Why do we have to pay into the new Anti-Weaponization Fund?
Summary
PJ Vogt interviews ProPublica’s Jesse Eisinger about the origins of Trump’s Anti-Weaponization Fund, tracing it to an IRS leak of billionaire tax returns. They discuss how Trump sued the government over the leak, resulting in a $1.8 billion fund for alleged "weaponization" victims. The conversation covers the fund's lack of transparency, potential misuse for political allies, and broader concerns about tax policy and democratic erosion.
Topics discussed
Introduction and the origin of the IRS leak
ProPublica's investigation into billionaire tax avoidance
The arrest of IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn
Trump's tax returns and the mechanics of zero-tax strategies
Trump suing the federal government over the leak
The absurdity of negotiating a settlement with himself
The creation of the $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund
Constitutional crisis and risks of a paramilitary group
The race between oligarchs and democracy
Cynicism toward taxes and the collapse of shared prosperity
Zohran Mamdani's strategy to make government legible
Promotion of ProPublica's new podcast Paper Trail
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