The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich
Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich exposes where power lies in our system — and how it's used and abused. The podcast is based on his Substack newsletter and offers sharp analysis of political and economic issues.
Episodes
My Feud with Trump’s Brainless Treasury Secretary | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, August 22, 2026
Friends,Today Heather and I take a deep dive into the wacko views and decisions of Trump’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent — whose attempts to reduce long-term interest rates before the midterm elections have failed miserably, who believes that inequality is not widening in the United States, and who’s been opening the I.R.S. to Trump’s bonkers vindictiveness. (Oh, and he’s also been attacking m
How to Dump the Trump | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, August 15, 2026
Friends,Today I’m taking a vacation. (It’s the second Klatch I’ve missed out of 230 since Heather and I began them on March 19, 2022.) But I’ve left you in good hands! Our good friend Kamau Bell is sitting in, and today he and Heather take a deep dive into how America can dump the Trump before he dumps America. So please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the discussion. This is a public e
Big Money Loses | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, August 8, 2026
Friends,Today, Heather and I take a deep dive into the so-called “civil war” inside the Democratic Party, between corporate Dems who keep spending enormous sums on primary races and progressives who keep winning them. We also look at the latest jobs report and Trump’s “trickle-down” economy, which continues to worsen. And we ponder why Anthony Fauci, of all people, has become the Republicans’ late
It's Still The Economy, Stupid | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, August 1, 2026
Friends, Today, Michael and I delve into Trump’s plummeting approval ratings and ask whether they’re due to the economy, Trump’s war (which obviously affects the economy), the Epstein files, Trump’s skyrocketing inflation, or Trump’s corruption. Along the way, we explore what Democrats ought to be advocating (and not) in the upcoming midterms. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the
What the Hell Is Trump Doing in Iran? | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, July 25, 2026
Friends,Today, Heather and I take a dive into the muck of Trump, 101 days before the midterm elections. His war in Iran is worsening, with no end in sight. His economy is dropping, as gas and food prices soar and as his tariffs (import taxes) take their toll. His regime is descending into chaos, as public health is compromised, measles spreads, children aren’t getting nutrition assistance, and Med
Trump's Midterm Election Plot | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, July 18, 2026
Friends,Today, Michael and I take a close look at the sharp contrasts between artificial problems dreamed up by Trump (such as voter fraud) and real problems the nation is failing to deal with (such as big money poisoning our elections). Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join the conversation.RR This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to
Trump's Downward Escalator | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, July 11, 2026
Friends, Welcome back to our 250th-plus-one-week anniversary edition! Hope you have had a good week, despite the cacophony out of Washington. Today, Heather and I try to understand the real source of Trump’s power — his power to berate the heads of state at this week’s NATO and yet have them defer to him. His power to conduct a war in Iran that’s increasingly bogged down and which the American peo
Reading the Declaration of Independence on America's 250th
I appreciate the active vocal participation of my neighbors, the organizing ability of Sally Baack, and excellent filming by Tia Liddell Ivery. RR 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
The Truth About America at 250 Years | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, July 4th, 2026
Friends,Today marks 250 years since we declared our independence from a vile, arbitrary, impulsive, capricious, greedy, selfish, narcissistic authoritarian. Oh, wait. Sorry, we’re not yet independent of Trump. But George III was pretty awful, too. Today Heather and I examine where America has come — with a Supreme Court that thinks Trump and any successor president needs more power, a president wh
Trump's Strait of Warm Ooze | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, June 27, 2026
Friends,Today, Heather and I examine all sorts of things that went wrong this week for Trump, starting with Iran’s attack on an oil tanker moving through the Strait of Hormuz and including Trump’s latest problems with the Reflecting Pool — the Strait of Warm Ooze. Please grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other
President CHUMP! | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, June 20, 2026
Friends,On today’s episode of the Coffee Klatch, Heather and I discuss Trump’s outright surrender to Iran, his algae-infested Reflecting Pool, Democrats’ plan to tackle his staggering corruption, and much more. Please join 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
Live w/ Robert Reich
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
Trillionaire Testosterone | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, June 13, 2026
Friends,Today Heather and I take a deep dive into Elon Musk’s new status as America’s first trillionaire — worth one thousand billion dollars — and its meaning for the future of American capitalism. How much of SpaceX’s valuation is based on hype? How much on connections in the Trump regime? How much on Musk’s lobbying of major stock index funds? Answer: almost all of it. We also look at Musk and
Trump Gets Screwwormed | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, June 6, 2026
Friends,Today’s weather is so beautiful that Heather and I decided to have our coffee klatch outside on the Berkeley campus. Much to talk about — including the giant initial public stock offerings of the Artificial Intelligence behemoths Anthropic, OpenAI, and SpaceX, in coming weeks, expected to generate over a trillion dollars each. AI may create all sorts of fabulous things, but it’s also dange
Trump's Department of Injustice | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, May 30, 2026
Friends,Heather is back (after a grueling week; we wish her mother a speedy recovery). Today we take a deep dive into Trump’s Department of Injustice, now headed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who’s criminally prosecuting Trump’s enemies — including private citizens such as E. Jean Carroll. We also examine Trump and the Republican Party’s obsession with testosterone — part of the so-call
Trump's Gush of Slush | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, May 23, 2026. A bit late this morning!
Friends,Sorry for being a bit late this morning. Today Michael and I take a deep dive into Trump’s corruption — beginning with CBS’s merger deal with Skydance that was conditioned, in part, on its canceling Stephen Colbert’s show (which is why I’m wearing a T-shirt I got when I appeared on Colbert’s “The Late Show”). We then examine whether Jeff Bezos — the fourth-richest person in the world — is
Bullsh*t in the China Shop | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, May 16, 2026
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
Desperate Donald's Debacle | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, May 9, 2026
Friends,This morning, Michael and I (Heather is out today) delve into the redistricting wars — including the decision by the Virginia Supreme Court to cancel that state’s redistricting — and examine strategies still open to Democrats before the midterms. We also try to decipher what’s really happening in the Persian Gulf. And we take a close look at Trump’s sycophants Kash Patel at the FBI, Todd B
Is This the Shittiest Supreme Court in History? | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, May 2, 2026
Friends,Today, Heather and I ask: Why is Trump so obsessed with his ballroom? What is actually going on in Iran? Is this the worst Supreme Court of all time? We look ahead to the midterm elections in six months and make some predictions. We’re also joined by Ben McKenzie to discuss Trump’s crypto corruption.So please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the discussion. This is a public epis
Live with Joyce Vance, on today's shameful and dishonest Supreme Court decision
Joyce Vance was U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. I’m grateful to her for sharing her views on today’s shameful and dishonest Supreme Court decision kneecapping Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, in which Samuel Alito pretends he’s not nullifying Section 2 while doing exactly that. It’s a bad day for American democracy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi
Trump's Dire Straits: The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, April 25, 2026
Friends,Today, Heather and I try to make sense out of this week’s riddles: What is Trump’s strategy for reopening the Strait of Hormuz? What’s he doing to stop his base from unraveling over his failed war? How can he avoid a “blue wave” in the midterm elections? And, by the way, why are jobs so hard to come by these days, anyway? We answer these and other riddles of the week. Please pull up a cha
The Good Pope vs. The Shitty President | The Saturday Coffee Klatch for April 18, 2026
Friends,Today Heather and I are joined by our colleague Michael, who helps us dissect a wild week. What’s the truth about the Strait of Hormuz? Why did Trump and Vance pick a fight with Pope Leo? Who or what’s behind the booming stock market? We grapple with these and much more on today’s Klatch. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'
War Criminal-in-Chief | The Coffee Klatch, April 11, 2026
Friends,Today, Heather and I examine this wildly horrendous week and tackle a basic question: Did the United States win its war with Iran, or lose it? We also take a deep dive into whether Trump is a war criminal for having threatened to cause the death of an entire civilization. And we talk with our friend journalist Amy Goodman, who’s out with a new movie about her life speaking truth to power.
What Planet Is Trump Now On? The Saturday Coffee Klatch for April 4, 2026
Friends,Today Heather and I venture to the far corners of Trump’s galaxy. First, to the planet from which he’s viewing his war in Iran. He says he’s eliminated Iran’s capacities to threaten U.S. air power, but on Friday Iran shot down an American F-15E bomber.Next we travel to planet Bondi, whom Trump has sacked. We ask why, and whether this is good news or bad — I think it’s bad. Then on to Trump
Sending a Message to Trump | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, March 28, 2026
Friends,Today is the third (and hopefully the largest) No Kings Day demonstration across the nation — and Heather and Michael and I focus today’s Klatch on how Trump has managed to exert near-regal powers in America. We also give you an update on his calamitous war in Iran and how average Americans are paying for it. But — good news — we focus on how public opinion has shifted against him, as illu
“He’s a Worthless Pile of S**t” | The Coffee Klatch for March 21, 2026
Friends,That quote comes from someone who voted for Trump three times and now feels betrayed by his war in Iran and its consequential price increases for gas, food, and much else. Today, Heather and I delve into why Trump is losing his MAGA base, why he’s losing his war in Iran, why he’s losing the economy — and why he’s losing his mind. We look at Iran’s strategy for outlasting Trump and Israel,
Who’s America’s Abuser-in-Chief? | The Coffee Klatch for March 14, 2026
Friends,Today Heather and I are joined by E. Jean Carroll — journalist, author, advice columnist (her “Ask E. Jean” column appeared in Elle magazine from 1993 through 2019) … and target of Trump’s sexual assault. Her book Not My Type, subtitled One Woman Against a President, chronicled what happened, and the court cases she initiated against Trump — and won. It’s a fabulous, frightening, but also
Unconditional Surrender? Really? | The Coffee Klatch for March 7, 2026
Friends,Heather is traveling. I’m delighted that our friend Kamau Bell has stepped into the breach. Today, Kamau and I take a deep dive into Trump’s War — his shifting rationales for it, his changing goals, his ambiguous endgame, the human costs of the war so far, the American public’s unhappiness with it, and what Trump is trying to deflect attention from (spoiler: Trump’s shitty economy and his
The State of the Trump | The Coffee Klatch for February 28, 2026
Friends, Today, Heather and I ask and try to answer: Why is Trump attacking Iran? Also: Why is he so gracious to Mayor Mamdani? Why does ICE continue to be so out of control? Why did the Republican House Oversight Committee want Hillary Clinton to testify about Jeffrey Epstein? Are the Epstein files finally closing in on Trump? Why worry that CBS, CNN, HBO, and Comedy Central are all coming under
King Trump, Prince Andrew, and the Supreme Court | The Coffee Klatch for February 21, 2026
Friends,A big week, including the arrest of Prince Andrew, the best of the Supreme Court, and the stress of the sociopath in the Oval Office. We get into all of this, along with our special guest David Hogg, on today’s Klatch. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep
Trump, Epstein, and America’s Ruling Class | The Coffee Klatch for February 14, 2026
Friends,Happy Valentine’s Day. Thanks for joining us. Today, Heather and I delve into the extremely un-Valentine-like world of Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and America’s ruling class. What do they have in common, and what does this tell us about America? Along the way we examine Pam Bondi’s belligerence, Steve Bannon’s complicity, and the Trump economy’s woes. We’ll also look into the real economy — yo
Bad Bunny’s Backlash Against Trump | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, February 7, 2026
Friends,Today Heather and I examine the unchecked power that now pervades our political system — starting with the Justice Department’s (and Trump’s) unwillingness to turn over more than 3 million of the more than 6 million Epstein files in its possession (in which Trump is already mentioned 5,300 times). We then examine the continued lawlessness of ICE and Border Patrol, despite the public’s (inc
In conversation with Julie Su, Deputy Mayor of New York
Friends,Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Julie Su, former Secretary of Labor and current Deputy Mayor of Economic Justice in New York City. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. 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
Making Sense of Trump’s Mess | The Coffee Klatch for January 31, 2026
Friends,Today, Heather and I try to unravel some tricky questions: Will Democrats rein in ICE? What’s behind the sham arrests of Don Lemon and other journalists? Will Minneapolis be the tipping point that brings Trump down? Or will it be the latest Epstein files?We discuss all this and more.Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to
What a Week | The Coffee Klatch for January 24, 2026
Today I’m traveling. Heather and Michael make sense of a memorable week. My thanks to both of them. See you next Saturday. 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
Trump Gives America the Finger | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, January 17, 2026
Friends,Today Heather and I grapple with the inescapable reality that Trump has turned America into a fascist state. From the streets of Minneapolis to the shores of Greenland, violence and the threat of violence prevail. By contrast, we talk with Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission and co-chair of Mayor Mamdani’s transition team, about how Mayor Mamdani has launched his social
Trump’s Deadly Forces | The Coffee Klatch for January 10, 2026
Friends,Today, Heather and our friend Kamau Bell join me to examine this horrific week in which Trump took control of Venezuela and its oil and unleashed his ICE and Border Patrol agents on Americans. Trump’s deadly forces here and abroad — unconstrained by law or oversight — seem to have shifted the nation from being endangered by a pending dictatorship to becoming a dictatorship. What do you thi
What Will Happen in 2026? The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, January 3, 2026
Friends, Today, Heather and I look into our crystal balls and attempt to predict what’s going to happen in 2026. First, what do we hope for? What are the major positive things we anticipate? Second, what do we fear? What are our biggest worries about the upcoming year?Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with o
The Big Lesson from 2025? | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, December 27, 2025
Friends,What do we make of 2025, other than that it was a horrible and cruel year? On today’s Klatch, Heather and I sift through your questions about what we’ve been through, what it means, what are the big lessons from 2025, and who are the real heroes. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. Happy New Year! You look great! This is a public episode. If you'd like to di
My Conversation with Michael Lewis
Friends,I recently had the delight of conversing with acclaimed author Michael Lewis (The Big Short, Liar’s Poker, Moneyball, Flash Boys, Going Infinite, The Fifth Risk, The Premonition, The Blind Side, The Undoing Project, Boomerang, and, most recently, Who Is Government?). I asked him to join me to discuss our recent books. Our subject was Trump, but our conversation ranged from the political to
Trump’s Cognitive Collapse | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, December 20, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I take a deep dive into Trump’s increasingly addled brain — seeking to understand how quickly he’s losing his capacities and the dangers this poses for the rest of us. We begin with his bizarre response to the killings of Rob and Michele Reiner earlier this week, followed by his lie-filled speech to the nation and his chief-of-staff’s description of him as having the per
It's Affordability, Stupid! | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, December 13, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I — along with our Gen Z associates Katie Milne and Vishal Shankar — explore why the Republican Party is in near revolt against Trump. Congressional Republicans repeatedly rebuked him this week. Twenty House Republicans joined Democrats in passing a discharge petition to restore union rights to federal workers; 14 signed on to another discharge petition to prevent member
Trump’s War on Peace | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, December 6, 2025
Friends, Trump evidently persuaded Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, the world football league, to award him the first (and likely last) annual FIFA Peace Prize, along with a hagiographic video. It’s all part of Infantino’s efforts to craft a close alliance with Trump.And Trump has just had his name engraved on the U.S. Institute of Peace — now renamed the “Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Pea
Who’s the Biggest Turkey in Washington? The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, November 29, 2025
Friends,Hope you had a good Thanksgiving and are now enjoying a restful post-Thanksgiving weekend. Today, Heather and I discuss the Thanksgiving holiday — from our own childhood memories, to Norman Rockwell’s iconic “freedom from want” Thanksgiving cover for The Saturday Evening Post. To Trump’s terrible Thanksgiving week — pardoning turkeys, criminals who support him and other criminals who pay h
Mr. Bonesaw Goes to Washington | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, November 22, 2025
Friends,The big story this week is that Trump is losing it — losing his grip, losing control over the narrative, losing power over the Republican Party, and losing even more of his mind.Today, we examine at it all: Trump’s abrupt turnaround on the Epstein files. His demand that the Democratic lawmakers who urged members of the military not to follow illegal orders be executed. His disgusting celeb
Epstein’s Revenge: The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, November 15, 2025
Friends,Today Heather and I take a deep dive into an extraordinary week that featured the surrender by Senate Democrats to Trump Republicans on ending the government shutdown, as well as the resurrection of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal threatening Trump’s presidency. Also news on some critical political races and the economy. And Pope Leo and me. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in th
Zohran Won. Now Comes The Hard Part. (My conversation with Mamdani's First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan)
Friends,Will Zohran Mamdani actually be able to turn his ambitious agenda into public policy?Today, I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Dean Fuleihan, Mamdani’s newly named first deputy mayor and a seasoned veteran of New York politics, on what to expect when Mamdani takes office in January.I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. This is a public episode. If you'd like to disc
Is America Over Trump? The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, November 8, 2025
Friends,It was an amazing week. By wide margins, New York City elected a Social Democrat mayor who thinks there shouldn’t be billionaires, while Tesla’s board gave Elon Musk a $1 trillion pay package. Today, Heather and I, along with our colleague Vishal Shankar, take a deep dive into what all this means — for American politics, for the American economy, and for the future.Please pull up a chair,
TRICK OR TRUMP? | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, November 1, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I are joined by the talented writer and comedian W. Kamau Bell to assess the latest week’s dark saga of Trump et al.We start with the horrifying reality that 42 million of America’s most vulnerable people — the poor, the very young, the very old, the disabled — will not be receiving nutrition assistance starting today because of …. Why? There are funds to pay them, but T
Live with Katie Couric about the Shutdown
Friends,I recently spoke with my old friend Katie Couric, the longtime and much-admired TV host. I was thrilled to oblige when Katie asked me to explain the current government shutdown. 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
In conversation with Zohran Mamdani
Friends,Today I had the pleasure of speaking with New York Assemblyman — and New York City mayoral candidate — Zohran Mamdani.Zohran Mamdani is the bright future of the Democratic Party — brimming with excellent ideas about what working families need.My own granddaughter is knocking doors for him in the final stretch of the NYC mayoral race.I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.Please
Trump's Demolition and Defecation | The Coffee Klatch for October 25, 2025
Friends,I used to think of presidents as having dignity and stature, and the White House as being the “People’s House” — the essence of simple taste and modest grandeur. No longer. In the week after No Kings Day — the largest demonstration in American history — Trump has found new ways to defile and desecrate his office and the nation. He’s taken a battering ram to the White House, literally as we
No Kings! | The Coffee Klatch for October 18, 2025
Friends,Today, millions of Americans are standing up for their values and standing up to Trump. Millions are saying clearly and powerfully — and peacefully — that this is a nation of laws, not of people who put themselves above the law. That we are a nation that values self-government, not a government by an authoritarian dictator. That we are a people whose forebears have sacrificed much — some h
Trump’s War on America | The Coffee Klatch for October 11, 2025
Friends,Today Heather and I discuss Trump’s sending Texas National Guard troops into Chicago, Illinois — over the objections of Chicago’s mayor and Illinois’s governor. His indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, after having indicted James Comey — both of whom tried to hold him accountable for some of his actions during his first term. And his targeting of so-called “liberal” organ
Trump's Extremely Unhinged Week | The Coffee Klatch for October 4, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I assess the government shutdown and explore its connection to Trump’s meeting this week with the military’s top brass, his attempt to create a police state in America, declare war on Venezuela, make war on “the enemy within,” occupy big Democratic cities, and lead an anti-democracy movement. We also find some reasons for hope. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and j
The Dictator’s Demise | The Coffee Klatch for September 27, 2025
Friends,Today we’re trying something of an experiment. I’ve asked several of my young colleagues — all 50 years younger than me! — to join in discussion about a remarkable week in which Trump has fully bared his authoritarian self. Trump is visibly and unapologetically targeting his political enemies for criminal prosecution. He’s unilaterally and capriciously raising import taxes (tariffs) that w
Will I Get Canceled? | The Coffee Klatch for September 20, 2025
Friends,Today Michael and I take a deep dive into ABC’s decision this week to fire late-night entertainer Jimmy Kimmel — and why ABC caved to Trump and Trump’s FCC. The decision came barely two months after CBS canceled Stephen Colbert’s contract, for similar reasons. What’s the underlying story?Are we on the verge of an authoritarian clampdown on criticism of the Trump regime? If so, what are our
Trump Fuels Even More Anger | The Coffee Klatch for September 13, 2025
Friends,Today Heather and I take a hard look at political violence in America — not just this week’s heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk but other violence I’ve witnessed, and the nation’s history of violence in politics — and we ask whether there’s something unique to American culture that harbors such deep hatred that people feel compelled to murder others for their political beliefs. Yesterda
Trump’s Doomed Economy | Coffee Klatch for Saturday, September 6, 2025
Friends,Trump’s economy is going down what he describes as a “sh*thole.” Job growth has stalled and prices continue to rise. The problem is it’s not just Trump’s economy; it’s also our economy. Today, Heather and I try to give some context to the bad economic news — looking at what it means politically, who is suffering most, and how it can possibly be turned around. Along the way, we talk about t
The Occupation of America | Coffee Klatch for Saturday, August 30, 2025
Friends,Today Heather and I come to you from one of our favorite local bookstores to emphasize the importance of free speech, free expression, and freedom to criticize the current regime — even as it seeks ever-greater control over the media, universities, museums, and our cities. Our neofascist emergency worsens.Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, take our poll, and join in the conversation. T
How to Stop Trump’s Second Coup | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, August 23, 2025
Friends,Michael and I are coming to you today from the Empire Café in Houston, Texas, where the coffee is superb and the service comes with a smile (the café’s motto is “corporate coffee sucks”). It’s a bit noisy here (for which I apologize) but, hey, that’s what you get when you mix it up with real people. While I’m apologizing, I also want to apologize for the petition that was inadvertently pos
Trump’s Fascist Thuggery | The Coffee Klatch for August 16, 2025
Friends, Today, Heather and I discuss Trump’s occupation of Washington, D.C.; his meeting with war-criminal Putin; his takeover of key industries; his demands that Republican governors gerrymander their states to find more Republican seats; and his widening corruption. (If I had written the previous sentence several years ago, I would have thought it a parody. But it’s not. It’s real, and it’s fas
Trump's 24-Karat Corruption | The Coffee Klatch for August 9, 2025
Friends,Today Heather and I look into Trump’s efforts to get payoffs (such as the 24-karat gold bar that Apple’s Tim Cook gave him apparently in return for exempting Apple from import taxes on semiconductors); Trump’s attacks on facts he doesn’t like (such as the latest jobs report); and his methods of achieving political outcomes he wants (such as instructing Texas to come up with five more House
The Trumping of America | The Coffee Klatch for August 2, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I look at how Trump has moved almost all law and policy into personal deal-making — whether it’s what tariff rate (that is, import tax) is to apply to which country, which corporations will be exempted from import taxes, which universities have to do what to satisfy him, which law firms have to do what to avoid his penalties, which media corporations have to genuflect in
Will Ghislaine Pardon Trump? | The Coffee Klatch for July 26, 2025
Friends,Today we take another deep dive into the murky world of Epstein and Trump, looking at how Trump’s consolidation of power has made it harder for him to rebut charges of a cover-up. We also look at the stories that “Epsteingate” has crowded out this week: Palestinian children starving in Gaza because of Netanyahu’s policies (backed by Trump), more than a third of all federal judges complaini
Epstein's Ghost | The Coffee Klatch for July 19, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I explore why Jeffrey Epstein’s death in 2019 is now shaking the foundations of Trump and his regime. Why now? What is there about this alleged conspiracy that has made Trump so vulnerable? What does it tell us more broadly about the soaring distrust in our society toward elites that Trump exploited to get elected in 2016 and then again in 2024? What does it suggest Demo
We Should Stop Calling Him Our “President” | The Coffee Klatch for July 12, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather, Michael, and I do a deep dive into the cruel incompetence of the Trump regime — how Trump is hurting millions of people for no reason, whether he’s doing it because of cruelty or incompetence, and what all of us can do about it between now and the 2026 midterm elections (including not calling him “President,” because he considers himself president of only the people who vot
Fascism On The Fourth | The Coffee Klatch for July 5, 2025
Friends,Happy Fourth of July weekend. Today Heather and I examine Trump’s newly enacted Big Ugly Bill — its record-breaking redistribution of income upward, its budget-busting deficits, and its creation of an anti-immigrant police state. And we explore whether there’s anything positive that could possibly come of this. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, take our poll, and join the conversation.
Mamdani! | The Saturday Coffee Klatch for June 28, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I come to you from Central Park in New York City, where we assess the remarkable upset victory of 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, over former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, in the race for New York City mayor.We also take a look at the bind Trump and his lackeys have gotten themselves into — with an attack on Iran that the Defense Inte
Trump’s Ultimate Power Trip? | The Coffee Klatch
Friends,Today Heather and I look at the war in Iran through the lens of Donald Trump’s insatiable need to expand and display his power. How can he even consider getting America into this war without consulting Congress? Doesn’t doing so also violate his promise to the American people in the 2024 election that he would avoid foreign entanglements? And who is advising him, now that half of the profe
Fighting Trump | The Coffee Klatch for June 14, 2025
Friends,Today, Michael and I take a deep dive into Trump’s most authoritarian week yet. (Heather will be back next week.) We ask: Why did he choose this week to escalate his dragnet raids? From what does he want to deflect our attention? What kind of trap is he laying? What must we be careful to do and avoid doing today, as he conducts a military parade in Washington to celebrate his military migh
Ultimate Fighting Championship | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, June 7, 2025
Friends,That any of us have to care about the messy breakup of these two malignant narcissists — and that they both individually wield such massive power — is an indictment of our political system and further proves the poisonous influence of Big Money on our democracy. That’s today’s Coffee Klatch theme. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, take our survey, and join the conversation. This is a
Is Musk Gone for Good? | The Coffee Klatch for Saturday, May 31, 2025
Friends,Today Heather and I examine whether the three big political events of this week — Musk’s leaving the White House, the U.S. Court of International Trade’s striking down Trump’s tariffs, and Senate Republicans’ being stymied over Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful” (actually Ugly) budget bill — signal the beginning of the end of Trump. Is Elon really gone for good? Are Trump’s tariffs in real
The Gerontocracy Problem
Friends,V Spehar invited me to join them today to talk about how we should deal with America’s aging politicians — our “gerontocracy.” I’m something of an expert on the subject because I’ve been around politicians for over 50 years. Also I’m getting up there (I’ll be 79 years old soon). And I recently retired from teaching because I didn’t want to give students anything less than my best. So I kno
What Should We Do Now? Live with Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
Friends,One of my favorite people in the world is the Reverend Dr. William Barber, whose moral and strategic insights at this horrific moment in our nation’s history are invaluable. I asked him to join me today to talk about what all of us can do to unite people in America in pursuit of social justice and against Trump. Barber is a Protestant minister, social activist, professor in the Practice of
The New Fascism | Coffee Klatch for May 24, 2025
Friends, Today Heather and I look at the Trump regime’s decision to bar international students from Harvard and ask, what’s the difference between a neofascist diktat and Trump’s orders? As in fascism, Trump arbitrarily targets particular institutions and people, then takes away their freedoms for no reason other than that they’ve opposed the regime. (In recent days, the regime has also charged, i
The Era of the Great Bamboozle | The Coffee Klatch for May 17, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I look into the schemes that Trump and the people around him are using to make themselves rich at the expense of the American people — starting with Trump’s business trip this week to the oil-rich kingdoms of the Middle East. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, take our poll, and join the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other
The Biggest Presidential Con in History | The Coffee Klatch for May 10, 2025
Friends,Today Heather and I take a deep dive into the most corrupt presidential administration in history. We look in detail at Trump’s crypto deals designed to enrich him and his family and milk the presidency, and Musk’s deals to enrich himself by, for example, having the State Department push other nations to use his Starlink satellites. The stench from these and other examples of self-dealing
Where will we go from here? | The Coffee Klatch for May 3, 2025
Friends,Today Heather and I examine the outlook for Trump, the Trump White House, Congress, and the economy. Now that we’ve finished the first hundred days, where does America go from here? Is there room for hope? I’m more optimistic than Heather because I believe opposition to Trump is growing. And it will become even larger if Trump and Republicans in Congress cut programs most Americans depend
Trump's First 100-Day Sh*tstorm | The Coffee Klatch for April 26, 2025
Friends,Today, Heather and I take a look at the shi*tstorm of Trump’s first hundred days (which doesn’t officially conclude until Wednesday), and ask what happened, why it’s so horrible, and how we’re likely to look back on it. Along the way, we examine whether its major theme has been chaos or cruelty, what’s happened to the economy, and why Trump’s polls are taking a dive. In sharp contrast, we
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