Political Gabfest - Dial M for Mortgage Fraud
Political Gabfest
Slate Podcasts
4.4 • 8.5K Ratings
🗓️ 28 August 2025
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Trump’s brazen effort to smash Fed independence by wielding allegations of mortgage fraud against Fed governor Lisa Cook, the expanding law enforcement role of the National Guard in DC and other cities, and the inexplicable folly of Trump’s all-out assault on the renewable wind industry.
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss this week’s bizarre NYC bribery scandal involving an advisor to Eric Adams, Chinese influence, and a bag of potato chips.
In the latest Gabfest Reads, Emily talks with Jonathan Mahler about his new book, The Gods of New York. They discuss the unraveling of Mayor Ed Koch’s New York City; how the city’s current mayoral race is mirroring the past; and more.
Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Kevin Bendis
Research by Emily Ditto
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to this late political gab fest. |
| 0:10.3 | August 28th, 2025, the Dial M for Mortgage Fraud edition. |
| 0:22.0 | I'm David Plotz of CityCast from Washington, D.C., from New Haven, Connecticut, where she |
| 0:29.5 | remains at Yale University Law School and the New York Times Magazine, my dear friend, |
| 0:34.4 | Emily Baz, the Bazelon. |
| 0:36.7 | Hello. |
| 0:37.6 | Hello. |
| 0:39.1 | And from New York City, where he remains the co-anchor of the CBS Evening News and the anchor of CBS Evening News Plus, John Dickerson. |
| 0:48.9 | Hi, guys. |
| 0:50.2 | Hello. |
| 0:51.5 | This week on the Gab Fest, President Trump moves to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook in a bold and brazen effort to smash the independence of the Federal Reserve. |
| 1:02.4 | Then Trump is trying to convert the National Guard into an at-hand local police force. Will Americans tolerate an army on the streets in American cities? |
| 1:14.0 | Then the Trump administration is systematically, and to my mind, just inexplicably, |
| 1:20.5 | destroying the renewable energy industry. |
| 1:23.0 | Why are they doing that? |
| 1:24.2 | What possible good could that be? |
| 1:25.7 | Plus, we will have cocktail chatter. |
| 1:29.7 | President has proposed, let me say it again, and a little bit of stray walnut for my |
| 1:35.2 | breakfast on my tongue there. Stray walnut on my tongue is my favorite Frank Sinatra song. |
| 1:45.5 | Trump has proposed to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook for cause. |
| 1:49.3 | Cook was appointed by Biden, but has opposed the rate cuts that Trump has been demanding from the Fed. |
| 1:55.7 | Bill Pulte is a top federal housing official, also a big wealthy housing building guy, and now increasingly |
... |
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