscrimination in government
contracting.
So now you can't officiallydiscriminate in government
contracting.
The order has seen as anunderpinning of the federal
(11:45):
government commitment to haveaffirmative action when it comes
to tech and artificialintelligence.
Right after he was sworn intooffice, trump rescinded a 2023
executive order that establishedguardrails around artificial
intelligence.
On Thursday, he issued anexecutive order directing his
staff to come up with a plan topursue a policy that will
(12:06):
sustain and enhance Americanglobal AI dominance.
The president also issued anexecutive order to establish a
group that would come up with apolicy proposal related to
cryptocurrency, an industry thatTrump has personal investments
in himself.
Trump intervened in a battleover the future of TikTok.
Officials in Washington fearthat the immensely popular video
(12:29):
app could pose a nationalsecurity threat.
Congress passed a law last yearto force TikTok owner ByteDance
to sell the app or face a banfrom working with the app stores
and cloud providers.
The Supreme Court upheld thelaw this month.
The ban took effect on Sunday,but Trump on Monday told the
Justice Department not toenforce the law for 75 days and
(12:52):
to instruct companies like Apple, google and cloud computing to
provide Oracle that during theperiod, there is no liability
related to the work and disruptand maintain the app.
The app is currently working inthe United States, but is still
unavailable in Apple and Googleapp stores.
(13:15):
When it comes to health andforeign aid, hours after taking
the office, trump withdrew theUnited States from the World
Health Organization, a move thathe pursued in the last year of
his first term.
As the coronavirus pandemicraged on the first day in office
four years ago, biden blockedthe withdrawal from going into
effect, as he did in 2020.
(13:36):
Trump this week accused agencyof botching its response to the
pandemic and claimed that itasked for unfair and erroneous
payments, with china paying lessthan the united states.
The withdrawal means that thecenter for disease control and
prevention, considered theworld's leading infectious
disease agency, would not haveaccess to the global data of the
(13:58):
world health organizationOrganization that it provides.
It also deprives the WorldHealth Organization of a key
funding source that it uses toprotect public health programs
in other countries, a shortfallthat public health experts say
could eventually hurtdisease-fighting efforts of
American health officials duringinternational outbreaks.
American health officials duringinternational outbreaks.
(14:18):
The Trump executive orderMonday halted all development
aid, at least to 90 days, toforeign countries affecting
programs aimed at alleviatinghunger, disease and wartime
suffering.
As a part of the order, trumpadministration stopped
(14:41):
disbursements of funds forprograms that supply most of the
treatment for HIV in Africa anddeveloping countries around the
world.
The administration also revivedthe Mexico City rule, which
bars federal funding fromoverseas non-government
organizations that perform orpromote abortions.
Trump, on his first day inoffice, also rescinded a health
order that called federalagencies to expand access to
(15:01):
coverage of the Affordable CareAct's health insurance
marketplace in Medicaid, thejoint federal state agency's
program for low-income Americans.
Russell T Vaught, trump'snominee to run the White House
Budget Office, told lawmakersthis week that he supported
Trump's first administrationstrategy of encouraging states
(15:23):
to add work requirements forMedicaid.
Trump's health department alsosaid officials are to refrain
from public communications,including publishing reports on
things like bird flu and anyoutbreak.
Meeting on the adversary'spanel on health issues were also
canceled.
Trump administration officialsdefended the move, saying it
(15:44):
allowed them to catch up to theactivity in the department
before signing off on a newpublic messaging.
But the scope and the durationof the pause unnerved career
officials and most outsidescientists.
Now, when it came to thefederal workforce, the
administration issued in oneexecutive order that makes it
(16:05):
easier to fire federal employeesby subjecting them to rules
governing political appointees,who have a much weaker due
process rights.
Trump also issued a memoinserting his authority to fire
several thousand members of theso-called senior executive
service top bureaucrats acrossthe government and the
(16:26):
administration began to removesome of them.
Other memos told agencies torequire employees to return to
an office full-time as soon aspracticable.
Some federal employees said hehad prompted them to look for
new jobs outside the governmentand a list to employees who were
still completing theprobationary period required of
(16:49):
new hires, typically for one ortwo years depending on their
role and the category of theemployee.
The memo noted that employeescould be terminated during their
probationary period withouttriggering any appeal rights and
suggested that theadministration would seek a thin
the civil service ranks byeliminating many recent hires.
Trump also initiated a 90-dayhiring freeze, causing agencies
(17:12):
to rescind job offers forcandidates whose starting date
was imminent.
The National Treasury EmployeesUnion, which was about 90,000
active members across the agency, has filed a lawsuit in federal
court on Monday challenging theexecutive order and making it
easy to fire federal employees.
Other unions were stilldigesting the slew of orders and
(17:35):
memos to understand the preciseimplications.
What's extremely interestingabout a lot of the executive
orders is, if you watch thepress conference, it becomes
somewhat apparent that thepresident did not actually know
about the executive orders hewas signing.
If you watch the conference,before he signs the order, he
(18:01):
has people come up Sometimes itwas David Sachs, it was other
people and he says what am Isigning here?
And they explain what he issigning.
And then there's even sometimeswhere there's an awkward
silence while he's signing andhe says just explain a little
(18:21):
more, please.
There's even a period of timewhere he is signing a order to
release some people from prisonand Donald Trump says how many
people are being released?
And the person has to tell himhow many people are being
released, what they're beingreleased for, and then Donald
(18:43):
Trump promptly says it's such atragedy and it's an honor for me
to sign this, etc.
Etc.
It was something to see, to saythe least.
So a few weeks ago actually, tobe fair, a few months ago, it
(19:05):
was way back in November Iposted a side-by-side comparison
of two states, oklahoma andMassachusetts, and I said was
doing the comparison that in2024, only two states had voted
unanimously for one red and oneblue.
Oklahoma voted unanimously red,massachusetts voted unanimously
(19:31):
blue.
Now, when I looked at thestatistics, it showed Oklahoma
was 44th in education, 49th inhealth care, 44th in quality of
life, 50th in test scores, top10, worst in poverty.
When it came to Massachusetts,it was first in education,
second in health care, first inquality of life, first in test
(19:54):
scores, top 10, least poverty.
And so I asked what was thedifference?
I asked what was the differenceand the explanations that I got
were varied from well, itcouldn't be a great quality of
(20:15):
life in Massachusetts becausethe taxes are very high and it's
very expensive.
The cost of living is way moreexpensive to buy a house than it
must be in Oklahoma, and Iimagine it's probably due to the
dense population relative tothe physical size of the state.
I'd also try to see anydifferences in the quality of
roads or anything like that, orhealth care, and the person went
(20:38):
on to say that they, when itcomes to Massachusetts, you
don't get free health care.
You know they get.
They get free health care inmassachusetts, just like you
don't get free health care inoklahoma or any other state
which is also bs, because Ibelieve the majority of people
in the country uh thinks our taxdollars should provide us with
free health care.
(20:59):
And another person saidoklahoma sucks, uh, but come on,
uh, this is like comparing nycto the middle of nowhere.
Us massachusetts has damn neardoubled the population and earns
10k more annually per household.
Policy plays some factors, butthere, but some state economies
and locations definitely play abigger role and um, so this,
(21:24):
this made me want to tackle thisquestion of what I think is a
big ideological lie that hasbeen going on about the
difference and why there's thesedifferences between these red
states and blue states.
And it's.
The truth is that the redstates and blue states, and the
truth is that the red states arenot doing as great as they
(21:47):
would like you to think.
Now, for decades, conservativepoliticians have championed the
virtues of self-reliance, ruggedindividualism and small
government and, of course, to dothat, they painted blue states
as bastions of wasteful spending, moral decay and economic
mismanagement, while holding upred states as paragons of
(22:09):
personal responsibility andfiscal discipline.
But when you dig into the dataand this is what I've been
working on since november thiscould not be further from the
truth.
Red states, when it comes to thenumbers, are actually propped
up by economic engines of bluestates and the federal
(22:31):
government.
If the US were actually dividedinto two nations, one red and
one blue, the red states wouldface an economic catastrophe,
driven not by liberal policiesbut by the very structural flaws
backed in their ideologies.
The numbers are actually fairlyclear now.
Red states, on average, are thelargest recipients of federal
(22:55):
aid relative to what theycontribute in tax revenue.
Mississippi, alabama andKentucky, for instance, receive
far more in federal dollars thanthey send to the federal
government.
In contrast, blue states likeCalifornia, new York and
Massachusetts constantlycontribute more to the federal
(23:18):
government than they receive,effectively subsidizing their
red state counterparts.
This imbalance is particularlystriking given the rhetoric from
red state leaders.
Governors and legislators whorail against big governments,
routinely reject federalprograms like Medicaid expansion
under the Affordable Care Act,leaving millions uninsured and
(23:39):
hospitals underfunded.
Yet they rely heavily onfederal funds for roads, schools
and public services.
The irony is glaring Withoutblue state tax dollars, many red
states would struggle to keepthe lights on.
Red states' economic strugglingare merely the result of
(24:00):
circumstances.
They are often the directconsequences of policy choices.
Anti-union laws, such as theso-called right to work policies
, keep wages low and workerspowerless, leading skilled
laborers to seek betteropportunities in other states.
This brain drain exacerbatesincome inequality and stifles
(24:24):
any economic mobility, leavingred states with older, less
educated workforce that demandgreater public support.
At the same time, red statesprioritize cultural wars over
infrastructure, housing andhealth care.
Infrastructure, housing andhealth care Legislative energy
is spent on banning bookstargeting LGBTQ individuals and
(24:53):
restricting access toreproductive rights, while
critical issues like poverty andpublic health are ignored.
The results are stark Redstates constantly rank worse in
health care outcomes, withhigher rates of maternal
mortality, opioid addiction anddeath from preventable diseases.
(25:25):
Out Driven by a deregulated,profit-first approach, texas
infrastructure crumbled under asevere winter weather, leaving
millions without heat orelectricity.
It was a chilling reminder ofthe dangers of prioritizing
short-term gains over long-termreliance and resilience.
One of the most telling trendsis the migration of the educated
(25:46):
professionals and skilledworkers from red states to blue
states.
The data now shows that stateswith restrictive policies on
things like abortions are seeingdeclines in college educated
residents and healthcareprofessionals.
Doctors, particularly OBGYNs,are leaving states like Texas
and Mississippi, where theythink that the laws are
(26:10):
draconian and they are sufferingfrom the threat of legal
repercussions, and they feelthat it now makes it necessary
and that they leave because itis increasingly difficult for
them to practice medicine.
Meanwhile, in high-skilledindustries, they have gravitated
towards blue states, drawn bybetter infrastructure, higher
(26:34):
wages and more inclusive socialpolicies.
The results are red states areleft with dwindling tax bases
and a growing reliance onfederal aid to sustain basic
services.
Conservatives often argue thatred states are more affordable
(26:54):
to live in than their bluecounterparts.
Comes at a cost Lower wages,fewer public schools and weaker
safety nets mean that life inred states often cheaper because
it is a worse place to live.
The blue states have a highercost of living, by contrast,
(27:15):
because it reflects the economicvibrancy and the demand for
access to the infrastructure,education system and job market.
California, frequently deridedby conservatives, boasts a GDP
larger than most countries.
His innovation and productivitystand in stark contrast to the
(27:37):
economic stagnation of stateslike Mississippi, whose reliance
on federal aid underscorestheir lack of self-sufficiency.
The red state model isunsustainable.
Their economics are built onborrowed time and the blue
state's generosity, even astheir leaders vilify the very
(27:58):
systems that keep them afloat.
Proposals for succession, afavorite fantasy of some
conservative pundits wouldexpose this fragility, leading
to an economic collapse that AynRand herself might find too
grim to script.
As younger, more educatedworkers continue to flee red
states and federal aid becomesincreasingly politicized, the
(28:21):
gap between rhetoric and realitywill only widen.
Red state leaders can railagainst immigrants, liberals and
even drag queens, but theireconomic woes begin at home, in
the very policies that theychampion.
There is an argument to be madethat the blue states should
reconsider how much theysubsidize the red states.
(28:42):
While cutting off federal aidmay not be practical or ethical,
it is worth exploring ways tohold red state leaders
accountable for their relianceon blue state dollars.
If red states actually want theindependence that they so often
champion, perhaps it's timethey start paying for it and
(29:02):
putting the money where theirmouth is.
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