About this episode
The episode discusses the chaotic responses to controversial plans proposed by Trump administration officials that threaten various American industries.
Every few weeks, a Trump administration official comes up with an insane plan that would devastate some American industry, region, or demographic. Maybe an Undersecretary of the Interior decides that aluminum is "woke" and should be banned. They circulate a draft order saying it will be illegal for US companies to use aluminum, starting in two weeks, Thank You For Your Attention To This Matter. Next begins a frantic scramble on the parts of everyone affected, trying to make them back down. Industry lobbies, think tanks, and public intellectuals exchange frantic emails, starting with "They said WHAT?", progressing on to "Oh God we are so fucked", and occasionally ending in some kind of plan. Sending letters. Phoning members of Congress. Calling up that one lobbyist who had a fancy dinner with Trump a year ago and is still riding that high to claim he has vast administration influence. I've been on the periphery of a handful of these campaigns, usually in medicine or AI. The common thread is that protests by liberals rarely work. The Trump administration loves offending liberals! If every Democratic member of Congress condemns the plan to ban aluminum, that just proves that…
People in this episode
Host: Jeremiah
Topics covered
- politics
- industry impact
- lobbying
- Trump administration
- protests
- Republican objections
Keywords
- Trump administration
- aluminum ban
- lobbying
- protests
- Republican support
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Trump administration, Congress, think tanks, industry lobbies
Products: aluminum
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