Join my show tonight - and our Griswold Family Spring Break.

join my live 2way show, Trump's tariffs, and why I'm morphing into Ellen Griswold.

Hello my friends!

I just wanted to do a quick check in for the week. Tomorrow I am heading out on a good old fashioned Griswold family road trip (or Domenech family road trip) to visit some friends for my girls spring break from school. We briefly considered flying to Florida for spring break to go to the beach there but ultimately decided against it. Since covid and having kids, Ben and I have gotten very into road trips. We have a summer trip to Arizona coming and as many of you know, flying across the country with toddlers is no joke.

I know all anyone is talking about is tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. I have been talking about it on my 2Way show "Meghan McCain's Happy Hour" which you can watch live every Monday and Wednesday at 5 pm easter and can join here:

Please also join our live zoom link if you want to join the conversation and ask a question which you can register for here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5kHtYMcJSnyk1neRT8AfEw#/registration

Our little show is the little engine that could and we are slowly but surely building an audience and community, I would love to hear from you directly - which is the whole purpose of the 2way company. I want it to be a fun, judgement free space where we can go over the news of the day (including in pop culture) and sift through what it means for the country together.

My take on the tariffs is that first and foremost, I am not a financial expert but I have been speaking with many who are and there is a true split in the perspective if these tariffs will ultimately be a good thing in the long run or not. I always look at things from the side of the political implications because that is my job. One thing I know for certain is if Trump pulls this off he will be hailed as a genius businessman of our lifetimes. If this falls short and people start losing their retirements and we go long periods of time paying $3,000 for iphones as Cheryl Casone on Fox News predicted and the price of everyday goods goes up even further - you can guarantee we will be headed towards a bloodbath in the midterms with potential long term consequences for the republican party and brand.

Always, always bet on the famous James Carville line "it's the economy stupid". It never fails, it is always true for every election.

I have however found it striking to watch so many talking heads on television sort of rebut the idea that there should be concern if people lose money in their 401k's or that people can suffer and pay more in the short term for a long term benefit. Many of these people have huge media contracts, are married to finance bros, or come from wealthy families and have a safety net and cushion that the vast majority of Americans just don't. One of my best friends has a family of six and already chooses what meat she is going to buy for her kids during the week based on what coupons are available at which grocery stores. I assure you, a little bit more inflation would have an enormous impact on her life - and this is after the financial hardships she has already experienced during the Biden years.

I also in general have a difficult time swallowing any talking point or narrative that Americans should be willing to suffer more. We are the land of plenty, the land of opportunity and the land of innovation. The language of suffering is the language that is so often used by democrats and the left to explain why people need to go without things like for the sake of climate change or paying more in taxes. It is also historically the language that many totalitarian governments and dictators have used for hundreds of years to justify their leadership and government choices.

I know the vast majority of republicans are sitting here trying to sell you on the tariffs and telling you to have faith in Trump, and they may be right. What I am saying to you is that I am very nervous and - I have always been, am today, and will continue to be a free trade capitalist. Whatever this new "Maoist Maga" as the Washington Post coined the new republican populist perspective on trade and the economy, is quite frankly just not an ethos I have much faith in or agree with. But, I am not a populist. Many members of the working class are feeling invigorated today and keep telling me - this is what they voted for.

I will be happy to be proven wrong if Trump pulls this off and if he does, I will be the first one to give him credit. He is a businessman, and of course, I am not.

On another, I had the pleasure of joining my friend Sage Steele's podcast which will be released later on this week. She is truly one of my favorite people as well as being incredibly brave and iconic. Please look out for it and I will share it on my socials. We had a very deep, personal conversation about politics, motherhood, and not bending the knee to ABC News. I have found such a sisterhood with her and so many others for being women who have refused to bend the knee to democrats and felt both public and private retribution for it. People like Sage make me feel less alone and I am so grateful to her and the other women in my space.

Have any of you experienced any public or private backlash for your political beliefs?

On that note, I will share more soon. Please send me good vibes for our road trip and that the girls don't melt down in the car.

Love,

Meghan