Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In this episode, I sit down with my co-host Drew to rip into one of the most turbulent weeks in global politics and economics we’ve seen in a long time. We break down not just the moves, but the motives and the possible massive consequences behind Trump’s high-octane foreign policy—from slashing tariffs with China and locking in a colossal Saudi investment deal, to taking the unprecedented step of targeting Big Pharma with an executive order to lower drug prices.
We get into whether all this fast action is actually helping America or just stirring up more chaos. Are we leveraging our moment, or just getting played by the likes of Xi and Putin? Does tough talk and bold negotiating end with real results for America, or are we setting ourselves up for long-term headaches, especially with midterms on the horizon?
Then we peel back the layers on some of the rawest culture war issues, from immigration crackdowns in the UK, the controversy about a Muslim-majority city in Texas, to the viral video of world leaders acting out-of-pocket on a train to Kiev.
SHOWNOTES
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00:00 – China’s 90-Day Tariff Pause: Progress or a Lifeline for Xi?
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01:42 – Negotiation Tactics: Deal-Making or Getting Played?
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03:48 – The Real Purpose of the 90-Day Pause
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05:16 – China Can Print Money: Central Banks and Sinister Power
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07:13 – Trump’s Aggressive Approach: Productive Chaos?
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09:14 – What’s Actually Getting Done—And What’s Just PR?
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10:57 – Accepting a Gold-Plated Jet: Smart Move or Trojan Horse?
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13:29 – Why “Greedy Capitalist” Isn’t Always an Insult
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15:51 – When Deals Cross the Line
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18:38 – Global Trade Rebalancing: Is Win-Win Possible with China?
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21:17 – Breaking Down the $600 Billion Saudi Deal
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24:23 – Why Innovation Stalled—and What Competition With China Could Spark
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25:54 – Instilling Inspiration vs. Self-Loathing in American Youth
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29:31 – Price Fixing Big Pharma: Popular, but Ultimately Dangerous?
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32:15 – Central Banks: The Fungus Beneath the Free Market
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36:07 – How Drug Pricing Actually Gets Decided (and Where It Breaks Down)
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39:04 – Why Price Fixing Backfires
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42:36 – Cigarettes, Prisons, and the True Nature of Supply & Demand
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47:14 – Drug Discovery, Innovation, and Unintended Consequences
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54:58 – Culture Wars: Immigration Policy in the UK and the US
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58:34 – Building the Modern Middle East—Without Western Intervention
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60:48 – The Harsh Realities of Assimilation and Cultural Conflict
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65:35 – What Happens When Zoning and Religion Collide?
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71:19 – Demographics as Destiny: What History Teaches About Outnumbering
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74:00 – Respecting Law, Freedom, and What It Means to Be American
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