Are the Tariffs Constitutional? with Chad Squitieri and Peter Harrell
Last Friday, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that President Trump did not have the authority to issue emergency tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), setting up a pivotal Supreme Court battle over the future of the policy tool.Chad Squitieri, professor of law at the Catholic University of America, argues IEEPA’s grant to “regulate importation” clearly includes tariffs, while Peter Harrell, nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, counters that Congress never intended such a blank check. Oren moderates their discussion on how the courts will read the statute and what the ruling will mean for the balance of power between Congress and the White House.Further reading:“The President’s Authority to Impose Tariffs” by Chad SquitieriAmicus Brief for Congressional Democrats Opposed to IEEPA Tariffs, co-authored by Peter Harrell“Conflating Taxes With Tariffs: Clear Error in the Federal Circuit’s Tariff Opinion” by Chad Squitieri
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An American Sovereign Wealth Fund with Julius Krein
America’s political elite assumed Wall Street would finance its future. Instead, private capital chased software and speculation, leaving the nation dependent on foreign supply chains for most manufactured goods. The result is a hollowed-out industrial base that no tax credit alone can fix.Julius Krein, editor of American Affairs and president of the New American Industrial Alliance, joins Oren to lay out the case for a distinctly American sovereign wealth fund, investing in strategic sectors that the market neglects. They discuss where the CHIPS Act falls short, why Intel is exactly the type of firm a potential fund should support, and what the fund’s governance should look like.Further reading:“How a Sovereign Wealth Fund Could Reindustrialize America” by Julius Krein“Financing for Critical Industries” by Julius Krein
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Still Hooked on Beijing with Geoffrey Cain
In the 1990s, Silicon Valley thought access to China would help open their markets and liberalize the nation. Instead, their engagement ended up empowering the CCP and helped build the Chinese surveillance state.Geoffrey Cain, an investigative journalist and author, joins Oren to explain how some Big Tech firms were captured by China, risking U.S. supply chains by making them vulnerable to Chinese coercion and theft. They focus on how Nvidia’s recent push to sell advanced AI chips to Beijing will empower Chinese ambitions and undermine American security. Finally, they discuss the only workable solution to the threat of China: a hard break.
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Rebuilding Strategic Depth with Nadia Schadlow
America once relied on oceans, industrial might, and large stockpiles to give her strategic depth—the ability to maneuver economically, militarily, and technologically during conflict. But those buffers have eroded in the age of drones, cyberattacks, and supply chains controlled by China.Nadia Schadlow, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and Deputy National Security Advisor during the first Trump administration, joins Oren to discuss how to rebuild strategic depth in an age of globalization and massive technological change. They explore how modern conflicts demand scalable production over bespoke systems, America's bureaucratic roadblocks slowing progress, and the necessity of allies and commercial industry in restoring deterrence. Finally, Schadlow outlines concrete steps the Trump administration could take to close America’s most dangerous shortcomings.Further reading:“New Dimensions of Strategic Depth” by Nadia Schadlow
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A Tariff Reality Check with Bloomberg’s Anna Wong
Economists and politicians told us that President Trump’s tariffs would spark foreign retaliation and drive up domestic prices. But current economic data are beginning to tell a different story. Anna Wong, chief U.S. economist at Bloomberg Economics, joins Oren to discuss what the post-Liberation Day data are telling us. As tariff rates begin to stabilize due to trade deals, Wong breaks down how tariffs are reshaping firm behavior, potentially driving a wave of future domestic investment by realigning incentivizes. Additionally, Anna and Oren explain why the punditry class’s fixation on near-term CPI levels is missing the bigger story.
Our mission is to restore an economic consensus that emphasizes the importance of family, community, and industry to the nation’s liberty and prosperity. The American Compass Podcast features conversations on a wide variety of policy issues aimed at helping policymakers and the broader public navigate the most pressing issues that will define the future of the conservative movement in America.
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