Matt Iglesias

Like, it's the government. We have laws. We have courts. We have the Administrative Procedure Act. It is true that the government is not run as efficiently as a well-run startup. Because unlike at a well-run startup, you can't just decide something isn't working and shut it down. You can't just lay somebody off because you think they're super. Like, all of that is accurate.

Like, it's the government. We have laws. We have courts. We have the Administrative Procedure Act. It is true that the government is not run as efficiently as a well-run startup. Because unlike at a well-run startup, you can't just decide something isn't working and shut it down. You can't just lay somebody off because you think they're super. Like, all of that is accurate.

But it's like, it's genuinely true.

But it's like, it's genuinely true.

Right. And it's not like it never occurred to anybody that it might be more fun for the president of the United States to just be able to make stuff up or tell people what they should do. You have to implement the laws that exist.

Right. And it's not like it never occurred to anybody that it might be more fun for the president of the United States to just be able to make stuff up or tell people what they should do. You have to implement the laws that exist.

Well, so just one thing I wanted to flag that to me is like it's small, but it really signifies what you're talking about, which is that the congressional tax writers told the transition, do not issue an executive order rescinding Joe Biden's electric vehicle regulations. We want to put that into the tax bill because since there are tax credits for people who buy EVs—

Well, so just one thing I wanted to flag that to me is like it's small, but it really signifies what you're talking about, which is that the congressional tax writers told the transition, do not issue an executive order rescinding Joe Biden's electric vehicle regulations. We want to put that into the tax bill because since there are tax credits for people who buy EVs—

If you rescind it in a bill, that scores as saving money. And you can use that to offset the cost of the tax cuts. And then, like, there were stories of, like, it's all squared away. Like, they're not going to do this executive order. It's going to be part of the pay-fors. It was in the menu of spending reductions. And then Trump just did it. Right.

If you rescind it in a bill, that scores as saving money. And you can use that to offset the cost of the tax cuts. And then, like, there were stories of, like, it's all squared away. Like, they're not going to do this executive order. It's going to be part of the pay-fors. It was in the menu of spending reductions. And then Trump just did it. Right.

Like it was not just that he's taking action on his own rather than waiting for Congress or engaging with Congress. He did something that congressional Republicans like specifically asked him not to do because they were going to do it. Right. I mean, it wasn't a disagreement. And it would make it easier for them to do other things he wants them to do. Supposedly. And I think.

Like it was not just that he's taking action on his own rather than waiting for Congress or engaging with Congress. He did something that congressional Republicans like specifically asked him not to do because they were going to do it. Right. I mean, it wasn't a disagreement. And it would make it easier for them to do other things he wants them to do. Supposedly. And I think.

I think the paradox of Trump as leader of the Republican Party for a long time now is that he is just not as interested in changing American public policy as the typical high-level politician is. It's been very politically potent of him to just kind of like cut off the anti-abortion movement at the legs of

I think the paradox of Trump as leader of the Republican Party for a long time now is that he is just not as interested in changing American public policy as the typical high-level politician is. It's been very politically potent of him to just kind of like cut off the anti-abortion movement at the legs of

Once it became politically inconvenient for him, he's a very dominating presence in Republican politics. Joe Biden spent like a lot of time worrying about blowback from the left over various things and showing that he was delivering. But like with Trump, the presence, the persona, the lib owning, the announcements kind of are delivering for his core supporters.

Once it became politically inconvenient for him, he's a very dominating presence in Republican politics. Joe Biden spent like a lot of time worrying about blowback from the left over various things and showing that he was delivering. But like with Trump, the presence, the persona, the lib owning, the announcements kind of are delivering for his core supporters.

And I don't think he stays up at night Well, if they wind up needing to settle for a temporary extension rather than a permanent TCJA, like, I'm really going to be in for it, you know? But, like, it's actually a really big deal. Like, there's a reason, like, earnest congressional Republicans would strongly prefer to find enough offsets to make this permanent.

And I don't think he stays up at night Well, if they wind up needing to settle for a temporary extension rather than a permanent TCJA, like, I'm really going to be in for it, you know? But, like, it's actually a really big deal. Like, there's a reason, like, earnest congressional Republicans would strongly prefer to find enough offsets to make this permanent.

Because if you make it permanent, that makes life a lot more difficult for the next Democratic president. If it's temporary and a Democrat wins in 2028 or 2032... That's like way better for the cause of progressive politics. It's not like Trump won't sign the permanent version or that he opposes this kind of thing.

Because if you make it permanent, that makes life a lot more difficult for the next Democratic president. If it's temporary and a Democrat wins in 2028 or 2032... That's like way better for the cause of progressive politics. It's not like Trump won't sign the permanent version or that he opposes this kind of thing.