Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast Rick Wilson & Irin Carmon
Nov 3, 2025
Rick Wilson, the founder of the Lincoln Project, discusses the chaos of the Trump administration, highlighting how government mismanagement affects airport operations. Irin Carmon, a senior correspondent at New York Magazine, dives into her book on maternal health, illustrating the consequences of restrictive pregnancy policies on women's autonomy. They tackle the U.S. maternal mortality crisis and the chilling effects of abortion restrictions on prenatal care, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic change in reproductive healthcare.
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Incompetence Plus Authoritarian Theater
- Rick Wilson warns that Trump’s administration mixes incompetence with deliberate authoritarian theater, causing real harm to services like air traffic control and SNAP benefits.
- This combination amplifies cruelty and destabilizes systems while appealing to MAGA theater for political support.
Unqualified Appointees Degrade Systems
- Wilson highlights that unqualified appointees (reality TV figures, pundits) now run complex agencies, worsening operational failures.
- He says these leaders lack knowledge of government mechanics and that degrades critical systems like the Pentagon and DOT.
Political Standoff Causes Real Hunger
- The DHS shutdown and withholding of the 218th seat has concrete local impacts like food banks overwhelmed and families sleeping in cars.
- Rick Wilson ties political maneuvering directly to people losing basic necessities such as SNAP emergency funds.
