Trump Freezes Trillions. Chaos Ensues.
Jan 29, 2025
In one of his most audacious moves since taking office, President Trump ordered a freeze on Tuesday on trillions of dollars in federal money — from anti-poverty programs to foreign aid — in order to purge the government of what he called woke ideology.
Michael D. Shear, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, discusses the order, the chaos it prompted and whether it is likely to survive in court.
On today's episode:
Michael D. Shear, a White House correspondent for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- A judge stayed President Trump’s freeze, but disruption to the Medicaid funding system caused fear.
- Uncertainty around the freeze also caused chaos in education.
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You can listen to the episode here.