by Steve Benen | Jun 1, 2026 | Economy, Maddowblog, News, Politics
When Donald Trump sat down with Fox News’ Lara Trump for an interview that aired over the weekend, the president seemed eager to brag to his daughter-in-law about the state of the U.S. economy, which he said is “booming.” The Republican added, “We have a war going on and the economy is good. You know, today, we just hit another number: No. 69 is all-time high.”
To the extent that economic realities are still relevant to the White House, the economy is most certainly not “booming.” Indeed, in recent days, the administration has released fresh data showing American families struggling with weak economic growth, weak job growth and an affordability crisis.
As for the significance of “No. 69” reaching an “all-time high,” I tend to keep a pretty close eye on economic data, and I haven’t the foggiest idea what he was referring to. The only “69” I’m aware of is the percentage of Americans who disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, which is probably something he should avoid bragging about.
Trump, however, isn’t the only Republican struggling to come up with coherent talking points about the state of the economy. Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council, appeared on “Fox News Sunday,” and when host Shannon Bream asked about Americans’ reliance on credit cards to “get through necessities” because they can’t afford the cost of living, Trump’s chief economist tried to put a positive spin on the affordability crisis.
Hassett: “People are spending more on gas, but they’re also spending more on everything else — not just groceries, but restaurants and so on. I think that’s a sign
by Maximillian Alvarez | May 27, 2026 | Economy, Economy and Inequality, labor, Podcast, Politics and Movements: US, Prisons and Policing, Unions, Working People
Nearly a year after workers voted to authorize a strike, non-union city and commercially contracted security officers in Baltimore, Maryland, walked off the job on April 9 on an unfair labor practice strike against their employers, Abacus Corporation, Metropolitan Protective Services, and Urban Development Solutions. Now, Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) say that workers have been retaliated against by Metropolitan Protective Services (MPS), alleging that the city contractor “fired and harassed workers following [the] lawful strike.” MPS denies these allegations and claims “that no employees have been terminated due to union involvement.” In this episode, we speak with Victoria Cox, a former MPS employee who worked to reach the rank of sergeant, and Daril Riley, a former MPS employee who reached the rank of corporal. Both Cox and Riley have had their shifts taken off the schedule—and, essentially, their jobs taken away—and both have been put under investigation by MPS since the strike in April.
Additional links/info:
Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / TRNN, “Underpaid, uninsured, held at gunpoint: Baltimore security guards strike for a union”
SEIU Local 32BJ website, Facebook page, and Instagram
Katherine Wilson, Baltimore Sun, “Baltimore contract security officers at city properties prepare to strike”
Featured Music:
Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song
Credits:
Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor
Statement from Derrick Parks, CEO and President of Metropolitan Protective Services (5/26/26):
Metropolitan Protective Services, Inc. (MPSI) maintains that no employees have been terminated due to union involvement. We fully support our employees’ right to choose whether or not to join a union.
The individuals recently removed from the schedule were terminated for failing to maintain the current Maryland guard license required by the Maryland State Police.
by Adam Johnson | May 22, 2026 | Article, Economy, Media Criticism, Opinion, Politics and Movements: US
by Maximillian Alvarez | May 20, 2026 | coal miner, Economy, Economy and Inequality, labor, Podcast, Politics and Movements: US, Trump, Working People
Since the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump and his acolytes, right-wing media, and coal industry barons and lobbyists have obsessively painted the picture of Trump as a friend to coal miners and the so-called “undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal.” But as labor journalist Kim Kelly reports at In These Times, “the simpering ’Trump digs coal’ image the administration seeks to project is vastly at odds with the actions it’s taken to limit miner protections, endanger their health, and exacerbate the black lung crisis consuming Central Appalachia.” In this episode of Working People, we speak with Kelly about the Trump administration’s latest betrayal of coal miners and their families and its underreported attack on the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission and abrupt, unprecedented firing of FMSHRC Commissioner Moshe Z. Marvit.
Additional links/info:
Kim Kelly website, X/Twitter page, TikTok, Bluesky page, and Instagram
Kim Kelly, In These Times, “Trump’s latest target: Coal miners’ safety”
Jordan Barab, Confined Space, “Friday night massacre at Mine Safety Review Commission”
Kim Kelly, In These Times, “The Trump administration ramps up its war on coal miners”
Kim Kelly, In These Times, “Trump to coal miners: Drop dead”
Featured Music:
Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song
Credits:
Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.
Maximillian Alvarez:
Alright. Welcome everyone to Working People, a podcast about the lives, jobs, dreams, and struggles of the working class today. Working People is a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network and is brought to you in partnership with In These Times Magazine and the Real News Network. The show is produced by
by Jake Johnson | May 18, 2026 | Article, Economy, Economy and Inequality, IRS, Politics and Movements: US, Reprint, Trump
This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on May 15, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license.
The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday accused US President Donald Trump of “orchestrating a $1,700,000,000 fraud on the American taxpayer to line the pockets of his MAGA political allies” amid new reporting on the terms Trump is seeking in talks to settle his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
ABC News reported late Thursday that Trump is expected to drop his lawsuit in the coming days “in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration.” The money would come from the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund, which pays out court judgments and settlements against the federal government.
The president is also expected to receive a public apology from the IRS for the leak of his tax returns during his first White House term.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said in a statement that the reported settlement terms represent “another installment” in Trump’s “ongoing effort to turn the federal government into a personal cash machine for his unpopular extremist movement.”
“This is a massive and unprecedented presidential plunder of the American people,” said Raskin. “Worse still, this is only the beginning—a declaration that the prior payouts were just a down payment, and that he now intends to earmark billions more in taxpayer dollars for his political allies, sycophants, and private militia of unemployed insurrectionists.”
“The president has no authority to conjure up billion-dollar compensation schemes or raid the Judgment Fund, which exists to settle valid lawsuits. Trump is systematically converting neutral government mechanisms into a presidential slush fund to build
by Steve Benen | May 18, 2026 | Economy, Maddowblog, News, Politics
It seemed like a straightforward question. During a Q&A with reporters last week, Donald Trump was asked, “When you’re negotiating with Iran, Mr. President, to what extent are American financial situations motivating you to make a deal?”
Without hesitating, the president replied, “Not even a little bit.” The Republican added that, as part of his focus on preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.”
It was a brutal quote, not only because of its callousness, but because Trump has spent so much time proving the underlying point true. As my MS NOW colleague Zeeshan Aleem added, “The truth, in this case, is that Trump obviously doesn’t care about ordinary Americans’ financial well-being. It’s sticky not just because he said it, but because he has long been acting like it.”
As last week came to an end, the president sat down with Fox News’ Bret Baier, who offered his guest an opportunity to walk back the rhetoric. He did the opposite.
Trump on saying he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situation: “It’s a perfect statement. I’ll make it again. Everybody agrees.”— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-05-15T22:24:51.064Z
“That’s a perfect statement; I’d make it again,” Trump said. He added, “Very simple, when people hear me say it, everybody agrees.”
As the interview progressed, the president went on to concede that he’s imposing “a little pain” on Americans (phrasing that echoed his rhetoric from last year about his tariffs agenda), though he insisted the “pain” is temporary and ultimately will be reversed after the war in Iran ends.
When Baier asked Trump to respond to the concerns of a retired
