Balance of Power

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as top spokesman for President Donald Trump’s economic policies, endured a sometimes-fiery hearing at the House Wednesday, peppered with Democratic legislators’ objections to initiatives including DOGE and tariff hikes on consumer products.In his first exchange with Maxine Waters, Bessent was queried on a lack of a face-to-face meeting with the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee.“This is the first time we’ve met — is that correct?” Waters said at the hearing. Bessent responded, “No ma’am — we actually met one New Year’s Eve in the Bahamas.”Waters, who chaired the committee when the Democrats held the majority, said, “He didn’t make an impression.” The Treasury chief then quipped, “You were much better at the electric slide than I was.”Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, they speak with: Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall. Republican Congressman Greg Murphy of North Carolina. Bloomberg National Security Reporter Courtney McBride. Groundwork Collaborative Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.US President Donald Trump said he would prescribe tariff levels and trade concessions for partners looking to avoid higher duties, appearing to move away from the idea that he would engage in back-and-forth negotiations.“We’re going to put very fair numbers down, and we’re going to say, here’s — what this country, what we want. And congratulations, we have a deal. And they’ll either say ‘great,’ and they’ll start shopping, or they’ll say, ‘not good,’” Trump said Tuesday at the White House as he met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “It’s going to be a very fair number, it’ll be a low number. We’re not looking to hurt countries,” he added.Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Bloomberg Correspondent David Gura hosts. David speaks with: Bloomberg Executive Editor for Canada Derek Decloet. Bloomberg Politics Contributors Rick Davis and Jeanne Sheehan Zaino. Former US Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman. Bloomberg US Treasury Reporter Daniel Flatley. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.President Donald Trump suggested that his administration could strike trade deals with some countries as soon as this week, offering the prospect of relief for trading partners seeking to avoid higher US import duties.“It could very well be,” Trump told reporters on Sunday when asked whether any trade agreements were coming this week. He didn’t specify any countries.“We’re negotiating with many countries, but at the end of this, I’ll set my own deals — because I set the deal, they don’t set the deal,” Trump said aboard Air Force One. “You keep asking the same question: ‘When will you agree?’ It’s up to me, it’s not up to them.”Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico. Bloomberg Politics Contributor Jeanne Sheehan Zaino and Echo Canyon Consulting CEO Jon Seaton. Bloomberg Deputy Washington Bureau Chief Laura Davison. Bloomberg Managing Editor for Media and Entertainment Lucas Shaw. Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Commodity Strategist Mike McGlone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.US job growth was robust in April and the unemployment rate held steady, suggesting uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s trade policy has yet to have a material impact on hiring plans.Nonfarm payrolls increased 177,000 last month after the prior two months’ advances were revised lower, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2%.The report suggests the labor market continues to cool gradually, a sign that businesses facing heightened uncertainty around tariffs and turmoil in financial markets didn’t significantly alter their hiring plans. Most economists anticipate the brunt of the impact from punishing levies will be seen in coming months.Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg Economics Chief US Economist Anna Wong. Economic Policy Consultant Kathryn Edwards. Former OMB Director and former Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, candidate for Governor of New Jersey. Democratic Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow, candidate for US Senate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.President Donald Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for weak economic data that sent stocks tumbling, arguing government data showing increased domestic investment signaled his tariffs are working.“I have to start off by saying, that’s Biden. That’s not Trump,” Trump said Wednesday during a Cabinet meeting.Inflation-adjusted gross domestic product decreased an annualized 0.3% in the first quarter, well below average growth of about 3%, according to initial government data published Wednesday.“Let’s give us a pass on the first month, we were sort of getting a little bit used to things,” Trump added.Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg's Michael McKee. American Action Forum President Douglas Holtz-Eakin. Bloomberg's Daniel Flatley. University of Michigan Professor of Public Policy and Economics Betsey Stevenson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign an executive order easing the impact of his auto tariffs, preventing duties on foreign-made vehicles from stacking on top of other levies and lessening charges on parts from overseas used to make vehicles in the US.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration would release the text of the directive, detailing the specifics of the action, later on Tuesday. The plan would change 25% tariffs on auto part imports, expected to start May 3, by allowing carmakers to claim an offset worth up to 3.75% of the value of a US-made vehicle for one year, a senior Commerce Department official said. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg's Molly Smith. Fireside Strategies Partner Alex Conant. Bloomberg's Tyler Kendall. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly of Kansas, Chair of the Democratic Governors Association. Bloomberg Politics Contributors Rick Davis and Jeanne Sheehan Zaino. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and congressional Republicans will meet to sketch out the plan for passing a multi-trillion tax cut in the coming weeks as polling shows that voters largely disapprove of the White House’s handling of the economy.Bessent and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett will meet with top congressional leaders Monday afternoon as lawmakers return from a two-week break. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson and the two tax committee chairmen Senator Mike Crapo and Representative Jason Smith are slated to attend, according to people familiar with the schedule.Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Ipsos President of US Public Affairs Cliff Young. Bloomberg Economics Chief Economist Anna Wong. Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga of Michigan. Bloomberg Politics Contributors Rick Davis and Jeanne Sheehan Zaino. Bloomberg Correspondent David Gura. Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.President Donald Trump suggested another delay to his higher so-called “reciprocal” tariffs was unlikely, raising pressure on nations to negotiate trade deals with his administration.Asked about the possibility of granting another 90-day pause, Trump cast that scenario as “unlikely,” while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday. Trump also said that he would not drop tariffs on China, the world’s second largest economy, unless Beijing offers “something substantial” in return. Trump said he believed financial markets were adjusting to his tariff policy, downplaying the volatility that has hit equity and bond markets this month after he announced plans to hit about 60 US trading partners with higher duties.Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg's Tyler Kendall. Abroath Group Managing Director Christopher Smart. Bloomberg Politics Contributors Rick Davis and Jeanne Sheehan Zaino. Bloomberg's Romaine Bostick. Former US Diplomat Mara Rudman See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Balance of Power: Trump Urges Putin to Stop Ukraine Strikes (Podcast) The US will demand that Russia accept Ukraine’s right to develop its own, adequately equipped, army and defense industry as part of a peace agreement, according to people familiar with the matter, pushing back on Russia’s insistence that the country largely demilitarize as a condition to end the war.US envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia to raise the issue with President Vladimir Putin, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations. It’s a signal that President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking some concessions from the Kremlin, as well as Ukraine, as it tries to end a war that’s now into its fourth year. Critics have thus far viewed the US proposals as tilted toward Russia, including the Trump administration’s insistence that Ukraine give up its aspirations to join the NATO military alliance. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Director of the Futures Lab and Senior Fellow with the Defense and Security Department at the Center of Strategic and International Studies Ben Jensen. Bloomberg Politics Contributors Rick Davis and Jeanne Sheehan Zaino. Operation Hope Inc. Chairman, CEO and Founder John Hope Bryant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this engaging discussion, Melinda Haring, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and an expert on Ukraine, shares her insights on the ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, stressing the need for stronger security guarantees. Meanwhile, Ed Ludlow, co-host of Bloomberg Technology, provides a fascinating look at how global political dynamics are influencing Tesla's stock performance, despite recent challenges. Together, they unravel the implications of Trump's shifting stance on tariffs and the Federal Reserve amid growing market anxieties.