The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich

Friends,Today Heather and I take a deep dive into the Trump regime’s efforts to suppress free speech on university campuses in America, starting with the detention of a Columbia University graduate student for no reason other than his beliefs and his participation in peaceful demonstrations that the regime disapproves of. We then zoom out to the larger story of the Trump-Musk attack on American universities, and the simultaneous crackdown on dissent by the American oligarchy with power over social and mainstream media (Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Rupert Murdoch, and others). Where is the opposition? Heather and I then assess why the Democratic Party is so supine — and why Chuck Schumer in particular is so willing to surrender to Trump and Musk — even in light of Trump and Musk’s wanton destruction of the government and the devastating economic consequences of Trump’s tariffs. Please grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, take our poll, and join the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Michael is filling in for Heather today (thank you, Michael, and we miss you, Heather). Michael and I assess week 7 of this horrendous regime, starting with Trump’s interminable speech and ending with his decision to pull back from imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico, after the stock market nearly tanked. We also examine the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to rein in Trump, congressional Republican resistance to Musk’s “chainsaw” cuts, and the beginnings of a Democratic backbone to resist Trump. Bottom line: The Trump “honeymoon” is over. Michael is almost exactly a half-century younger than I am, so we end with a discussion of Gen Z and its views and fears. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, fill out our poll, and join the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today, Heather and I discuss Trump’s and Vance’s disgraceful treatment of Ukraine President Zelensky in the Oval Office yesterday — a man who for more than three years has courageously held off Putin’s aggression, maintained the will of the Ukrainian people, and risked his life to contain the Russian dictator. Trump did this to undermine Zelensky’s heroic image in the eyes of the American people so that when Trump bows to Putin’s demands for Ukraine, Republicans in Congress will have a fig leaf of justification. Make no mistake: The emergence of the Trump-Putin axis is the most cynical and dangerous change in American foreign policy in 80 years.Also on our agenda today: Musk’s DOGE meltdown. The House Republican budget that’s taking from the poor and vulnerable to reward the rich and privileged. Jeff Bezos and the shamelessness of America’s oligarchy under Trump. Plus some reasons for hope. Please grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, take our poll, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today, Heather and I assess the fifth week of the regime, when Trump took America over to the dark side by endorsing Vladimir Putin’s narrative of how the Ukraine war began and why Europe should defend itself rather than be an ally of the United States.We also have as our special guest Rohit Chopra, the former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who was fired by Trump at the same time Trump imposed on the CFPB a stop order that closed much of it down. Chopra was recently described by Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorganChase, the largest bank in the United States, as “an arrogant, out-of-touch, son-of-a-b***h who just made things worse for a lot of Americans.” I consider Dimon’s condemnation a strong endorsement of Chopra. (And for the record, I think Jamie Dimon is an arrogant, out-of-touch robber baron who has made things far worse for a lot of Americans — and will shaft even more people now that Rohit Chopra has been fired by Trump.) Whether the choice is posed by Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Jamie Dimon, or Elon Musk, the question is the same: Do we want democratic capitalism or oligarchy? Please grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, take our poll, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today, nearing the end of the fourth week of the Trump-Vance-Musk regime, Heather and I assess Musk’s Oval Office press conference — in which he accused federal employees of dishonesty but provided no evidence — and analyze Musk’s own dishonesty and conflicts of interest. We also examine Trump’s promise in the 2024 election to bring prices down, in light of new evidence of inflation. We also delve into Trump’s Justice Department, and the revolt by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and five other senior attorneys against orders that they drop charges against New York City’s mayor and thereby compromise the integrity of the department. So grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, take our poll, and join in the discussion. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today Heather and I assess week 3 of the Trump regime — a week marked by Trump’s bonkers talk about turning Gaza into a riviera tourist destination by removing all Gazans and setting up “beautiful” beachfront resorts, and by Elon Musk’s almost total takeover of the federal government, including the destruction of USAID.Where is this heading? What’s the meaning of “law” in this lawless environment? Are there any signs that Democrats and other are fighting back? Please grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, take our poll, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today Heather and I assess the first two weeks of Trump II, the damage he’s done to individuals and to democratic institutions, and what decent people can do to fight back. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, take our poll, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Some pundits are saying that Trump II is basically just a rehash of Trump I. Heather and I are here to tell you they’re wrong. Trump II is far worse. Today we discuss Week 1: Trump’s cruel and unconstitutional executive orders; his use of active duty military at the border; his pardons to the 1,500 thugs who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, at Trump’s behest; Elon Musk’s nods and winks to neo-Nazis; and Trump’s conspicuous alliance with the richest oligarchs in America. The underlying question we ask is: What’s Trump’s real second-term agenda?So grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, take our poll, and join the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today Heather and I look at the last week of the Biden administration and ahead to the first week of Trump’s. What can the confirmation hearings tell us about what to expect? What was the real significance of Biden’s “farewell” address? Will it be fascism or oligarchy, or both? And, by the way, what should we take away from the imminent end to TikTok? Please grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, take our poll, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Note: I’m reposting this edition of The Coffee Klatch as there seem to have been delivery issues and many people have reported not receiving it. Apologies to anyone receiving this late, or twice.Friends,Today we talk about the L.A. fires, the human disaster as well as its connection to climate change, as well as the firestorm of dangerous and nasty misinformation about it on X, and the future of places like L.A. that are subject to climate disasters.Also: Trump — the first president to enter office as a convicted felon — has a news conference that shows how bonkers he is. And Mark Zuckerberg joins Elon Musk to allow vicious lies on his giant platform. We are witnessing a takeover by a small number of hugely wealthy people who will control the information we get and control our government. And it’s blatant. So please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, take our poll, and join our discussion. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe