The Dispatch Podcast

Episode: But What Did Trump Actually Do? | Roundtable
Date: February 28, 2025
Host: Sarah Isger
Panelists: Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, David French

Overview

This roundtable episode addresses the tangible accomplishments of the Trump administration in its first month back in office, specifically steering away from rhetoric or hypotheticals. Host Sarah Isger challenges her colleagues to cite concrete actions, not just intentions or arguments, with discussion then branching into broader political, cultural, and policy analysis. Key topics include major NIH funding cuts, changes to U.S. foreign policy at the UN, shifts in criminal justice and pardons, and a lighter cultural debate on "kid-free spaces."

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. NIH Funding Cuts and Disruptions in Scientific Research

Jonah Goldberg’s Topic

• [02:58 – 08:37] Jonah details drastic cuts and freezes to the NIH’s reimbursement rates for basic research and indirect overhead costs, causing sector-wide chaos:
  • The administration slashed the maximum "indirect cost" rate universities can charge from historical levels down to 15%.
  • This immediately froze grants, induced uncertainty, and clogged the grant proposal pipeline.
  • These actions, according to Goldberg, are deliberate chaos rather than reform: "It's about trying to do stuff to the government that the government is somehow the enemy and that their tears are delicious, their wails in protest are hilarious." (Jonah Goldberg, [07:06])
  • Jonah points out the performative aspect: "They are doing something directionally that is causing massive chaos. And is, even if it's all worked out in three months, will have caused needless harm for no benefit." ([07:52])
• Panel Reactions: Steve Hayes and David French agree the execution is "smash and grab" rather than careful governance, noting universities and medical research centers particularly in red states (like Alabama) are "really freaking out."
  • French expands, “What we’re dealing with, it really is a malicious attack on the federal bureaucracy… a vengeful attack... all of this stuff is sort of in the category of enemy.” ([14:19])
  • The group agrees that while reforms can be justified, the method is irresponsible and signals performative disdain for expertise and institutions.
  • Notable moment: Sarah’s humorous anecdote about mistakenly texting Yuval Levin for dinner after referencing his analysis ([08:37 – 10:06]) encapsulates the inside-baseball nature of conservative wonkdom.

2. Trump’s UN Vote on Russia-Ukraine and Shift in Foreign Policy

Steve Hayes’ Topic

• [31:57 – 37:17] Steve details a substantive shift: The Trump administration led opposition to a Ukrainian-backed UN resolution condemning Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, opting instead for a neutral US resolution with watered-down language.
  • The U.S. voted against the Ukraine-supported resolution—aligning with Russia and authoritarian states, breaking previous diplomatic precedent.
  • Steve observes tangible implications beyond symbolism: “The significance of what the US did with respect to this resolution isn’t about the resolution. It’s about other countries watching the United States taking the side of Russia, the undisputed aggressor.” ([36:07])
  • The panel deliberates the weight of UN votes, drawing contrasts with prior U.S. abstentions (e.g., Obama on Israel), but concluding this act is “fundamentally dishonorable” (Jonah Goldberg, [41:07]) as it signals retreat from leadership of the free world.
  • Jonah: “We bullied the crap out of Israel to vote with us on that...just so it would somehow make the roster of the Legion of Doom that we were voting with more aesthetically pleasing.” ([43:15])
  • French on global fallout: "If the world no longer thinks that America is a trustworthy country...that will have a destabilizing effect all over the place." ([44:00])

3. “Doge” Cuts and Budgetary Illusions

Panel Discussion

• [24:21 – 29:18] The group dissects the administration's claims of savings through DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) initiative, including a highly publicized overstatement of cutting an $8B contract that was in fact $8M.
  • Sarah is sharply critical of the administration’s “receipts” claiming $16B in cuts, calling it “smoke and mirrors and light show stuff…” ([26:39])
  • David and Sarah stress that cutting billions pales compared to Trump-era tax cuts and spending increases, using vivid analogies: “I just held a yard sale because my family doesn’t have enough money and then immediately after the yard sale I go buy a Ferrari.” (David French, [27:31])
  • Panelists agree: claims of deficit reduction from these methods are not only misleading, they're numerically insignificant next to budget pressures.

4. Rule of Law and Trump’s Criminal Justice Maneuvers

David French’s Topic

• [46:34 – 54:37] David enumerates concrete actions undermining impartial justice, arguing these aren’t mere signals, but real acts:
  • Pardons: Violent January 6th offenders, including those convicted of physically attacking police.
  • DOJ Interference: Firing Jack Smith’s prosecutorial team, dropping federal charges with an eye to political alliances.
  • Other Clemencies: Pardon of Rod Blagojevich for overtly political reasons, dropping charges for Eric Adams in exchange for cooperation, and intervention for Andrew Tate’s release.
  • Removal of security details from former officials (Fauci, Pompeo, Bolton), publicly signaling their vulnerability.
  • French: “Friends of Trump have one justice system, enemies of Trump have another.” ([48:45])
  • French, when challenged by Sarah about potential speculation: “Nothing is in the ether. People are actually fired, people are actually pardoned, people have actually had charges dropped against them, people have actually had security details lifted.” ([50:19])
  • Jonah echoes: “Part of the problem is pardoning people who beat the crap out of cops is so self-evidently wrong, it’s kind of boring to talk about at this point.” ([54:18])

5. The Cultural Segment: Kid-Free Spaces

[55:31 – 65:18]

• Prompted by a viral bridezilla video about crying babies at a wedding, the panel navigates the ethics of “kid-free” events.
  • David French: Surprises the group with a libertarian “who cares?” take—don’t judge other people's choices for their celebrations or their parenting. “Can we please chill out about other people's choices?” ([59:02])
  • Sarah Isger: Advocates for flexibility and personal responsibility; dislikes enforced kid bans but values parents carving out kid-free social time.
  • Jonah Goldberg: Says shunning crying babies at key life events is common courtesy: “You have to have some balls on you to bring a baby to a no-baby wedding and then not remove the baby from the room when the baby is crying when she's taking her vows.”
  • Steve Hayes: Endorses David’s libertarian line, but also stresses teaching children proper restaurant behavior, sharing personal parenting philosophy.
  • The segment is peppered with self-deprecating parenting stories, especially about the variable temperament of children and coping strategies—ending on a humorous note with Jonah’s family anecdote about checking a baby at a restaurant’s coat check.

Notable Quotes

• Jonah Goldberg on the administration’s approach to government:
  “It’s about trying to do stuff to the government that the government is somehow the enemy and that their tears are delicious, their wails in protest are hilarious. The performative stuff is what they’re going for and the pushback is its own reward.” ([07:06])
• David French on the “malicious attack” on federal agencies:
  “What we’re dealing with, it really is a malicious attack on the federal bureaucracy, a vengeful attack... all of this stuff is sort of in the category of enemy.” ([14:19])
• Steve Hayes on the UN/Ukraine vote:
  “The significance of what the US did with respect to this resolution isn’t about the resolution. It’s about other countries watching the United States taking the side of Russia, the undisputed aggressor.” ([36:07])
• Jonah Goldberg on Trump’s UN vote:
  “The UN Vote was ... a tangible manifestation on the world stage of the larger approach to foreign policy that Trump is bringing in. And the larger approach ... is fundamentally dishonorable.” ([41:07])
• David French on criminal justice:
  “Friends of Trump have one justice system, enemies of Trump have another justice system.” ([48:45])
• Sarah Isger on budget cuts:
  “I don’t think we even have any grasp over how much money Doge has, in theory, found to cut from fraud, waste, and abuse. But we know it’s not $16 billion. If $8 billion of that was actually $8 million.” ([26:39])
• David French on the culture wars:
  “Can we please chill out about other people’s choices?” ([59:02])

Important Timestamps

• 02:58 – 08:37: Jonah Goldberg on NIH cuts and the chaos in scientific research funding
• 11:04 – 13:11: Steve Hayes and David French discuss the performative vs. reformative motives behind federal cuts
• 24:21 – 29:18: Panel dissects “Doge” (federal efficiency initiative) budget claims and statistical manipulation
• 31:57 – 43:35: Steve Hayes and panel on Trump’s UN vote and the symbolism/impact of reversing US foreign policy on Ukraine
• 46:34 – 54:37: David French itemizes actual criminal justice moves by the Trump Administration
• 55:31 – 65:18: Panel’s humorous debate on kid-free events and the culture of parental judgment

Conclusion

The episode succeeds in moving past mere rhetoric, unearthing the immediate impacts—intended and otherwise—of Trump’s initial actions: from the unintended paralysis in medical research, to larger, worrying taxonomies of retributive justice and foreign policy, to the subtle politics of symbolic gestures (both at the UN and in American culture). The panel’s self-aware, sometimes sardonic tone keeps things sharp, with memorable asides and robust, challenging debate. The closing segment—on parenting and social tolerance—offers a surprisingly warm, consensus-building coda to an otherwise fraught political audit.