Podcast Summary: What A Day – Episode: MAGA Baby Bucks

Title: MAGA Baby Bucks
Host: Erin Ryan (in place of Jane Coaston)
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Guest: Carter Sherman, Reproductive Health and Justice Reporter for The Guardian and author of the forthcoming book The Second Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Over Its Future

Introduction

In the April 23, 2025 episode of What A Day, host Erin Ryan delves into the Trump administration's fervent push to counter the declining birth rate in the United States. Titled “MAGA Baby Bucks,” the episode explores the administration's pronatalist policies, their motivations, potential impacts, and the broader socio-political implications.

Trump Administration’s Pronatalist Policies

The episode opens with the revelation that the Trump administration is deeply concerned about the U.S. declining birth rates, viewing it as a threat to maintaining America’s demographic and economic stability. Erin Ryan introduces Carter Sherman to discuss the various strategies the administration is proposing to encourage higher birth rates.

Carter Sherman explains the range of proposed policies, highlighting both feasible and questionable measures:

“The Trump administration officials want you to get pregnant and stay pregnant. Nothing creepy about that.” ([02:07])

She points out that while some ideas, like baby bonuses, involve substantial financial incentives, others are more symbolic, such as awarding medals to mothers with six or more children.

Notable Policies Discussed:

• Baby Bonuses: Proposals include substantial financial incentives, such as $5,000 per mother, and expanded child tax credits.
• Medals of Honor for Motherhood: Symbolic rewards for mothers with large families, potentially adorned with precious materials to honor their contributions.

Financial Feasibility and Implementation Challenges

Carter Sherman addresses the economic implications of these pronatalist policies:

“I think some of these policies are very expensive. A baby bonus, $5,000 per mother, expanding the child tax credit. Those are things that would require enormous government spending.” ([02:07])

She expresses skepticism about the administration’s ability to fund such initiatives, given their broader agenda of slashing government budgets. Sherman suggests that if these policies proceed, they are more likely to implement the less costly options, such as medals for motherhood, rather than substantial financial incentives.

Current Pronatalist Moves and Political Strategy

Sherman details the administration’s strategic moves to support regions with higher birth and marriage rates, which often align with Republican strongholds:

“Republicans do tend to have higher birth rates and higher marriage rates than Democrats. So directing more resources towards areas where the Trump administration, frankly, has more voters.” ([03:35])

This approach indicates a targeted strategy to bolster support within the party’s base rather than a nationwide initiative to support all American families.

Contrasting Policies: Encouragement vs. Discouragement

While promoting pronatalist measures, the Trump administration simultaneously undermines factors that could support family growth. Sherman highlights significant cutbacks in reproductive health services:

“The Trump administration is dramatically slashing the work of researchers that actually work on these issues. We've seen researchers who work on things like maternal mortality lose their jobs.” ([04:20])

These cuts negatively impact access to contraception, IVF treatments, and maternal health research, potentially discouraging family expansion despite the administration's pronatalist rhetoric.

Effectiveness of Pronatalist Policies Globally

When questioned about the effectiveness of such policies, Sherman provides a critical perspective:

“Not really. We don't actually really know what works to incentivize people into having more kids.” ([05:04])

She notes that even countries with established pronatalist policies, like those in Scandinavia, have not conclusively demonstrated significant increases in birth rates. Sherman underscores that societal advancements and increased options for women often correlate with lower birth rates, suggesting that enforced incentives may not align with individual desires or social trends.

Underlying Reasons for Declining Birth Rates

Sherman identifies key reasons behind the declining birth rates, emphasizing that the Trump administration may not be adequately addressing these concerns:

“One of the main reasons that people cite... is the climate and concerns about climate change. So I don't really think that the Trump administration is taking that seriously as a concern.” ([05:39])

This omission indicates a potential disconnect between the administration’s policies and the genuine concerns influencing Americans' decisions about starting families.

The Tech and Religious Right's Pronatalist Alliance

The discussion shifts to the unusual alliance between conservative religious groups and tech elites in promoting pronatalism. Sherman highlights internal conflicts within this alliance, particularly regarding reproductive technologies like IVF:

“The Heritage Foundation... is uncomfortable with the use of the technology as anything but a last resort.” ([07:04])

She explains that while some Republicans support increased access to IVF, others, especially religious conservatives, oppose it on moral grounds, viewing embryos and fetuses as persons. This division threatens the stability of the pronatalist movement within the right-wing spectrum.

Future Directions and Alternatives

Concluding the discussion, Sherman questions the viability of incentivizing higher birth rates and suggests alternative solutions to address demographic concerns:

“If you are concerned about falling birth rates... immigration and encouraging immigration... is a way to fix that.” ([09:15])

She advocates for making the United States more welcoming to immigrants as a more effective strategy to counterbalance the declining native birth rates, noting that this approach aligns better with sustainable demographic and economic growth.

Conclusion

The episode “MAGA Baby Bucks” provides a comprehensive analysis of the Trump administration’s pronatalist policies, highlighting the complexities and contradictions inherent in their approach. Through insightful dialogue with Carter Sherman, Erin Ryan elucidates the challenges of implementing effective pronatalist measures and underscores the importance of addressing underlying societal issues rather than relying solely on financial incentives. The episode concludes by suggesting that immigration may offer a more pragmatic solution to demographic concerns, offering listeners a nuanced perspective on a contentious political issue.

Notable Quotes:

1. Carter Sherman ([02:07]):
   “The Trump administration officials want you to get pregnant and stay pregnant. Nothing creepy about that.”

2. Carter Sherman ([03:35]):
   “Republicans do tend to have higher birth rates and higher marriage rates than Democrats. So directing more resources towards areas where the Trump administration, frankly, has more voters.”

3. Carter Sherman ([04:20]):
   “The Trump administration is dramatically slashing the work of researchers that actually work on these issues. We've seen researchers who work on things like maternal mortality lose their jobs.”

4. Carter Sherman ([05:04]):
   “Not really. We don't actually really know what works to incentivize people into having more kids.”

5. Carter Sherman ([05:39]):
   “One of the main reasons that people cite... is the climate and concerns about climate change. So I don't really think that the Trump administration is taking that seriously as a concern.”

6. Carter Sherman ([07:04]):
   “The Heritage Foundation... is uncomfortable with the use of the technology as anything but a last resort.”

7. Carter Sherman ([09:15]):
   “If you are concerned about falling birth rates... immigration and encouraging immigration... is a way to fix that.”

This summary captures the essence of the “MAGA Baby Bucks” episode, providing listeners with a clear and detailed understanding of the discussions surrounding the Trump administration’s efforts to influence birth rates in the United States.