The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich

Mar 08 2025 370 ep. 12 mins 377

The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich Podcast artwork

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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The End of the Trump Honeymoon | Coffee Klatch for March 8, 2025

Mar 08 2025 43 mins

Friends,Michael is filling in for Heather today (thank you, Michael, and we miss you, Heather). Michael and I assess week 7 of this horrendous regime, starting with Trump’s interminable speech and ending with his decision to pull back from imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico, after the stock market nearly tanked. We also examine the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to rein in Tru

The Trump-Putin Axis of Evil | Coffee Klatch for Saturday, March 1, 2025

Mar 01 2025 45 mins

Friends,Today, Heather and I discuss Trump’s and Vance’s disgraceful treatment of Ukraine President Zelensky in the Oval Office yesterday — a man who for more than three years has courageously held off Putin’s aggression, maintained the will of the Ukrainian people, and risked his life to contain the Russian dictator. Trump did this to undermine Zelensky’s heroic image in

The Trump-Putin regime? The Coffee Klatch | February 22, 2025

Feb 22 2025 55 mins

Friends,Today, Heather and I assess the fifth week of the regime, when Trump took America over to the dark side by endorsing Vladimir Putin’s narrative of how the Ukraine war began and why Europe should defend itself rather than be an ally of the United States.We also have as our special guest Rohit Chopra, the former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who was

The Musk Show | Coffee Klatch for Saturday, February 15, 2025

Feb 15 2025 29 mins

Friends,Today, nearing the end of the fourth week of the Trump-Vance-Musk regime, Heather and I assess Musk’s Oval Office press conference — in which he accused federal employees of dishonesty but provided no evidence — and analyze Musk’s own dishonesty and conflicts of interest. We also examine Trump’s promise in the 2024 election to bring prices down, in light of new ev

Fusk Muck! | The Coffee Klatch, Saturday, February 8, 2025

Feb 08 2025 34 mins

Friends,Today Heather and I assess week 3 of the Trump regime — a week marked by Trump’s bonkers talk about turning Gaza into a riviera tourist destination by removing all Gazans and setting up “beautiful” beachfront resorts, and by Elon Musk’s almost total takeover of the federal government, including the destruction of USAID.Where is this heading? What’s the meaning o

Trump’s Rampage | Coffee Klatch for February 1, 2025

Feb 01 2025 44 mins

Friends,Today Heather and I assess the first two weeks of Trump II, the damage he’s done to individuals and to democratic institutions, and what decent people can do to fight back. Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, take our poll, 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

Trump’s Real Agenda | The Coffee Klatch for January 25, 2025

Jan 25 2025 37 mins

Friends,Some pundits are saying that Trump II is basically just a rehash of Trump I. Heather and I are here to tell you they’re wrong. Trump II is far worse. Today we discuss Week 1: Trump’s cruel and unconstitutional executive orders; his use of active duty military at the border; his pardons to the 1,500 thugs who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, at Trump’s beh

The Trump takeover: Fascism or oligarchy? Coffee Klatch | January 18, 2025

Jan 18 2025 32 mins

Friends,Today Heather and I look at the last week of the Biden administration and ahead to the first week of Trump’s. What can the confirmation hearings tell us about what to expect? What was the real significance of Biden’s “farewell” address? Will it be fascism or oligarchy, or both? And, by the way, what should we take away from the imminent end to TikTok? Please grab a

Trump's Oligarchy | The Coffee Klatch for January 11, 2025

Jan 11 2025 38 mins

Note: I’m reposting this edition of The Coffee Klatch as there seem to have been delivery issues and many people have reported not receiving it. Apologies to anyone receiving this late, or twice.Friends,Today we talk about the L.A. fires, the human disaster as well as its connection to climate change, as well as the firestorm of dangerous and nasty misinformation about it on X, a

Trump's Oligarchy | The Coffee Klatch for January 11, 2025

Jan 11 2025 38 mins

Friends,Today we talk about the L.A. fires, the human disaster as well as its connection to climate change, as well as the firestorm of dangerous and nasty misinformation about it on X, and the future of places like L.A. that are subject to climate disasters.Also: Trump — the first president to enter office as a convicted felon — has a news conference that shows how bonkers he