We're a little more than two months into Trump's second term, and even though I was nowhere near what anyone would call optimistic about how it would go, even I've been surprised just how off-the-rails it's been. From the unexplainable on-again, off-again tariff threats causing uncertainty in the U.S. economy, to his shocking attacks on judges and private law firms who dare rule against him or defend his enemies, or the straight up gaslighting his administration is attempting with Signalgate, it's been one bad thing after another. It's not that there aren't some good things happening, it's just that they are drops in the bucket compared to the long-term damage I believe he's doing to the country that will take us generations to undo. So, yeah, this one isn't exactly sunny and optimistic to listen to.

NOTES:

Tariff Myths, Debunked – Scott Lincicome – Cato Institute

https://www.cato.org/commentary/tariff-myths-debunked

Trump’s Tariffs Mapped by Voter Impact –  – The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/15/business/economy/tariffs-trump-maps-voters.html

Americans Paid for the Trump Tariffs—and Would Do So Again – Clark Packard, Scott Lincicome, Alfredo Carrillo Obregon – Cato Institute

https://www.cato.org/blog/americans-paid-trump-tariffs-would-do-so-again

The State of the American Middle Class – Rakesh Kochhar – Pew Research Center

https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/05/31/the-state-of-the-american-middle-class/

Inside Trump’s Campaign Against Law Firms – Charlotte Lawson, Grayson Logue, James P. Sutton – The Dispatch

https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/inside-trumps-campaign-against-law-firms/

60% of Republicans Think the Trump Administration’s Military Leak Is a Very or Somewhat Serious Problem – Taylor Orth – YouGov

https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/51888-republicans-think-the-trump-administrations-military-leak-is-problem

Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal – Jeffrey Goldberg, Shane Harris – The Atlantic

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/signal-group-chat-attack-plans-hegseth-goldberg/682176/