WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch - podcast cover

WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

Paul Gigot, The Wall Street Journalwww.wsj.com
From the award-winning opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal, Paul Gigot, Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn and Kyle Peterson discuss the latest from Washington. Get critical perspective and the analysis you need on developments from the nation’s capital. Join them every weekday. Send your feedback to pwpodcast@wsj.com

Episodes

All Things with Kim Strassel: Fighting Government Waste at the EPA

How is Donald Trump's much-discussed Department of Government Efficiency working in practice? In this episode of All Things, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin explains his agency's partnership with DOGE and the process by which they are identifying waste and fraud to make the federal government more accountable. What grants or programs are being cut, and why? What's happening to the EPA workforce? How much internal "resistance" is there to these goals? And how does EPA bal...

Mar 11, 202527 min

Is the Economy Headed for a Trump Recession?

Despite warnings in financial markets, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says there will be no economic downturn. Donald Trump is more equivocal as he says the economy is in transition to better days as his tariffs are implemented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 10, 202526 min

Sanctuary City Mayors Get Grilled, as Border Crossings Plummet

The number of migrants encountered at the southwest border has dropped significantly since Donald Trump's re-election in November, as he turns the U.S. toward a message of deterrence. Meantime, mayors from major “sanctuary cities," including New York and Chicago, are called to Capitol Hill for tough questions about their efforts to shield illegal immigrants from federal law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 08, 202528 min

Donald Trump’s Road to Tariffs Takes Another U-Turn

The President's 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada are on again, then off, then on again, and then partially off--at least for a month. What's Donald Trump up to with his trade policy, and is the resulting uncertainty starting to hurt a U.S. economy that is already weakening? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 06, 202525 min

Trump Addresses Congress on DOGE, Tariffs, Ukraine and More

A defiant Donald Trump delivers the longest presidential speech to Congress in modern history, interrupted by jeers from Democrats, including Rep. Al Green, who is escorted out. But on the substance, has the President proposed enough clear direction for the GOP, given his many ambitious promises, from a balanced budget and tax-free tips to the Panama Canal and Greenland? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 06, 202525 min

All Things With Kim Strassel: Can a U.S.-Ukraine Deal Still Happen?

The explosive meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump continues to radiate fallout, as the president announced a pause in aid to Ukraine, and Europe rallied around Ukraine with promises of troops. Can the U.S.-Ukraine rare minerals deal still be salvaged? And what's the next stage in the now three-year conflict that Russian president Vladimir Putin started with his invasion of his neighbor? On this episode of All Things, New York Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) explains why Vladimir Putin ...

Mar 05, 202527 min

Donald Trump's Trade War With Canada and Mexico

The President follows through on his threat to impose 25% tariffs, as Canada and Mexico plan to retaliate with reciprocal taxes on U.S. goods, such as orange juice and bourbon. Given that voters are still upset about inflation under Joe Biden, is Trump taking a political risk, if his trade war means that U.S. consumers will see higher prices on produce, SUVs, and other items? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 04, 202527 min

The Worldwide Fallout After Zelensky and Trump Clash Over Ukraine

The world is still reacting to the contentious Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, with European leaders pledging boots on the ground to defend Ukraine. But while Donald Trump waits for an apology, what will it take for a return to the rare mineral deal that brought Zelensky and Trump together, and will Russia come to the negotiating table? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 03, 202525 min

The Trump-Zelensky Meeting on Minerals Goes Sideways

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Washington to sign a deal with the U.S. on mineral rights, but an Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump and JD Vance breaks down in acrimony. Zelensky says any cease-fire with Russia must be backed by security guarantees, given Vladimir Putin's record of breaking his word. Trump says the meeting shows Zelensky isn't ready for peace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 28, 202526 min

The GOP Passes Its First Big Tax and Budget Test

The House GOP narrowly passes the budget outline for Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.” Democrats think they can ultimately defeat the bill by targeting Medicaid reform, and Republicans will have to join that debate or lose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 27, 202524 min

Trump Says Canada and Mexico Tariffs Are Coming Soon

After Donald Trump gave America’s neighbors a 30-day reprieve from his threatened tariffs, he now says they’ll go into effect in a matter of weeks. But a new study of the North American auto industry estimates that those border taxes could add thousands to the price of an SUV, and does Trump have the legal power to impose such tariffs on allies, or could this go to the courts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 26, 202524 min

Speaker Johnson's Budget Vote / Elon Musk’s DOGE Email

Donald Trump wants "one big, beautiful bill" to pass his agenda via budget reconciliation, but can House Speaker Mike Johnson keep Republicans united to get it through? Plus, the latest DOGE earthquake is a weekend email telling federal employees to write back with five things they accomplished last week, or else Elon Musk threatens that they could be terminated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 25, 202526 min

All Things with Kim Strassel: Sen.Tom Cotton’s Seven Warnings About China

China is the world's new “evil empire" and has already infiltrated our government and society. On this episode of All Things, Sen. Tom Cotton shares these and other warnings from his new book, "Seven Things You Can't Say About China." The Arkansas Republican explains China's unprecedented military buildup--partly aimed at dominating Taiwan--its use of TikTok to capture American youth, and what everyday citizens can do to counter the rising China threat. Also, his take on the latest negotiations ...

Feb 25, 202529 min

The U.S. Stake in Germany's Election Shift to the Right

Friedrich Merz won election in Germany, which is being received as a victory for centrists looking to revive the German economy. But how will Donald Trump react after Merz stated his hope for “independence” from the United States? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 24, 202524 min

Trump vs. 'Independent' Agencies / RFK Jr. and the Measles Outbreak

Donald Trump orders "independent" agencies to run their regulations through the White House, an assertion of executive authority and democratic accountability that could help upend how Washington works. Plus, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. considers reshaping a CDC vaccine committee, while a measles outbreak in Texas hits 90 cases and 16 hospitalizations, mostly children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 21, 202525 min

Donald Trump Puts Pressure on Ukraine, but What About Russia?

Volodymyr Zelensky says Donald Trump is in a “disinformation space” after the President blamed Ukraine for starting the war with Russia, then Donald Trump calls Zelensky “a dictator” in return. Is this part of a bigger strategy to turn Americans against Ukraine? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 20, 202526 min

Trump's Labor Secretary Nominee Faces the Senate

Donald Trump picked Lori Chavez-DeRemer as a thank you to the Teamsters for staying neutral in the 2024 election. But given her past support for bills that would override right-to-work laws and bolster public unions, will Republicans in the Senate go along with her confirmation? And as union membership falls to a historic low of 9.9%, is courting labor bosses a good GOP strategy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 19, 202524 min

Why the Feds Want to Drop Their Case Against Mayor Eric Adams

The New York mayor's attention shouldn't be diverted from supporting the White House's efforts against illegal immigration, a Justice Department memo argues. Adams denies there was a quid pro quo, as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul considers exercising her authority to remove him from office. But with a mayoral primary coming in June anyway, is that a decision best left for the voters? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 18, 202524 min

Donald Trump's 'Reciprocal' Tariff Investigation

The markets see another tariff reprieve, as the president orders his cabinet to examine America's trading relationships and recommend ways to balance them. But is trying to micromanage 13,000 tariff line-items, across 200 countries, a good way to help the economy and government efficiency? Plus, Elon Musk appears in the Oval Office to explain what DOGE is doing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 14, 202525 min