GOP Rushes To Pass Trump's Big Beautiful Bill

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has seemingly been waging a personal war on the federal government via his Department of Government Efficiency. In the last few weeks, he and his team have urged millions of federal workers to resign, fed the U.S. Agency for International Development 'into the wood chipper,' and gotten access the Treasury Department’s secure payment system. And on Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Musk's DOGE team would soon ‘plug in’ to the air traffic control system. Charlie Warzel, a staff writer at The Atlantic covering tech and media, says Musk's actions amount to 'an administrative coup.' Later in the show, Crooked Media’s news editor, Greg Walters, shares stories from federal workers dealing with the fallout.And in headlines: The White House does damage control over Trump’s plans for the U.S. to ‘take over the Gaza Strip,’ the president signed yet another executive order targeting trans kids, and Scotland says it’s not banning cats.Show Notes:Check out Charlie's piece – https://tinyurl.com/2dmjvnhuSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

6 Feb 22min

We’re a little over two weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term, and already his foreign policy doctrine could be generously described as “all over the place.” From threatening to levy huge tariffs on our close allies only to delay them at the last minute to dismantling foreign aid efforts alongside the world’s richest man to now volunteering the U.S. to take control of Gaza, it’s all been a bit hard to keep up with. Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor to President Obama and co-host of Crooked’s ‘Pod Save the World,’ stopped by the studio to talk about the ripple effects of Trump’s early foreign policy decisions. And in headlines: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard inched closer to Senate confirmation, The Trump administration is preparing an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, and a D.C. Superior Court judge handed over The Proud Boys’ trademark to a Black church that had been vandalized by members of the far-right group.Show Notes:Check out Pod Save The World – https://tinyurl.com/mrapf4a4Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

5 Feb 19min

As of Monday evening, President Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on Canada and Mexico are on hold for at least 30 days. But that could all change as the Trump administration continues to negotiate with U.S. allies. Scott Lincicome, Vice President of General Economics and Trade Policy at the Cato Institute, tells us what a trade war is and how it affects all of us.And in headlines: Democrats put out a 10-part plan to “push back against the far-right extremism,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he’s the acting director of USAID, and President Trump signed an executive order to create a sovereign wealth fund.Show Notes:Check out Scott's book: cato.org/books/defending-globalizationSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

4 Feb 22min

Thousands of trans people serving in the armed forces are worried that their careers are in real peril after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that could ban them from the military. Army veteran Laila Ireland tells us about her experience as a trans service member and what she’s doing to fight back.And in headlines: Trump signed an order imposing tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, The Department of Justice fired more than a dozen federal prosecutors, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama.Show Notes:Check out SPARTA: https://spartapride.org/Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

3 Feb 23min

An American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, and an Army helicopter on a routine training flight collided over the Potomac River late Wednesday night. While investigators spent Thursday trying to piece together what happened, President Donald Trump took the opportunity to blame the tragedy on... Democrats and D.E.I. It was the latest outrage in too many to count since Trump took office not even two weeks ago. Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin joins us to talk about what Democrats can do to counter Trump’s onslaught of horrifying nonsense. Later in the show, Crooked Idea's climate correspondent Anya Zoledziowski shares some good news about Trump’s anti-climate orders.And in headlines, Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel got their chance to flail in front of senators during their respective confirmation hearings, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he’s headed to Panama amid Trump’s threats to retake the Panama Canal, and a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to hold.Show Notes:Checkout Anya's work: Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

31 Jan 27min

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Laken Riley Act, a new law that requires law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants who are accused – not convicted – of committing a crime. During the signing ceremony, Trump also announced his intent to sign an executive order to send migrants to a detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. It all comes amid a very public push by the administration to show Americans it's very serious about cracking down on illegal immigration, even as the details remain a little opaque. Michelle Hackman, a reporter covering immigration for The Wall Street Journal, breaks down what's actually happening.And in headlines: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. flails in his first confirmation hearing to be the next health secretary, The Trump administration walks back its order to freeze federal funds for grants and loans… maybe? And former Sen. Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison.Show Notes:Check out Michelle's work – wsj.com/news/author/michelle-hackmanSupport victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

30 Jan 20min

A federal judge late Tuesday paused a sweeping order from the Trump administration to temporarily freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans. It was welcome news amid a day of total chaos that left everyone from lawmakers to hospital administrators to preschool teachers scrambling to figure out what the hell the administration’s Monday night directive meant for them. White House officials spent the day insisting the funding pause was legal, even as they were forced to clarify its scope throughout the day. Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, explains why the administration faces an uphill legal battle defending it's order.And in headlines: Newly confirmed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem wants everyone to know she’s a ‘Hot Mama,’ the Trump administration offers deferred resignation to government employees, and President Donald Trump signed another executive order targeting trans people.Show Notes:Check out Casey's podcast Mastering The Room – https://tinyurl.com/34rsv7xySupport victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

29 Jan 22min

The Trump administration late Sunday ordered federal health officials to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately. It followed President Donald Trump’s executive order last week to pull the U.S. out of the WHO entirely. The administration has also ordered health agencies to pause almost all external communications – from updating websites to issuing scientific reports — amid increasing fears over bird flu. Dr. Abdul el-Sayed, health officer for Wayne County, Mich., and host of the podcast “America Dissected,’ explains how Trump’s executive orders are rippling through the public health workforce. Later in the show, Bloomberg senior story editor Stacey Vanek Smith explains what’s happening with Chinese A.I. app DeepSeek.And in headlines: Trump won’t stop announcing terrible new executive orders, the Department of Justice fires more than a dozen prosecutors who worked on criminal investigations into Trump, and Florida Republicans defy Gov. Ron DeSantis.Show Notes:Check out America Dissected – https://tinyurl.com/m64mnb8uSupport victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

28 Jan 24min