The Rick Smith Show

Rick Smith speaks with labor attorney David Borer of Gilbert Employment Law about troubling news that the Office of Management and Budget has quietly removed from its shutdown guidance all references to the 2019 law guaranteeing back pay for federal workers. Later, Johnny Jones, President of AFGE Local 1040 and a TSA officer in Dallas, describes how “payless paydays” devastate families, forcing fe...

Rick Smith speaks with Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, about how the Trump administration’s government lockout is being used to undermine and ultimately dismantle Social Security under the guise of saving it. Later, Patrick Crowley, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, discusses his organization’s lawsuit against the Trump EPA, aimed at restoring funding for the Solar f...

On The Rick Smith Show, LIUNA President Brent Booker blasts the Trump administration’s attack on working families but using the government shutdown to defund, cancel, and pause critical infrastructure projects in states like NY and Illinois that voted against Trump in 2024. Booker details how these political tactics directly harm construction workers and communities by freezing billions for transi...

On The Rick Smith Show, Rick is joined by Dave Demas, President of AFGE Local 3003, who details the immense strain placed on federal correction officers during the government shutdown. Officers are forced to work without pay, worsening understaffing, financial pressures, and dangerous working conditions in prisons, all while union contract protections have been stripped away, a blow to safety and...

On the Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First, about 10 years of tracking corporate greed and their new study highlighting the economic and environmental benefits of a “Fix It First” infrastructure policy and investment in urban density. LeRoy explains how repairing existing infrastructure creates more jobs, saves taxpayer money, and curbs sprawl. Later,...

On The Rick Smith Show, ironworker and congressional candidate Randy Bryce discusses his campaign to challenge Trump-aligned incumbent Bryan Steil, emphasizing the need for real working-class representation and critiquing Trump and Hegseth’s political theater at Quantico as performative distraction from issues facing labor and families. Debbie White, RN and president of the Health Professionals an...

On The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Bobby Kogan, Senior Director of Budget Policy at the Center for American Progress, about the looming government shutdown and how Trump’s promises now lack credibility for working families. Later, Virginia Burger, Senior Defense Policy Analyst at the Project on Government Oversight, reacts to the spectacle of the Trump-Hegseth Quantico military event, raising...

On the Rick Smith Show, Rick discusses the backdrop of a looming government shutdown and a military pow wow at Quantico, spotlighting national uncertainty. Rhode Island AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley joins to celebrate a historic labor peace agreement between SouthCoast Wind and New England unions—the first of its kind for U.S. offshore wind operations. Crowley highlights the 2.4-gigawatt proje...

On The Rick Smith Show, Raw Story’s Sarah Burris explains President Trump’s sweeping order giving the War Secretary “Full Force” authority in Portland, fueling aggressive crackdowns. She discusses how the administration’s push to prosecute James Comey signals an escalation in targeting political opponents. Burris also breaks down the “shock” resignation of Oklahoma Education head Ryan Walters amid...

On The Rick Smith Show, Lisa Graves, founder of True North Research, tackles the historic indictment of ex-FBI Director James Comey, warning it signals Trump’s turn to open political retribution and a slide toward authoritarianism at the federal level. Graves calls for grassroots vigilance to protect constitutional principles in the face of escalating propaganda and voter suppression. Then, Michae...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick dives into the politics of posthumous martyrdom with congressional candidate Rich Ojeda, who takes aim at the push to canonize Charlie Kirk with commemorative coins and warns against opportunistic, divisive legislation. Mary Cathryn Ricker, executive director of the Albert Shanker Institute, joins to dissect Oklahoma’s mandate for Turning Point USA chap...

Rick Smith welcomes Rutgers lecturer Mark Weber, who analyzes Oklahoma superintendent Ryan Walters’ dramatic push to put Turning Point USA chapters in every school—a move hailed as a major MAGA initiative but fraught with controversy over politicizing education in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death. Weber highlights resistance from local educators and questions the long-term impact. Brent Booke...

Rick Smith sits down with Stuart Appelbaum, president of RWDSU, to unpack the impact of President Trump’s inflationary spiral and flawed tariff policy on working families. Appelbaum addresses the White House’s latest anti-labor moves and highlights how solidarity helped return Jimmy Kimmel to late-night TV. Rick reflects on Trump, the “unitarian executive” racing toward unprecedented attacks on in...

Rick Smith talks with Raw Story’s Sarah Burris about the packed, emotional Kirk memorial, where conservatives, led by President Trump, hailed Charlie Kirk as a martyr and vowed to carry his work forward. Burris explores the right’s push to make Kirk an enduring symbol of their movement. Then, Randi Weingarten, president of AFT, joins to discuss her new book “Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Educ...

Rick is joined by Jon Schleuss, President of The NewsGuild-CWA, and Matthew Cunningham-Cook, reporter with the Center for Media and Democracy, to examine the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on journalism and the free press. Schleuss highlights the heightened threats facing reporters, the erosion of press freedoms, and the dangers posed to democracy when truth-tellers are targeted. Cunningha...

Rick speaks with Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, about Trump allies exploiting Charlie Kirk’s murder to silence dissent and weaponize grief against perceived enemies. Alex unpacks how this moment reveals the right’s broader strategy to intimidate opposition while avoiding accountability. Later, Pennsylvania State Representative Napoleon Nelson, Chair of the Legislative Bl...

On today’s Rick Smith Show, Rick covers the top stories affecting working people, exposing political and economic challenges in real time. With expert guests and direct, honest analysis, Rick highlights major headlines often neglected by corporate media. The show gives working-class listeners the news and perspective they need to navigate complex issues and fight for their rights.   Don’t miss our...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show, Rick calls for refocusing the conversation on a working-class message as mainstream media fixates on division, especially in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder. Will Rice, Policy Consultant with Americans for Tax Fairness, joins to break down the coming introduction of the Billionaire Income Tax Act and what it means for economic fairness. Later, Sara St...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show, Rick explores the fallout from the death of Charlie Kirk and how the reaction is shaping discourse across America’s college campuses. Raw Story reporter Sarah Burris joins to discuss the media narratives and the political exploitation surrounding the tragedy. Bucknell University Professor Matias Vernengo provides perspective on how campuses, already battlegr...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show, Rick reflects on the shocking tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s murder and how moments of violence deepen America’s divides. He shares memories of 9/11, recalling the horror of that day and how the aftermath reshaped the nation, fueling extremism and pushing the country down a darker path. Rick also opens up about the approaching anniversary of his wife’s near-fatal...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show, Rick digs into the latest jobs numbers revision with Sara Estep, economist at the Center for American Progress, who explains what the data reveals about the sinking Trump economy and the widening struggles for working families. Together, they uncover how the administration’s rosy rhetoric hides deep economic pain. Later, Jill Manrique, Executive Director of...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show, Rick discusses the troubling rise of authoritarianism in America and sheds light on “Operation Midway Blitz,” a push that threatens working people and democracy alike. Lisa Graves of True North Research joins to expose the dangers of unchecked power and the erosion of accountability under Trump. Later, Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show, Rick breaks down Trump’s so-called “winning economy” as job numbers continue to collapse since his so-called “liberation day,” exposing a reality far from the promises. Rick examines the administration’s desperate distractions, from bizarre conspiracy claims that Trump once snitched for the FBI in the Epstein case to inflammatory memes portraying an “Apocaly...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show, Rick is joined by veteran labor reporter Steven Greenhouse to discuss the state of work and organizing in America after Labor Day, as Donald Trump attacks unions while claiming to champion American workers. LIUNA Vice President Mike Hellstrom previews the upcoming New York City Labor Day Parade and highlights labor’s broader push to restore power to working...

On this episode of the Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with historian Peter Cole, Ph. D., Professor at Western Illinois University and Co-director of the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project, about Donald Trump’s deployment of troops in Washington, D.C., and threats to send them to Chicago and Baltimore. Cole lays out the troubling historical parallel of National Guard units breaking strike...