good good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. president trump won office on appeal to working class voters. how well is his administration working for them. tonight a conversation with rana foroohar. she joins us to talk about the economic realities in the trump air remark who is benefiting from his plans and who is losing. then trombone shorty joins us to talk about his debut album for blue records, it's called parking lot symphony. rana foroohar and trombone shorty in just a moment.

and and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. the global economic columnist for the financial times, the makers and takers, the rise of finance and the fall of american business. how do they treat you at the financial times? >> love it. totally my people.

who's happy for mr. trump in the first 100 days? >> the rich. what's really interesting, this is a man who campaigned on a populous platform really, saying i'm going to make life better for at least white working people. he had a message that was about economic nationalism, most of the policies we've seen are the same old republican trickle down policies, i would point to the tax plan which says, hey, we're going to cut taxes on corporations. on the wealthy, and that's going to create growth when we have no evidence over the last 20 years that that's actually happened. >> do you think that tax plan is going to -- >> he needs to get health care through in order to push the tax plan through, he's got republicans saying, okay, we like tax cuts but this is going to balloon the deficit. a lot of republicans have signed on and said, we can't do anything that's going to make the deficit bigger he wants to

take the savings of cutting insurance for 22 million people and put it on the tax plan, there's a lot of dominos that have to line up. >> didn't we just do the health care thing. >> no, you are not having deja vu. we did do that. this is a guy who said, i'm going to do all these different things on 100 days. and he hasn't done anything. >> they talked a good game for eight years when obama was in office. they don't have anything on the table they can show. >> there was a big story, front page of the new york times last sunday as i recall. about the revolving door that business leaders have, the big picture of jamie dimon on the cover. >> yes. >> to what extent has big business had his way having access to him. they're getting more access to the white house than anybody. >> they are. and i would say that it depends on what kind of business you're talking about. >> first of all, there's a lot

of business leaders i know that either sit on his council or take those meetings and some of them do it with no problem. and some of them really have to swallow hard and do it, and say, we need to be in the room and have influence. i think we can say that banks are doing very well, this is the president that said, i love debt. he loves the financial system. talking about rolling back dodd frank, people like jamie dimon from jpmorgan love that. big business is sort of skewed on trump. we like him, he's for america first, he has a trade policy that may benefit us. a company like walmart, that may suffer under trump policies maybe not so much in favor. it's really a mixed bag. >> the financial times is an international publication. how is he being viewed around the globe on the -- >> with confusion. a lot of confusion. >> i didn't finish my question.

>> all right, take it away, go ahead. go ahead. >> i'll tell you what, actually, i'm saying that only half joking, one thing that's interesting and disturbing to me, i know you're going to relate to this, there are a lot of emerging market countries that say, we get this, we know what it's like when someone's children are in positions of power, we know who to tap now. we know who to call, we know who the ministers are, whose palms we need to grease. this is a familiar way of doing business in a lot of the parts of the world, that's a disturbing thing to me. >> how concerned are you, how concerned are financial journalists at large about the trouble that he may get himself into with these lines being crossed between his business dealings and his governance. >> i'm hugely worried, and you look around. we've had these experiments, not just in the u.s., but where a populous leader comes to power

in latin america for example, they've been through several decades of this, maybe they have some good intentions, it can very quickly collapse into cleptocracy if we don't watch and make sure lines aren't being crossed. this president has been crossing lines since he came into office. even if ivanka and jared were to completely detach themselves from all business interests, it's going to be hard for people to believe that they're not representing themselves. ivanka went to the g-20, sat with angela merkel. people said, who are you representing? your father, yourself, your company? >> and they snickered at her. >> oh, my dad's supporting women. you can understand why. >> how much reporting is being done in your industry about what's happened, what's happening to the trump brand so far? >> there's been a fair bit of

reporting done on that, and interestingly there's been a very successful grassroots campaign of people who have said, put pressure on shops, i don't want to walk into nordstrom and see the trump brand. i don'ten watt to have to deal with that while i'm shopping, that's been very successful, there's been a lot of push back, on the other hand, to be honest with you, i look at the business deals these folks are going to be able to do in emerging markets, where there isn't that concern, there's almost a little bit of a kitch or a political value, yeah, we want another trump hotel, why not? i can't imagine it's going to, on a net basis tarnish the brand. >> we talked about the impact he's had so far on big business. let me go the other direction, small business. you are right, there are a lot of working class people who thought he was the answer to the prayer. i'll get to them in a second. small business, is he going to deliver for them? or are they going to regret this? >> so, i mean -- i know growing

up in the rural midwest, as you did, a lot of small business people say we are hand strung by regulation, there's a lot of red tape. it costs money. there is some truth there. i will say. although i think the things like doing a major roll back of the epa is a competitive disadvantage, one of the reasons people want to start businesses in the u.s., we have safety rules. we have a structure, if with you were going to target specific businesses. you should have a plan of how things are going to fit together. this president thinks like a trader and the people around him see like a trader. we can tweak this law here, that one there, there's no over arching plan, okay, let's say you get a little more refinery capacity in the gulf. how are you going to get that to the midwest to support small

manufacturing businesses. how is that going to affect supply chains. there's not that big 360 view that i think would create mainstream growth. >> speaking of our midwest roots in indiana specifically. he has beat his chest about the jobs that he saved. how do we grade him on jobs at this point? >> very badly, i would say. i think he came in for starters and took credit for a lot of things that were already in the pipeline. one of the things that i found very amusing, actually, he heralded the boeing dream liner, 787, the big boeing airplane as being a made in america product. that plane is actually a case study in complex global saying. that plane couldn't get in the air, because they had so many suppliers and places trying to work together. it was a disaster. alternative facts they're on that. i will say this, i think that so far what you see in the market

is stocks are way up here, the markets believe in donald trump, why is that? he's going to cut taxes on corporations. he's going to let big companies bring back cash they're holding in offshore bank accounts. guess who the stock market enriches, the top 20% of the population, owns 80% of the assets. that doesn't change the story on main street. >> how long -- here's the question before those working class people who put their support behind them realize this ain't quite working out the way we thought. >> it's an interesting question. i had a fascinating conversation with a psychologist that was thinking about this issue. when people are in despair, as many people were, as we know in the last election cycle, and they turn to an outsider, donald trump and say, this is the person that's going to help us, nobody else is listening. he's going to help us, and he doesn't. you would think they would feel betrayed and turn away quickly, in fact, cognitively that doesn't happen. if the only alternative is to go back in despair, they don't wab the to go there, they're going

to have to kind of look away, keep believing. just a little more time, it's going to work. this may go on longer, this sort of turn away and take longer than we think. i think one of the key things is for the democrats to really get their act together right now, stop with the party infighting. all that pain that has been felt in this the heartland, amongst working class people for decades is coming higher up the food chain. technology is going to disrupt my job. your job, maybe. a lot of people that are doing well, are going to start to feel the effects that working people have been feeling for a long time now. i think that creates a tremendous opportunity for democrats to grab that new group and say, here's some policies -- >> what are we doing policiwise? >> i think they should be focusing on the fact that nobody in america, working class, middle class has gotten a raise in the last 20 years in real terms. there's basically a winner take

all effect in the labor market in every industry. in every sector. that goes for individuals, that goes for companies, we have this bell shaped curve, we have plenty of $15 an hour jobs. plenty of millionaires, we don't have enough in the middle. guess what, in an economy that's made up 70% of consumer spending. when people don't get raises the math stops working. it's a real problem for business people too, they should care about. >> you hopefully can get it together. i ask that, because i have had this conversation so many times, i don't see a change in their leadership, and without a change in leadership, i don't know that that dog will hunt. >> i take your pint and i want to be optimistic, one thing that makes me optimistic, i see some business people, particularly in the retail space where you can really see, people are not spending. you know, we've been in recovery now for eight years, people are not opening up their wallets and spending. that affects retail companies, you're seeing all kinds of stores closing this year.

online is doing okay. brick and mortar stores are shutting thousands of them. wait a minute, we have a problem here, and this is going to affect our bottom line. >> finally, i'm sure you are on the left. the number of people who now realize if donald trump as a businessman with no business experience -- maybe can i too. maybe you're going to get a guy from the left who has business experience who understands how to push that agenda. you see where i'm going with this? you think that's likely to happen in four years? >> watch that space, absolutely. he once told me, we have become a nation of latte makers and latte drinkers, you better hope there's more of the latter or we're all in trouble. and i think that's a possibility you could see some candidates like that. >> of course with the reference to latte -- in case you hadn't figured that out yet. >> good to have you on. up next, trombone shorty, stay with us.

musical prodigy troy andrews picked up his first musical instrument at the age of 4. today the louisiana native is the band leader and front man of trombone shorty. his new policeman marks the debut for blue note records. i'm always honored to have him on this program. how are you living? >> i'm doing good. >> good to have you back, my friend. you have been busy. >> we did three months with the chili peppers all over the states. it was incredible. >> did you enjoy that? it's been wonderful. >> you say you're learning something from the chili

peppers, give me a sense what that means, you're learning something from them. >> i would go out and see how they approach the stage. at the beginning of the stage they start to jam out. i'm working, learning how to do that also they're doing things back to back, and they go back to jamming. i'm picking all those things up from them. >> you've been with the chili peppers, lenny kravitz. >> the zach brown band. hall & oates. >> you get a chance to tour with individuals that are that brilliant and diverse, the whole thing is like a learning experience for you? >> i'm watching them on stages, i'm trying to see what i can take back into my music. even when we get off stage, i'm not done.

i go in the crowd, i'm checking out. that's the way my music sounds, i'm always trying to pick up things from people. >> when you get these invitations to go out and front for these groups how do you know what's the right fit. how do you know your stuff is going to work. how do you know what's right for you and your band? >> well, you know obviously we're aware of the band we're going out with you watch our show, we play about an hour and 90 minutes. you'll hear our influences of rock r & b. we go out there and play. i think our music coming from new orleans, we get to be placed in different genres of music, different arenas of music, we played blues, jazz. reggae festivals, and it all

works in different ways. we get up there, we basically did most of our rock set and we keep that funk rock. that's what we do. we play before jill scott, and the next night we play before the too fighters. it's a blessing to be a cross-over band like that. we can play our music differently if we're playing before jill scott, think more funk, think more r & b, we still do the same music. we'll bring it in and play our music. >> you blessed and highly favored. that's what you are. that's what happens when you go up in new orleans. you get a little bit of everything that musical gumbo you talking about. >> even in new orleans. i grew up around the neville

brothers. and there's my grandfather, my family, we grew up in the grass band community i got a chance to play with all these people as a kid, so i put all that in there. and then also being on tour with lenny kravitz out of high school, i took that and put it back with the new orleans gumbo thing. and it's always just keeping my ears open, and my mind open and learn. to me, music has no boundaries, i don't really know what the types of music -- it's just music to me. >> there's two types of music, good and bad. >> that's what keeps me, he's right about that. >> what is the joy -- i sense every time i see you or talk to you there's a sub lime joy that you get out of being on the road? at some point you may not feel this way. there's a joy you have to be on the road and connected with people in that way. what is that? >> it feels great, i get a lot

of invitations to go play different festivals and clubs, we talked about touring. it feels great for people to want me to perform for them, and coming from new orleans everything is a joy, it's a big part. when i play, even if people never heard of us, i see the music going. they don't even know what we sound like, and i found out that new orleans has its own fan base. to see the people dance and forget about whatever it may be, and music, bring the unity all around the world, that's what keeps me going to be able to share that with the world. they give it right back to me. it's an incredible feeling. >> parking lot symphony? >> it's my debut on a blue note record. >> great label. >> it's really funky, it's a lot of fun. we did a song by the meter, it's called ain't no use. and the guy that wrote it, he's actually in the studio that day.

i didn't have no idea he was there. and we had his guitar we used on that -- that regacording he didn '77. >> is that a little intimidating when he's in the building? >> maybe for my guitar player. >> but not for you? >> it was crazy. the base player we had on, he sold that guitar to him years ago, so we didn't know he was in the other room, we were doing this song, oh, man, this is the guitar leo used on it, and someone said, leo's downstairs, it's only right that we have him to come play on his song, and bless us with it. with his talent. >> he popped those stairs and did it? >> we were recording ain't no use. well, i got to be on that. so he came up there and he did it, and we did a song by allen, here comes the girls. we put our own twist on it, the rest of it is all originals, it

was all fun. i was doing the album, i went in the studio by myself for two weeks, and i set up all the instruments in the circle, i weren't from drums to base to guitar. i created everything before i let the band come in. i knew what i wanted it to sound like. then i allowed the banned to come in, and see if they want to change anything or which way they will play this, it's a lot of fun. you know. it's a lot of fun. >> you mentioned allen tucson. they've been busy over the last year in the artistic community. it's been a minute now since allen passed away, that thing hit me, that broke my heart. i know you knew him better than i do. being a new orleans native, that must have been a profound loss for the city? >> yes, it was very profound. he was on stage and felt bad right after that. i was in europe, and i was just telling the crowd we were somewhere, and i forgot what

city, his name was on the list to be there, the week after we were there, i was telling the people, you got a lot of new orleans people coming in the house, and it's going to be a great great show. but it was hard for us, he's a treasure to us, i learned a lot from him coming up, he always came, i'll just see him sneak on the side of the stage and smile and keep giving us encouragement and different things, and want to work with the youngsters and pass along things. that was very hard for us. >> you said that a moment ago, that i love. i think it's true, you know it to be true, i think it is. you can show up somewhere in the country and the bar keep can say band from new orleans and you're going to get a crowd? >> that's right. the place that you were born and raised has that kind of reputation around the world? >> i think it's great, you know. it's a wonderful thing from louie armstrong, fats domino, we

have so many people in the middle, you can hear all those influences, each one of their music, include my music, you hear a little bit of down south, hip-hop in there, whatever it may be. i think it's a wonderful place, i don't know what america will be without new orleans and the music. i go home and i'm coming from the airport. i see a kid playing his trumpet or someone beating on the mac book, whatever it may be, music is just a heartbeat and the way we live down there. to have the respect of the world and people be excited about the city, i get to represent that to a certain extent is such a beautiful feeling. >> how is your mama doing? >> she's doing well. i'm going to tell her you say hello. >> i will. >> i told you, i came by, i was in new orleans i guess six weeks ago, i was in new orleans. i was with a friend of mine. wb. everybody knows wb, winston

burns. i was hanging out with him in new orleans. have you talked to shorty lately? he said, no, i haven't. where is his house at, let's go by and see. we did a u-turn, you weren't home. went to your mama's house, she wasn't home. i was going to surprise you all and say, what's up. what you all got for dinner. i got surprised, nobody was home. >> she would have loved that. she loves your show and loves you. i did remember, some man was -- she got it on her phone that she could see who was at the door. some man came by, but i couldn't get a clear picture of it. i'll let him know -- now she's going to be upset. >> i come back to new orleans as often as i can. i'm going to come back again. check on you and your mama. maybe your mama can feed me something. >> she'll take you over by my grandmother. >> everybody know where's to go, don't they? >> that's right.

>> trombone shorty, his new project is called parking lot symphony, add it to your collection. trombone shorty, love you, man. thank you for joining me. that's our show for tonight. thanks for watching. and as always, keep the faith. for more information on today's show visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. join me next time as we take a deep dive into what's happening around the country. that's next time, we'll see you then.

and and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

good good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley, russia, syria and north korea have been front and center during president trump's time in the white house. tonight a conversation with malcolm nance. then elizabeth motion joins us to talk about her starring role in "the handmaid's tale." malcolm nance and elizabeth moss coming up in a moment.