The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich

Friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch, where today Heather and I talk about Biden’s State of the Union address, the Republican reaction to it, what we learned from Super Tuesday, and Trump’s mounting troubles — ranging from the upcoming criminal hush-money trial to his cash crunch. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and, should you wish, take our poll: This is a public episode. If y...

Friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch, where Heather and I talk about the consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision to consider Trump’s immunity claim; the House Republicans’ (in particular, Speaker Michael Johnson’s) refusal to consider the Senate’s bipartisan bill to tighten border security and provide funding to Ukraine; Russia’s continuing efforts to help Trump through social...

Friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch. This week, Heather and I try to figure out why the Republican Party has become an enemy of democracy — refusing to fund Ukraine against Putin’s aggression, supporting Trump’s invitation to Putin to attack other European countries and his threat to leave NATO if he’s reelected, and giving legitimacy to attempts to substitute scripture for law (as...

Friends, This was not exactly Trump’s best week. New York Justice Arthur F. Engoron found Trump liable for conspiring to manipulate his net worth and ordered him to pay a penalty that will exceed $450 million — which, along with the $83 million judgment against him in the defamation suit brought by E. Jean Carroll — could wipe out his entire stockpile of cash. Meanwhile, a date was set for the hus...

Hello friends, Welcome back to our Saturday Coffee Klatch, where Heather and I consider special counsel Robert K. Hur’s report emphasizing Biden’s age and memory loss. Was it politically motivated? Is Biden really too old to be president? We also examine the Supreme Court’s oral argument on Colorado’s decision to bump Trump from the ballot on the basis of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment; the decis...

Hello friends, Welcome back to our Saturday Coffee Klatch. Today is the South Carolina primary, but rather than spend much time on it (Trump will get his party’s nomination), Heather and I consider the remarkably good set of economic reports that emerged this past week and what, if anything, they mean for Biden’s reelection bid — plus why more than 70 percent of Republicans say the economy is terr...

Hello friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch, where today we explore the real story behind Trump’s so-called “wins” in the New Hampshire primary and last week’s Iowa caucuses — and why they’re actually big losses for Trump. After all, he was president between 2017 and 2021, and a former president has a presumed lock on his party’s nomination. What’s extraordinary is how well Nikki Hal...

Hello friends, Today Heather and I look back three years to Biden’s inauguration and Trump’s no-show, and ahead to next week’s New Hampshire primary and the coming fight over funding for Ukraine — and wonder what happened to the Republican Party. Lots more to talk about today. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us. And if you wish, take our poll. A paid or gift subscription will give you...

Hello friends, Today Heather and I look ahead to Monday’s Iowa caucuses — and ask whether Nikki Haley has a chance to become the Republican nominee in 2024. Or are Haley and DeSantis simply laying foundations for their 2028 runs, assuming Trump relinquishes his dictatorship then? Lots to talk about today. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us. And if you wish, take our poll. Please consi...

Today marks the third year since the attack on the Capitol. The person responsible is now leading the race to become the Republican candidate for president, and, if polls are to be believed, is even leading incumbent President Joe Biden. Heather and I discuss whether Trump will ever be held accountable. We also address the so-called “crisis” at the border and the ouster of Harvard President Claudi...

[Most of you wanted us back in video, so here we are.] This week, the secretary of state of Maine decided — as did the Colorado Supreme Court last week — that under Article 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, Donald Trump should not appear on the Republican primary ballot. So what will and what should the Supreme Court do? More generally, how are you feeling about 2024? These are among th...

(We’re in audio only today, as several of you requested — but let us know in the comments if you’d rather we return to video.) This week, the Colorado Supreme Court decided that under Article 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution (which bars anyone from holding office if they’ve previously sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and participated in an insurrection against the United States)...

Friends, Good morning and welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us. Today, Heather and I examine: — The House Republicans’ impeachment of Joe Biden despite zero evidence of any wrongdoing. Why did every single Republican House member vote in favor, even those elected from districts that overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020? — Special Counsel Jac...

Friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine: — The Republicans are playing into Putin’s plan to take over Ukraine. Whatever happened to the GOP that was hawkish on Russia? — Israel shifts to bombing southern Gaza. More children have been killed in Gaza since October 7 than all the children killed in every world conflict in 2022. Why isn’t Biden doin...

Friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine: — George Santos’s demise. What is there about sociopathic liars and the Republican Party? Why were most House Republicans unwilling to oust him? — Henry Kissinger and Sandra Day O’Connor. Was Kissinger a war criminal? Was O’Connor the most powerful woman in America? — Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis. Was th...

Friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine: — The temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. What does it really mean? — Black Friday holiday sales. My personal relationship to the day. Consumer spending is up, so why are so many people down on the Biden economy? — Bob’s new Substack series on the reality of American capitalism and whether Ameri...

Friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine: — House Republicans will not kick out George Santos despite his fake resume and mounting evidence of illegal activity. Will the GOP and Santos be held accountable? — Incidents of violence and potential violence in the House and Senate, among lawmakers. Why is this happening? — Trump’s full-throated fascis...

Friends, Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine: — The results of races in Ohio, Kentucky, and elsewhere in “red America” are showing how out of step the GOP’s white Christian nationalism is with the majority of Americans. How much encouragement should Democrats take from this? — Mike Johnson’s utter inability to get anything done , including a continui...

Friends, Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us. This week, Heather and I zoom in on: — The war in Gaza. Why not a humanitarian pause? Why is Mike Johnson, the new speaker of...

Friends, Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us. Today we examine: — The new speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Who is he? What does his speakership mean? What does it bode f...

Friends, Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us. Today we’re adding a new feature so you can watch as well as hear us (should you wish). And we apologize for the technical dif...

Friends, Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us. Today, we look at: — The tragedy in Israel and Gaza. Who and what are responsible? Is Israel solving anything by bombing and m...

Friends, Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us. This morning we look at: — The life and death of Senator Dianne Feinstein (who was a friend to both of us). What’s her legacy...

Friends, Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. This morning we examine: — Kevin McCarthy’s Republican House mess. Will there be a shutdown? Almost certainly. Who’ll be blamed? Why is Trump pushing for this? — The UAW strik...

Friends, Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. This morning we examine: — The awful polls showing Donald Trump running neck-and-neck with Joe Biden. How is that possible? Should we be concerned? — Biden as much more progre...