S9 Ep39: Espresso Martini | Trump’s Special Economic Operation, NSA Purge, and the FBI in Turmoil

Chris and Matt unpack the surreal ousting of top U.S. national security officials after far-right influencer Laura Loomer walked into the Oval Office with a hit list. They assess the fallout for cyber defenses, the politicization of the FBI, and the broader dismantling of U.S. institutions under Trump’s second term. Then, they turn to Trump’s sweeping trade war, its global blowback, and what Wall Street really thinks. Plus, a respected Chinese-American scientist disappears after an FBI raid, and Japan unveils a new generation of long-range missiles as it prepares for a more dangerous Pacific.

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Articles discussed in today’s episode

"How Right Wing Influencer Laura Loomer Targeted Top Security Officials" by Dustin Volz, Vera Bergengruen & Alexander Ward | The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/how-right-wing-influencer-laura-loomer-targeted-top-security-officials-0b002715

"The Conspiracy Theorist Advising Trump" by Tom Nichols | The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/04/the-conspiracy-theorist-advising-trump/682289/

"I was a Top Leader at the FBI. What I Saw This Year Was Deeply Worrying. It Should Concern You Too." by John Sullivan | Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-160799346

"Will Russia Come Out a Winner in Trump’s Trade Wars" by Moscow Times Reporter | The Moscow Times: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/03/will-russia-come-out-a-winner-in-trumps-trade-wars-a88238

"Russia not on Trump's tariff list" by Vitaliy Shevchenko | BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjl3k1we8vo

"Trump has turned his back on the foundation of US economic might - the fallout will be messy" by Faisal Islam | BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp34nkj1kv2o

"Cybersecurity Professor Faced China-Funding Inquiry Before Disappearing, Sources Say" by Zeyi Yang, Louise Matsakis & Caroline Haskins | WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/xiaofeng-wang-indiana-university-research-probe-china/

"FBI raids home of prominent computer scientist who has gone incommunicado" by Dan Goodin | Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/03/computer-scientist-goes-silent-after-fbi-raid-and-purging-from-university-website/

"Japan develops new missiles designed to repel an invasion" by Leilani Chavez | Defense News: https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/04/03/japan-develops-new-missiles-designed-to-repel-an-invasion/

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