Aaron Retica

Thanks. Hi. Yeah, let's plunge right into it. What did you make of the spectacle? What did you make of the speech? What were they trying to do? What was he trying to do? What was happening there?

Thanks. Hi. Yeah, let's plunge right into it. What did you make of the spectacle? What did you make of the speech? What were they trying to do? What was he trying to do? What was happening there?

I mean, this is the perennial problem of Trump is like, how do we situate, like, what is this thing, right? It's like, on the one hand, that speech is not unlike the one he made when he first came down the escalator in 2015, right? It's the same enemies, the same allies. That part of it is static, right?

I mean, this is the perennial problem of Trump is like, how do we situate, like, what is this thing, right? It's like, on the one hand, that speech is not unlike the one he made when he first came down the escalator in 2015, right? It's the same enemies, the same allies. That part of it is static, right?

What really alarms me about all of this is that the lying is controlled in the sense that he knows what he's saying is not true. The Social Security part of it was a good example.

What really alarms me about all of this is that the lying is controlled in the sense that he knows what he's saying is not true. The Social Security part of it was a good example.

There are not. And of course, you're put into a ridiculous position when I have to say there are not millions of dead people getting Social Security, right?

There are not. And of course, you're put into a ridiculous position when I have to say there are not millions of dead people getting Social Security, right?

But there aren't. And so why is he saying that? And he's saying it in part because he wants you to be ground down so far that you have to listen to that and take it. And a lot of it is actually about, it masquerades as dominance over the Democrats, but it's really about dominance over his own party. Absolutely. Right. So what is he doing? Like, what's happening there?

But there aren't. And so why is he saying that? And he's saying it in part because he wants you to be ground down so far that you have to listen to that and take it. And a lot of it is actually about, it masquerades as dominance over the Democrats, but it's really about dominance over his own party. Absolutely. Right. So what is he doing? Like, what's happening there?

Right. They can be picked off. But of course, it's not just a rhetorical strategy, right? This flood the zone strategy is also how they're operating government itself. So getting back to reality. They have attacked, I mean, I can't even, again, it's like impossible to even say all the agencies that they've cut slash cut people. They're radically transforming the government.

Right. They can be picked off. But of course, it's not just a rhetorical strategy, right? This flood the zone strategy is also how they're operating government itself. So getting back to reality. They have attacked, I mean, I can't even, again, it's like impossible to even say all the agencies that they've cut slash cut people. They're radically transforming the government.

When we were first talking about this after the inauguration, it was clear they were going to do some of this, but I don't think very many people understood the full extent of what they were going to do and that the Republicans are now having to swallow, right?

When we were first talking about this after the inauguration, it was clear they were going to do some of this, but I don't think very many people understood the full extent of what they were going to do and that the Republicans are now having to swallow, right?

We keep having to wait, you know, well, one or two people will say something about Ukraine or one or two people will say something about Medicaid. By the way, speaking of Steve Bannon defending Medicaid, you know your movement is in some trouble when Steve Bannon is like the conscience of it, right?

We keep having to wait, you know, well, one or two people will say something about Ukraine or one or two people will say something about Medicaid. By the way, speaking of Steve Bannon defending Medicaid, you know your movement is in some trouble when Steve Bannon is like the conscience of it, right?

How does the rhetoric of the speech correspond to the reality they're trying to impose on the United States?

How does the rhetoric of the speech correspond to the reality they're trying to impose on the United States?

But what's great about this is like you came here to hear about politics and instead you're hearing about Ezra Klein's TV taste.

But what's great about this is like you came here to hear about politics and instead you're hearing about Ezra Klein's TV taste.