Big Take DC

We’re taking The Big Take to DC. Every Thursday, Bloomberg journalists dig into how money, politics, and power shapes Washington - and the consequences for voters across America.

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Doing the Math on Trump’s Tax Bill Thursday, June 19, 2025

As the debate about President Trump’s tax bill — known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — plays out among lawmakers in Washington, there’s been increasingly heated criticism of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. It calculates the costs and savings from the bill — including from the White House. On today’s episode of the Big Take, host Saleha Mohsin sits down with CBO director Phillip Swagel to hear how his agency churns out economic forecasts from inside the center of a political storm. Further listening: Stephen Miran Explains Why There’s No Secret Dollar PactSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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What Happens Next in Los Angeles? Monday, June 9, 2025

Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg national immigration reporter Alicia Caldwell joins host David Gura from Los Angeles to discuss the protests over ICE immigration raids, the clash between California and the federal government and how this fight could play out in other cities and in the courts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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What’s Driving Europe’s Political Shift to the Right? Thursday, June 5, 2025

Poland’s election of a Trump-backed conservative nationalist president early this week is part of a larger shift to the right across the European continent: Much like in the US, conservative, nationalist and right-wing parties are gaining traction. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Rodney Jefferson and David Gura discuss the growing cultural divide behind Europe’s rising conservative movements and what their growth could mean for migration, climate policy and the future of the EU. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Dollar’s Dominance Is Unwinding in Asia Thursday, May 29, 2025

As Donald Trump tries to remake global trade, the dollar’s historic dominance in Asia is under pressure. After Taiwan’s currency saw the biggest surge against the dollar in almost 40 years in early May, some money managers are saying the spike signals the acceleration of a bigger trend of moving investments back home. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host Rebecca Choong Wilkins talks to Bloomberg’s Ruth Carson about what’s driving Asia’s shift away from the greenback and what a rewiring of global financial ties means for the region’s biggest economies. Further listening: Carry Trades, ExplainedCould the Chinese Yuan Ever Replace the US Dollar? Watch, from Originals: Why the US Is Getting DowngradedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Stephen Miran Says There’s No Secret Dollar Pact Thursday, May 22, 2025

Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers Stephen Miran has been a key voice in the Trump administration’s efforts to re-shape US economic policy, from near universal tariffs to a tax bill still in progress. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, Miran sits down with host Saleha Mohsin to talk about market volatility, the deficit and currency policy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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President Trump’s Plans to Monetize the Middle East Thursday, May 15, 2025

President Trump is wrapping a whirlwind trip to the Middle East — complete with a flurry of proposed investment deals , controversial gifts and a major shift in US-Syria policy. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Joumanna Bercetche joins host David Gura to unpack the biggest headlines from the president’s tour of the Persian Gulf and discuss what they tell us about his larger plans for the region. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Inside Trump’s First 100 Days Monday, April 28, 2025

President Trump will celebrate 100 days back in office this week. The milestone comes amid a US-China trade war, ongoing conflict overseas and high-stakes battles over the future of higher education.On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove joins host David Gura to take stock of how Trump has used the last three months to reshape everything from global trade and immigration to the American presidency — and what they reveal about the road ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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How Trump’s Tariffs Are Hitting Global Economic Growth Wednesday, April 23, 2025

The International Monetary Fund released a forecast this week projecting that global GDP will grow just 2.8% — down half a percentage point since US President Donald Trump unleashed a raft of tariffs on April 2. Their projection for US GDP growth was particularly grim: Down nearly an entire percentage point from expectations earlier this year. And they’re not alone. As economists try to measure the potential outcome from the current trade war and the whiplash of on-again-off-again tariffs, Bloomberg Economics landed on similar GDP projections On today’s episode of the Big Take, host Sarah Holder is joined by Bloomberg’s Enda Curran and Bloomberg Economics Chief Economist Tom Orlik to discuss what these projections can — and can’t — tell us about where the trade war could lead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Can Trump Tell Powell ‘You’re Fired'? Monday, April 21, 2025

President Trump’s attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell just keep coming. Today on the Big Take, Bloomberg’s Michael McKee and Saleha Mohsin join Sarah Holder and David Gura to ask: Can the president actually fire Powell? And what impact could his ongoing threats have on the US dollar and global financial markets? Read more: Markets Are Discovering the Real Trump Trade Is ‘Sell America’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Who Will Blink First in the US-China Trade War? Thursday, April 17, 2025

As the trade war between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping continues to escalate, economists around the world are asking who will blink first. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s John Liu and Jennifer Welch join host David Gura to discuss what it will take for both presidents to come to the negotiating table, how the current state of China’s economy impacts its positioning in the trade war and why hardball tactics are unlikely to work this time around.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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What the Heck Just Happened in the Bond Market? Wednesday, April 9, 2025

It’s been a rollercoaster of a week for global markets. As President Trump goes back and forth about the size and scope of his tariffs, Bloomberg is watching one market especially closely: bonds. US Treasuries are widely seen as one of the world’s safest assets, especially in periods of financial volatility. But will they hold? On today’s episode of the Big Take DC, hosts Sarah Holder and Saleha Mohsin sit down with Bloomberg chief correspondent Liz Capo McCormick to unpack a week of sharp selloffs in the bond market, and how the swings could impact mortgage rates and student loans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs. What’s Next Thursday, April 3, 2025

Trump announced the steepest American tariffs in more than a century, with a 10% tariff on all exporters to the US and even higher duties on some 60 nations. China now faces a tariff well above 50% on many goods. On today’s Big Take, Bloomberg reporter Josh Wingrove joins host David Gura to discuss Trump’s “huge” announcement, and how it will reshape global trade. Read more: Trump Tariffs Everyone, With Rate on China Set to Soar Above 50%Further listening: The World Is Paying for Trump’s China Tariffs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Princeton’s President Responds to Attacks on Higher Education Tuesday, April 1, 2025

The Trump administration is targeting higher education. Colleges and universities across the United States are faced with the threat of funding freezes over their handling of free speech, anti-semitism and transgender issues, among other topics, on campus. Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber joins host David Gura to discuss the newly announced freeze on some federal grants, the role of academic research, Princeton’s commitment to free speech and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Elizabeth Warren Wants Democrats to Fight Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Senator Elizabeth Warren has been shaping US policy for years. She helped create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after the 2008 financial crisis, has been a senator since 2013 and ran for president in 2020. Today, she’s a key voice in the Democratic Party’s opposition to President Trump's agenda and the priorities of a Republican-controlled Congress. Ahead of Thursday’s confirmation hearing of Trump’s Securities and Exchange Commission Chair nominee, Paul Atkins, Big Take host David Gura sat down with Warren for a wide-ranging interview on regulatory independence, the future of the Democratic Party and the Signal group chat leak. Read more: Elizabeth Warren Warns Fed Chair Powell Could Be Fired by TrumpSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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How A Key Trump Economic Adviser Thinks about Tariffs Monday, March 24, 2025

Before November last year, Stephen Miran was a little known economist, but a week after President Trump’s election he published a paper that set the financial world on fire. “A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trade System” calls for a weaker US dollar and big tariff hikes. Now he’s working from the White House as President Trump’s new Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He sat down for a live interview with Saleha Mohsin, talking about tariffs and currency policy. Read more: Trump Economic Adviser Rejects Short-Term Pain From Tariff HikesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Decoding the Fed With Randy Quarles Tuesday, March 18, 2025

It’s a busy week for the Federal Reserve, between Trump’s nomination of a new vice chair for supervision on Monday and an anticipated rate decision on Wednesday. To unpack all the news, host Saleha Mohsin sits down with former Fed and Treasury official Randy Quarles to talk about regulation, DOGE and Trump’s approach to the Fed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Trump's Trade War Comes for Metals Thursday, March 13, 2025

After weeks of uncertainty that ricocheted through markets, President Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from every country in the world went into effect on Wednesday morning. Immediately after, Canada and the EU retaliated. Now, investors, automakers and American consumers are wondering how it will hit the economy. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host Saleha Mohsin is joined by Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove to explore what Trump’s metals tariffs could mean for domestic manufacturing and for America’s relationships with some of its closest allies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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What Trump’s Address Reveals About the Path Ahead Wednesday, March 5, 2025

On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump appeared before a joint session of Congress for the first time since the start of his second term. It was his fifth such appearance, and he celebrated what he saw as early wins in his first 43 days back in office — and spoke about what’s next on his agenda. Bloomberg Businessweek national correspondent Josh Green and Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin explore what the speech reveals about Trump’s vision for trade, the US economy and America’s role in geopolitics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The $500 Billion Medicare Overpayment Claim Tuesday, February 25, 2025

More than half of Americans enrolled in Medicare receive their coverage from a private insurer through a program called Medicare Advantage. But according to whistleblowers, some of those companies may be overcharging the government and getting billions of taxpayer dollars in the process. Several Justice Department investigations have followed those claims. On today’s Big Take podcast, we hear from one of those whistleblowers and Bloomberg health-care reporter John Tozzi about how Medicare Advantage took off and the questions these fraud allegations raise about how taxpayer dollars are spent. Read more: Major Insurers Are Scamming Billions from Medicare, Whistle-Blowers Say Medicare Advantage Fraud Case Settled for Up to $100 Million UnitedHealth Falls on DOJ Probe Into Medicare Billing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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How Trump Is Turning to Russia to End the War in Ukraine Thursday, February 20, 2025

Monday marks the three year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And over the last few days, Trump has revealed his approach to ending the conflict. It would reverse years of US foreign policy in the region and has, so far, left Ukraine out of direct conversations with Russia. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, Bloomberg reporter Iain Marlow takes us inside the historic US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and explains what Trump’s pivot in policy and alliances could mean for America’s role on the global stage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.