Receipts with Catherine Rampell

Catherine Rampell is joined by Andrew Egger to discuss Elon Musk’s $276 million effort to rescue Republicans in the midterms, Trump’s DOJ targeting news organizations, and his latest deal with Vladimir Putin. Then, former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland shares what she learned negotiating with Trump, why appeasing him doesn’t work, and what America’s billionaires should learn from the rise of Russia’s oligarchs.
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Catherine Rampell and JVL break down Trump’s escalating war on the Federal Reserve, including his latest attempt to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook and the growing threat to the central bank’s independence. They discuss how Trump’s tariffs and war with Iran are fueling inflation, driving up prices for everything from tomatoes to Texas brisket, and potentially hurting Republicans in key Senate races. Plus, JD Vance struggles to define socialism, the administration’s crackdown on H-1B workers raises questions about anti-immigrant politics, and why both parties may be moving toward a more government-controlled economy.
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Catherine Rampell and Sam Stein discuss Scott Bessent’s strange interview, from his “I am the house” bravado and boasts about Melania’s friends to his temper and possible political ambitions. They also react to Trump’s latest pitch for $5,000 checks and his remarkable claim that he knows more about basically everything than anyone.
Then Jasper Hill Farm’s Mateo Kehler joins to explains how Trump’s trade war with Canada wiped out his cheese company’s fastest-growing export market and why policies sold as a lifeline for American dairy farmers are instead driving up costs and squeezing businesses.

Catherine Rampell and JVL break down the weak jobs report, the impact of immigration and tariffs on the labor market, and the economic challenges facing Trump’s manufacturing agenda. They also discuss Trump’s ideas for dealing with the national debt, including his suggestion that inflation could help pay it off, and what his attacks on the Federal Reserve could mean for America’s borrowing costs.
Plus, they examine why Republican counties are losing population, the country’s declining fertility rate, the economic consequences of an aging population, and Trump’s reported reliance on Grok to kidnap Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro.

Catherine Rampell and Sam Stein bring the receipts on Trump’s increasingly baffling fight with Canada, his latest promise of $5,000 checks and the ugly polling behind it, and his move to weaken fuel-efficiency standards while gas prices are sky-high. Plus, Sydney Sweeney’s unexpected conversion news.