Bulwark Takes - Trump Posts, His Staff Panics—Again

Episode Date: November 9, 2025

Sam Stein and Jack Cocchiarella take on Scott Bessent’s walk-back of Trump’s bleated announcement of “$2,000 checks” amid the government shutdown that continues to rock the economy.

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Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. But MGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. I'm Jack Cottrell out with the bulwark. joined today by Sam Stein. And Sam, it looks like Scott Besson is going to have to literally cash some checks that Donald Trump is writing, which he can't because this morning are incompetent, cognitively declining president, decided he was going to save his term by announcing something that we all love, free cash. But he can't really deliver on that. And Scott Bessent was confronted on it. And what was just like a really, really bad ABC interview this morning? There's a lot to get into, but I want to start with the Trump post. that kicked it all off and how apparently we're all getting $2,000. Yeah. Well, can I just say something?

Like, when you do government by Fiat, when you just are like, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, it gets into your head probably that you can just write people checks for whatever amount you want, even though that's not legally permissible. I'm unclear what authority Trump has to just say, you know, we're giving these checks that we've collected from tariffs to people. But it makes sense because that's the way his mind operates. Yeah. And I think in a moment in which he's realized.

he's broken, or maybe he doesn't realize and doesn't care, but he has broken every single promise of his administration, the people who voted for Trump thinking that they were going to get a check again. And then we had that little short-lived Doge check, but now it's the tariff check. I don't know what type of check. It's going to be in another six months. Did they ever pay the Doge dividend? They did not, right? I didn't get one. But this one seems really promising, of course, because we've got to believe this guy. But I want to read the post before we see how a president failed to respond. So Trump took the truth social. And as always, we are writing in all caps, very excited. People that are the most against tariffs are

fools. That's good to know. We are now the richest, most respected country in the world with almost no inflation and a record stock market price 401ks are higher than ever. We are taking in trillions of dollars and will soon begin paying down our enormous debt. This is all really good to know. Trump also says a dividend of at least, it's at least now. $2,000 a person, not including high income people, will be paid to everyone. So that's really got to get you excited. At least $2,000 cash coming. But when Scott Besson was asked about that, he didn't seem as excited. You know, it could, the $2,000 dividend could come in lots of forms in lots of ways, George. You know, it could be just the tax decreases that we are seeing on the president's agenda.

You know, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans. So, you know, those are substantial deductions that, you know, are being financed. in the tax bill. So we're not getting it. We're not getting $2,000 cash, at least $2,000 cash. Do you feel really satisfied with that answer from Scott Besson? Do you think that gives people going? I don't know.

I mean, for like a couple hours there. I was pretty excited for my check. And then it got wiped away by Scott. I don't feel bad for Scott Besson because he signed up for this. But like, you have to imagine how crazy and difficult it is to wake up. And like, you have to scroll through true social to figure out what the monetary and economic policy, the administration is. And then you have to adjust on the fly.

And I'm sure his people are like, what do we do with this thing? Did we do legislation to propose a bill? Is that how it works now? And so he's thrust onto TV and he has to walk it back. But to your larger point, you know, they keep promising these cash infusions to people. And I don't know. It's like the whole bait and switch stuff at some point probably catches up with you, right? You keep promising people checks and they don't get checks.

If I were just, you know, regular Joe public, I would be a little bit upset, honestly, being like, okay, you promise me a check. where is it? You promised me a doge dividend? Where is it? Like, I'm struggling. I need the cash infusion. You keep dangling it out there, but you don't deliver. And it's also funny that this is what the Trump campaign was able to win on the most is like the Biden administration was kind of pushing the narrative that, oh, look at the stock market, look at economic indicators that aren't really reflective of people's lived experiences. And it's funny because a former Biden official actually put out a post in response to Trump saying, like, oh, things are so fantastic. Democrats are lying about the economy. And it's the James Franco, he's like at the news and he's like first time.

And it's like, we're Biden officials in the communications office. I saw that. I saw that. I'm like, are you guys seriously going to do the same thing that we did when people hated our economy and think that that's going to work? And it's like, yeah. There are a bunch of James Franco meme moments here because the whole thing around the Walmart package for Thanksgiving so much cheaper. And then you like actually look at it. It's just less goods. That was very reminiscent of the Biden era, you're going to get like cheaper ground beef for July 4th as if people are just sitting around making ground beef on July 4th. And that backfired on Biden pretty badly. And I'm guessing a bunch of the Biden people are just like laughing, watching them have to do the same

exact rigmarole because people live. Like they know what things cost. They go every day and buy groceries. And if you're going to tell them that things are stupendous and that they should be grateful for it, it's going to backfire. I was talking to some of it was like, you know, Bill Clinton had, I feel your pain. And this is like, I've solved your pain, but the pain is actually still there. And that can't be good politically. Yeah. And when Joe Biden was talking about, like, addressing shrinkflation, when you were saying, like,

there's now 17. You should explain what shrinkflation is for the beer because I think their minds might wander. You know, it's when your kit cat is just a kit instead of a kit cat, it's just like the one bar, it costs the same amount. Have you seen, did you see them doing that? I've never gone. I've never gone on one bar kit cat. Oh, now we have one bar kit cats where it's just like a kit or a kit cat, it's just like a kit or a cat. And so Joe Biden talked about that when he was like, we're going to crack down

on shrinkflation. Have they done that with Twix too? Because that's a crime. I love my twink. The one thing. Yeah. I think they're doing the one thing because that was like, you know, the fun-sized candy bars where it's usually just like the two kick cats next to each other. I did notice my candy that I was distributing on Halloween was a little bit smaller. I did notice that. And so like at least Joe Biden was saying like, oh, we're going to stop this. But people kind of roll their eyes when they're like, there's 17 chips in a bag instead of like, 20 like that's what you're cracking down is the difference between three chips like trump doesn't even give a fuck he's just like quite frankly everything's it's wonderful and and you love

your chips but it wasn't the only i know i have to break it out every once in a lot the chips are great the orange just like me uh no but the other thing that he did which was very bonnesque was uh the the post uh last week where he was just like we have to go after the the meat conglomerates the monopolies they're they're really like yeah big meat we got after big meat uh which was very body like scottescent it was very that's too soon is he going to come and punch me it's it's possible he's got a history no but that was very bideness where he was like the monopolies are the problems here with the prices we got to crack down

on them so there is there are echoes here actually apparently the problem with the prices is states and in local officials that's what scott besson's other argument was in this clip which was just pretty funny the president says so he just had posted this morning that there's almost no inflation. The consumer price index is higher than it was in the beginning of the year. Electricity rates are rising. So are prices for coffee, beef, vegetables, televisions. And it's not just me. It's not just economists who are saying that. Your own Republican members of Congress are saying that, including Marjorie Taylor Green. Let's look. Oh, great. I go to the grocery store myself. Grocery prices remain high. Energy prices are high. My electricity bills are higher

here in Washington, D.C. at my apartment, and they're also higher at my house in Rome, Georgia, higher than they were a year ago. So affordability is a problem. How do you respond to Congress from Green? Well, George, what I would respond to is electricity prices are a state problem. And, you know, I was very interested to see in the earlier clip where the governor, the governor-elect of New Jersey said, well, I'm going to bring down energy prices. well, it was her predecessor, Phil Murphy, who took them up. So, you know, look, there are things that the federal government can control. Local electricity prices are not one of them, but, you know, energy prices, gasoline prices are a way down. And, you know, we are doing what we can every day. I think we are on a

very good path to bringing prices. That's the... You don't like his soothing tones? Yeah, I'm not. It's just, it's gotten really dull. I want to see the version of Scott Besson. that is literally hitting people. I would watch. I'd maybe tune into that. But this is the energy, you know, drill baby drill, but let's still cancel green energy projects and make sure that every data center that wants to be built can be built. And every AI slop factory that can be built to serve Sam Altman who needs to bail out soon is put together. I don't know. It just kind of seems laughable to be like, well, it's actually Mikey Sherrill's fault that electricity is so expensive.

It's silly. And of course, like, you know, this only works. way because if a if a state were to be you know gangbusters economically and if they were to have reduced energy costs the idea that the administration would say yeah we don't take any credit for that that's that's definitely just the doings of you know the governor that's of course absurd but it does raise a larger point the amount of self-inflicted wounds here i think is is worth noting because you're right that you know during the shutdown they've gone out of their way to cut a lot of new energy clean energy projects. They put them on hold. Now, those won't go online necessarily right away, but certainly down the road that would reduce energy costs, electricity costs, things like that. But they don't

really care about that because Donald Trump is fixated on how bad windmills are for birds. And so you're out of place. Don't forget about the whales either. Yeah, I feel for the whales. So, yeah, no, they are not helping matters. And I think casting blame on the governors after that is not going to fly. No, and I don't, I don't just think anyone buys it. I don't think anyone is going to really, I don't know they don't buy a jack because they rendered a verdict on the off years and then you look at all these polls and it's not just that they think the economy's bad, which they do, it's that they think his policies are making it worse,

which is like monumentally worse for Trump that you're seen as the villain in this. Yeah, and it's not just like the average voter in Virginia or New Jersey or New York who feels that way. It's also it's also Scott Besson, who admitted to the huge economic implications for this shutdown. I've seen like the lines that are four hours long at the airport in Atlanta or Houston, but he's just speaking more broadly, not even like basic supply chain, everything, all of these ramifications. Scott Besson shared that he agrees with us, which is really nice of him. Just heard about all these impacts from the government shutdown right now.

Are we starting to see a permanent impact on the economy? Sure, George. And good to be with you. And we've seen an impact on the economy from day one, but it's getting more. worse and worse. We had a fantastic economy under President Trump the past two quarters, and now there are estimates that the economy, economic growth for this quarter could be cut by as much as half if the shutdown continues. And what your correspondent didn't talk about there, George, was there's, of course, the human cost, and we're going to have the busiest travel day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving. And Americans should look to five Democratic senators to come across the aisle to open that.

Okay. All righty, Scott. Oh, God. Again, I just, people aren't buying this. Donald Trump admitted it day one, Wednesday, after elections, he said, yeah, people know that this shutdown was a problem. He also complained that he wasn't on the ballot, which I don't think is necessarily the case in anyone's mind. But he even admitted shutdown, we're getting blamed for it.

People know it's our fault. You just really cannot continue to make this argument, especially in the sad, pathetic. George, the thing about the shutdown is that. tone just no one's going to buy it no one's going to buy it but you know there is at least an element of acknowledging reality here that i i mean i guess this is like the lowest of ours but i appreciate it right it's like they could just be like oh yeah yeah we're doing great it's gangbusters this is the trump economy and it's on you know revving but like i mean people are really suffering right like people are really suffering and then when the snap benefits actually do stop coming and they're

in court as we record they say are in court trying to say no you cannot pay the snap benefits it's it's going to be real suffering. And, you know, if you want to say it's because of the shutdown, fair enough, that's totally fine. But you also need to say, we are actively trying to stop the payment of these benefits that would alleviate part of the pain from the shutdown. So they own it, too. And not even just like trying to stop the payments, but there was a New York Times report this morning that Trump is now threatening states that are going to be supplementing those costs. And like, we will inflict financial hardships on you if you feed people. Of course, the Mar-a-Lago seafood towers with like the fucking biggest shrimp I've ever seen.

Those are good. We're going to feed the cougars at Mar-a-Lago, but that's it. That is where we stop. We've got to make sure that the cougars have, I don't know, does lip filler? Do you need, like, to sustain that? Is that real? Is that organic? Not my area of expertise.

That's not, it's not your, I will say, I watch these parties at Mar-a-Lago. And on the one hand, like, I'm aghast at, like, how ridiculous and over-the-top these parties. I'm 43 like I just want to go to bed on Friday nights man I just want to like watch Netflix they really get after it they go they go and it's like I guess good for them I don't have the energy for that but they seem to do it every weekend and they're just going and you're one up in it the you the evil that like is so corrosive to their faces and bodies but also like drain their energy no it's funny no you don't think so you think that the evil really fuels them I think I think it gives them more energy it clearly Clearly there's something in there because they're just at it. And they're like, oh, great Gatsby this week. Nah, we're going to go. We're going to go truffles everywhere and seafood towers. You think we did it, we did it right last weekend?

No, we're going to. On the other hand, well, not on the other hand. In addition, it's so painfully toned death. I mean, to do this at the same time you're cutting snap is like, it doesn't take, you know, a political science degree to understand that that looks ridiculous. And then playing golf on the weekend. and, like, you know, getting your ballroom ready. So ugly.

Like, they're just so gaudy. Like, again, the seafood, the seafood does look really good. Seafood look great. I don't like to give out credit, but I will say, like, big-ass shrimp. I'm totally on board with that. It looked good. I would have some shrimp right now. And even the, honestly, the Gaspie thing was gross and grotesque and cheesy as hell.

But I'd go for a good martini. Like, I'm happy with a good martini. I don't know if I want a woman in it, but. No, not that big a martini. The regular martini. yeah you a vesper guy you gin your vodka okay the right way to do it yeah and on that note with the bulwark i'm jack hattrallah so thanks for joining me man hey man appreciate it