Trump's Big Week: Middle East Trip, China Deal, Pharma EO, "Big, Beautiful Bill" with Ben Shapiro
- May 16, 2025
- 1:37:18
- Full Episode
(0:00) The Besties welcome Ben Shapiro! (1:53) A Bestie apology to Phil Hellmuth, All-In Poker Tournament (7:58) Trump's majorly consequential Middle East trip: Saudi, Qatar, Iran, and his vision for a "New Middle East" (35:18) US-China deal: is the tide turning on tariffs? (46:33) GOP divided over "Big, Beautiful Bill" due to its impact on the US debt spiral (1:18:48) Science Corner: Montana bans cell-based meat, joining Florida and others (1:24:31) Trump's EO on pharma prices: role of PBMs, is this too much government intervention?
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Referenced in the show: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-historic-1-2-trillion-economic-commitment-in-qatar https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-historic-600-billion-investment-commitment-in-saudi-arabia https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/05/in-riyadh-president-trump-charts-the-course-for-a-prosperous-future-in-the-middle-east https://www.semafor.com/article/05/16/2025/qatar-commits-more-than-200-billion-in-us-investment https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/trump-saudi-investment-speech.html https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/trump-says-us-will-remove-all-sanctions-on-syria.html https://www.reuters.com/world/what-have-china-united-states-agreed-geneva-2025-05-12 https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/02/politics/donald-trump-dictators-kim-jong-un-vladimir-putin https://newrepublic.com/post/185836/trump-brags-dictators-orban-debate-harris https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/US30Y https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/05/14/congress/the-titanic-johnson-predicts-houses-big-beautiful-reconciliation-bill-will-sink-in-the-senate-00348310 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEBTN# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEGDQ188S https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/opinion/josh-hawley-dont-cut-medicaid.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-announces-actions-to-put-american-patients-first-by-lowering-drug-prices-and-stopping-foreign-free-riding-on-american-pharmaceutical-innovation
Brief Summary
Trump's Middle East trip secures major investments, while drug pricing reforms and mock meat bans spark debate among hosts.
Key points
- Formal Apology to Phil Helmu. The podcast issues a heartfelt apology to poker legend Phil Helmu for past comments.
- Trump's Middle East Trip. Trump's recent trip to the Middle East is analyzed, highlighting significant investments and relationships.
- Shift in Political Viewpoint. America is moving away from a colonial mindset in governance, embracing respect for different models.
- Iran's Negotiation Tactics. Iran is skilled in negotiations, raising concerns about trust in future deals.
- Tariff Deals and Economic Growth. The potential impact of tariff deals on American businesses and GDP is under discussion.
- Belt and Road 2.0. A new phase in international trade strategy is beginning, emphasizing bilateral deals.
Episode highlights
- Formal Apology to Phil HelmuThe podcast issues a heartfelt apology to poker legend Phil Helmu for past comments.“Phil, honestly, you're the best. You’ve been really instrumental in a lot of these important relationships.”5:02May 16, 2025
- Trump's Middle East TripTrump's recent trip to the Middle East is analyzed, highlighting significant investments and relationships.“What Trump basically did was clean the slate. He wiped the floor with all this neocon establishment nonsense.”19:53May 16, 2025
- Shift in Political ViewpointAmerica is moving away from a colonial mindset in governance, embracing respect for different models.“We can respect your way of living.”22:10May 16, 2025
- Iran's Negotiation TacticsIran is skilled in negotiations, raising concerns about trust in future deals.“Iran has never won a war or lost a peace.”26:26May 16, 2025
- Tariff Deals and Economic GrowthThe potential impact of tariff deals on American businesses and GDP is under discussion.“Regulatory parity is the biggest thing that needs to be identified in these deals.”38:18May 16, 2025
- Belt and Road 2.0A new phase in international trade strategy is beginning, emphasizing bilateral deals.“This is the beginning of Belt and Road 2.0.”41:00May 16, 2025
- Fiscal CrisisThe U.S. is facing a significant fiscal crisis with rising debt and deficits.“We're burning two and a half trillion dollars a year.”55:14May 16, 2025
- Debt Death Spiral ExplainedThe discussion highlights the dangers of increasing national debt, termed a 'debt death spiral.'“That's why it's called a debt death spiral.”59:30May 16, 2025





