Fritz Bartel, an Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Texas A&M and author of 'The Triumph of Broken Promises', delves into the political challenges of public spending cuts, especially in light of the Trump administration's goals. He discusses the difficulty of slashing entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security, drawing parallels to historical austerity measures in the Eurozone. Bartel also contrasts how different political systems approach credibility in the face of strict economic necessities, revealing vital lessons from the economic crises of the past.