Balance of Power

President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address of the television age Tuesday, declaring “a turnaround for the ages” as he tried to sell Americans on his economic program ahead of crucial midterm elections later this year.
The speech had all the ceremony, confrontation and chaos that have come to define the event in an era of narrow congressional majorities and partisan polarization. Democratic Representative Al Green was ejected from the chamber for disrupting the speech. Trump invited the gold-medal-winning men’s Olympic hockey team into the gallery amid chants of “USA! USA! USA!” He awarded several medals honoring veterans and active-duty service members.
And in more than 1 hour 47 minutes, the longest State of the Union in history, the president delivered a rally-like speech punctuated less by policy proposals than by political attacks.
For instant reaction and analysis, Bloomberg Balance of Power hosts Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz speak with:
Bloomberg White House correspondent Jeff Mason
Rick Davis, Partner at Stonecourt Capital and Bloomberg Politics Contributor & Jeanne Sheehan Zaino, Democracy Visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center and Bloomberg Politics Contributor
US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
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Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill.

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The Pentagon warned Anthropic PBC that it would terminate the company’s military contracts on Friday if the artificial intelligence startup failed to meet government terms for use of its technology, according to people familiar with the matter.

During a meeting Tuesday between Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, US officials threatened to declare Anthropic a supply-chain risk or invoke the Defense Production Act to use the AI software even if the company didn’t comply, the people said.

The ultimatum marks an escalation in a growing dispute between the Defense Department and the AI startup over the company’s insistence on guardrails for use of its Claude AI tool. If carried out, the Pentagon’s threat would put at risk up to $200 million in work that Anthropic had agreed to do for the military.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe speaks with:
Bloomberg Senior Editor for Technology and Strategic Industries Michael Shepard.
Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino.
Center for Strategic and International Studies Senior Adviser Gregory Allen.
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A discussion of the Supreme Court's Feb. 20 ruling that the tariffs utilized by President Donald Trump under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act were unlawful -- and what is next after Trump has signaled a 15% tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act -- led Bloomberg Intelligence’s Feb. 23 edition of the Washington Policy Pulse. Senior Litigation Analyst Holly Froum also discussed the likelihood for refunds for firms like Amazon, Walmart and Apple. We also previewed Trump's Feb. 24 State of the Union address with a focus on affordability and headline risk for firms like Bank of America and Blackstone.

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Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

The Supreme Court’s nixing of US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs is throwing fresh confusion over the raft of trade deals negotiated by global partners as the inescapable reality of ongoing levies remains a threat.

The European Union on Monday froze the ratification process of its agreement with Washington. The move injected economic turbulence into an already strained transatlantic relationship.

Without mentioning the EU specifically, Trump warned nations against taking advantage of his legal setback.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe speaks with:
Bloomberg White House Correspondent Jeff Mason.
Bloomberg International Economics and Policy Correspondent Michael McKee.
American Economic Liberties Project Director Lori Wallach.
Ipsos US Public Affairs Chair Cliff Young.
Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino.
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Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill.

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

President Donald Trump rushed to salvage his signature tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down his global duties, pledging he would use different tools to work around the ruling and preserve import taxes he has cast as essential to his economic and foreign policy.

The president said Friday he planned to impose a flat 10% levy on foreign goods in the coming days, and that he would order a raft of trade investigations that should allow him to enact more permanent tariffs.

In a defiant and angry White House press conference hours after the decision, Trump vowed to forge ahead with his approach despite complaints from opponents who say it has undercut longtime trade partnerships and increased costs for Americans. The president has credited his tariff regime for driving substantial investments in the US and preventing foreign conflicts.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe speaks with:
Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall.
Bloomberg Surveillance Co-Host Tom Keene.
Bloomberg News Senior Strategist Edward Harrison.
Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Research Director Michael O'Hanlon.
Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino and Echo Canyon Consulting CEO Jon Seaton.
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