The Escalating War of Words Between President Trump and Governor Newsom
We begin with the escalating war of words between President Trump and California’s Governor Newsom, who described Trump’s actions taken against Los Angeles as fulfilling “The deranged fantasies of a dictatorial president.” Joining us to discuss how the world’s fifth largest economy can handle an aggressive federal government dominated by a Republican Party anchored in South East Red States, which California’s taxpayers subsidize, is Michael Hiltzik, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and columnist at Los Angeles Times. He currently writes a twice-weekly column covering business and economic issues relevant to life in California. His books include The New Deal: A Modern History and Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America; his latest book is Golden State: The Making of California. We discuss his latest article at the LA Times, “Can Newsom block tax payments to the U.S. government? No, but we do give more than we get back.”
In Sending in the Marines Against Protesters in LA, is Trump Stoking a Possible Civil War?
Then we look into Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s testimony today before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Defense, in which he admitted he did not know what authority Trump is using to deploy the National Guard and Marines in LA, and assess how much a possible civil war is being stoked, as Trump describes protesters as terrorists. Joining us is an expert of international and domestic terrorism, Tom Mockaitis, a professor of history at DePaul University, where he teaches courses in British, Modern European, and Military History. His research and writing covers international security, terrorism, unconventional conflict, and military history. A regular contributor to The Hill, he has taught counter-terrorism courses at venues around the world as part of the U.S. Department of Defense Counter-terrorism Fellowship Program. He is the author of 6 books, including ‘New’ Terrorism: Myths and Reality and Violent Extremists: Understanding the Domestic and International Terrorist Threat.
Trump Offers Up His Tesla For $69, Trashing His Former Best Buddy and Biggest Donor Who Bought Him the Presidency
Then, as Trump trashes his former best buddy and biggest donor who bought the presidency for him, vowing to sell for $69 the Tesla he recently bought to support Musk, we speak with Alexander Reid Ross, an award-winning geographer and writer living in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of Against the Fascist Creep and co-author of Climate Change, Urbanization, and Water Resources. He lectures at Portland State University and is the host of the podcast Years of Lead. We discuss his article at New Lines Magazine, “Steve Bannon and Elon Musk Are Battling for the Soul of Trumpism.”