Richard Arnold: US correspondent on new poll showing two thirds of Americans think federal deficit will grow, Elon Musk wants skilled tech workers to enter US, and President Jimmy Carter funeral details revealed

Two thirds of respondents in a new US poll believe incoming President Donald Trump won’t be able to trim the federal budget deficit as pledged in his campaign. The deficit sits at $1.8 trillion. 

In the same poll, 61% of respondents think China will continue to increase its world power, while just 23% are expecting a year of political cooperation. 

US correspondent Richard Arnold tells Tim Beveridge “you might say the summary is ‘challenges ahead’.” 

Meanwhile, two arms of Trump’s Republican support are engaged in a blistering battle over empowering skilled foreign workers. 

Richard Arnold tells Tim Beveridge Elon Musk says he will go to war on the issue of allowing skilled workers to enter the US. Musk supports the entry of workers with skills critical to the tech industry.  

Plus, details of the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter reveal honours with span several days. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's a very good morning and happy New Year to
Richard Arnold.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
Good morning, Tim.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
It's not quite happy new year for you, does it.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
That's right, you're surging into the new year. We're still
waiting on the turn of the calendar here, and it
looks like it looks like being a soggy start to
twenty twenty five in much of this country. New York
is expecting rain for the crystal ball drop that they
have in Times Square tonight. Still they're expecting big, big crowds.
But you know, these folks are going to have to
wear ponchos and raincoats or something because no umbrella's allowed

(00:44):
inside the security perimeter.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
To say, the police, the public is our eyes and ears.
So if you see something suspicious, or if something doesn't
look or feel right, tell a police officer.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Yeah. Chicago, Detroit, other Eastern cities are expecting snow, while
a massive power outage has just hit in Puerto Rico,
leaving ninety percent of its customers without any electricity. So
New Year's Eve in the dark, as well as gallipoll
out today shows the Americans are predicting difficult year ahead.
Donald Trump is due to be sworn in for a

(01:17):
second term on January the twentieth, twenty first your time.
He has pledged to end inflation. He has pledged also
to smooth out other elements of the economy, but he
plans on tariffs and the deportation of workers are seen
by many economists as likely to fuel some new inflation spikes.
In the US Central Bank, the FED has put on
hold any forecast for additional interest rate cuts, so it

(01:40):
leaves many here carrying the burden of high interest debt,
thank you very much. Meantime, about two thirds of folks
in this poll expect that the federal budget deficit, which
is a massive one point eight trillion dollars US. However
much that is, we'll just keep on growing and growing,
despite campaign pledges to trim the sales. A similar number
sixty one percent of people in the polls say that

(02:01):
China will continue to increase its power in the world,
while just twenty three percent are expecting a year of
political cooperation. So I guess you might say the summary
is challenges ahead.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
It is and a fright over foreign workers.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
That's right. Has the Trump honeymoon ended before it even begins?
See two arms of Trump's Republican support engaged in a
blistering battle over hiring skilled foreign workers. You'd think that
with all that campaign vitriol for months and months right
about expelling want to be refugees and how some supposedly
were eating people's cats and dogs, there would be Republican
unity on some of this. But no, no, no, no.

(02:36):
Trump house guest and the world's richest man, Elon Musk,
has gone nuclear, saying he will quote go to war
on the issue of allowing skilled workers to come into
this country and the kind of workers the tech industry
says are critical for Silicon Valley and high tech businesses.
If you disagree, says Elone, take a big step back
and well, let me paraphrase, bleep yourself in the face.

(02:58):
A Mask liked a social media post that said Americans
are quote too retarded in quote to fill the country's
tech workforce. Boy, that'll be a good political slogan, wont it.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Well.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
That led rival Trump advisor Steve Bannon, who is freshly
out of prison, to call Elon Musk simply a Toddler, adding.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Not a civil war because they're not tough enough.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Just well. Bannon also is slamming Republican Speaker Mike Johnson,
who was up provoked this week on whether he keeps
his job as Speaker.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Johnson's not up to the tess. He's got to go, right,
He's gotta go, Sir, Johnson be Speaker of the House.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
So it's a happy group, isn't it. Yeah. Trump now
is saying yes, he endorses Speaker Johnson since without a
speaker he can't even have his election confirmed, and he
backs the tech bros. When it comes to foreign workers,
you know, Trump says he himself has used that special
work visa system to hire people. Trump seeking right now
thirty one foreign farm workers for his vineyard in Virginia

(03:54):
and offering to pay these folks fifteen dollars and eighty
one cents an hour. Cheapskate, not even enough to pay
the rent.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Lots of people going to be hanging out for that
honeymoon between Trump and must be over goodness me and
what's the lost on plans for Jimmy Carter's funeral.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
They've just been unveiled, all of the details honors for
President Carter will span several days. Already flags here are
being flown everywhere at half staff, half massed. There would
be a private service in Jimmy Carter's hometown of Plains
in Georgia, and public events in Atlanta and then in Washington.
President Biden, who for years a close friend of Jimmy Carter's,
will deliver the eulogy at his funeral service in Washington,

(04:32):
d c. The former president also will lie in state
at the US Capitol, where the public will be allowed
to pay respects. Last time we saw the likes of that,
it was done in twenty eighteen with former President George
Bush Senior. Of course, the timing of all this is
kind of unusual, the services for President Carter coming just
days before the second Trump inaugural. When I first arrived
in the country, got to say. When I first got here,

(04:55):
Jimmy Carter's reputation was rock bottom. Inflation had batted the country,
Its strengths had been challenged by Iran, who held those
fifty three American diplomats and other civilians hostage for four
hundred and forty four days at the embassy, and an
American rescue mission had failed miserably. In the years that followed, however,
Jimmy Caunter produced his greatest achievements after he had left

(05:18):
the most powerful office on earth, as a builder of
homes for the poor with habitat for humanity, an activist
on public health, and a campaigner for human rights and democracy,
and as I think, a universally acknowledged decent human being.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah, pretty impressive innings after his presidency. Hey, thanks Richard,
and best wishes for ringing in the new year that
is Richard Arnold.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
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