The episode dives deep into economic shifts with a focus on market reactions to tariff disputes. Mike and Mark discuss the potential volatility that comes with unpredictability in politics and how recent developments compare to past norms. The conversation takes an unexpected turn with a story about a Tesla vandalism case that illustrates societal tensions. As they wrap up, they reflect on the day’s lighter moments, like the harmless pranks of April Fool’s Day, reminding listeners to engage and vote actively in their communities.
SPEAKER 02 :
Mike Gallagher. Every day, Mike visits with Mark Davis, morning host on 660 AM, The Answer in Dallas. Here’s today’s Eminem experience.
SPEAKER 06 :
Written by Paul McCartney when it’s on Sergeant Pepper. But McCartney wrote this when he was like 14, thinking about being really, really old at 64. Now with Mike, who is 64, reflections on that. And I offer this really just as an affectionate nudge. 64 ain’t nothing. You’ll be 64 for another six days before you hit the big 6’5″. You know who’s laughing at you? Trump.
SPEAKER 03 :
Everyone who’s not laughing at me? Biden.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay. I’ll match you. 82-year-old for 82-year-old. You know who is? Harrison Ford. Doing the most energetic, incredible work of his life. He’s old enough to be your dad. Riding horses. Playing pickleball. Who knows what. Probably were.
SPEAKER 03 :
Probably were. probably wearing diapers on the set.
SPEAKER 06 :
I don’t think, I bet not. I’ll hear nothing of you young whippersnappers at 65.
SPEAKER 03 :
Can we put a moratorium on this talk? I want to skip it. I talked to my boss this morning. We were talking about how 65 just all of a sudden, it’s like, how did this get here? And Phil said, Phil and Diana, his wonderful wife, they were just talking about this the other day. Isn’t it crazy, the older you get, how much faster time passes by? Yes. Think about it, Mark. We’re in April. It’s April 1st. It feels like yesterday it was the election. That is correct. I mean, blink of an eye, but it didn’t used to feel this way.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, this is weird. It may be math when because I’m 67 and here we are in our mid 60s. Every year is a smaller percentage of the life we have led. When you’re 10, another year is like another 10% of what you’ve lived. When you’re 60-something, another year is but a tiny sliver. So once you’ve got all that behind you, everything that’s before you, seems to be a smaller fraction. That may be a clumsy explanation.
SPEAKER 03 :
I choose to ignore next week. I’ll be off. I’m going to just try to disconnect. I’m going to go enjoy and pretend I’m 49. We’ll be thinking about you. Hey, big day today, a huge day in Wisconsin, a huge day in Florida. The stakes are so high. Wisconsin voters are heading to the polls. Look, the truth is, if we lose the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Wisconsin is going to redistrict immediately. They made it clear. Hakeem Jeffries admitted it. And Akeem Jeffries said, you know, here’s the key. We’ve got to get this progressive, Susan Crawford, this former Obama official, and we’ve got to get her elected. And then they’re going to gerrymander, they’re going to redistrict, and we’re going to lose a couple of seats in the House of Representatives. Same is true for Wisconsin. I mean, for Florida. We’ve got that central Florida, that District 6, that race is so tight.
SPEAKER 06 :
That’s the Mike Waltz vacancy, and the other one is the Matt Gaetz vacancy. But you know what? I’m confident of Republican victories in both of those.
SPEAKER 03 :
Don’t say that. Don’t say it. I am. I am. Don’t say it. Don’t say it. I mean, that’s the problem. I mean, you know, I think we sort of go the conventional route, and Trump’s not at the top of the ticket right now to take people over.
SPEAKER 01 :
I understand.
SPEAKER 03 :
And it’s a whole different ballgame. And people these these people on the left are loud. They’re aggressive. They’re rattling cages.
SPEAKER 06 :
And they got money. They have poured especially into that first district race for the Matt Gaetz vacancy. Democrat has outspent the Republican. They’re like three to one.
SPEAKER 03 :
I was talking to a family friend yesterday. They have a loved one in their family who’s mad at everybody who’s a Trump supporter. And it’s causing a rift in the family. It’s causing a rift with friendships. And the person I talked to is not really a Trump fan per se, doesn’t really like his personality. However, he knows that the alternative was unthinkable. And he said, this is policy, policy, policy. And he said something that captures the Trump era. It’s all common sense stuff. None of this stuff is radical. None of this stuff is crazy extremism. It’s common sense. When you think about looking through the lens of commonsense-dom on everything Trump’s doing, it’s so true. I mean, it’s not, look, we’re doing Social Security the way we did it in the 1950s. We’re sending checks to dead people. And Trump wants to make the Social Security Administration function like an Apple store. efficient you know online if you’ve got a grandma or grandpa that doesn’t know how to get online well then guide them lovingly and show them how to do it instead of sending checks to 137 year old dead people I mean it’s just common sense and I mean look at Pete Hegseth yesterday they’re all mad at him now because he wants to have combat standards be the same for men and women look if you’re a woman and you want to serve in combat knock yourself out you just got to meet the same rigorous standards as a man isn’t that common sense of course it is i mean we go down the list of everything on and on and on so today’s a huge day tomorrow’s a big day uh the tariffs and i we haven’t spent enough time on this mark i was talking to a financial guy yesterday and he said look Because I’ve got some real estate stuff going on right now, and I’m a little nervous about it, and it’s not moving like I thought. And Florida real estate’s a little unusual. And he said, look, let’s get through Wednesday because there’s a lot of uncertainty because of this whole tariffs thing that’s sort of looming over our heads. The Wall Street Journal is – is wagering that Trump is just doing some gamemanship, that this is the art of the deal. The Trump tariffs aren’t going to be quite as promised because it’s part of his negotiation. And and but but whatever happens tomorrow, there will then be a conclusion and the markets will settle in and then things will start happening. Real estate is going to start bouncing back. People will feel a little more confident about spending their money and making purchases. So really, Mark, this is a huge, huge week today and tomorrow.
SPEAKER 06 :
And everything you described and the markets, I think even this week, the markets may convulse in there. You know, your 401k may take a little bit of a hit in the coming days. If there’s anything the markets don’t like to make them nervous, it’s unpredictability, real change. The markets, our country, our society has been so used forever, so used to slow glacier pace.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 06 :
Nothing ever really happens. Now along comes Trump with his fire hose of developments and Musk with his his fast paced way of doing things. It’s exactly what we need. Long term, it’s going to work out just fine. Have some faith. It’s going to create American jobs. It’s going to reinvigorate American manufacturing. And these are for good reasons. But it’s so rare to have anybody in politics say, look, rather than just curry favor right now, today in this news cycle, I’m going to do something that might look a little weird and will squirrelly might make you a little nervous right now. But trust me, long term, it’s going to be good. And I have that trust. It is going to be good.
SPEAKER 03 :
Caroline Leavitt yesterday outside the White House did a beautiful job of detailing why Trump wants these trade practices to even out. The trade practices that we’re currently under are hurting American businesses. 50% tariff from the EU on American dairy. 700% tariff from Japan on rice. 100% tariff from India on agricultural products. And Trump’s position is it’s impossible for American products to be imported into these markets. It’s time for reciprocity. And that’s all it is. And you talk to these smart people, you hear from the Larry Kudlows and all these people who know this stuff, the Canadian guy, what’s his name, Kevin O’Leary. These are smart people, a lot of common sense, a lot of wisdom. Speaking of a lack of common sense, though, tell me you saw the clip of the guy caught carving a swastika onto a guy’s Tesla.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yes, I did.
SPEAKER 03 :
Can we play it? Can we all share it together? Do you mind?
SPEAKER 06 :
Sure, got a minute?
SPEAKER 03 :
I do. I think Christian’s got it. It’s delicious because this is a grown-ass man. Pardon my French. This is an adult. You talk about 65, 75. This guy looks like he’s 45, 50. This is not a kid. So this dummy is defacing a guy’s car. Because he owns a Tesla and heaven forbid you have a Tesla because then you’re a Nazi. Now, check this out. He gets caught. Listen to how the guy acts after he got caught carving a swastika or painting a swastika onto the side of the guy’s Tesla. This is rich. Free service. How about you pay for the repairs?
SPEAKER 05 :
Write a check. You just bought a Tesla.
SPEAKER 04 :
I can wipe it off with a towel. No, no. It’s not a key. It is a hate crime, sir. It was a crayon.
SPEAKER 05 :
It is a hate crime. Did you write a swastika on this?
SPEAKER 04 :
I’m sorry you’re upset. Did you write a swastika? It didn’t even work. Apparently it doesn’t work.
SPEAKER 05 :
Did you write a swastika on the… It’s a key, sir. We see it on the video.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s not a key.
SPEAKER 05 :
Is it a swastika?
SPEAKER 04 :
I was probably putting my keys in my pocket. Is it a swastika? Have you looked at your car? Is there a key mark?
SPEAKER 05 :
Is it a swastika?
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s impossible.
SPEAKER 05 :
It’s at the police right now. It’s being fingerprinted.
SPEAKER 04 :
What do you mean it’s being fingerprinted?
SPEAKER 05 :
Because they were trying to track you down. Thankfully, Facebook tracked you down. So your business, your freaking livelihood, everything now. Because you chose to tell Facebook that you’re sorry for writing a swastika on a Tesla.
SPEAKER 04 :
I said, I’m sorry. For what? And I apologize. I have nothing against your car and I have nothing against you.
SPEAKER 05 :
So why did you write a swastika on a Tesla?
SPEAKER 04 :
Obviously, I have something against Elon Musk, but that’s not the way to show my… So Elon Musk owns that car?
SPEAKER 05 :
No, he owns the company. It was bought and paid for a long time ago.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s why it’s misguided. And obviously, I did not intend to do this.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well… His hand slipped. He didn’t intend to do it. Now, Mark, people know the guy in the community. I’m sure he’s got a job. He’s got a family. Mark, let me put you on the spot. You work with people all day long. You’ve spent decades working with good people. That guy worked for you. Yeah. How would that affect your relationship with him? I mean, what an imbecile.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now that he is famous in the community and instantly recognizable as a political bigot idiot. It depends on what he does for me and what the nature of my business is. Because I’m a big believer in redemption. It sounds like the shock of being discovered and caught brought him around to some clarity. I shouldn’t have been doing it in exactly this fashion.
SPEAKER 03 :
I have nothing against your car. Oh, nice.
SPEAKER 06 :
I know. He’s a complete moron. If he can continue to do the job, if the strong letter in the file and a scolding from me don’t do that anymore, go forth and sin no more. I’m a big believer in second chances. Here’s the asterisk. However, if he’s visible, if he’s like out in the community as a sales guy and he’s going to go out and try to sell widgets for my, you know, Mark Davis widget company is like, hey, you’re the big dummy to put the swastika on the Tesla. He’s gone.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, well, you have to wonder how would he treat somebody that he comes in contact with whose political views don’t align with his.
SPEAKER 06 :
And there’s a big difference between people who are sorry and people who are sorry they got caught.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, come on. He was sorry he got caught. But here’s the thing. This perfectly encapsulates their side right now. They are flailing. They don’t know what to do. They think maybe if I carve up a swastika on a car, that’ll make me feel better. And again…
SPEAKER 06 :
clubbing the living daylights out of toy Teslas on a curb. Oh, my gosh.
SPEAKER 03 :
That big fat guy on a scooter crashing his scooter into a Tesla. I mean, like a nutcase. Lucky he didn’t break his neck. I mean, well, that’s what they get. But this is what we’re up against, Mark. And let’s face it. I like our chances.
SPEAKER 06 :
I like our chances. And I like our chances in Florida. I’m going to say it. I’m going to say it again. That doesn’t mean you should rest on your laurels in Florida. Listening in Florida. Get out and vote. Do it. Do it. Do it.
SPEAKER 03 :
You can’t sit on the sidelines. Do not listen to Mark Davis. Ignore Mark Davis. Ignore his comfortableness. You’re behind by 10. You’re behind by 10. Well, what about Wisconsin? Hey, Swanee, what do you think is going to happen there?
SPEAKER 06 :
I have no idea about Wisconsin. My fingers are crossed so tight, my hands are purple.
SPEAKER 03 :
The extremist progressive is up like five or six points in the polls. So come on, Wisconsin. Let’s go. You got to do your part. You got to work. You got to get off the sidelines. All right. Happy April Fool’s Day. Tricks planned? None whatsoever. I’m anti-prank. Me too. Well, I like a good prank, but I’m a little leery about today, especially in the time we’re living in.
SPEAKER 02 :
Seriously.
SPEAKER 03 :
A good prank may put me over the edge.
SPEAKER 06 :
This bluster at 65, he’s just not ready.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. Mike, I got a call from the birth certificate place. They say, no, you’re really only 59. I like that. Yeah, I’ll take that prank.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now that’s a prank we can line up behind.
SPEAKER 03 :
I’m on board.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, I love you. Take care. Forever young, Mike Gallagher. Ready to go. 10 o’clock, as soon as we’re done, on 660 AM, The Answer.
SPEAKER 02 :
Download the podcast and hear all of Mike and Mark’s conversations at MikeOnline.com for the M&M experience.