Big Take DC

American voters are so disillusioned by their options in the presidential election that pollsters have come up with a term for it: “Double-hater.” These are people who don’t like President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump, who leads the race for the GOP nomination. And yet, when asked by the Big Take DC podcast if an outsider candidate could break through in 2024, Ralph Nader, who ran for president outside the two major parties four times, gave a simple, “No.” Still, there are some indications that third-party candidates could cause trouble for the frontrunners. In this episode of Big Take DC, we examine the impact an outsider candidate could have on the general election and efforts from groups like No Labels to offer a viable alternative.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s economy has been in rough shape, and the government is trying to address it. But there’s another threat on the horizon: the US election.During their presidencies, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump backed policies that drove the US and China further apart. Now, they're both campaigning for re-election on continuing on that trajectory.In this episode, Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway from the Odd Lots podcast speak with Tom Orlik, chief economist at Bloomberg Economics, and Mackenzie Hawkins, US industrial policy reporter for Bloomberg News. They’ve measured what a Trump or Biden victory in 2024 could mean for China’s economy, and beyond. Subscribe to Odd Lots to get all of their episodes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America’s use of sanctions has grown by almost 1,000% since 9/11. So why isn’t Congress giving the office in charge of them more resources?Today on the Big Take DC podcast, host Saleha Mohsin talks to John Smith, a former director of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, and Bloomberg National Security editor Nick Wadhams about OFAC’s scrappy operation and why lawmakers aren’t giving it more to work with.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the US borrows money, just like any borrower, it needs to pay its loans back with interest.The national debt right now is $34 trillion and rising. Soon, America will need to spend more each year paying interest on the debt than it spends on national defense.Phillip Swagel, director of the Congressional Budget Office, and Bloomberg reporter Liz McCormick join the Big Take DC to discuss the US government’s debt spiral, and what it would take to rein it in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain has been in the news almost nonstop for successfully negotiating a new contract for union members and, most recently, endorsing President Joe Biden for re-election.But that endorsement is at odds with many rank-and-file union members who support Donald Trump. And Fain's next industry battle could be much harder.In setting his sights on electric vehicle makers like Tesla and rallying his union members (many in swing states) around Biden, Fain is trying to propel the UAW back to its former industry might and political sway.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year, as the US Federal Reserve kept raising interest rates to rein in inflation, Chair Jerome Powell kept pointing to one category of data that was guiding its decision: The labor market. But it’s possible that the labor market data-of-choice may have been faulty.Having a clear picture of how Americans are really doing is crucial during a presidential election cycle. Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin talked with Claudia Sahm, an ex-Fed economist, and with Odd Lots podcast hosts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway about whether economists have the best data to make key decisions about the US economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The biggest individual donors have been notably absent in the GOP primaries: Wall Street investors.  So far, big investors haven’t opened their wallets for Republican frontrunner and former President Donald Trump. But they haven’t rallied around any of his challengers, either. In fact, they’re just as fatigued by the options as everyday American voters, many of whom grimace at the thought of a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden.  Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin talks with Kyle Bass, who is plugged into the world of political money and is close with major donors, and Bloomberg politics editor Laura Davison about what investors want out of the 2024 election, the impact of their donations and what their hesitancy means for this consequential election.Corrects to remove reference to billionaire in podcast and third paragraph.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Big Take DC podcast has a special episode from Iowa to unpack the results of the first contest in the race for the Republican nomination. Former President Donald Trump’s landslide win was called before some caucus sites had even started debating. And the race for No. 2? Ron DeSantis won, with Nikki Haley coming in third. Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin is joined by Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook and Josh Green to unpack the outcome of the caucuses, what it means for the Republican party, and what it could tell us about the 2024 presidential race ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds gives an exclusive interview just days before her state kicks off the 2024 presidential cycle. After months of debates and polling, the Iowa caucuses will be the nation's first state-level contest for the next Republican presidential nominee.Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin talks with Reynolds about why Ron DeSantis has her vote, and what she’ll do if Donald Trump becomes the party’s nominee.This interview has been condensed for clarity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin shares one reported story a week about how money, power and politics shape Washington — and the consequences for people in America and all over the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.