Trump and Musk play disruptor

KCRW's Left, Right & Center

KCRW

352865, News

4.2 • 4.8K Ratings

🗓️ 7 February 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, Trump lobbied for the United States military to oversee the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “riviera of the Middle East.” He forced a brief trade standoff with Canada and Mexico, paused foreign aid, and tried to freeze federal funding for public loans, grants, and other financial aid. American voters seemed to want Trump’s particular brand of disrupting the status quo, but could that backfire?

KCRW discusses some of the possible motivations behind Trump’s recent actions, including tariffs and the proposed spending freeze. We also explore the arguments surrounding the White House’s economic policy. Is the president still committed to his promise of putting American interests first?

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, everybody. Welcome to left, right, and center. I'm David Green. Sarah Isker is here. Moe Lathie is back after being away for a week. Mo, it's nice to have you back, and it's nice to have the team together to try and make sense of some pretty wild moments in our politics in our country right now.
0:20.0	Indeed.
0:21.3	Oh, that goes without saying.
0:24.4	Doesn't need a response.
0:25.8	I mean, I do, the more I think about our show and talk to people about it in 2025, I really do want it to be a place for all of you to come and try and make sense of moments.
0:41.2	You know, whatever so-called side you're on, maybe understand the other side a little better.
0:48.2	And when our politics are disorienting, you know, maybe we can offer you some clarity and
0:53.4	context as we work through
0:54.6	things together. And I think about this moment right now. And Mo, I don't have to tell you this.
1:00.8	People on the left are freaking out. And you can hear that in the voice of Democratic Senator
1:08.1	Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts here. Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies are determined to take over this government
1:14.0	to make it work better for themselves and worse for everyone else.
1:19.8	And this is just the start.
1:21.9	As we gear up for the tax fight, it will become even clearer that Trump will open the doors for his billionaires and giant
1:30.2	corporations to find more ways to loot the government at your expense. Meanwhile, everyone else
1:38.8	pays more for groceries, more for housing, more for prescription drugs, and more for health care.
1:45.7	When unelected billionaires start ransacking our government offices, this is not business
1:52.7	as usual. Nope, nothing is normal.
1:56.7	Something tells me that she's talking about Elon Musk there. I just want to say that.
2:19.0	You know, it's interesting, you know, Elizabeth Warren there says nothing is normal. I think there are many Republicans who are saying you're damn right that nothing is normal. We love that President Trump and Elon Musk are dismantling agencies like USAID, threatening to close things like the Department of Education because they claim that these institutions waste money.
2:22.4	This is Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana.
2:25.5	He was talking about the reaction he has been hearing from across the aisle.
	...

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