Robert Reich

Jan. 16, 2018 – Now that Trump has been president for almost a year, it’s time the media called his behavior for what it is rather than try to normalize it. Here are the six most misleading media euphemisms for conduct unbecoming a president: 1. Calling Trump’s tweets “presidential “statements” or “press releases.” “The President […]

Dec. 5, 2017 – It’s often thought that Democrats care about fairness and not economic growth, while Republicans care about growth even at the cost of some fairness. Rubbish. Growth and fairness aren’t opposites. In reality, Democrats are the party of economic growth and fairness. Republicans are the party of neither. The only way to […]

November 29, 2017 – One of the most dangerous consequences of this awful period in American life is the denigration of the truth, and of institutions and people who tell it. There are two kinds of liars – fools and knaves. Fools lie because they don’t know the truth. Knaves lie because they intend to […]

Nov. 8, 2017 – It seems like forever, but it was just one year ago that Donald Trump was elected president. So what have we learned about the presidency and who is running the country? 1. The first big thing we’ve learned is that Trump is not really the president of the United States – […]

Nov. 4, 2017 – In a radio interview on Thursday, Trump said “the saddest thing is, because I am the President of the United States, I am not supposed to be involved with the Justice Department. I’m not supposed to be involved with the FBI. I’m not supposed to be doing the kind of things […]

Oct. 29, 2017 – You know the plot: The bank robbers set off a bomb down the street from the bank, and while everyone’s distracted they get away with the loot. In the reality TV show we’re now suffering through, Donald Trump is the bomb. The robbers are the American oligarchs who bankroll the Republican […]

Oct. 25, 2017 – The largest corporations and richest people in America – who donated billions of dollars to Republican candidates the House and Senate in the 2106 election – appear on the way to getting what they paid for: a giant tax cut. The New York Times reports that business groups are meeting frequently with key […]

October 19, 2017 – By repealing DACA – Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals – Trump has endangered both these young immigrants and the economic security of America. In 2012, the Obama  administration created DACA as a temporary way to address the needs of young people who came to America as infants or toddlers, and know no other […]

Oct. 6, 2017 – To: Rex Tillerson From: Robert Reich Subject: The Moron I can understand why you feel Washington is a place of “petty nonsense,” as you said Wednesday when you called a news conference to rebut charges that you called Trump a moron last summer after a meeting of national security officials at […]

October 5, 2017 – Trump and Republicans are trying to sell you the idea that American corporations need a tax cut in order to be competitive. That’s rubbish. Here are 6 reasons why: First, American corporations don’t need it in order to be competitive internationally. After tax credits and deductions, their effective tax rate is just […]

Sept. 18, 2017 – White House National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, former president of Goldman Sachs, said recently that “only morons pay the estate tax.” I’m reminded of Donald Trump’s comment that he didn’t pay federal income taxes because he was “smart.” And billionaire Leona Helmsley’s “only the little people pay taxes.” What Cohn […]

Sept. 13, 2017 –  Senator Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Jeff Merkley, are introducing a Medicare For All bill in the Senate. It’s a model for where this nation needs to be headed. Some background: American spending on health care per person is more than twice the average in the world’s 35 advanced […]

Sept. 9, 2017 – It’s easy to get caught up in the deeply flawed character of Donald Trump. We also need to recognize the policy catastrophe of his presidency. Compare the things he’s been focusing on with the real problems facing this country. This past week, for example, Trump ordered an end to the Obama-era executive […]

Aug. 12, 2017 – The violence in Charlottesville, Virginia today is a national calamity. It is a product of white supremacists and home grown terrorists. Donald Trump responded by condemning hatred “on many sides.” His refusal to call it what it is, and condemn the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and KKK members who perpetrated this violence, […]

Aug. 7, 2017 – With Donald Trump away vacationing at one of his golf resorts, the rest of us may have a chance to relax. But in truth it’s more like a short break in a continuing nightmare. Just enough time to turn on the light, look at the clock and ponder where we are, […]

July 31, 2017 – This morning I phoned my friend, a former Republican member of Congress. Me: What’s going on? Seems like the White House is imploding and Republicans are going down with the ship. Him (chuckling): We’re officially a banana republic. Me: Seriously, what are you hearing from your former colleagues on the Hill? […]

July 15, 2017 – What did Trump say when confronted with proof that his son jumped at the prospect of meeting with a “Russian government attorney” offering to dish dirt on Hillary Clinton as “part of Russia and its government’s support” for his candidacy? Trump said: “many people would have held that meeting.” The next […]

June 16, 2017 – Last Monday, the White House invited reporters in to watch what was billed as a meeting of Trump’s Cabinet. After Trump spoke, he asked each of the Cabinet members around the table to briefly comment. Their statements were what you might expect from toadies surrounding a two-bit dictator. “We thank you […]

June 1, 2017 – Say you’re Vladimir Putin, and you did a deal with Trump last year. I’m not suggesting there was any such deal, mind you. But if you are Putin and you did do a deal, what did Trump agree to do? 1. Repudiate NATO. NATO is the biggest thorn in your side […]