The David McWilliams Podcast

What do Nike runners, IKEA furniture, and half a million Vietnamese workers have in common? They’re all caught in the crossfire of Trump’s tariff tantrum. This week, we trace the hidden supply chains behind the global economy, from Vietnam’s rise as a manufacturing powerhouse to how a sneaker company now employs more people abroad than Ford and GM do at home. We break down how the MAGA tariff regime threatens to crater entire economies, sour U.S. relations in Asia, and hand China the long game. Plus, what it all means for Ireland, Africa, and the American empire itself. Are we witnessing a pivot, or a pullback from the world stage? 

This week, we watched the world’s biggest economy base its entire trade policy on a formula so dodgy it wouldn’t pass the Leaving Cert. We break down how Trump’s tariffs are chaotic, as well as economically illiterate, dangerously populist, and could have slammed Ireland with more than a 39% hit if not for the EU. This isn’t just bad maths. It’s billionaires mistaking personal instinct for macro strategy, and a White House mistaking nationalism for economic policy. We’re talking supply chains, tanking markets, flying cars in China, Trump channeling FDR, and why the U.S. might be about to run the world like a family business, forever. Strap in.

What if the future of capitalism isn’t tech or tax, but trust? This week, we’re talking about Employee Ownership Trusts: a radical rethink of who gets to own the companies we work for. We’re joined by Alan Coleman of Wolfgang Digital, the first Irish company to take the leap and hand ownership to its staff. It’s a story about building businesses that are more productive, more democratic and maybe even more human. From colonial corporations to AI takeovers, we trace why this small idea could be the start of something huge. And if you're a digital marketer who wants to own where you work, Wolfgang is hiring. Head to wolfgangdigital.com/careers to find out more.

On Wednesday, we watched in real time as America’s trade policy devolved into a parody of itself. Trump’s Liberation Day was part Caesar, part Mattress Mick, all empty bluster. A dodgy chalkboard of made-up numbers, a crowd in high-vis, and a president who thinks tariffs are just theatre. You may also have heard that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic and friend of the pod, was accidentally added to a Signal group chat planning actual U.S. airstrikes. He joins us to talk about what it revealed: a deeply unserious administration where war, trade, and global diplomacy are being handled like a lad’s WhatsApp group. We break down the chaos, the consequences for Ireland and Europe, and why standing up to this kind of performative thuggery might be the only option left.And by the way you can get $20 off a digital sub to The Atlantic at theatlantic.com/dmwpod.

What do tariffs, the Laffer Curve, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off have in common? More than you’d think. This week, we dive into the world of trade policy, culture wars, and deflated middle-aged fatherhood, all from the basement. From Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" of tariffs to secret WhatsApp groups planning military strikes, this episode examines how America’s trade war is about identity, masculinity, and a long-festering grudge against Europe. With a history lesson on Smoot-Hawley, Reaganomics, and the ghost of Arthur Laffer, we ask: if America is only barely exposed to global trade, why the war on Europe? And is this all just economic policy reimagined as culture war th

 From Dublin’s housing crisis to stalled metros and blocked wind farms, this week’s episode explores how well-meaning people, and governments, have tied themselves in knots. We ask the simple but provocative question: if we could build Ardnanacrusha in three years a century ago, why can’t we build homes or rail lines now? Blame over-regulation, hyper-democracy, and good intentions gone rogue. Whether it’s zoning laws, environmental red tape, or endless consultations, we’ve made it nearly impossible to build anything at scale or speed. Drawing on lessons from China, Spain, and Dublin 1, this episode is a call for a Second Irish Republic, one that resets the country to make allow it to achieve its potential.

Trump is back, and in just 75 days, he’s issued half as many executive orders in two months than Biden did in four years. Beyond the chaos, there’s a bigger story: what happens when a country, like Ireland, finds itself up against a global heavyweight? From Trump’s tariffs and economic incoherence to America's shift toward isolationism, We argue it’s time for smaller nations to find their rope-a-dope—a strategy borrowed straight from Muhammad Ali’s legendary win over George Foreman - who just died. Meanwhile, are we looking at a US recession? Markets slumping, second-hand designer gear is flooding resale apps, and dreadful survey data hint at a looming Trump Slump. Plus: a trip to Wales, the wisdom of Gus O’Donnell, and why Foreman’s grill might have more to teach us than we think.

Ukraine is being carved up—again. This week, Trump and Putin are discussing Ukraine’s future, and the Ukrainians aren’t even invited to the table. We explain why the Congress of Vienna 1815 is the framework through which we should look at the new world order being torn up and rewritten, where might is right and small nations; whether in Eastern Europe or the West of Ireland, are left to fend for themselves. Enter Conor McGregor, backed by MAGA kingmaker Steve Bannon and bankrolled by Elon Musk, McGregor’s potential bid for the Irish presidency is no joke. It’s part of the same global chaos strategy that has seen Trump cozy up to Putin and turn on America’s allies. The playbook is simple: disrupt, distract, divide. In this episode, we speak to Ukrainian historian Olesya Khromeychuk about what’s really happening behind closed doors in Washington and Moscow, why European leaders are scrambling, and what it means when small nations lose their voice. If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu, and right now, Ukraine is the main course.

St. Patrick’s Day diplomacy, a shifting global order, and Trump whispering in Micheál Martin’s ear; he's nursing more than a hangover with his front-row seat to the chaos economy of Trump’s America. This week, we break down the Irish leader’s White House shindig, the Doonbeg-ification of Irish diplomacy, and why Trump sees Ireland as a useful pawn in his battle with Europe. Meanwhile, Brexit is floundering, Germany is rearming, and Britain is quietly edging back toward the EU. Could Keir Starmer be the man to undo Brexit? And why does Trump’s economic vision for America sound suspiciously like Ireland in the 1970s; low-wage, low-productivity, and stuck making three-in-one stereos? From the horse whisperer to the Trump whisperer, from NATO to Naas Road manufacturing, this one has it all.