Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Join us now. Mike Pallas, the tax policy director for
Americans for Tax Reform, also a former President Trump administration
official during his first term. Mike, welcome in, Thanks for
being here.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's good to be with you. All right.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I want to talk first of all about this government
shutdown here. It just seems to me that it's really
starting to have a repel effect around the country in
so many different areas. First, it started with the air
traffic controllers. We're going to see issues with TSA. Holidays
are right around the corner here. Travel could be affected
by this and so much more. And you have the
Democrats continue to point the fingers at the Republicans. They're
(00:33):
the ones that are stopping this from you know, continuing
to be opened up in the Democrats are the ones
that are doing it, according to the Republicans. So I
got to believe that President Trump and his policies and
what he's trying to do is, you know, bring law
and order back to this country and clean the mess
up and wasteful spending. And the Democrats want these subsidies
(00:54):
in healthcare to continue to illegals through the end of
the year through Obamacare, which is not really an affordable situation,
and that seems to be the crux of this whole thing.
What are you seeing at the center of all of
this in your point of view, having been part of
the administration before on this government shut down.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Well, I think we have to start off with what
is driving Democrats to do this? And I think they're
politically motivated. It's primary driven by the fact that Democrat
leadership and Chuck Schumer are free of their own base.
They're trying to step up and show that they're their
most progressive, most online, most activist wing of the progressive
wing of the Democratic Party that they're willing to fight
against Trump. They've made this ridiculous list of hostage demands
(01:36):
which amount to, We're going to shut down the government
if you don't increase spending by one point five trillion dollars,
including undoing about a trillion dollars of the Medicaid savings
from President Trump's signature bill, one big beautiful bill, and
on top of that, about a half a trillion dollar
extension expansion of these boosted Obamacare subsidies that were expanded
(01:58):
as part of the alleged COVID agency. Here, no one
elected a Republican House, Senate, in White House with the
expectation that they would expand Obamacare. This is an unserious
list of demands. Democrats know that. That's because it's politically motivated,
it's not driven by policy.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yeah, and it's also Donald Trump too. It's you know,
whatever he's doing, we're going the other way. So well
you want to hear the details. No, if Donald Trump's
behind it, we're out. We're going the other way, no
matter what. Just start screaming, get violent if you have to.
It seems to be the mantra from the Democrats and
the serious left on the socialistic side of things in
the Democratic Party. So speaking of that, you know, this
(02:36):
country right now, I can't remember when it's been so crazy.
I mean you go back to the sixties, I guess,
with Vietnam and the protesting and insanity on campuses. Now,
but ever since of Biden administration and this pro Palestinian
movement across these campuses and what's happening with Mundani in
New York and where this country is right now, and
it's the pushback on trying to make our city safe again.
(02:59):
You know, the midterms are right around the corner, and
the President's about to do some fundraising for the Republicans
involved in election or reelection. Your thoughts on where we
are as a nation right now relative to previous administrations.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Well, as we mentioned, you've got the distraction of this
government shutdown right now. Typically what happens we forget. Even
in twenty nineteen, Chuck Schumer shutdown the government for thirty
five days, the public tends to move on from them
pretty quickly. Well, continues to be the dominant issue, which
essentially has for the past four years now, has been
the economy, has been the cost of living. As we
(03:34):
approach the end of this year, you'll see a lot
of the key policies from President Trump's tax bill start
to kick in. So I think, so long as the
economy continues to do well and we see the boost
from the tax bill. We had a great quarter of
economic growth in the most recent quarter here, If the
economy really starts moving from Trump's policies, I think Republicans
(03:55):
are in good shape. I think that's what's going to
determine the election.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You know what I think? Secondly, too, he ran on
then to stop the illegal process at our border. He
tightened it up. He's closed basically closed it down. People
are turning around and going back. They're not coming across
like they were. Obviously, our cities are getting cleaned up.
Illegal criminals are being exported out of here, deported rather.
So I just don't the common sense with the Democrats here.
(04:18):
It's just they didn't invite them to the room in
that they continue to push back on a law enforcement
They continue to push back and get violence and put
I guess, basic targets on the back of ice and
Border patrol agents, and you know, it's just insanity how
they're not wanting to clean up the city. And I
think you're right. I think you and I see this
(04:39):
because we're closer to it every day. But I think
that most of America is not on board with the
violence in cities and once a strong economy and once
immigration to be a legal process here. So with all
the noise that No King's protest makes and naked people
laying in the streets of Portland, as much as that's
titillating and sensationalistic news headlines, I got to believe that
(05:03):
most of the core of America is still on board
in the direction that this country is going out under
Donald Trump's leadership.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, you're seeing this problem play out in Democrat party registration,
where they have historic issues registering new voters right now.
That's because I think their brand is toxic. I think
they've let Trump derangement syndrome impact their policy. They instinctively
say no to anything for the President wants to do.
I think that's what you're seeing drive their motivation of
the shutdown right now. You mentioned the No King's protest.
(05:32):
Of course that just happens to coincide with the middle
of the shutdown. I think there was no way Democrats
were ever going to cave on the shutdown before that protest.
We'll see what happens now. But really across the board,
they're letting themselves be driven both on the politics and
policy by the really progressive activist set of their base,
(05:52):
and I think it's going to hurt them down the
linelin of totally as they move further and further away
from where average voters are at.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Mike, let me get your quick thought, and then we've
got to run here. New York City. Mundani if it
looks like he's going to win this mayor all race
and be the next mayor, and he is farther left
and Lori Lightfoot ever dreamed of in Chicago. What happens
to New York City?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I think it's really scary. I think you have the
potential hollowing out of a city here that's still rebounding
from COVID. Because the difficulty is people can always vote
with their feet. People will be able to move out
of New York City. They don't have to even go
to other states. They can just move out of the city.
I think his government run grocery stores, like, there's a
crazy idea that's never worked. Price controls never work. I
(06:35):
think what's a more interesting story is the fact that
you have Jack Chitdarelli in New Jersey who might win
as a Republican governor in New Jersey. So just you know,
right next to New York City, you have one state
electing an outright Bolshevik, while at the same time we
might have a Republican governor win in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, that'd be nice, all right, Mike Well, I appreciate you.
Mike Palicks, a tax director Americans for Tax Reform and
a former Trump Administrator official. Thank you, Mike, I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Thank you.
Join us now. Mike Pallas, the tax policy director for
Americans for Tax Reform, also a former President Trump administration
official during his first term. Mike, welcome in, Thanks for
being here.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's good to be with you. All right.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I want to talk first of all about this government
shutdown here. It just seems to me that it's really
starting to have a repel effect around the country in
so many different areas. First, it started with the air
traffic controllers. We're going to see issues with TSA. Holidays
are right around the corner here. Travel could be affected
by this and so much more. And you have the
Democrats continue to point the fingers at the Republicans. They're
(00:33):
the ones that are stopping this from you know, continuing
to be opened up in the Democrats are the ones
that are doing it, according to the Republicans. So I
got to believe that President Trump and his policies and
what he's trying to do is, you know, bring law
and order back to this country and clean the mess
up and wasteful spending. And the Democrats want these subsidies
(00:54):
in healthcare to continue to illegals through the end of
the year through Obamacare, which is not really an affordable situation,
and that seems to be the crux of this whole thing.
What are you seeing at the center of all of
this in your point of view, having been part of
the administration before on this government shut down.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Well, I think we have to start off with what
is driving Democrats to do this? And I think they're
politically motivated. It's primary driven by the fact that Democrat
leadership and Chuck Schumer are free of their own base.
They're trying to step up and show that they're their
most progressive, most online, most activist wing of the progressive
wing of the Democratic Party that they're willing to fight
against Trump. They've made this ridiculous list of hostage demands
(01:36):
which amount to, We're going to shut down the government
if you don't increase spending by one point five trillion dollars,
including undoing about a trillion dollars of the Medicaid savings
from President Trump's signature bill, one big beautiful bill, and
on top of that, about a half a trillion dollar
extension expansion of these boosted Obamacare subsidies that were expanded
(01:58):
as part of the alleged COVID agency. Here, no one
elected a Republican House, Senate, in White House with the
expectation that they would expand Obamacare. This is an unserious
list of demands. Democrats know that. That's because it's politically motivated,
it's not driven by policy.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yeah, and it's also Donald Trump too. It's you know,
whatever he's doing, we're going the other way. So well
you want to hear the details. No, if Donald Trump's
behind it, we're out. We're going the other way, no
matter what. Just start screaming, get violent if you have to.
It seems to be the mantra from the Democrats and
the serious left on the socialistic side of things in
the Democratic Party. So speaking of that, you know, this
(02:36):
country right now, I can't remember when it's been so crazy.
I mean you go back to the sixties, I guess,
with Vietnam and the protesting and insanity on campuses. Now,
but ever since of Biden administration and this pro Palestinian
movement across these campuses and what's happening with Mundani in
New York and where this country is right now, and
it's the pushback on trying to make our city safe again.
(02:59):
You know, the midterms are right around the corner, and
the President's about to do some fundraising for the Republicans
involved in election or reelection. Your thoughts on where we
are as a nation right now relative to previous administrations.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Well, as we mentioned, you've got the distraction of this
government shutdown right now. Typically what happens we forget. Even
in twenty nineteen, Chuck Schumer shutdown the government for thirty
five days, the public tends to move on from them
pretty quickly. Well, continues to be the dominant issue, which
essentially has for the past four years now, has been
the economy, has been the cost of living. As we
(03:34):
approach the end of this year, you'll see a lot
of the key policies from President Trump's tax bill start
to kick in. So I think, so long as the
economy continues to do well and we see the boost
from the tax bill. We had a great quarter of
economic growth in the most recent quarter here, If the
economy really starts moving from Trump's policies, I think Republicans
(03:55):
are in good shape. I think that's what's going to
determine the election.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You know what I think? Secondly, too, he ran on
then to stop the illegal process at our border. He
tightened it up. He's closed basically closed it down. People
are turning around and going back. They're not coming across
like they were. Obviously, our cities are getting cleaned up.
Illegal criminals are being exported out of here, deported rather.
So I just don't the common sense with the Democrats here.
(04:18):
It's just they didn't invite them to the room in
that they continue to push back on a law enforcement
They continue to push back and get violence and put
I guess, basic targets on the back of ice and
Border patrol agents, and you know, it's just insanity how
they're not wanting to clean up the city. And I
think you're right. I think you and I see this
(04:39):
because we're closer to it every day. But I think
that most of America is not on board with the
violence in cities and once a strong economy and once
immigration to be a legal process here. So with all
the noise that No King's protest makes and naked people
laying in the streets of Portland, as much as that's
titillating and sensationalistic news headlines, I got to believe that
(05:03):
most of the core of America is still on board
in the direction that this country is going out under
Donald Trump's leadership.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, you're seeing this problem play out in Democrat party registration,
where they have historic issues registering new voters right now.
That's because I think their brand is toxic. I think
they've let Trump derangement syndrome impact their policy. They instinctively
say no to anything for the President wants to do.
I think that's what you're seeing drive their motivation of
the shutdown right now. You mentioned the No King's protest.
(05:32):
Of course that just happens to coincide with the middle
of the shutdown. I think there was no way Democrats
were ever going to cave on the shutdown before that protest.
We'll see what happens now. But really across the board,
they're letting themselves be driven both on the politics and
policy by the really progressive activist set of their base,
(05:52):
and I think it's going to hurt them down the
linelin of totally as they move further and further away
from where average voters are at.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Mike, let me get your quick thought, and then we've
got to run here. New York City. Mundani if it
looks like he's going to win this mayor all race
and be the next mayor, and he is farther left
and Lori Lightfoot ever dreamed of in Chicago. What happens
to New York City?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I think it's really scary. I think you have the
potential hollowing out of a city here that's still rebounding
from COVID. Because the difficulty is people can always vote
with their feet. People will be able to move out
of New York City. They don't have to even go
to other states. They can just move out of the city.
I think his government run grocery stores, like, there's a
crazy idea that's never worked. Price controls never work. I
(06:35):
think what's a more interesting story is the fact that
you have Jack Chitdarelli in New Jersey who might win
as a Republican governor in New Jersey. So just you know,
right next to New York City, you have one state
electing an outright Bolshevik, while at the same time we
might have a Republican governor win in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, that'd be nice, all right, Mike Well, I appreciate you.
Mike Palicks, a tax director Americans for Tax Reform and
a former Trump Administrator official. Thank you, Mike, I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Thank you.
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