What Trump Is Really Doing | The Ezra Klein Show
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- On the first day of President Trump’s second term, he signed a record 26 executive orders. Some of them were really big. Others feel more likely messaging memos. And still others are bound to be held up in the courts. So what does it all amount to? What exactly in America has changed?
In a former life, I co-hosted a podcast called “The Weeds” with other policy wonks at Vox, including Dara Lind and Matthew Yglesias. We’ve since gone our separate ways; Lind is currently a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, and Yglesias is the author of the Substack newsletter Slow Boring. But since this was such a big policy week, I wanted to get some of the band back together.
In this conversation, we discuss how much Trump’s immigration orders will actually change our immigration system; whether any of Trump’s orders address Americans’ concerns over prices; how serious Trump actually is about tariffs; and more.
0:00 Intro
1:17 Border security and immigration
14:03 Birthright citizenship
28:40 Economy & energy production
38:50 Tariffs
56:13 Congress
1:02:00 Book recommendations
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.
You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at www.nytimes.co....
These three need to, like, do this weekly. They have great chemistry and had quite a robust exchange.
they just need to have a research paper at the end of each episode, and invite Sarah Kliff!
@@marklinsey3079This trio with either Sarah or. Dara was GOAT
Matthew yglesias is the Goat
Been listening to Ezra for YEARS - since the podcast he referenced at the beginning - but I’ve never seen him talk. What a trip lmao.
I generally disagree with the take that Tesla and Elon Musk are “fine.” I think Tesla is in serious trouble, and this has been on the horizon for some time. A truly revolutionary car company shouldn’t be shrinking just as its cars are reaching peak popularity. Yet, while EV adoption in the U.S. hit record levels, Tesla had its first negative year, capped off by a brutal fourth quarter.
Tesla will likely suffer more from the loss of subsidies than other automakers. The idea that Tesla benefits from its competitors losing subsidies is counterintuitive-Tesla itself has relied on government incentives for years, and without them, its pricing advantage over traditional automakers shrinks. Meanwhile, legacy brands like Ford, GM, and Hyundai have diversified revenue streams that allow them to absorb the impact better than Tesla can.
More importantly, I think in Elon’s mind, Tesla-the car company-is already dead. His focus has shifted toward selling the world on a vision of AI and robotics so transformative that it reshapes the global economy. As an investment thesis, that’s an insane bet. I genuinely feel for the everyday investors who have put their savings into this pipe dream, believing in promises that seem increasingly detached from reality.
As Rachel Maddow would say: Watch this space.
Agreed
Agreed. And Tesla is running on Elon’s B.S. promises that never come to fruition and the stock is technically a meme stock, has been for the past few years.
Trump'. M O.:
Baffle them with Bullshit.
We need to respond by telling the truth, building community, holding the line, doing what we can.
Ideas what specifically to do besides watch YT videos and vote democratic?
How big a problem is the risk of having immigrants committing crimes in and among our Towns and cities? My info indicates that most immigrants, here legally or illegally, keep their respective noses to the ground staying out of the public eye on most occasions. Have the political right made this conversation a problem that really isn’t a problem?
Yes
This was a great conversation. Informative and nuanced - impressed!
Totally. TDS getting weaker.
Thanks Ezra ..needed to hear this
Thank you, Ezra!
Thank you Ezra. This was a refreshing conversation
I am not interested in Trump. Can we do SOMETHING about Elon taking over!!??
Did I just witness a TDS-free critical analysis of the current administration? Impressive.
Yes! Couldn't believe my ears either.
@1:01:54 "I don't think that he [Trump] cares about the permanence of legislation". I mean, why should he? If the legislation isn't permanent when he leaves office, it just means you need to keep him in office. He's clearly vocalized that he thinks he should be in office more than 8 years.
If that's accurate, I think he's intensely overestimating his health. He's going to be in his late 80s in eight years.
Your news organization normalized him and helped him win. Thanks!
Great analysis as always! Can we also talk about how Ezra Klein ages like a fine wine? 🍷 🥰
I am a young republican but i love this show especially Ezra and the bald guy is my new fav , you guys might be Dems but i love these long thoughfull conversation .
LOLZ. Your comment is hilarious. Like a raging alcoholic who appreciates Alcoholics Anonymous but has no intention of cutting off the whiskey. Funny - both haha and peculiar simultaneously.
Ezra isn't a Dem. He's a Marxist influencer using weaponized feels
Can you give recommendations of other intelligent democratic podcasters. Like the democratic equivalent of Micheal knowles, for example. Thank you.
@hggfhh4449 new discourses
@@mm5478 Your comment is hilarious. Loosers who lost the presidency, the senate, the house and the supreme court acting like they are smart.
So right! It’s Definitely all for show when u include Dr Phil on ice raids. Ppl r so dumb!
Used to love the original The Weeds
I still have to remind Americans that the USA is an immigration country!!!
Can’t wait to hear the reasonable YT comments that discuss the substance of what is discussed!
Underlined thumbnails: High school PTSD?
he must be deleting everything
Weirdly enough, TH-cam conversations suddenly became more left-leaning and nuanced after the election. And the people parroting the same talking points disappeared.
Ahh.. a Weeds reunion, I never actually knew what they looked like on video, it’s a little disconcerting to see people I’ve listened to for so long
"People claim this is a thoughtful conversation, but they never discuss how both illegal and legal immigration have affected African-Americans, especially in IT and construction work. None of these journalists talk about it, and as an African-American straight male, this terrifies me."
What does IT have to do with African-Americans in particular? I dont get it.
@@captain_context9991 I work in IT see it every day. They would prefer to hire somebody from India or Pakistan to come do I. T work in the United States, which takes jobs from US citizens.
@@captain_context9991 I work in IT. I see it every day.They will prefer to bring someone in here from India.Pakistan to do IT
work in united states taking jobs from u s citizens
@@edgarmarvine7752
And have them work for less... Under a work-visa. So they are constantly under threat of deportation if they are fired.
But what does that have to do with African Americans, I do not know.
African and Mexican Americans have been entirely shut out of silicon valley. It's a shame.
Definitely, tariffs are a negotiating tactic. The joke is last he renegotiated NAFTA and we got pretty much the same thing, except the name.
Money wise, is it cheaper to get rid, or pay for hotels, benefits, debit cards etc. The polls show a majority of Americans don’t want to pay for people in the country illegally.
Why would we when we are suffering barely making it its a total disaster what the democrats have done.
People in the country illegally, like farm workers, food workers, landscapers, etc add billions in taxes doing jobs Americans don't want to do for pennies.
Hello 👋 Pamela my sister's name is Pamela I just got off the phone with her! Money wise we as a Country will suffer because the price of things will rise because the undocumented immigrants work in very important jobs for cheap in order for us to have certain luxuries that we enjoy and take for granted. People who are here that have committed crimes of course need to be locked up but immigrants actually don't commit crimes at the levels of regular American citizens! Facts and undocumented immigrants actually have to pay taxes so we also benefit from them being underpaid while still having to pay taxes but can't benefit from the same assistance us citizens receive so they are an important unprotected group of people who are being demonized and blamed for the our dysfunctional government not offering policies that can improve the lives and living conditions for middle class and working class and poor White People so politicians blame others by pandering to racism or are already preconceived biases towards anything deemed other. Working class and middle class and poor White Men and Women are voting against their own interests because of a grievance form of policies that will hurt others and make others suffer while at the same time government is allowing them to suffer and hurt too!
@@mtns340 They're keeping wages low and housing costs up but more importantly- they're not us. They have to go back.
@@mtns340Then make their status legal. Or raise the wages and swallow the inflation. Or build robots. Millions of people living in a country illegally is. Just. Intolerable. Period.
The Weeds reunion! ❤
This aged like leftover poutine
😂 especially the debate on tariffs
See Ezra’s latest work for why (don’t believe him)
Well this aged quickly
Shout out to the "Calvinball" reference!
Discussing policy nuances while a hostile takeover of the whole government is in progress is completely absurd.
It’s a government reform.
Exactly, we are in the middle of a soft coup and they act like nothing unusual is going on.
The audio for this is so weird.
But where is Sarah Kliff?!? It ain't the Weeds without her.
Please please please don’t kill the video. This is the best thing in my life right now.
rude that NYT posts a super compressed copy of the audio here and puts the real version on the website. people arent going to subscribe, they're just going to hate listening to this on earbuds
Most countries do not have birth right citizenship. USA 🇺🇸 is an outlier. However, I suspect that because of American exceptionalism, that is not even an argument!😢
USA is not the only country with birthright citizenship. Canada, Norway, Germany & Japan are a few that also have birthright laws.
@@kathypiazza7228 I knew someone would get me the facts on this. So thanks. Still, very much a minority and if my understanding is correct, it is a legacy of slavery in the US case. Isn't it? Seems to me it causes more trouble than it is worth.
Search Jus Soli… the Wikipedia page has the list of countries with both restricted and unrestricted birthright citizenship.
E-verify works, I personally saw it work. Stops fake IDs etc.
This podcast is stale by about a week.
Right? Like my grandfather waking up after a nap.
wasn't the og weeds crew matt ezra and sarah kliff?
Yes
@@AceGigalo obligatory "SprinkleCare" reference.
Lmfao she really said "Calvin Ball" about how they are playing with the law. Hilarious. Do other people use Calvin & Hobbes to describe Trump policymakers?
!!🙄😂DONT/BELIEVE/THE/TRAITOR🤣🎉!!
a podcast discussion analyzing the policies and strategies of the Trump administration, particularly focusing on immigration, energy, and economic policies.
The Territory:
The podcast explores the complex and evolving landscape of American politics under a second Trump presidency, focusing on the following key areas:
Immigration: The discussion delves into the Trump administration's aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, including increased interior enforcement, the potential for mass deportations, and changes to birthright citizenship. It examines the legal and logistical challenges of these policies, and the political implications of creating a climate of fear for undocumented immigrants. It also considers the potential impact of these policies on the labor market and the possibility of self-deportation.
Energy: The podcast explores the Trump administration's energy policy, which prioritizes increased domestic production of fossil fuels and seeks to roll back regulations on electric vehicles. It examines the potential impact of these policies on energy prices, and on the environment, and questions whether increased production will actually lead to lower prices for American consumers. The podcast also touches on the complex relationship between the Trump administration and Elon Musk.
Economy: The discussion examines the potential impact of Trump's policies on the cost of living, including the possibility of increased inflation due to tariffs. It analyzes Trump's approach to trade, questioning whether tariffs are primarily a negotiating tactic or a genuine policy preference. It looks at the potential impact of tariffs on businesses and consumers, and the unpredictable nature of the administration's economic policy.
Executive Power and Legislation: The podcast also considers Trump's approach to governing, which appears to favor executive action over legislative collaboration. It explores the implications of this approach for policy implementation, and suggests that Trump may be more interested in "taking positions" than achieving lasting policy changes through legislation.
The Shifting Political Landscape: The podcast analyzes the shifts in political attitudes, particularly among Democrats, regarding immigration and enforcement. It notes the increasing acceptance among some Democrats of stricter enforcement measures and a tougher stance on immigration. The discussion also explores the changing discourse around immigration and the move away from terms like "illegal immigrant," to terms like "undocumented" or "unauthorized," and how that has reflected a shift in attitudes.
Can someone explain to me what Dara means @02.30 proving you have been in the United States for longer than 2 years?
Matt seems like he understands it the best, but has to squish towards team play.
Further, I dispositionally agree with the hosts if they wouldn't extract such a long, laborious task to do so.
For some hardcore dems they were about as balanced as you'd expect. Still way off but not AS BAD.
Tesla will never beat BYD electric cars.way cheaper
The cruelty is the reason trump is into cruelty
Hey Ezra Klein, may I please ask you a question that I would like your opinion on.
here's the synopsis of my question.
The Hall of Presidents at the Magic Kingdom park in Florida is one of my favorite attractions to visit at Walt Disney World, during the performance of the show at some point the narrator recalls that Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt would often use an African proverb in reference to enacting tariffs against other countries in order to protect the American workers. "Speak softly and carry a big stick" How is Donald Trump's threat of tariffs as a negotiation tool any different from Teddy Roosevelt's use of tariffs? Thank you in advance.
no comments? are you deleting everything?
the comments were off all day
@@rachelebgi interesting...
The media failed with regards to DOGE. It should have been laughed out the door when Elon said it would save more than the ENTIRE DISCRETIONARY SPENDING of the US government. The headlines should have been ELON TOO STUPID TO RUN DEPARTMENT.
Ezra should do ASMR videos.
Sounds like Tom Ford.
Rich Thick Velvet.
Managed to talk about birth right issues without mentioning women or mothers. Sounds weird.
The biggest advantage Tesla has is its Superchargers. The push from the IRA was slow and typically bureaucratic. I would feel insecure driving any other EV across the country, and Tesla keeps adding Superchargers and providing more freedom.
Calf muscles the size of cantaloupes 😂.
25:16 I'm sorry that was a dumb point ezra. The ACA has been around for 15 years birthright citizenship has been around forever
Ice is irrationally acting
They handcuff throw in the vehicle and take you to some where unknown
Then they treat them like criminal
They should ask questions then decide what to do
Not handcuff them
Damn. Rough watch with this dude saying doge can't do anything cuz there are laws. Coups come at ya quick!
They are microanalysing Trump & Elon but nonchalantly mentioned that Newsom selectively targeted Tesla .
These dudes have weird vocal styles.
I saw the title and thought: wow i can't wait for Ezra of NYT to tell me what Trump is REALLY doing. 😂
Omg you almost heard a different opinion are you okay????
Dara Lind speaks so fast it’s painful to listen to her. I could not continue with this. Ezra Klein is a pleasure to hear speak.
why are dems so dweebish
Out of these three panelists, only one showered today lol
And you know because???
you all talking about trump like he's a president and not a dictator is one of the most stunning examples of naivety ever to be seen...good gawd people
No that’s just called intelligence and critical thinking
Enforcing the laws on the books is the job of the executive. You’re just not used to a President who is doing his job.
@@VictorSnellerthis. People are shocked to see the president exercise some power instead of being just a figurehead.
What kind of nonsense is right of those entering illegally? Why H1B people tortured then?
What's wild to me is that not only don't people seem to care about what he's doing; people actually seem enthusiastic about Trump’s whirlwind approach to governance. I can’t save I’ve ever seen this level of widespread optimism among the American public before, not even when Obama was first elected. Even my friends and family who hated Trump with a passion are now begrudgingly upbeat.
I suspect some of it is all of us are so starved for the possibility of change that people can get excited for even stuff they don't necessarily like. Some probably hope to just see that it is in fact possible, which means maybe people they agree with can do it in the future.
@ I’m onboard with a lot of what Trump in doing.
@@chickenfishhybrid44good point. The apathy has been broken.
Ezra trying to be the Joe Rogan of the liberals. Slob on that knob.
He has been playing that role for a pretty long time.
There's no such thing as 'the interior' of the United States. These are the types of wordings used by commentors to confabulate.
Not much to be seen here until the commentators and channel grow up.
@@brian5001 That's not the point.
Good luck with your work. You have a lot to do.
You people sit here nicely
But you must do something
That stops this harassing of poor
And innocent people
Ice is harassing
♟️we are the new normal BGR🛋