Lawfare, Tariffs, and Trust: Congressman Don Bacon on Power and Principle

Bill Bernardoni opens the show with Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) for a candid conversation on two defining challenges of the moment — the weaponization of justice and the cost of tariffs. Bacon warns that “lawfare” from both parties is eroding faith in America’s institutions, comparing today’s politics to the fall of the Roman Republic. He also breaks down how tariffs are crushing U.S. farmers, raising costs, and flipping decades of conservative free-trade policy on its head. From the FBI to farm country, Bacon says it all comes back to one question: how much power are we willing to give away?

Do you think both parties are guilty of weaponizing the justice system — and is America’s trust in its institutions already broken beyond repair? Let us know what you think.

Follow Bill on X at @BillBernardoni, explore his work at Bernardoni.media, and read his latest writings at Bernardoni.blog. You can learn more about Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) at bacon.house.gov.