In a special three-guest episode, Trey and Ken are joined by Mike. They start the show with a conversation on Trump’s attempted firing of Federal Reserve Board Member Lisa Cook over mortgage applications. Trey overviews what is happening and the likely desire of President Trump to influence monetary policy. Ken discusses the current legal landscape for the firing of independent board members, and Mike is thoroughly disturbed by the entire process.

Next, the guys move to Chicago and the potential for National Guard troops to be deployed. Trey stakes out a firm line: if troops are sent to an American city, we have finally gone off the road of democracy. Ken discusses the potential legal ramifications as the use of military force to uphold state law can potentially be illegal.

They close the show by looking both at the firing of former CDC Director Susan Minarez and the implications of that for public health in the wake of RFK Jr.’s most recent statements and policies. Trey explains the fundamentally unscientific basis of RFK Jr’s position: that nothing can be falsified. Mike and Ken discuss the implications of political meddling on vaccines and public health.

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Mike welcomes back George Mason University economist Bryan Caplan to discuss Bryan’s latest collection, Pro-Market AND Pro-Business: Essays on Laissez-Faire.

Topics Mike & Bryan discuss include:

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Justin and Sam open with a discussion of the legal challenges surrounding the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility, where Sam highlights how environmental law is being leveraged in unexpected ways and Justin emphasizes the partisan optics behind the controversy.

Next, they turn to the FBI raid on John Bolton’s home. Sam underscores the legal backdrop of Bolton’s book dispute and stresses that a liberal bench approving the warrant suggests strong probable cause, while Justin raises concerns about the timing and political optics.

After that, the guys analyze recent shifts in voter registration showing Democratic losses and Republican gains. Sam argues Republicans are improving ground game strategy and capitalizing on Democratic missteps, while Justin points to Democratic disorganization, difficulties with key constituencies, and the complexities of interpreting such data.

The guys close with Trump’s floated executive order to eliminate mail-in voting. Sam strongly supports tighter restrictions on ballot security, citing foreign models and the Carter Commission, while Justin defends mail-in voting as a necessary tool for accessibility and notes the lack of evidence of widespread fraud.

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Justin and Sam open with Trump’s back-to-back meetings with Zelensky and Putin. Sam argues they could mark real progress, with Trump uniquely able to pressure leaders into a room. Justin doubts meaningful concessions are likely, pointing to Putin’s sunk costs and Ukraine’s moral high ground.

Next, the guys examine Trump’s move to secure a $9B government stake in Intel. Sam frames it as a justified national-security safeguard given U.S. reliance on chips and China’s role in supply chains. Justin sees it as an overreach, with Trump strong-arming Intel’s CEO and reshaping the CHIPS Act process without clear authority.

They close with a look at Trump’s attacks on Jerome Powell and Fed Governor Lisa Cook while pushing for rate cuts. Sam sympathizes with Trump’s frustration, stressing that Powell dodges accountability and ignores economic urgency. Justin sees it as part of Trump’s broader unitary executive impulse, defending Fed independence as a buffer against political overreach.

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Mike and Joey open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of President Trump nominating  E.J. Antoni to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Mike argues that Antoni is too inexperienced for the position, while Joey counters that it’s Antoni’s lack of time in the establishment that may make him a more effective change agent at BLS. They both agree that there are significant issues with BLS’s data collection methodology that need to be addressed.

Next is a look at President Trump’s continuing battle against elite universities. Mike allows that the administration has a civil rights case to make, but that using the stick of removing unrelated federal funding is both inappropriate and potentially unconstitutional. Joey argues that federal dollars are the people’s money, Trump was elected by the people, and so using the threat of ending federal funding is an entirely appropriate way to force change in elite higher ed.

They close by considering whether President Trump will continue Biden-era efforts to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III in federal drug classification. Mike argues that this could actually bolster the case for the anti-marijuana side, an argument Joey finds compelling. Joey points out the legitimacy issues that arise when there is widespread defiance of the law, making a case for clear federal supremacy when the federal government is acting within proper constitutional constraints. 

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A brief message from Mike about the newest hosts on TPG and why they're on the show.

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Mike and Joey open with a discussion of President Trump’s meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Mike sees it as a weak Trump being once again played by alpha-dog Putin, while Joey believes it’s Trump who is cleverly playing to Putin’s ego. They both agree that we won’t know which interpretation is closer to right until we know the details of any potential peace deal.

Next, it’s a look at the Trump administration’s efforts to combat crime in Washington, D.C.. Joey argues that the President is well within his rights to do what he’s doing, while Mike believes that there are some potential legal issues. Mike also raises the issue of the authoritarian feel of what’s going on and the lack of a clear exit strategy. They’re both hoping that in the longer run, the MPD gets the resources it needs to keep the Capitol safe. 

They close with a consideration of the California redistricting effort announced by Governor Newsom. Joey points out that California already seems very gerrymandered, which Mike argues has much more to do with geography than politics. Mike finds himself torn between his good-government instinct to preserve California’s independent redistricting commission and his concern about Democrats ceding seats to Republicans willing to engage in more aggressive gerrymanders.

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Mike talks with Anand Pandian, a professor of anthropology at Johns Hopkins University. He's the author of Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life, and How to Take Them Down, which they discuss on this episode..

Topics Mike & Anand cover include:

how distance feeds conspiratorial thinking

the rise of “fortress homes”

the decline of front porches

why American vehicles are so enormous

“White Body Armor”

the walls of the mind

mutual aid and caretaking

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Ken Katkin and Justin Holmes discuss dive into the recent appellate court decision in the DOJ contempt suit, new developments in the investigations of Jack Smith and the Russia Hoax, as well as JD Vance using federal resources to make sure he had a good canoe trip.

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This week, Justin Holmes and Ken Katkin are host. They start off with the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which seems bad all around, but perhaps won't give Trump what he wants in the end. Next, they move on to trade, as some of Trump's tariffs took effect this week, while China's were delayed yet again. They  finish by talking about  developments in the fight over Texas redistricting, and Trump’s social media posts about the census, and the likelihood there could be an extra census before 2030, and of excluding non-citizens.

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