On this lively episode of The Hard Asset Money Show, Christian Briggs sits down with Christopher Walker for a no-BS look at the week’s biggest pressure points—the federal shutdown, tariff fears, and the surprising places the economy is actually winning. From D.C. brinkmanship to Main Street impact, they unpack how prolonged furloughs ripple through small businesses, what tariff strategy looks like beyond the headlines, and why “Made in America” continues to gather momentum despite media panic. With frank talk on inflation, mortgage dynamics, consumer spending, and how markets are reading the next few weeks, this conversation cuts through the noise. It’s not just politics—it’s how policy choices are reshaping your wallet, your work, and the next chapter of American industry.
The government remains closed, and the standoff in Washington is heating up. On the latest episode of NTD News Live, economist Christian Briggs warns the shutdown’s real bite will be felt by small businesses and local economies in cities with heavy federal workforces. From restaurants to daycares to tax revenues, the impact could spread quickly if the deadlock drags on. Even worse, with key jobs and inflation data delayed, markets are flying blind—risking a hit to investor confidence and even GDP. The longer this showdown stretches, the more it favors Trump and the GOP. But with public anger rising over lawmakers collecting paychecks while workers go without, the question is: who blinks first?
In 2025, Washington sold America a lie. The GENIUS Act was billed as a safeguard against a government-run digital dollar. Instead, it opened the door to something even worse: a privatized surveillance currency. Backed by U.S. Treasuries and tethered to your identity, these “stablecoins” track every keystroke, every transaction, every move you make. And who’s running the machinery? Palantir Technologies—the CIA-linked data giant founded by Peter Thiel and Alex Karp. Palantir’s battlefield AI, once used to hunt terrorists overseas, is now repurposed to monitor ordinary Americans—your tax filings, your health records, your purchases, even your beliefs. Executive orders and billion-dollar contracts are fusing IRS, DHS, ICE, Medicare, and Social Security into one master database. Compliance is the excuse. Total control is the outcome. Critics call it a backdoor social credit system, one that can freeze your funds if you buy the wrong book, support the wrong cause, or say the wrong thing online. And with Palantir executives sliding into senior White House roles, the surveillance state isn’t just analyzing your data—it’s writing the rules. The GENIUS Act isn’t protection. It’s the blueprint for a privatized digital regime. The “stable” coin isn’t stable—it’s programmable, trackable, and permanent. And once your freedom is wired into an algorithm, flipping the switch is as easy as pressing delete. The trap is set. The system is live. The only question is—when will it come for you?
