Political Gabfest | Big and Beautiful or Huge and Horrendous

Slate News

Slate Podcasts

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.6 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 22 May 2025

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the huge House tax bill and its broad economic implications with Harvard economist Jason Furman, the DOJ’s selective investigation and prosecution of officials as a method of intimidation, and the Heritage Foundation’s “Project Esther” as the Trump administration’s blueprint for shutting down dissent with accusations of antisemitism. In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with author Susan Dominus about her new book, The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Research by Emily Ditto Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest.
0:06.5	May 22, 2025, the big and beautiful or huge and hideous edition.
0:24.1	I'm David Plotz of CityCast in Washington, D.C.
0:27.5	From Yale University Law School, the New York Times Magazine, Emily Bazelon, and New Haven, Connecticut also.
0:36.2	Hey, Emily.
0:36.8	Most importantly. Hey, David.
0:39.0	And from New York City, co-anchor of the CBS Evening News and the anchor of CBS Evening News Plus,
0:47.2	John Dickerson. Hiya, guys. You know, I was doing a totally separate promotion about the
0:53.2	Gab Fest for somebody.
0:57.9	Like, it wasn't Gab Fest related at all, but I had to say both of your names.
1:00.4	It was something, I can't remember what it was, just talking about something.
1:01.3	I had to say both your names.
1:09.6	And I've gotten so habituated to say John Dickerson that I said, John Dickerson in this way that I think people are listening to me like, it's wrong.
1:13.1	Does that person have a speech difficulty?
1:14.2	Why is he podcasting?
1:18.8	This week on the Gab Fest, we are going to talk about the megalithic budget busting, Medicaid walloping house budget bill with Harvard's Jason Furman, the former chair of the Council of Economic Advisors.
1:26.7	Then the Department of Justice is engaging in a series of what sure look like politicized
1:32.0	investigations and prosecutions of political figures who oppose Trump.
1:36.8	Can anyone stop this?
1:39.2	Then what is Project Esther who is behind it?
1:42.6	Why has it been so successful?
1:44.6	Plus, we will have cocktail chatter.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 10 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Slate Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Slate Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.