Trans Athletes, Housing Gimmicks, and Weaponizing Government

Mike and Michael open with a deep dive into the Supreme Court cases involving Idaho and West Virginia bans on transgender girls participating in girls’ sports, unpacking why the Court is likely to uphold the laws while sharply distinguishing between what may be legally permissible and what constitutes sound or humane policy. Mike emphasizes administratability, original legislative meaning in Title IX, and the unavoidable reality that someone loses under any legal rule, while Michael argues the Court is ducking meaningful scrutiny, endorsing blanket exclusions, and turning vulnerable kids into symbolic casualties of a broader culture war. Next, the guys turn to housing affordability and the Trump administration’s proposals, including banning institutional investors from buying single-family homes and pushing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy massive amounts of mortgage bonds. Mike argues that both ideas ultimately protect current homeowners while leaving prices high, while Michael situates the moves in Trump’s broader pattern of populist gimmicks that acknowledge real problems but avoid the politically painful solution of dramatically expanding housing supply. After that, they revisit the “Don’t Obey Unlawful Orders” video fallout, focusing on the administration’s actions against Senator Mark Kelly and Senator Slotkin. Michael frames the investigations as straightforward weaponization of government, where the process itself becomes punishment, while Mike stresses the long-term danger of normalizing this logic, warning that even conservatives should fear the precedent it sets for democratic stability and the rule of law. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices