Letters from an American – December 8, 2025

Host: Heather Cox Richardson
Air date: December 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Heather Cox Richardson unpacks the latest developments in American politics, focusing on President Donald Trump’s recent maneuvers to consolidate executive power. She dissects Trump's response to the controversial Venezuelan boat strike, his ongoing tariff battles, the administration’s economic impact on farmers, and the Supreme Court's pending rulings on presidential authority, particularly over independent agencies. The episode also highlights congressional reactions and pushes back against what Richardson describes as unprecedented attempts to reshape U.S. governance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Controversy Over Venezuelan Boat Strike Video

• Trump’s Shifting Position:
  • On December 3, Trump indicated willingness to release video of a September 2 strike that killed two survivors off the Venezuelan coast.
  • Five days later, Trump denied making the statement when pressed by reporters, dismissing the inquiry as “ABC Fake News.”
  • Quote (Trump, 00:47): “I didn’t say that. You said that. I didn’t say that… this is ABC Fake News.”

2. Trump’s Unpopularity and Bid for Executive Power

• Public Opinion:

  • Citing G. Eliot Morris, only 39.7% of Americans approve of Trump's job performance, compared to 56.1% disapproval.
  • Richardson notes an increasing public backlash against his agenda.

• Pressure on the Supreme Court Regarding Tariffs:

  • Trump urges the Supreme Court to maintain his unilateral tariff regime, invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act as justification.
  • He re-frames tariffs as a national security issue, a strategy aligning with historic right-wing judicial deference to presidential authority in such matters.
  • Quote (Trump, posted on social media, 02:36):
    “Speed, power and certainty are at all times important factors in getting the job done in a lasting and victorious manner. I have settled eight wars in 10 months because of the rights clearly given to the President of the United States.”

3. Tariffs, Economic Fallout, and the ‘Farm Bridge Assistance Program’

• Impact on Farmers:

  • Trump’s tariffs have severely harmed agricultural markets, leading to an estimated $44 billion in net cash income losses for 2025-26 crops.
  • New $12 billion in direct payments to farmers announced as a stopgap.

• Criticism From Stakeholders:

  • Utah County Democratic Chair Darren Self (04:43): “The president... is redistributing our taxes to a core segment of his supporters.”
  • Corn and soybean farmer John Baartman: "We don’t want a bailout. We want markets for our crops. We want to be able to work hard every year and enjoy the fruits of our labor and know that we did it on our own.”
    (John Baartman, 04:57)

• Delayed Economic Data:

  • The administration has further delayed publication of key inflation reports, fueling suspicion about the economic outlook.

4. Supreme Court, the ‘Unitary Executive’, and Attacks on Independent Agencies

• Firing of FTC's Rebecca Slaughter:

  • Trump fired the last Democratic FTC commissioner, arguing he holds this authority under Article II—a stance contradicting legal precedent since 1935.
  • The issue is tied to the conservative 'unitary executive' theory, which claims the president alone controls the executive branch and its agencies.

• Unitary Executive Theory Explained:

  • Richardson details its roots as a conservative method to consolidate presidential power and undermine congressional oversight or non-partisan expertise.

• Risks of Politicizing Expertise:

  • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson cautioned (09:17):
    “Having a president come in and fire all the scientists and the doctors and the economists and the PhDs and replacing them with loyalists... is actually not in the best interest of the citizens of the United States.”
  • Law professor Deborah Pearlstein adds (10:10):
    “It is really, really hard to get your head around the raw hubris of the majority. They really will be destabilizing the operating structure of the entire US Government.”

5. Congressional Pushback and Military Accountability

• Bipartisan Skepticism Emerges:
  • Some Republicans join Democrats to restrain Trump’s efforts to centralize power.
  • Defense and congressional leaders to meet for classified briefings about military strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, partly in response to persistent questions and a high-profile resignation at U.S. Southern Command.
  • The final National Defense Authorization Act includes a provision withholding a quarter of the Defense Secretary’s travel budget until full, unedited strike videos are submitted to congressional oversight committees (12:20).

Highlights & Notable Quotes

• On Executive Overreach:

  • “The right wing justices on the Supreme Court might refuse to support Trump’s bid to take control of the country’s economic system, but... they appeared poised to give him the power to take control of the modern American government by stacking independent agencies… with officials loyal to him.” (06:27)

• On the Cost of Tariffs & Bailouts:

  • “Government bailouts do not make up for our loss of income. We don’t want a bailout. We want markets for our crops.” (John Baartman, 04:57)

• On Destabilization of US Governance:

  • “They really will be destabilizing the operating structure of the entire US Government. Why? Because they believe they have a better idea about how the past century should have been done.” (Deborah Pearlstein, 10:16)

Key Timestamps

• 00:47 – Trump denies promising to release the Venezuelan strike video
• 02:36 – Trump argues tariffs are central to national security
• 04:43 - 05:25 – Reactions to the administration’s farm bailout program
• 06:47 - 10:00 – Supreme Court oral arguments, firings at the FTC, and the unitary executive theory
• 09:17 – Justice Brown Jackson warns against politicizing expertise
• 10:16 – Professor Pearlstein on destabilization of government
• 12:20 – Congress conditions Pentagon budget on transparency about military strikes

Tone and Language

Heather Cox Richardson maintains a tone of analytic concern, combining historical context with a critical eye toward recent expansions of presidential authority. The voices of those opposing the administration (farmers, legal scholars, and Congress members) provide a grounded, urgent counterpoint to White House and judicial rhetoric.

For deeper engagement, find the full written newsletter and additional resources at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com.