logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2
29m 5s

How Trump, Musk and Doge shattered the U...

The Guardian
About this episode
In the end, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge, sort of just … fizzled out. So did Musk save the taxpayer any money? What happened the people who lost their jobs in the mass bureaucratic culling? What services were affected? Will Americans ever trust their government again? Jonathan Freedland speaks to author Sasha Abramsky about his ne ... Show More
Up next
Today
Is blasphemy the last straw for Trump’s Maga base?
No matter how much Donald Trump outrages his opponents, nothing ever seems to stick. But what about his own base? With controversies surrounding the Epstein files, his war on Iran, and now a ‘blasphemous’ post depicting the president as Jesus, could Maga finally be pulling away? ... Show More
28m 35s
Apr 10
Could Trump be forced out of office?
This week, despite securing a temporary ceasefire with Iran, there were calls from both the left and the right to invoke the 25th amendment of the US constitution to remove Donald Trump from office. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief, David Smith, ... Show More
27m 17s
Mar 27
Is Trump losing it? (the war of course)
Donald Trump says the US has won its war with Iran. Iranian officials responded to this by mocking him. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Susan Glasser of the New Yorker about analysis suggesting Trump is losing his touch when it comes to sealing the deal, winning elections ... Show More
28m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Inside the Harvard vs. Trump Battle
President Donald Trump has been on an escalating campaign to reorder elite higher education. The administration’s Anti-Semitism Task Force has frozen billions of dollars in federal funding after Harvard refused to comply with their demands. WSJ’s Douglas Belkin on the showdown be ... Show More
18m 15s
Apr 2025
The University President Willing to Fight Trump
<p>This week, we interviewed two people with leading roles in the rapidly escalating conflict between the Trump administration and American higher education. </p><p>Today, we speak with the president of Princeton University, Christopher L. Eisgruber, about the institution’s path ... Show More
38m 49s
Mar 2025
Trump's College Crackdown
Columbia University gave in to President Trump’s demands after he revoked roughly $400 million in federal funding. WSJ’s Douglas Belkin explains how the university made its decision, and the impact that may have on campuses across the country. Further Reading:  - Universities ... Show More
17m 44s
May 2025
Why does Trump want to tear down Harvard?
Not content with demanding government oversight of Harvard's teaching and appointments, Donald Trump has directed his government to cease all federal funding of America's most prestigious university. And in a wider blow to academia, US embassies around the world have been ordered ... Show More
39m 31s
May 2025
Harvard Is Trying to Resist Trump. It Might Not Be Working.
<p>For Harvard students, this year’s graduation ceremony comes amid an intense standoff between one of America’s most prestigious universities and the United States government.</p><p>Michael S. Schmidt, an investigative reporter for The Times, explains how the conflict escalated ... Show More
28m 52s
May 2025
Swamp Notes: Trump takes on higher ed
Description: US President Donald Trump is in an ongoing standoff with America’s top universities. Harvard lost $2.3bn in federal funding after it refused to comply with the administration’s demands on admissions and diversity, equity and inclusion. Columbia complied with a simila ... Show More
20m 35s
Apr 2025
Trump vs. Harvard
First, we explore the standoff between the White House and America's wealthiest university. Billions of dollars are on the line, but Harvard says it's not budging. Plus, the Trump Administration says it does not have the power to bring back a man deported by accident. So what hap ... Show More
46m 12s
May 2025
Trump vs. Harvard
The Trump Administration escalates its war against Harvard, barring the school from enrolling international students. Will other universities be next? Plus, we have new details on the man charged with gunning down two Israeli embassy staffers. And rapper Kid Cudi takes the stand ... Show More
45m 35s
Apr 2025
'If You Can Keep It': Higher Education Funding
The Trump administration is threatening to pull billions of dollars in funding from top universities across the country.Last week, it froze $1 billion meant for Cornell University and $750 million meant for Northwestern University. The two schools are currently being investigated ... Show More
34m 20s