TrumpRx, Affirmative Action Fallout, American Dominance Ending?

Mike and Ken open this supporters’ exclusive midweek episode with a look at TrumpRx, a government-branded prescription drug discount portal. Mike points out that it offers real savings on certain high-cost drugs and signals a willingness to confront pharmaceutical pricing, but suggests it may function more as a Big Pharma marketing funnel than structural reform. Ken contends it risks undermining insurance markets, misdirects consumers from systemic solutions like negotiation or single-payer leverage, and may create perverse incentives while doing little beyond what private platforms already offer. Next, the guys turn to new post–SFFA admissions data showing declines in Black and Hispanic enrollment at Ivy Plus schools alongside gains at flagship state universities. Mike wrestles with whether racial underrepresentation at elite institutions signals enduring structural inequities and questions the sincerity of diversity commitments given the persistence of legacy admissions. Ken argues the legal reasoning of the Court is more flawed than the policy debate itself, maintains that diversity judgments should rest with institutions rather than courts, and questions whether elite credentials are as economically decisive as commonly believed. They close by examining a survey forecasting American decline by 2036, including rising Chinese economic dominance, democratic backsliding, nuclear proliferation, and continued U.S. military primacy. Mike sees plausible warning signs but also considers whether AI leadership could entrench U.S. dominance in a new way. Ken cautions against straight-line extrapolation, doubts that AI’s transformative impact is settled, and notes that military strength alone may not sustain global influence. 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