The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3557 - Trump Attacks the Fed; Life After Cars w/ Sarah Goodyear & Doug Gordon
Aired: January 12, 2026

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode tackles two central themes at the heart of American politics and daily life. First, host Sam Seder and the crew dissect the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on independent federal agencies, particularly the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The episode then shifts to a deep dive into the American “car culture” with guests Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon—co-authors of Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile—who discuss the historical roots, social consequences, and the future vision for cities less dominated by automobiles.

KEY SEGMENTS AND DISCUSSION POINTS

1. News Rundown & Trump vs. the Federal Reserve (00:13–16:22)

Trump’s DOJ Targets Fed Chair Jerome Powell

• Context: Trump’s DOJ has launched a criminal investigation against Jerome Powell, centering on alleged cost overruns in Fed construction projects.

• Sam Seder’s Analysis:

  • The attack is not just about Powell but represents an ominous use of the DOJ as a weapon in Trump’s “vengeance tour,” targeting independent institutions to serve political goals.
  • Seder links these moves to ongoing authoritarian encroachment, connecting events like paramilitary crackdowns in Minnesota to broader attempts to intimidate and centralize power.
  • Quote — Sam Seder (08:03):
    "Trump is trying to make Jerome Powell... an example so that the next chair of the Fed understands that Donald Trump will make your life a miserable hell, if not send you to jail, if you don't do what he says."

• Jerome Powell’s Statement on DOJ Criminal Investigation:

  • Powell, in a televised speech, acknowledges the subpoenas and frames the indictment threat as thinly veiled political interference aimed at undermining the Fed’s independent monetary policy.
  • Quote — Jerome Powell (10:46):
    "This new threat is not about my testimony… Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President."

• Other News Briefs:

  • Death tolls and detentions in Iran’s protests.
  • Largest nursing strike in NYC history.
  • ICE blocking congresswomen from a Minnesota facility.
  • Kristi Noem’s inflammatory rhetoric and the militarization of law enforcement.
  • House GOP pulling DHS funding from spending bill.
  • Exxon rejects Trump’s offer to buy Venezuelan oil.

2. INTERVIEW: Life After Cars with Sarah Goodyear & Doug Gordon (22:00–66:32)

The Problem: America’s Tyranny of Car Dependence

• Summary of Book's Argument (Sarah Goodyear, 22:02):

  • The book is not anti-car, but argues that American society has made car ownership essential for full participation, making it a fundamentally unequal and dangerous system—for social equity, public health, and the environment.
  • Quote:
    "We have built a society in which owning and operating a car is a requirement for full enfranchisement... and that is fundamentally inegalitarian and dangerous."

• Personal Reflections:

  • Both hosts and guests recount growing up in suburban, car-centric environments that made mobility impossible without a car, robbing children of independence and contributing to urban sprawl.
  • Quote — Doug Gordon (23:41):
    "What it means for something to be tyrannical is you’re always dependent on it... it’s never not a factor in your life."

Historical Roots & Corporate Manufacturing of Car Culture (25:44–31:19)

• Origins of Car Dominance:

  • Powerful corporate interests (auto, fuel, tire companies) engineered America’s dependency through propaganda and dismantling public transit systems.

  • Groucho Marx's DuPont-sponsored "America’s Love Affair with the Automobile" promoted these ideas.

  • Anecdotes on community pushback from the 1920s—e.g., attempts to limit car speeds resisted and defeated by industry lobbying.

  • Quote — Sarah Goodyear (25:44):
    "There were major corporate interests that were invested in creating a world in which they could profit from the proliferation of automobile dominance..."

  • Doug Gordon recalls mass protests in the early 20th century against traffic violence:

    “Parents were called ‘White Star mothers’...marching for their kids killed by cars. It was seen as an urban assault…the Grim Reaper driving a car over the bodies of women and children.” (30:18)

The Fight for Change: Cycles of Progress & Backlash (33:08–36:32)

• Nascent Progress vs. Entrenched Backlash

  • Some cities have made strides (NYC, Paris, Ghent), investing in public space and transport.
  • Transit and walkability now face aggressive defunding and right-wing political backlash—reflecting heightened awareness and organization among advocates.
  • Walkable neighborhoods have become “luxury goods,” accessible only to the wealthy.

• Quote — Sarah Goodyear (34:30):
  "A walkable neighborhood in the United States... has become a luxury good. How can we accept this? The idea that you have to be rich to live somewhere you can walk to the store… how is that about freedom?"

Models for Life After Cars: Urban Successes (37:31–41:31)

• Ghent, Belgium:
  • Transformed city center with low-cost interventions—restricting car through-traffic, prioritizing cyclists and pedestrians.
  • Cycling surged, pollution fell, and even drivers benefited from reduced congestion.
  • Quote — Doug Gordon (39:16):
    "As soon as you just got rid of the cars, everyone felt much safer. It cost them less than 10 million euros... you couldn’t repair a highway interchange for less than $10 million."
• Netherlands:
  • “Home to the most satisfied drivers in the world”—because car traffic is minimized and only truly necessary drivers remain.

Barriers & Pathways: Local to National Policy (41:54–43:28)

• Congestion Pricing as a Model:

  • NYC’s coming congestion pricing plan follows successful examples from London, Stockholm.
  • But American cities’ poor transit infrastructure is a barrier to removing cars—requires state/federal investment and political will.

• The Ridership-Investment Chicken-and-Egg Problem:
  "You’d have to invest in transit before you could convince people to get out of their cars, but you need the ridership to justify the investment."

The 20-Year Arc in New York City (44:37–49:27)

• New York’s Progress:

  • Major bike and public space expansions during Bloomberg era (thanks to DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan).
  • De Blasio and Adams slowed or reversed gains; new mayor Mamdani made public transit a central campaign plank, shifting public sentiment.
  • Covid made transit advocacy difficult, but the importance of city leadership remains.

• Quote — Sarah Goodyear (47:21):
  "He said, I believe that bus riders and all transit riders and all people who don’t use cars in this city are worthy of the same dignity and respect as people who drive... and that was the message of fast and free buses."

Ideology, Suburbs, and Anti-Urban Hostility (50:56–58:09)

• Suburban and Rural Dimensions:

  • Suburbs often resist transit expansion as a means to maintain exclusion and "safety"; this is linked to both anti-urban ideology and racialized history.

  • Quote — Sarah Goodyear (55:49):
    “There’s a fundamentally anti-urban strain in American politics that goes all the way back... cities are a robust and pluralistic place where people are free to be themselves... fundamentally threatening to a fascist regime.”

  • Highways and suburbanization purposely dismantled urban communities, disproportionately impacting Black and brown residents.

Race, Class, Tech, and the Political Economy of Urban Transportation (58:09–61:06)

• White flight, “urban decay” rhetoric, and the demonization of public transit are all intertwined with ongoing culture wars and privatization efforts by both right-wing and tech elites.
• Technological fixes often serve to reinforce exclusivity ("reinventing the bus, but with fewer poor people").

Future Prospects: Policy, Advocacy, and Long-Term Change (62:26–66:32)

• Federal and state-level policies have occasionally promoted walkability and transit (e.g., California’s housing by train stations; Reconnecting Communities programs), but progress is slow and easily reversed by right-wing administrations.
• Goodyear encourages a long-term, strategic vision: a new generation of politicians and advocates are rising who “get it” and want cities designed for people—not cars.
• Quote — Sarah Goodyear (65:43):
  "We need to help people imagine what things could be like... Right now is the time to keep fighting. There is a whole new generation of politicians and voters who actually really get this and they don’t want to live like this anymore."

MEMORABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS

The Danger of Authoritarianism and Car Culture (10:46)

Jerome Powell:
"The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates... rather than following the preferences of the President. This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation."
[10:46]

The Tyranny of the Automobile (22:02)

Sarah Goodyear:
"We have built a society in which owning and operating a car is a requirement for full enfranchisement... that is fundamentally inegalitarian and dangerous to our society and our planet."

On Urban Change and Hope (37:31)

Doug Gordon:
"When you just got rid of the cars, everyone felt much safer. It cost them less than 10 million euros... you couldn’t repair a highway interchange for less than $10 million."
[39:16]

The Luxury of Walkability (34:30)

Sarah Goodyear:
"A walkable neighborhood in the United States has become a luxury good. How can we accept this?... How is that about freedom?"

The Politics of Anti-Urbanism (55:49)

Sarah Goodyear:
"There’s a fundamentally anti-urban strain in American politics... cities are a robust and pluralistic place where people are free to be themselves... fundamentally threatening to a fascist regime."

TIMESTAMPS FOR IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

• Trump/Fed Investigation & Authoritarianism: 00:13–16:22
• Jerome Powell's Statement on DOJ Probe: 10:46–12:41
• Life After Cars Interview Start: 22:00
• Origins of Car Culture & Corporate Influence: 25:44–31:19
• Grassroots & Policy Struggles for Urban Reform: 33:08–43:28
• Ghent, Belgium & Car-Free City Planning: 37:31
• NYC’s 20-Year Transformation: 44:37–49:27
• Ideology, Cities, & Suburbs: 50:56–58:09
• Race, Tech, and Transit Exclusion: 58:09–61:06
• Vision for the Future & Federal/Local Opportunities: 62:26–66:32

FINAL NOTES

• The episode pivots between urgent political developments—the Trump administration’s authoritarian efforts to undermine checks on presidential power—and a sweeping, optimistic discussion of how urban life can improve as advocates, movements, and leaders fight for cities that put people, not cars, at the center.
• Goodyear and Gordon stress that "life after cars" is not about fanaticism, but about breaking free from a system that no longer serves most Americans—and building cities that are just, walkable, and vibrant for all.

Recommended for audiences interested in:

• US politics under Trump
• Urban planning and transportation reform
• Environmental and social justice
• Grassroots advocacy and policy change