LIVE: Watchdog BLOWS WHISTLE on Media COLLAPSE under Trump

Despite claims from the Trump administration that tariffs benefit the economy, an expert explains that tariffs act as a 'relative price increase.' While headline inflation may not drastically change, the burden falls on American consumers through higher prices for goods or reduced wage increases and slower hiring by businesses facing increased costs. Studies indicate that a significant majority of tariff costs are passed directly to US consumers.

An expert explains that tariffs increase costs without necessarily spiking headline inflation, instead acting as a 'hidden tax burden' on businesses and consumers (03:52). The host cites studies showing 84-90% of tariff costs are passed to US consumers (07:33). Average Americans paid $1,000 in tariffs last year, projected to be $1,300 this year (10:24).

The host criticizes the Trump administration for firing government statisticians and selectively reporting economic data to present a favorable, but inaccurate, picture. Furthermore, Trump's use of a 'national emergency' under the Economic Emergencies Act to impose tariffs bypasses Congress, consolidating power and introducing instability into trade policy based on personal whims, as demonstrated by his arbitrary increase of tariffs on Switzerland.

The host questions the reliability of Trump's numbers after 'firing the statisticians of this government' (08:35). Trump declared a 'national emergency' to take tariff power from Congress (05:42). Trump recounts increasing tariffs on Switzerland from 30% to 39% because he 'didn't really like the way she talked to us' (06:49).

Mickey Huff explains that censorship extends beyond direct government intervention to 'censorship by proxy,' where corporate media owners' interests align with government agendas. This leads to stories being ignored or downplayed if they challenge powerful figures or corporate advertisers. The decline of public trust in media, coupled with layoffs at major outlets like The Washington Post, creates a chilling effect, discouraging journalists from pursuing inconvenient truths.

Huff defines censorship as 'anything that interferes with the free flow of information' (29:26) and introduces 'censorship by proxy' where corporate and government interests align (29:38). The host notes Jeff Bezos's Washington Post layoffs despite his wealth (11:25) and Huff states Bezos is 'turning off the lights' (18:04).

The podcast emphasizes that a fundamental issue is the absence of critical media literacy education in society. Without the skills to analyze information, understand framing, and identify biases, the public struggles to comprehend complex issues like tariffs or discern truth from propaganda. This civic and historical illiteracy makes it easier for powerful entities to control narratives and manipulate public opinion.

Huff states, 'We live in a society that doesn't teach critical media literacy' (24:24) and that it's only mandated in six states (24:55). He links this to the public's difficulty understanding complex issues like tariffs (16:57).