Andrew Interviews Doug Holtz-Eakin from the American Action Forum!

In this episode, Andrew Langer sits down with economist and American Action Forum President Doug Holtz-Eakin for a wide-ranging conversation on recent economic policy developments and their potential consequences. Holtz-Eakin expresses skepticism over the Biden Administration’s latest trade and tariff policies—what some dubbed “Liberation Day”—arguing they amount to a $500–$600 billion tax increase with damaging implications for economic growth, inflation, and America’s farming sector.

The discussion pivots to regulatory policy, highlighting the staggering $1.8 trillion in regulatory costs added under President Biden, contrasted with the deregulatory success of the first Trump administration. Holtz-Eakin cautions against the current sequencing of economic policy—leading with tariffs instead of first tackling tax and regulatory reform—and emphasizes the importance of revisiting trade agreements to address unfair barriers facing American exporters, especially farmers.

They also unpack recent moves to reduce the federal workforce. Holtz-Eakin critiques past approaches but supports the current plan empowering agency heads to make strategic, legally compliant cuts. He debunks myths about federal employment levels, noting they remain close to Reagan-era numbers, and argues that downsizing can be done responsibly—citing the Clinton-era example of 400,000 job reductions without major disruption.

This is a must-listen for anyone interested in economic strategy, regulatory reform, and the inner workings of federal governance.