Aaron Retica

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.

If the model is Viktor Orban in Hungary, right, in his early stages, he was able to make that economy work and get a kind of popularity from that that has been able to sustain him over time. Erdogan in Turkey, like there's all kinds of examples of... authoritarian or semi-authoritarian rulers using that to deepen their rule.

If the model is Viktor Orban in Hungary, right, in his early stages, he was able to make that economy work and get a kind of popularity from that that has been able to sustain him over time. Erdogan in Turkey, like there's all kinds of examples of... authoritarian or semi-authoritarian rulers using that to deepen their rule.

But I do want to talk about, you mentioned the attacks on Democrats again, like wokeness and the role it played.

But I do want to talk about, you mentioned the attacks on Democrats again, like wokeness and the role it played.

Many Democrats have spent a lot of time, including on this show, talking about the excesses of all kinds of left stuff among the Democrats. Here's the problem. That's not really what they see. They see a black general, and they're like, DEI, you're gone. They see a woman admiral, they're like, DEI, you're gone. So what is the attack on wokeness and how it fits into the speech?

Many Democrats have spent a lot of time, including on this show, talking about the excesses of all kinds of left stuff among the Democrats. Here's the problem. That's not really what they see. They see a black general, and they're like, DEI, you're gone. They see a woman admiral, they're like, DEI, you're gone. So what is the attack on wokeness and how it fits into the speech?

And why is he even talking about it? Well, he's talking about it.