Aaron Retica

And we're going to slowly find out which of those things mattered the most, right? Or maybe not slowly, maybe quickly. But it isn't just that people will be like, okay, that system was actually better than I thought it was. It's also got to be some sort of democratic renewal. And I do not mean the Democratic Party here. Whatever one says about how they're pushing back, it's not doing enough.

And we're going to slowly find out which of those things mattered the most, right? Or maybe not slowly, maybe quickly. But it isn't just that people will be like, okay, that system was actually better than I thought it was. It's also got to be some sort of democratic renewal. And I do not mean the Democratic Party here. Whatever one says about how they're pushing back, it's not doing enough.

The people who have to push back, they have to come from civil society. They're going to have to come from, if I can use this word, newspapers. They're going to have to come from churches, unions, all that kind of stuff. Even if you don't want to be part of the resistance in some sense, the Trump administration is making it so that you don't really have a choice.

The people who have to push back, they have to come from civil society. They're going to have to come from, if I can use this word, newspapers. They're going to have to come from churches, unions, all that kind of stuff. Even if you don't want to be part of the resistance in some sense, the Trump administration is making it so that you don't really have a choice.

You may not be interested in politics, but politics, unfortunately, is going to be interested in you. Exactly.

You may not be interested in politics, but politics, unfortunately, is going to be interested in you. Exactly.

Okay, well, that seems like a good place for us to wrap it up. Ezra, thanks a lot for coming out.

Okay, well, that seems like a good place for us to wrap it up. Ezra, thanks a lot for coming out.

Oh, thank you very much. Great to be here. So where do you want to start? Let's start with the big question. I mean, there's a million things to talk about. But let's start with, we have a better idea today, 24 hours into the second Trump administration, what they mean by making America great again. So what's great? What are they trying to achieve?

Oh, thank you very much. Great to be here. So where do you want to start? Let's start with the big question. I mean, there's a million things to talk about. But let's start with, we have a better idea today, 24 hours into the second Trump administration, what they mean by making America great again. So what's great? What are they trying to achieve?

You said proposed, but of course, that's the crazy part, right? It is an executive order. It's proposed in the sense that they know it's going to be fought.

You said proposed, but of course, that's the crazy part, right? It is an executive order. It's proposed in the sense that they know it's going to be fought.

They would say that drill, baby, drill and what they're going to do with gas and energy is one of the things that's going to affect prices in a way that will make people happy, right? That would be their argument, presumably.

They would say that drill, baby, drill and what they're going to do with gas and energy is one of the things that's going to affect prices in a way that will make people happy, right? That would be their argument, presumably.

Okay, so let's take these things one at a time and let's stay with birthright citizenship because this is, even though we knew it was coming, even though they told us it was coming, it's still worth stopping and just... talking directly about what this is, right?

Okay, so let's take these things one at a time and let's stay with birthright citizenship because this is, even though we knew it was coming, even though they told us it was coming, it's still worth stopping and just... talking directly about what this is, right?

So they're talking about the most obvious thing, which is the children of undocumented immigrants would not automatically be American citizens, but they are also talking about, and you referred to it, what some people are calling the Kamala Harris clause, which is that if you're a student here, a graduate student, a medical student, whatever, and you have a child here right now, that child is automatically an American citizen.

So they're talking about the most obvious thing, which is the children of undocumented immigrants would not automatically be American citizens, but they are also talking about, and you referred to it, what some people are calling the Kamala Harris clause, which is that if you're a student here, a graduate student, a medical student, whatever, and you have a child here right now, that child is automatically an American citizen.

That's out in their executive order. I'm really struck by the way you said proposed as though it were legislation. They know there's going to be this battle. Do they intend to actually end? I mean, they intend to end birthright citizenship, but do you think that they think they can? Or is this like the new Roe?

That's out in their executive order. I'm really struck by the way you said proposed as though it were legislation. They know there's going to be this battle. Do they intend to actually end? I mean, they intend to end birthright citizenship, but do you think that they think they can? Or is this like the new Roe?