Big Take DC

President Trump’s attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell just keep coming. Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg’s Michael McKee and Saleha Mohsin join Sarah Holder and David Gura to ask: Can the president actually fire Powell? And what impact could his ongoing threats have on the US dollar and global financial markets? Read more: Markets Are Discovering the Real Trump Trade Is ‘Sell America’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the trade war between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping continues to escalate, economists around the world are asking who will blink first. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s John Liu and Jennifer Welch join host David Gura to discuss what it will take for both presidents to come to the negotiating table, how the current state of China’s economy impacts its positioning in the trade war and why hardball tactics are unlikely to work this time around.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a week for global markets. As President Trump goes back and forth about the size and scope of his tariffs, Bloomberg is watching one market especially closely: bonds. US Treasuries are widely seen as one of the world’s safest assets, especially in periods of financial volatility. But will they hold? On today’s episode of the Big Take DC, hosts Sarah Holder and Saleha Mohsin sit down with Bloomberg chief correspondent Liz Capo McCormick to unpack a week of sharp selloffs in the bond market, and how the swings could impact mortgage rates and student loans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg reporter Josh Wingrove, who covers the White House, joins to unpack President Trump's unprecedented tariff announcement, including a staggering 10% baseline tariff on global exports and over 50% on many Chinese goods. Wingrove delves into the potential upheaval this could cause in global trade and financial markets. He discusses the mixed reactions from international players and the ongoing debate among U.S. economic advisors. The conversation also touches on the uncertainty surrounding future trade policies and their implications for consumers.

The Trump administration is targeting higher education. Colleges and universities across the United States are faced with the threat of funding freezes over their handling of free speech, anti-semitism and transgender issues, among other topics, on campus.    Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber joins host David Gura to discuss the newly announced freeze on some federal grants, the role of academic research, Princeton’s commitment to free speech and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has been shaping US policy for years. She helped create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after the 2008 financial crisis, has been a senator since 2013 and ran for president in 2020. Today, she’s a key voice in the Democratic Party’s opposition to President Trump's agenda and the priorities of a Republican-controlled Congress. Ahead of Thursday’s confirmation hearing of Trump’s Securities and Exchange Commission Chair nominee, Paul Atkins, Big Take host David Gura sat down with Warren for a wide-ranging interview on regulatory independence, the future of the Democratic Party and the Signal group chat leak. Read more: Elizabeth Warren Warns Fed Chair Powell Could Be Fired by TrumpSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before November last year, Stephen Miran was a little known economist, but a week after President Trump’s election he published a paper that set the financial world on fire. “A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trade System” calls for a weaker US dollar and big tariff hikes. Now he’s working from the White House as President Trump’s new Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He sat down for a live interview with Saleha Mohsin, talking about tariffs and currency policy. Read more: Trump Economic Adviser Rejects Short-Term Pain From Tariff HikesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a busy week for the Federal Reserve, between Trump’s nomination of a new vice chair for supervision on Monday and an anticipated rate decision on Wednesday.    To unpack all the news, host Saleha Mohsin sits down with former Fed and Treasury official Randy Quarles to talk about regulation, DOGE and Trump’s approach to the Fed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After weeks of uncertainty that ricocheted through markets, President Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from every country in the world went into effect on Wednesday morning.  Immediately after, Canada and the EU retaliated. Now, investors, automakers and American consumers are wondering how it will hit the economy. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host Saleha Mohsin is joined by Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove to explore what Trump’s metals tariffs could mean for domestic manufacturing and for America’s relationships with some of its closest allies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump appeared before a joint session of Congress for the first time since the start of his second term. It was his fifth such appearance, and he celebrated what he saw as early wins in his first 43 days back in office — and spoke about what’s next on his agenda. Bloomberg Businessweek national correspondent Josh Green and Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin explore what the speech reveals about Trump’s vision for trade, the US economy and America’s role in geopolitics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.