In The Tank

Who actually runs this country? Voters asked for real change in November, and Donald Trump and his team are doing all they can to deliver it as quickly as possible. Yet federal judges use questionable authority to thwart it, keeping the Deep State status quo of unaccountable opposition to the people’s will — which includes shoveling YOUR MONEY to their connected leftist cronies.Who is really in charge of the Executive Branch of the United States? The Constitution says it’s the president, who was elected by all the people to direct the administrative state. The legacy media and even some conservative legal scholars say: “It’s complicated.” Is it, really?On episode #488 of The Heartland Institute’s In the Tank Podcast, host Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick discuss the escalating resistance to the restoration of a government that serves the people and its elected representatives, instead of the other way around.

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo present episode 487 of the In The Tank Podcast. Former ITT host Donald Kendal returns after only a few months and the world has gone insane. Suddenly, the left is burning the most popular electric vehicles while a Republican President promotes them in front of the White House. No, the world did not go insane, it was driven to insanity by an incredibly corrupt media system - a media system that has lied to us about virtually everything. We cover some more examples of this on this week's episode.Support the show! https://heartland.org/donate/

The Heartland Institute's Tim Benson wrote a paper analyzing the money funneled to green groups through the Inflation Reduction Act, where everything predictably cost way more than our government claimed. The Supreme Court decided that a district judge could tell the President when and how to pay USAID contractors, and Canada retaliates against Trump's tariffs. The President gave his first address to Congress, to the surprise of no one, the Democrats hated it.The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Sam Karnick, and Tim Benson will discuss all of this and more on this episode of the In The Tank podcast.

The "experts" are still trying to rewrite the narrative on the government response to COVID, and one of President Trump's picks supports the questionable PRO Act. Meanwhile, VP Vance had strong words for the Orwellian language controls in Germany, and DOGE continues to uncover corrupt and wasteful government spending.The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will discuss all of this and more on this episode of the In The Tank podcast.

Carefully constructed narratives and funding related to public health are being re-evaluated by this new administration, bringing sunlight to disinfect a contaminated NIH. Critics of President Trump and DOGE claim that Trump's actions represent a Constitutional crisis, Politico finally admits that Democrats were wrong to claim the economy was great under Biden, and RFK's confirmation process continues amid significant pushback.The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and special guest Bonner Cohen, senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, will cover all of this and more on this episode of the In The Tank podcast.Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and enjoy the live chat!

The Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the status quo continue, causing the right people to worry about their next paychecks. Nations around the world are coming to the negotiation table on subjects no one thought they would, while some very unstable individuals are attempting to incite violence in retaliation against Trump's efforts.The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and H. Sterling Burnett dig into these subjects, with a special focus on Elon Musk's DOGE and how a simple funding freeze and a small audit are making the entire deep state panic—while awakening average Americans to the true extent of wasteful government spending through groups like USAID. 

It’s an understatement to say that Donald Trump hit the ground running to start his interrupted second term. The speed and precision with which he has canceled nearly every achievement of the Biden nothing this country has ever seen before. It is simply breathtaking, and happening at such a frenetic pace it is difficult to keep up.The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo will do their best, though. Trump has issued hundreds of executive orders on all sorts of policy areas. On immigration, he closed the border, sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across America to round up and deport criminal illegal aliens, and even suggested he’ll use Gitmo to house them until flights back to their country of origin can be arranged. And he also declared that the federal government will no longer put up with “sanctuary” cities and states harboring illegals.Trump froze all federal grants to assess whether they are worth continuing or canceling because they are wasteful or harmful to Ameri

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo present episode 480 of the In The Tank Podcast. At the beginning of his inaugural address, President Donald Trump declared "The golden age of America begins right now." And within hours of this statement, Donald Trump began signing a series of executive orders, taking the first steps toward fulfilling this promise. On this week's episode, the ITT crew is taking a look at these executive orders and the promises made by Trump to help determine if we are back on track to once again achieve greatness in the United States of America.SHOW NOTES:TRUMP'S INAUGURATION White House - The Inaugural Addresshttps://www.whitehouse.gov/remarks/2025/01/the-inaugural-address/DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERSNYT - Trump's Executive Orders: Reversing Biden's Policies and Attacking the 'Deep State'https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/trump-executive-orders-list.htmlNYT - Trump Signs Orders to Promote Fossil Fuels and End Climate Policieshttps://www.nytimes.com/20

The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken and Jim Lakely are joined by writer and commentator Jon Gabriel​ for episode 479 of the In The Tank Podcast.With the certification of Trump’s election victory, the ousting of Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister of Canada, and other progressive defeats around the world in recent years, could this spell the beginning of the end for global progressives? Are big companies and big tech finally shifting away from a focus on DEI and ESG, and will it stick? The team talks about all of this and more.Jon Gabriel (@exjon on X) is the author of Sink the Rising Sun, his first novel.

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo present episode 477 of the In The Tank Podcast. 2024 was an incredibly important year, filled to the brim with massive stories and events. The ITT crew recaps the year, giving their takes on what was the biggest news of the past 12 months. Also, the ITT crew talks about Heartland's biggest impactful moments of 2024. And last, they will make some bold predictions for what is in store for 2025.

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, Justin Haskins, and Chris Talgo present episode 476 of the In The Tank Podcast. As Donald Trump prepares to take office in 2025, President Joe Biden is riding out his last days in the Oval Office. But instead of just focusing on the orderly transfer of power, Biden seems like he may be trying to sabotage Trump's upcoming term before it can even start. Peculiar foreign policy decisions and increased spending that is contributing to increasing inflation rates is making us wonder if Biden is striving to make life under Trump as hard as possible. Also, the ITT crew talks about Biden's creepy misinformation programs and more.Is Biden Trying to Sabotage Trump?Fox News - Biden admin extends $10B Iran sanctions waiver 2 days after Trump election winhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-extends-10b-iran-sanctions-waiver-2-days-after-trump-election-winReuters - US Treasury transfers $20 billion in Ukraine loan funds to World Bank facilityhttps://www.reuters.co

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo present episode 475 of the In The Tank Podcast. There is a lot to talk about this week! Joe Biden pardoned Hunter, President-elect Trump continues to fill his cabinet, and a new analysis of the 2024 election shows that socialist candidates won a vast majority of their races. The ITT crew talks about these topics, the current state of socialism, and speculates whether the Democratic Party will lurch toward "democratic" socialism in the upcoming election cycles.Hunter Biden Pardon National Review - Judge on Hunter Biden Tax Case Slams President over Pardon, Says Selective-Prosecution Claim ‘Rewrites History’https://www.nationalreview.com/news/judge-on-hunter-biden-tax-case-slams-president-over-pardon-says-selective-prosecution-claim-rewrites-history/POLITICO - Biden White House Is Discussing Preemptive Pardons for Those in Trump’s Crosshairshttps://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/12/04/biden-white-house-pardons-00192610 NYT - Broad Pardon

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo present episode 474 of the In The Tank Podcast. As the dust of the election settles, President-elect Donald J. Trump is busy constructing his cabinet. Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Marco Rubio, and many others have been nominated by Trump to fill some of the most important positions in the upcoming administration. How is the ITT crew reacting to some of these picks? Also, Thanksgiving is next week. Will families unite over good food, or will arguments break out while we pass the mashed potatoes?Legislative ConferencePFLN - Pro-Family Legislative Conferencehttps://profamily.com/conference/Everything Has Changed(video) Jon Jones Trump Dancehttps://x.com/robbystarbuck/status/1858108282390343833(video) Trump Dance montagehttps://x.com/browneyegirl400/status/1858822652292395135Trump's Cabinet: A Dream Team?CBS News - See the list of Trump Cabinet picks and more White House appointments so farhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-mig

Since Election Night, doesn’t everything feel different now? Not just our politics. but the whole mood of the country. Yes, some of our fellow Americans are in a very sad state. Clips of people filming their misery and sharing it with the world are everywhere. But for the majority of the country, is feels like a major societal and cultural shift has occurred. And there are a lot of people walking around with a new spring in their step.Our media has changed, with the legacy media’s corruption being its undoing. Our pop culture feels about to change, too, moving away from leftist moralizing and back to producing entertainment with broad appeal. It just feels like the politicization of everything is over, and we’re waking up in a new era in which leftism is no longer going to be the dominant force in American life.In a special Episode #473 of the In the Tank Podcast, guest host Jim Lakely welcomes The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken and CFACT’s Chris Martz to discuss whether they share Jim's feeling that eve

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, Justin Haskins, and Chris Talgo present episode 472 of the In The Tank Podcast. Donald J. Trump has been elected as the 47th President of the United States. Trump's victory comes after a years long campaign by the media to paint the President-elect as a racist, sexist, fascist, second-coming of Hitler. The media's narrative failed as Trump looks to lock up the popular vote. The In The Tank crew talks about the evaporating influence of the mainstream media and speculates on what the first 100 days of the next administration will look like.Election Outcome and Exit PollsNYT - Election Live Updateshttps://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/11/06/us/trump-election-harris-newsNBC News - Exit Pollshttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/exit-pollsReckoning of the Media's InfluenceBusiness Insider - Trump's victory shows the flagging influence of mainstream mediahttps://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-victory-shows-the-flagging-influence-of-mainstream-media-2024-11T

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, Justin Haskins, and Jack McPherrin present episode 471 of the In The Tank Podcast. The last vestiges of the media's credibility are going up in smoke. From ghastly journalistic blunders to headlines that twist and turn like characters in a Hitchcock thriller, we’ll break down how the media seems to be taking an axe to its own reputation—Jack Torrance-style. Polls show public trust in the media is as low as the depths of Crystal Lake, and even Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, recently penned a chilling op-ed on Americans' growing distrust. Join us as we venture into the haunted house of today’s media landscape—where truth and fiction blur and shadows lurk behind every headline."Trump on Joe RoganJoe Rogan Experience #2219 - Donald Trumphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBMoPUAeLnYNYP - YouTube, Google accused of censorship as Joe Rogan’s Trump interview nearly impossible to find in search: ‘No sensible explanation’https://nypost.com/

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo present episode 470 of the In The Tank Podcast. When Elon Musk expressed interest in purchasing Twitter and making it a bastion for free speech, he simultaneously put a target on his back for the political elites. In a recent development, leaked documents appear to show advisors to the Kamala Harris campaign have plans to "kill Musk's Twitter." Elon Musk's response? "This is war." Also, has the media completely lost it? President Donald Trump's recent campaign stunt at McDonalds has exposed what can only be described as lunacy of the mainstream media.Trump's shift at McDonaldsNYT - How Media Outlets on the Left and Right Covered Trump’s Stop at McDonald’shttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/21/business/media/trump-mcdonalds-media-coverage.htmlNewsweek - Was Donald Trump's McDonald's Shift 'Staged'?https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-mcdonalds-work-staged-fake-1972058The Federalist - The Press Can’t Handle Trump’s Brilliant Display Of Retail Pol

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and Chris Talgo present episode 469 of the In The Tank Podcast. Over this past week, we witnessed an engineering breakthrough from Elon Musk's SpaceX. The successful launch and recapture of the SpaceX Starship booster marks a pivotal moment in the future of space travel, showcasing advancements in reusability and cost efficiency. SpaceX is paving the way for a new era where space access becomes more routine and affordable, pushing the boundaries of what is possible beyond Earth's orbit. But remember, Elon Musk is frowned upon by the political elite. Instead of commemorating this occasion and encouraging this innovation, government bureaucrats have instead chosen to stifle Musk by denying his request for additional rocket launches. Also, we are another week closer to the election and it appears Kamala Harris is getting increasingly desperate.Elon Musk's Starship BreakthoughSpace - SpaceX plans to catch Starship upper stage with 'chopsticks' in early 2025, El

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, and Justin Haskins present episode 468 of the In The Tank Podcast. As the election approaches, it appears as though the mainstream media industry is desperate to paint Kamala Harris in the best light possible. For example, it appears as though 60 Minutes selectively edited their interview with VP and presidential candidate Kamala Harris to make her come off in as good a light as possible. Simultaneously, the White House Press Secretary accused correspondent Peter Doocy of spreading misinformation for simply asking a question about the Biden Administration's handling of the response to Hurricane Helene. The ITT crew talks about all this and more on this week's episode.Kamala's 60 Mins InterviewNYP - Kamala Harris is unable to answer basic questions on ‘60 Minutes’https://nypost.com/2024/10/08/opinion/kamala-harris-is-unable-to-answer-basic-questions-on-60-minutes/The Federalist - Unlike Biden In 2020, Kamala Harris’ Radicalism Is Too Extreme To Hidehttps://t

The Heartland Institute’s Donald Kendal, Jim Lakely, Justin Haskins, and Chris Talgo present episode 467 of the In The Tank Podcast. The European Union has  The ITT crew talks about all this and more on this week's episode. The European Union recently approved a piece of radical legislation that is poised to overhaul the global economy, wreak havoc on the United States, undermine individual rights, and force thousands of American businesses to adopt left-wing values. Also looking to cripple the United States economy are the longshoreman who officially went on strike this week. The ITT crew talks about all this and more on this week's episode.VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATEThe Federalist - How Does Tim Walz Explain His Stolen Valor Controversy? CBS Moderators Didn’t Bother Askinghttps://thefederalist.com/2024/10/02/how-does-tim-walz-explain-his-stolen-valor-controversy-cbs-moderators-didnt-bother-asking/CBS News - Who won the VP debate? Here's what debate watchers said in CBS News pollhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs