WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The U.S. economy shrank in the first quarter of 2025, according to data released this week, and public companies on their earnings calls have recently warned about tariff effects, slowing consumer spending, and coming price increases. On the other hand, the jobs figures for April look solid. Yet nobody knows whether President Trump's Liberation Day tariffs are coming back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2025

Donald Trump removes national security adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy after the Signal chat controversy. What does the move mean for the administration's foreign policy? Plus, House Speaker Mike Johnson gives an update on the “big, beautiful” spending bill tackling defense spending, student loans, and Medicaid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2025

Does the First Amendment give a church the right to open a religious charter school? Or can states require that charter schools be secular, as part of the government's system of public education? The Justices wrestle with those questions in a case from Oklahoma, which could be a landmark ruling, with consequences for nearly four million students who now attend charters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 April 2025

The feds charge a state judge with helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE agents at the courthouse in Milwaukee. Is this an overreach by the Trump administration or a justified response to a violation of the law? Plus, amid President Trump's deal with El Salvador and new confusion about the circumstances of three deported U.S. citizen children, two polls suggest slipping public support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2025

Donald Trump ends the first 100 days of his second administration with lower approval ratings than at this point in his first term. Are his tariffs and the economy to blame, and what are some accomplishments so far that could inspire optimism for the rest of his time in office? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2025

Republican governors are pursuing waivers from the Agriculture Department to disallow purchases of candy, soft drinks, and other sweets via the SNAP food-assistance program. Is this commonsense government or burdensome nannyism? Plus, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin won't seek re-election in 2026, creating a Democratic primary in a blue state that could drift further left. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

After Russian missiles strike Kyiv, killing at least 12, Donald Trump urges Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” Yet the White House is putting most of its pressure on Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who opposes legitimizing Putin's illegal takeover of Crimea with formal recognition. Plus, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Legislatures agree to cellphones in K-12 classrooms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2025

When a public school adds stories with LGBT themes to its elementary reading curriculum, do religious parents have a First Amendment right to opt out? And did ObamaCare evade a constitutional check when it delegated power to the Preventive Services Task Force? The Supreme Court debates those points in Mahmoud v. Taylor and Kennedy v. Braidwood Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2025

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces more scrutiny, after an ouster of top aides and news reports about a second Signal chat group. But Donald Trump says he stands by Hegseth, amid rumors that the White House wants a replacement. Plus, the Supreme Court issues a midnight order halting deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, with a sharp dissent by Justice Samuel Alito.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2025

Donald Trump keeps testing the limits of his executive authority, and courts have been pushing back. Is a constitutional crisis on the horizon? On this episode of Potomac Watch, law professor John Yoo speaks to Paul Gigot about what could be a looming clash between the President and the Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2025

After putting his political capital on the line in GOP primaries, Abbott is close to enacting $10,000 scholarships for 100,000 students, as the bill passes the state House with votes to spare. Plus, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer blocks two of Donald Trump's nominees for federal prosecutor by withholding his "blue slip," but the president says he'll give Jay Clayton an interim appointment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

Trump clashes with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell over the Central Bank’s response to his tariffs. While Powell is expressing concerns, the president wants interest rates cut now. So what’s a stake for the economy, monetary policy and Powell’s tenure? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

The school rejects a list of demands from the Trump administration, including hiring and admissions changes to ensure "viewpoint diversity." Can the White House legally add such strings to federal funds, and could conservatives regret the precedent? Plus, Tax Day is a reminder to the Republicans writing the GOP's reconciliation bill that the revenue code is too complex already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2025

The Supreme Court rules the U.S. should “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a migrant deported to a Salvadoran prison, despite an order protecting him from being sent there. But El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele suggests he won't release the man, as the White House argues it's his decision and that U.S. courts can't intervene in a matter of foreign policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

Paul Gigot interviews Dartmouth economist Douglas Irwin on why Trump's tariffs are unlike any other in U.S. history, how they will change the global trading system, and what to do about the special case of China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson narrowly passes a budget outline, letting the GOP begin writing its "one big beautiful bill." But now comes the hard part: agreeing on the details of tax cuts and spending reductions. Plus, Donald Trump signs an order to make America's showers great again, but will manufacturers seize the opportunity to sell fixtures with more nozzles and water flow? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

Donald Trump places a 90-day pause on the so-called reciprocal tariffs levied on countries around the world, but hits China with an even higher rate. What is his strategy for dealing with Xi Jinping, and what will he demand from friends and foes during negotiations?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2025

Donald Trump's trade wars are roiling global business and financial markets, with China and the EU moving to retaliate. Yet only a handful of Republicans in Congress are pushing back, despite the GOP's past support for an open economy. Plus, the disruption raises pressure on Capitol Hill to pass a tax bill, and listeners write in with questions about the president's tariff strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2025

The Supreme Court lifts an order preventing swift removal of alleged gang members under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Yet the majority of the Justices take no position on the merits of using that law, while they also emphasize the requirement of due process. Meantime, an appeals court says the White House must seek the return of a man mistakenly sent to a prison in El Salvador. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2025

Markets continue to tumble as Donald Trump sends more mixed messages about how permanent his tariffs will be. Is the President still open to negotiations with countries around the world to pare back his tariffs, and will businesses and politicians start pushing back harder against the policy?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

Donald Trump's big tariffs have now drawn a big response from Beijing, which says it will add 34% duties to U.S. goods, roiling the stock market again on Friday. But a new lawsuit argues that the president's purported "emergency" tariffs aren't authorized by law, while a handful of Senate Republicans, including Rand Paul, vote to countermand the U.S. trade war against Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

Donald Trump delivers on his promise of sweeping tariffs, causing markets to plunge in response. The White House says the long-term gain will be worth the short-term pain, but how will the American consumer and the world at large be affected?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2025

The liberal candidate wins a Wisconsin Supreme Court election in a 10-point blowout, while the GOP retains two Florida congressional seats, but with closer margins than in November. Is this the start of a MAGA voter backlash against Donald Trump and Elon Musk? Plus, House Speaker Mike Johnson cancels this week's agenda after a GOP revolt on proxy voting for new parents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2025

Voters in Wisconsin are picking a new state Supreme Court justice, as Florida fills the U.S. House seats vacated by former Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz, in elections that the Democratic Party is trying to pitch as a referendum on Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court is skeptical of a Wisconsin ruling that denied a tax exemption to Catholic Charities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2025

Financial markets are nervous as Trump prepares for his biggest tariff launch yet on April 2. Plus, the President floats a possible run for a third term, but is it possible he could succeed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

Citing national security, Donald Trump puts 25% tariffs on automobiles, adding to his protectionist experiment, as he pushes U.S. taxes on imports to the highest in 75 years. Plus, the White House's effort to play down its use of Signal to discuss U.S. military actions results in the release of more messages, including one giving specific timing for "F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

Recent polls have shown approval ratings for Democrats are reaching all-time lows, with voters voicing their dissatisfaction with the way major cities are being run and implementation of liberal initiatives. So what can the party do after some self-reflection? On this episode of Potomac Watch, political scientist Ruy Teixeira tells Paul Gigot what changes Democrats need to make and why the party seems to embrace dysfunction instead of reform.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2025

The Justices hear two legal disputes that could have lasting consequences. Can Congress lend its taxing power to the executive branch without putting hard limits on its use? That's the question in FCC v. Consumers’ Research. And in a case about Louisiana's redistricting maps, the Court has a chance to say that racial gerrymandering isn't required and isn't even permitted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2025

President Trump's top aides, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reportedly discussed U.S. war plans against the Houthis in Yemen via the chat app Signal, according to the Atlantic magazine's Jeffrey Goldberg, who was apparently added to the group by mistake. What do their texts reveal, and how serious was this as a security breach? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 March 2025

The Trump Administration withholds $400 million in funding from Columbia University unless it institutes various policy changes, which president Katrina Armstrong surprisingly agrees to. Did the university deserve such a punishment, and how could this unprecedented sanction by the government be used in the future?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

Surrounded by school children at desks, Donald Trump signs an executive order to begin the elimination of the Department of Education, moving to shift authority back to the states. What does the decision mean for grant money and student loan programs, what kind of legal challenges might the Trump administration face, and is this good politics?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

Israel ends a two-week cease-fire with Hamas with a combination of air and ground strikes, but what will it take to secure the release of hostages? Plus, Donald Trump threatens the Houthis in Yemen will be “completely annihilated" if they continue to hold shipping routes hostage.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

Donald Trump's phone call with Vladimir Putin didn't produce a 30-day cease-fire in Ukraine, let alone a durable peace agreement. Will Trump now pressure Putin to drop some of his demands? Plus, Europe gets serious about rearming as negotiations drag on.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2025

Donald Trump invokes national security and the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador, ignoring a judge's order to halt proceedings. This comes amid growing GOP calls for judicial impeachments, and prompts a rare pushback from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. What's at stake in this fight? And is the country headed for a showdown over judicial power?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2025

Donald Trump is moving fast, yet one big question is how his more populist GOP will handle the pressing issue of healthcare. On this episode of All Things, Sally Pipes--healthcare aficionado and author of "The World’s Medicine Chest"--lays out the risks of Joe Biden's coming drug price controls, the need to cut billions in waste and fraud from Medicaid, the fading chances for replacing ObamaCare, and the upsides and downsides of some of Trump's health cabinet picks, including HHS Secretary RFK, Jr. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2025

The progressive majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is at stake in an April 1 election, and Democrats have decided their best campaign strategy is to run against Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Will it work? Plus, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer endures the wrath of the left for helping Republicans avoid a government shutdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio expresses "cautious optimism” for a deal, but Vladimir Putin is making military gains in the Kursk region, raising the question of what the U.S. will do if Russia wants to keep fighting. Plus, Chuck Schumer faces the ire of fellow Democrats after arguing that helping to pass the House GOP spending bill is better than shutting down the government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

Speaker Mike Johnson pulls together House Republicans to pass a bill funding the government through Sept. 30, putting pressure on Senate Democrats to agree before a deadline of midnight Friday. Plus, the GOP shields itself from a tough vote on Donald Trump's trade wars, as the president threatens to respond to Europe's tariff retaliation with a 200% levy on imported wine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2025

Mahmoud Khalil, a "lead negotiator" for the anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University last year, is detained by federal agents who want to revoke his green card, and President Trump says more such cases are coming. Can speech, such as support for Hamas, be a legal grounds for deportation? What about the First Amendment? And could this case go to the Supreme Court? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2025

Amid a measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico that has put 29 in the hospital and killed a school-age child, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calls MMR vaccines an option, while also touting steroids and cod-liver oil as a miracle treatment. Plus, an appeals court upholds a New York law ending school vaccine exemptions for religious beliefs, which could go to the Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2025

How is Donald Trump's much-discussed Department of Government Efficiency working in practice? In this episode of All Things, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin explains his agency's partnership with DOGE and the process by which they are identifying waste and fraud to make the federal government more accountable. What grants or programs are being cut, and why? What's happening to the EPA workforce? How much internal "resistance" is there to these goals? And how does EPA balance its mission of "clean air, land and water for every American" with the goal of a smaller government?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2025

Despite warnings in financial markets, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says there will be no economic downturn. Donald Trump is more equivocal as he says the economy is in transition to better days as his tariffs are implemented.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2025

The number of migrants encountered at the southwest border has dropped significantly since Donald Trump's re-election in November, as he turns the U.S. toward a message of deterrence. Meantime, mayors from major “sanctuary cities," including New York and Chicago, are called to Capitol Hill for tough questions about their efforts to shield illegal immigrants from federal law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 March 2025

The President's 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada are on again, then off, then on again, and then partially off--at least for a month. What's Donald Trump up to with his trade policy, and is the resulting uncertainty starting to hurt a U.S. economy that is already weakening? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2025

A defiant Donald Trump delivers the longest presidential speech to Congress in modern history, interrupted by jeers from Democrats, including Rep. Al Green, who is escorted out. But on the substance, has the President proposed enough clear direction for the GOP, given his many ambitious promises, from a balanced budget and tax-free tips to the Panama Canal and Greenland? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2025

The explosive meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump continues to radiate fallout, as the president announced a pause in aid to Ukraine, and Europe rallied around Ukraine with promises of troops. Can the U.S.-Ukraine rare minerals deal still be salvaged? And what's the next stage in the now three-year conflict that Russian president Vladimir Putin started with his invasion of his neighbor?    On this episode of All Things, New York Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) explains why Vladimir Putin was the only winner after the Trump/Zelensky meeting and what he thinks comes next--as well as his sense of Trump's broader vision of foreign policy. He also provides the latest state of play on a bill to avoid a shutdown, and the broader negotiations on a reconciliation bill to enact Trump's border, energy and tax policies this year.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2025

The President follows through on his threat to impose 25% tariffs, as Canada and Mexico plan to retaliate with reciprocal taxes on U.S. goods, such as orange juice and bourbon. Given that voters are still upset about inflation under Joe Biden, is Trump taking a political risk, if his trade war means that U.S. consumers will see higher prices on produce, SUVs, and other items? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2025

The world is still reacting to the contentious Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, with European leaders pledging boots on the ground to defend Ukraine. But while Donald Trump waits for an apology, what will it take for a return to the rare mineral deal that brought Zelensky and Trump together, and will Russia come to the negotiating table?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 3 March 2025

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Washington to sign a deal with the U.S. on mineral rights, but an Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump and JD Vance breaks down in acrimony. Zelensky says any cease-fire with Russia must be backed by security guarantees, given Vladimir Putin's record of breaking his word. Trump says the meeting shows Zelensky isn't ready for peace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2025

The House GOP narrowly passes the budget outline for Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.” Democrats think they can ultimately defeat the bill by targeting Medicaid reform, and Republicans will have to join that debate or lose.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 27 February 2025