The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich

Today marks the third year since the attack on the Capitol. The person responsible is now leading the race to become the Republican candidate for president, and, if polls are to be believed, is even leading incumbent President Joe Biden.

Heather and I discuss whether Trump will ever be held accountable. We also address the so-called “crisis” at the border and the ouster of Harvard President Claudine Gay, as parts of the Trump-Republican strategy.

Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us. And if you wish, take our poll.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

[Most of you wanted us back in video, so here we are.]

This week, the secretary of state of Maine decided — as did the Colorado Supreme Court last week — that under Article 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, Donald Trump should not appear on the Republican primary ballot. So what will and what should the Supreme Court do?

More generally, how are you feeling about 2024?

These are among the questions Heather and I discuss on this morning’s klatch.

Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us. And if you wish, take our poll.

And Happy (if possible) New Year!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

(We’re in audio only today, as several of you requested — but let us know in the comments if you’d rather we return to video.)

This week, the Colorado Supreme Court decided that under Article 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution (which bars anyone from holding office if they’ve previously sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and participated in an insurrection against the United States), Donald Trump should not appear on the ballot in Colorado.

Maine’s secretary of state is now pondering whether to allow Trump on Maine’s ballot, for the same reason.

Trump is appealing the Colorado decision to the Supreme Court. In the event that the Supreme Court affirms the decision (unlikely, in my view), the court could strike him from the ballots of all 50 states.

So … what will and what should the Supreme Court do?

It’s among the questions Heather and I discuss on this morning’s klatch.

Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us. And if you wish, take our poll.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,

Good morning and welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us.

Today, Heather and I examine:

— The House Republicans’ impeachment of Joe Biden despite zero evidence of any wrongdoing. Why did every single Republican House member vote in favor, even those elected from districts that overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020?

— Special Counsel Jack Smith went to the Supreme Court, asking it to rule on whether a president is immune from criminal prosecution. Why is Smith doing this? Why isn’t there more pressure on Clarence Thomas to recuse himself?

— Rudy Giuliani found guilty of defaming two election workers and fined $148 million. What’s Giuliani’s next move?

— The Fed kept interest rates where they were, but signaled it would reduce interest rates next year. Is it any wonder Wall Street went bananas? Will the stock market continue to rise?

— Despite the good economy, polls continue to show that Americans favor Trump over Biden. Is this because Trump is riding the wave of anti-establishment forces? Why is Trump able to ride this wave?

— The Texas Supreme Court decided that Texas’s strict abortion law doesn’t allow a woman to have an abortion even if her life is threatened. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed to consider a challenge to the FDA’s approval of an abortion pill. Will all of this galvanize more political action against Republicans?

— Trump and his Republicans’ unwillingness to continue to support Ukraine. Is Putin salivating over the possibility of a Trump presidency, and Trump’s lack of support for Ukraine? Will the Republicans succeed in forcing America to choose between Israel and Ukraine?

— The use of AI in campaigns. Already, a candidate for office has been utilizing AI bots to make calls on her behalf. Will we be seeing more of this?

Please also take this week’s poll:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— The Republicans are playing into Putin’s plan to take over Ukraine. Whatever happened to the GOP that was hawkish on Russia?

— Israel shifts to bombing southern Gaza. More children have been killed in Gaza since October 7 than all the children killed in every world conflict in 2022. Why isn’t Biden doing more to restrain Netanyahu?

— Biden’s confusion about the upcoming election, saying on Tuesday that he wouldn’t be running if Trump weren’t running, and saying on Wednesday that “fifty” Democrats could beat Trump. Why is Biden off message?

— Trump’s age and his gaffes. Why is he getting a free pass from the media?

— The jobs report has a lot of good news for Biden. So why aren’t more people enthusiastic about the Biden economy?

— Voters want to hear that Biden is on the side of the people rather than the powerful. Why isn’t Biden making this case? Why isn’t he advocating higher corporate taxes on companies with the highest ratio of CEO pay to median worker pay?

— Norman Lear died this week. He was one of the most creative and important forces in American entertainment — and, indirectly, American politics.

Here’s something I’ve been hiding for years — when I guest hosted for Bill O’Reilly on Fox News in 2001. It was a different era.

Have a look:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— George Santos’s demise. What is there about sociopathic liars and the Republican Party? Why were most House Republicans unwilling to oust him?

— Henry Kissinger and Sandra Day O’Connor. Was Kissinger a war criminal? Was O’Connor the most powerful woman in America?

— Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis. Was their debate on Fox News a preview of what we’ll see in 2028? Whatever happened to reasonable, decent, intelligent debate?

— Heather reveals something about Bob that very few people know or remember. Why didn’t Bob become a Fox News regular?

Please pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and join us for these and other stories. (And, should you wish, take our poll.)

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— The temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. What does it really mean?

— Black Friday holiday sales. My personal relationship to the day. Consumer spending is up, so why are so many people down on the Biden economy?

— Bob’s new Substack series on the reality of American capitalism and whether American capitalism is compatible with the common good. Is it?

— The mess at OpenAI and what it means. Has OpenAI sacrificed safety for big money? What does this mean for AI in general? Who should be balancing safety and profits?

— Nikki Haley’s political rise. Will she get the Republican nomination?

— My 1994 Thanksgiving speech predicting that a growing class of angry and frustrated people would become susceptible to a demagogue. Bob reveals a secret about that speech.

— Heather’s mother-in-law, Julia, who is visiting over Thanksgiving. And what Bob is grateful for (hint: her first name is Heather).

Thanks for joining us!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— House Republicans will not kick out George Santos despite his fake resume and mounting evidence of illegal activity. Will the GOP and Santos be held accountable?

— Incidents of violence and potential violence in the House and Senate, among lawmakers. Why is this happening?

— Trump’s full-throated fascism — describing his opponents as vermin, planning to round up undocumented immigrants and place them in detention camps, encouraging violence. Where is this going?

— Meanwhile, Biden avoids or plays down conflict with big corporations, Wall Street, and billionaires — which means that the media ignores his accomplishments (the media reports on conflict). Why won’t he call them out? Why isn’t he taking credit for going after Google and Amazon?

— Elon Musk promotes antisemitism on “X” by advocating a post on “replacement theory.” Advertisers must pull out all advertising from X, and the rest of us should boycott the platform. Like Trump, Musk is building his base off of hate.

— Thanksgiving plans. Travel safely. Enjoy your family.

Please pull up a chair and, if you’re so moved, take our poll:

Our thanks to Kyle Parker, Naomi Bradford, and Michael Lahanas-Calderon for their technical assistance.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— The results of races in Ohio, Kentucky, and elsewhere in “red America” are showing how out of step the GOP’s white Christian nationalism is with the majority of Americans. How much encouragement should Democrats take from this?

— Mike Johnson’s utter inability to get anything done, including a continuing resolution to keep the government open after Friday, and aid to Israel and aid to Ukraine. How large a problem is this likely to be?

— Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York. Why is he taking such a brash and outrageous approach to his defense?

— Joe Manchin decides not to run for Senate again. What does this mean for the Democrats? Will Manchin now run for president under the “No Labels” party? How big a problem might this be for Biden?

— Trump’s plans for taking over America. He’ll lose the 2024 election, but what happens if he doesn’t? Is Nikki Haley Trump’s likely vice presidential pick?

— My new series beginning next Friday on Substack about the common good and capitalism. Is American capitalism compatible with the common good?

Please pull up a chair and, if you’re so moved, take our poll:

Our thanks to Jordan Alport for his technical assistance.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,

Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us.

This week, Heather and I zoom in on:

— The war in Gaza. Why not a humanitarian pause? Why is Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House, conditioning aid to Israel on cutting IRS funding? And why is he not moving forward with aid for Ukraine?

— Sam Bankman-Fried’s comeuppance. What happened to him? How could so many big investors have been taken in? Does his downfall mark the end of crypto?

— Our culture of hype, of which Donald Trump is the major exemplar. The civil fraud trial in New York accusing the Trump organization of inflating the value of its assets for the purpose of getting bank loans and minimizing the value for the purpose of minimizing taxes. Why is Trump taking this trial more seriously than any other he’s now involved in?

— The October jobs report. The Fed is “succeeding” in slowing the economy and creating fewer jobs. Why is this considered a good thing? What’s the economic outlook?

— Heather’s “bestie” is in town.

Our thanks to Michael Lahanas-Calderón and Tom Lofthouse for technical assistance.

P.S. If you didn’t know already, you can also listen to our klatch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever your favorite podcast app is.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe