The Gist Trump's Long Game and Miles Taylor's Warning
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Aug 23, 2025 
Miles Taylor, a former top staffer at the Department of Homeland Security and known for his dissent as 'Anonymous,' shares insightful warnings from his new book, Blowback. He discusses the long-term dangers of Trump’s trade tactics, including tariffs that could jeopardize future elections. Taylor reflects on the emotional toll of anonymity in political discourse and the moral dilemmas faced by those dissenting within the Trump administration. He also highlights the urgent need for unity among moderates and progressives to counter the risk of a more extreme political landscape.
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Long-Term Payoff Risk
- Mike Pesca warns many Trump policies have payoffs beyond his term, creating incentives to prevent successors from taking credit.
- That delay raises risk that Trump might refuse to accept future electoral losses to protect long-term projects.
Tariffs' Deferred Benefits
- Pesca argues tariffs inflict immediate pain while benefits, if any, occur eight to eleven years later.
- That gap makes tariffs politically risky and susceptible to manipulation by a leader who won’t share credit.
Anonymity Backfired
- Miles Taylor says he used anonymity intentionally to spark debate similar to the Federalist Papers strategy.
- He later learned anonymity amplified conspiracies and paranoia inside the White House.
