Bullsh*t in the China Shop | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, May 16, 2026

Bullsh*t in the China Shop | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, May 16, 2026

From The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich by Robert Reich

May 16, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

The episode discusses Trump's underwhelming trip to China, the ongoing war in Iran, the U.S. economy, and the implications for the 2026 midterm elections.

Friends, To say Trump’s trip to China was underwhelming is to give it even more credit than it deserves. In fact, Trump’s main purpose for making the trip probably wasn’t to accomplish anything important but to deflect attention, even for a few days, from his failing war in Iran (the strait is still closed, and Iran is more determined than ever to build a nuclear bomb) and his failing economy (the closure of the strait continues to push up gas prices in the U.S. to near record levels). Today, Heather and I take a hard look at these three items — Trump’s China visit, his war in Iran, and the U.S. economy — and put them in the context of the 2026 midterm elections. We also discuss Kevin Warsh’s Fed and the unlikelihood it will cut interest rates any time soon. And we examine the rampant, unprecedented corruption of the Trump regime. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join the conversation. 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

People in this episode

Host: Robert Reich

Guest: Heather

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Federal Reserve

Places: China, Iran, U.S.

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