Mike and Jay open with a discussion of ‘Signalgate’, the text chain with top Trump administration officials on the Signal app in which Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffery Goldberg was inexplicably included. Jay has big concerns about the competence of the administration as well as the overall tone of the Signal communication. Both Mike and Jay agree with the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board that the Trump administration can’t bully its way through everything crying Fake News and that at times like this the best thing to do is admit a screwup, fire those responsible, and move on – not that any of that is remotely likely to happen in an administration known for doubling down, not backing down.

Next is a look at the most recent development in President Trump’s new tariff regime: 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts. Not surprisingly, neither Jay nor Mike sees this as a good idea. Mike makes an argument for restoring more control over tariffs to Congress, and significantly curtailing presidential ‘emergency’ tariff powers.

Then, they consider President Trump’s Executive Order on federal elections. Mike doesn’t think what Trump is doing is constitutional, and Jay largely agrees, seeing this EO more as politics than serious policy. Mike adds that the penalty for states that don’t comply – potential loss of federal election assistance funds – isn’t all that significant.

They close by wondering why Donald Trump is so obsessed with Greenland and how his ham-handed efforts to ‘get’ it may end up backfiring.

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Jay and Justin open this supporters’ midweek episode with a look at the Department of Defense's efforts to remove DEI-tagged historical content from its websites, sparking backlash and broader questions about how diversity, equity, and inclusion policies are defined and implemented. They discuss whether this was merely an administrative blunder or a deliberate action, exploring the nuances and potential political motivations behind this move. Jay argues for a conservative redefinition of DEI—celebrating individual achievement rather than group identities—while Justin highlights the complexities and misunderstandings surrounding DEI initiatives across institutions.

In the second half of the episode, Jay and Justin shift gears to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, examining former President Trump's recent attempts at negotiating a partial ceasefire. They unpack the complications of the "mostly peaceful" ceasefire and express skepticism about the sincerity and effectiveness of such agreements given continued aggression. They contemplate the broader geopolitical implications, considering how the international community, especially China, may interpret these developments. Both Jay and Justin acknowledge the war's eventual resolution will likely require uncomfortable compromises, but doubt remains over how quickly—or effectively—these negotiations will proceed.

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Jay and Justin open the episode with a discussion of President Trump’s Executive Order to Abolish the Department of Education. Is this legally possible, or just symbolic politics? Jay and Justin dig into the history, constitutional limits, and practical implications—especially regarding federal funding, student aid, special education, and K–12 policy. They also weigh in on whether educational standards have actually changed since the Department’s inception.

Next, they consider Chuck Schumer’s bad week. From accusations of weak leadership to talk of a primary challenge by AOC and grumbling within his own caucus, the Guys assess Schumer’s standing, the Democrats’ strategic missteps, and what the Senate minority leader could—and maybe should—do next.

They close with a look at Trump, the Courts, and Chief Justice Roberts. With Trump seemingly defying court orders, calling for judges’ impeachment, and stirring constitutional anxieties, Jay and Justin assess whether we’re creeping toward a genuine constitutional crisis—or just playing political Calvinball with separation of powers. Bonus: Roberts finally speaks, and it’s… measured.

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Mike talks with Monica Hopkins, the executive director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia. Given all of the legal challenges to Trump administration actions, this seemed like an ideal time for a discussion with someone on the front lines.

Topics Mike and Monica discuss include:

- if the ACLU is a progressive-left organization

- Trump, DOGE, and threats to federal employees

- deportation of undocumented immigrants

- ending birthright citizenship

- DC statehood

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Mike and Ken open this preview of the midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the administration’s actions against DC law firms that have opposed President Trump. They both find this to be deeply disturbing, especially as legal action is about the only resource Democrats have until they’re able to win enough seats to control the House or Senate.

Then they look at the budgetary effects of mass firings. Mike wonders what will happen to the money freed up from the firings, and predicts that much of it will end up going back to the Treasury at the end of the fiscal year. Ken argues that many of the firings will be successfully challenged in court, meaning that there won’t be much (if any) money to go back. They also discuss whether or not President Trump will try to throw Elon Musk under the bus if DOGE continues to grow in unpopularity.

Next is a conversation about Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Mike sees Barrett as a big disappointment to MAGA, as she’s not a perfectly reliable pro-Trump vote. Ken agrees, suggesting that Barrett was influenced by Justice Antonin Scalia to develop a judicial philosophy that, while flawed (to Ken’s way of looking at it, at least) gives her a certain commendable integrity.

They close by considering what sort of a presidential nominee Gavin Newsome might be and consider the alternatives, including Gretchen Whitmer, Josh Shapiro, Pete Buttigieg, Andy Beshear, John Fetterman, and Mark Cuban.

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Mike and Ken open with a discussion of the Continuing Resolution to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Passage of the bill wouldn’t have been possible without the support of some Senate Democrats, which has caused consternation with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Mike and Ken both think this was a tough call, though Ken would have sided with the “no” voters while Mike would have voted “yes” to keep the government open.

Next, they consider the terms of the Ukraine ceasefire. Neither of them feels that Russian dictator Putin has much incentive to accept a ceasefire at this point, and they conclude that we’re unlikely to see the shooting stop as long as Russia is still making battlefield gains.

From there, it’s a look at the attempted deportation of Mahmoud Khalil. Mike wonders why the Trump administration so obviously violated the due process rights of Khalil when they could have done things by the book and likely have gotten Khalil deported. Ken responds that the legal argument for deporting Khalil isn’t very good, which may be why the Trump administration chose the approach it did.

They close by addressing a listener question concerning Trump’s win in November and what can be done to most effectively resist Trumpist policies prior to the midterm elections.

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Mike talks with Jason Read, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern Maine, about his book The Double Shift: Spinoza and Marx on the Politics of Work.

Topics Mike & Jason discuss include:

- work as a source of meaning and identity

- what Spinoza adds to Marx’s views on work

- what Fight Club, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul can tell us about work

- Gen X and the death of slacker culture

- why ‘selling out’ isn’t seen as such a bad thing anymore

- mythocracy and negative solidarity

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Mike and Jay open this midweek supporters’ episode with a look at the Supreme Court’s decision to not vacate a temporary restraining order (TRO) that requires the government to pay USAID contractors $2 billion for services provided. Jay focuses on the legal arguments and at least partially convinces Mike that the TRO was problematic, though on the larger issue of the government paying contractors, Mike and Jay agree that the US should pay up for services rendered.

Next is an in-depth discussion of the fate of Ukraine and US foreign policy, in the wake of a number of troubling signs for supporters of Ukraine.

They close by considering the Supreme Court’s decision to not hear a case concerning university bias response teams (BRTs). Jay thinks that BRTs are a horrible idea, and Mike is no big fan of them either, but thinks in some circumstances they could play a role. What surprises Mike is that the decision to not hear the case was 7-2, meaning that four of the Court’s six conservatives voted against granting cert. Jay suggests some reasons why this may have happened, but Mike is still a bit mystified.

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Mike and Jay open with a look at the latest in the “Will he or won’t he?” saga of President Trump’s tariffs, They agree that this sort of uncertainty is bad for markets, and Mike points out that tariffs are not just a tax, but a regressive tax. Jay observes that the US used to derive nearly all of its income through tariffs, but that was a very different time. They also look at the legal justification for the tariffs, which they both agree is at least somewhat shaky.

Next is a discussion of the big Trump rally that was his address to a joint session of Congress. There wasn’t much substance, but plenty of lies and people behaving badly.

They close by considering a UK listener's view that under President Trump, the United States is no longer either strong or right, but that American under Trump is weak and venal.

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Trey talks with Katherine Stewart author of the new book: Money, Lies and God. Katherine is a journalist and author whose work focuses on intersection of religion, politics and policy, and the threat the intersection of religion and politics has on democratic institutions.

Topics Trey and Katherine discuss include:

- the origins of Christian Nationalism

- why abortion became a rightwing position

- the various groups that have become the Christian right

- why school issues have become a key cultural issue in the U.S.

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