Has Trump Gone Full ‘Mob Boss’?
5/23/202640 min
President Trump’s proposed political slush fund is getting pushback — including from his own party. This week on “The Opinions,” the national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French discuss how the president’s “reparations for rioters” settlement fund may be his biggest miscalculation yet ahead of the November midterms.
Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.
This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Video editing by Julian Hackney. The postproduction manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Julie Beer and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Video is Jonah M. Kessel. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Jamelle Bouie· Panelist0:34
I mean, we should all just, we should all apply. We say that w- we were at Jan 6. We were there. [laughs] We were in the crowd, and, uh, we feel victimized- And just see where it goes.
Michelle Cottle· Host0:44
It would... We'll see ...
Jamelle Bouie· Panelist0:45
we feel victimized by Sleepy Joe Biden.
Michelle Cottle· Host0:47
[upbeat music] I'm Michelle Cottle. I'm a political writer for Times Opinion, and I am here this week with my fabulous colleagues, columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie. Guys, it's been a minute since the three of us were together. How goes it?
David French· Panelist1:03
It's great to get the gang back together again. I'm glad to see Jamelle.
Jamelle Bouie· Panelist1:07
Yeah, looking forward to the conversation and glad to be back.
Michelle Cottle· Host1:09
Gotten the band back together, and today we're gonna talk about Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund that will ostensibly compensate people who say they were victims of political persecution. This could, for example, result in some pretty big payouts