The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich

Friends,Today Heather and I venture to the far corners of Trump’s galaxy. First, to the planet from which he’s viewing his war in Iran. He says he’s eliminated Iran’s capacities to threaten U.S. air power, but on Friday Iran shot down an American F-15E bomber.Next we travel to planet Bondi, whom Trump has sacked. We ask why, and whether this is good news or bad — I think it’s bad. Then on to Trump’s ballroom fiasco, which a federal judge has halted. And we look at Trump’s Supreme Court, which is decidedly skeptical about his argument against birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented people (the plain wording of the 14th Amendment says “all persons born” in the U.S. are citizens). Much else to explore today, including the Artemis II mission, now taking four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. And Larry Ellison’s layoffs of 30,000 Oracle workers on the same day he became $9 billion richer. What planet is he on?So please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join our conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today is the third (and hopefully the largest) No Kings Day demonstration across the nation — and Heather and Michael and I focus today’s Klatch on how Trump has managed to exert near-regal powers in America. We also give you an update on his calamitous war in Iran and how average Americans are paying for it. But — good news — we focus on how public opinion has shifted against him, as illustrated not only by his awful poll results but also a blue wave of Democratic wins in special elections. And as a special bonus, we offer our recommendations for the best books we’ve been reading. So pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. Then demonstrate! (Your nearest No Kings action can be found here.) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,That quote comes from someone who voted for Trump three times and now feels betrayed by his war in Iran and its consequential price increases for gas, food, and much else. Today, Heather and I delve into why Trump is losing his MAGA base, why he’s losing his war in Iran, why he’s losing the economy — and why he’s losing his mind. We look at Iran’s strategy for outlasting Trump and Israel, based on maximizing the political and economic pressure on Trump. We also look at Trump’s likely plans for subverting the midterm elections and what must be done to protect those elections from his plans. And we’re joined by special guest Leah Greenberg, co-founder with Ezra Levin of Indivisible — the powerful decentralized organization that’s leading the way on No Kings. So please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today Heather and I are joined by E. Jean Carroll — journalist, author, advice columnist (her “Ask E. Jean” column appeared in Elle magazine from 1993 through 2019) … and target of Trump’s sexual assault. Her book Not My Type, subtitled One Woman Against a President, chronicled what happened, and the court cases she initiated against Trump — and won. It’s a fabulous, frightening, but also funny (really!) account. Heather surprised me by snagging E. Jean for our Klatch. We’ll start with an assessment of Trump’s war, then turn to E. Jean.Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Heather is traveling. I’m delighted that our friend Kamau Bell has stepped into the breach. Today, Kamau and I take a deep dive into Trump’s War — his shifting rationales for it, his changing goals, his ambiguous endgame, the human costs of the war so far, the American public’s unhappiness with it, and what Trump is trying to deflect attention from (spoiler: Trump’s shitty economy and his connections to Jeffrey Epstein). We then turn to Kristi Noem’s brief and ignoble tenure as secretary of Homeland Security, why Trump really sacked her, and whether her successor is likely to do any better. Finally, we look at this past week’s primary elections and ask what they portend for Democrats in the midterms and beyond. All this and more on today’s Klatch. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the discussion. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends, Today, Heather and I ask and try to answer: Why is Trump attacking Iran? Also: Why is he so gracious to Mayor Mamdani? Why does ICE continue to be so out of control? Why did the Republican House Oversight Committee want Hillary Clinton to testify about Jeffrey Epstein? Are the Epstein files finally closing in on Trump? Why worry that CBS, CNN, HBO, and Comedy Central are all coming under the control of a Trump crony? Why be concerned that Pete Hegseth won’t let a crucial AI tool bar spying on Americans and prohibit non-human control over lethal weapons? And, not the least, why am I so short? All this, and more! on today’s Klatch. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,A big week, including the arrest of Prince Andrew, the best of the Supreme Court, and the stress of the sociopath in the Oval Office. We get into all of this, along with our special guest David Hogg, on today’s Klatch. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

They dig into the ties between Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and America’s ruling class. They react to Pam Bondi’s performative politics and the erosion of DOJ norms. They examine ICE raids, detention conditions, and the human cost of immigration enforcement. They unpack a weak jobs report, low-quality healthcare hiring, and why many Americans feel economically pinched.

Friends,Today Heather and I examine the unchecked power that now pervades our political system — starting with the Justice Department’s (and Trump’s) unwillingness to turn over more than 3 million of the more than 6 million Epstein files in its possession (in which Trump is already mentioned 5,300 times). We then examine the continued lawlessness of ICE and Border Patrol, despite the public’s (including many Republicans’) growing revulsion against these rogue agencies. Which leads us to Democrat Taylor Rehmet’s astounding victory in a special election for a seat in the Texas state Senate — in a district Trump won by 17 percentage points in 2024 but Rehmet won by 14 percentage points this past week, a 30-point swing. And Trump’s increasing anxiety about the 2026 midterm elections — leading him to threaten to “take over” the voting. And, of course, tomorrow’s Super Bowl, featuring Bad Bunny at halftime — and Bad Bunny’s memorable acceptance speech at last Sunday’s Grammy Awards. All this, and more, on today’s Coffee Klatch. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Friends,Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Julie Su, former Secretary of Labor and current Deputy Mayor of Economic Justice in New York City. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe