Advertise on podcast: Receipts with Catherine Rampell

Why is Elon Musk pouring hundreds of millions into Republican campaigns, and what is he afraid will happen if Democrats regain power? Kara Swisher joins Catherine Rampell to explain Musk’s increasingly desperate alliance with Trump, how Silicon Valley billionaires are buying political influence, and why Big Tech’s loyalty to MAGA may have an expiration date. Plus, Swisher dishes on JD Vance, her surprising new partnership with Hillary Clinton, and why she’s walking away from CNN. Read Catherine Rampell's "Receipts" Newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/receipts

Even Republicans are starting to notice Trump’s staggering corruption. Catherine Rampell and JVL take on the latest scandals engulfing Trump’s inner circle, new polling showing his own voters recognize the grift, and the economic damage being inflicted on ordinary Americans while Trump’s friends cash in.

Catherine Rampell is joined by Andrew Egger to discuss Elon Musk’s $276 million effort to rescue Republicans in the midterms, Trump’s DOJ targeting news organizations, and his latest deal with Vladimir Putin. Then, former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland shares what she learned negotiating with Trump, why appeasing him doesn’t work, and what America’s billionaires should learn from the rise of Russia’s oligarchs. Read Catherine Rampell's "Receipts" newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/receipts Buy "Unreliable Boyfriend": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4HKTLQB

Catherine Rampell and JVL break down Trump’s escalating war on the Federal Reserve, including his latest attempt to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook and the growing threat to the central bank’s independence. They discuss how Trump’s tariffs and war with Iran are fueling inflation, driving up prices for everything from tomatoes to Texas brisket, and potentially hurting Republicans in key Senate races. Plus, JD Vance struggles to define socialism, the administration’s crackdown on H-1B workers raises questions about anti-immigrant politics, and why both parties may be moving toward a more government-controlled economy. Read and watch more from Catherine: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/receipts

Catherine Rampell and Sam Stein discuss Scott Bessent’s strange interview, from his “I am the house” bravado and boasts about Melania’s friends to his temper and possible political ambitions. They also react to Trump’s latest pitch for $5,000 checks and his remarkable claim that he knows more about basically everything than anyone. Then Jasper Hill Farm’s Mateo Kehler joins to explains how Trump’s trade war with Canada wiped out his cheese company’s fastest-growing export market and why policies sold as a lifeline for American dairy farmers are instead driving up costs and squeezing businesses.

Catherine Rampell and JVL break down the weak jobs report, the impact of immigration and tariffs on the labor market, and the economic challenges facing Trump’s manufacturing agenda. They also discuss Trump’s ideas for dealing with the national debt, including his suggestion that inflation could help pay it off, and what his attacks on the Federal Reserve could mean for America’s borrowing costs. Plus, they examine why Republican counties are losing population, the country’s declining fertility rate, the economic consequences of an aging population, and Trump’s reported reliance on Grok to kidnap Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro.

Catherine Rampell and Sam Stein bring the receipts on Trump’s increasingly baffling fight with Canada, his latest promise of $5,000 checks and the ugly polling behind it, and his move to weaken fuel-efficiency standards while gas prices are sky-high. Plus, Sydney Sweeney’s unexpected conversion news.

Catherine Rampell and JVL break down the latest economic warning signs, from surging Treasury yields and 7% mortgage rates to the fallout from the Iran war and rising energy prices. They discuss why Scott Bessent’s efforts to push down bond yields are running into broader problems with inflation, government debt and uncertainty over the war. Catherine also explains why Donald Trump’s proposed diesel export ban could backfire by raising prices for gasoline and other petroleum products while disrupting global energy markets. Plus, they discuss the growing influence of corporate leaders in the Trump administration, the erosion of the rule of law and what economic uncertainty means for long-term business investment. And they debate Jensen Huang’s argument that students may not need to learn basic math in the age of AI—and what gets lost when foundational skills are treated as obsolete. Bulwark Live Shows: https://www.thebulwark.com/events

Catherine Rampell welcomes former Obama economic adviser Jason Furman to make sense of an economy that keeps confusing almost everyone. They also talk about Trump’s pressure on the Fed, the White House’s economic spin, the risks of politicizing scientific research, and why Democrats may be learning the wrong lessons from inflation and the affordability crisis. If you like the kinds of conversations Catherine is having on Receipts, with smart people willing to question conventional wisdom, challenge their own side, and follow the evidence wherever it goes, help us spread the word. Rate and review the show, and recommend it to someone you think would enjoy it. Those small things really do help a new show find its audience. Thank you.

Catherine and JVL take on Canada’s accelerating break with the United States, Trump’s self-inflicted inflation problem, and the dangerous game unfolding between the White House and the Federal Reserve. Plus, DOGE somehow managed to spend $9.5 billion paying federal workers not to work, while government data that could expose tax cheating is quietly disappearing.

On Receipts, Catherine follows the money, challenges conventional wisdom, and digs into the data behind the biggest economic and political stories of the moment. What’s actually happening? Who’s responsible? And what does it mean for you?