Claim OwnershipThe Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich
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© Robert Reich
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Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich exposes where power lies in our system — and how it's used and abused.
robertreich.substack.com
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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
1Friends,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
Friends,Happy Valentine’s Day. Thanks for joining us. Today, Heather and I delve into the extremely un-Valentine-like world of Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and America’s ruling class. What do they have in common, and what does this tell us about America? Along the way we examine Pam Bondi’s belligerence, Steve Bannon’s complicity, and the Trump economy’s woes. We’ll also look into the real economy — you know, the one that most of us live in — and why so many Americans are feeling pinched and angry (and deserting Trump). And we’ll look at the continuing calamity of ICE, Trump’s (and Stephen Miller’s and Kristi Noem’s) war on Latinos, and the shutdown (starting this morning) of the Department of Homeland Security. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join 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 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
Friends,Today, Heather and I try to unravel some tricky questions: Will Democrats rein in ICE? What’s behind the sham arrests of Don Lemon and other journalists? Will Minneapolis be the tipping point that brings Trump down? Or will it be the latest Epstein files?We discuss all this and more.Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join 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
Today I’m traveling. Heather and Michael make sense of a memorable week. My thanks to both of them. See you next Saturday. 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 grapple with the inescapable reality that Trump has turned America into a fascist state. From the streets of Minneapolis to the shores of Greenland, violence and the threat of violence prevail. By contrast, we talk with Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission and co-chair of Mayor Mamdani’s transition team, about how Mayor Mamdani has launched his social-democratic administration in New York. And Heather and I explore specific steps you can take to fight this scourge.Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation — and the movement. 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 our friend Kamau Bell join me to examine this horrific week in which Trump took control of Venezuela and its oil and unleashed his ICE and Border Patrol agents on Americans. Trump’s deadly forces here and abroad — unconstrained by law or oversight — seem to have shifted the nation from being endangered by a pending dictatorship to becoming a dictatorship. What do you think?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 look into our crystal balls and attempt to predict what’s going to happen in 2026. First, what do we hope for? What are the major positive things we anticipate? Second, what do we fear? What are our biggest worries about the upcoming year?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,What do we make of 2025, other than that it was a horrible and cruel year? On today’s Klatch, Heather and I sift through your questions about what we’ve been through, what it means, what are the big lessons from 2025, and who are the real heroes. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in the conversation. Happy New Year! You look great! 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,I recently had the delight of conversing with acclaimed author Michael Lewis (The Big Short, Liar’s Poker, Moneyball, Flash Boys, Going Infinite, The Fifth Risk, The Premonition, The Blind Side, The Undoing Project, Boomerang, and, most recently, Who Is Government?). I asked him to join me to discuss our recent books. Our subject was Trump, but our conversation ranged from the political to the personal. It occurred before a live audience and was great fun. I thought this holiday week a perfect occasion to share it with you. My thanks to Michael. Hope you had a happy holiday and have a restful weekend. Oh, and you look great. 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 take a deep dive into Trump’s increasingly addled brain — seeking to understand how quickly he’s losing his capacities and the dangers this poses for the rest of us. We begin with his bizarre response to the killings of Rob and Michele Reiner earlier this week, followed by his lie-filled speech to the nation and his chief-of-staff’s description of him as having the personality of an “alcoholic” who believes he’s omnipotent. We also examine his mounting losses: congressional Republicans who are deserting him, federal courts that continue to reject his orders, and polls showing him tanking. And we attempt to sum up this harrowing year. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join in our discussion. Also: In next Saturday’s year-end klatch, we’ll take your questions about anything — so please leave them in the comments below. 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 — along with our Gen Z associates Katie Milne and Vishal Shankar — explore why the Republican Party is in near revolt against Trump. Congressional Republicans repeatedly rebuked him this week. Twenty House Republicans joined Democrats in passing a discharge petition to restore union rights to federal workers; 14 signed on to another discharge petition to prevent members of Congress from trading stocks. Meanwhile, a Democrat won the race to become mayor of Miami (for the first time in 30 years), and the Indiana Senate rejected a congressional redistricting plan despite Trump’s pressure campaign on Republican lawmakers.Why is Trump losing so badly now? Because his polls are plummeting. He refuses to acknowledge how difficult it is for most Americans to make ends meet — calling the affordability crisis a “sham” cooked up by Democrats, while his tariffs continue to jack up prices. 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, Trump evidently persuaded Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, the world football league, to award him the first (and likely last) annual FIFA Peace Prize, along with a hagiographic video. It’s all part of Infantino’s efforts to craft a close alliance with Trump.And Trump has just had his name engraved on the U.S. Institute of Peace — now renamed the “Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace.” The absurd award and equally absurd engraving are parts of Trump’s pathetic campaign to get the Nobel Peace Prize — something he has coveted since Barack Obama was awarded it in 2009.We cover much more today. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join 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,Hope you had a good Thanksgiving and are now enjoying a restful post-Thanksgiving weekend. Today, Heather and I discuss the Thanksgiving holiday — from our own childhood memories, to Norman Rockwell’s iconic “freedom from want” Thanksgiving cover for The Saturday Evening Post. To Trump’s terrible Thanksgiving week — pardoning turkeys, criminals who support him and other criminals who pay him off. Also: American consumers’ exceedingly costly Thanksgiving — due to Trump policies. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join 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
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