Épisodes

  • Trump’s “Wall of Fame” at the White House: History, Trolling, or Bad Taste?

    Trump’s “Wall of Fame” at the White House: History, Trolling, or Bad Taste?
    Dec 20 2025
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    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i

    WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured

    Is the White House a personal canvas—or the people’s house? In this episode, Chris raises pointed questions about President Trump’s newly unveiled “Wall of Fame,” complete with bronze plaques and biting inscriptions aimed at past presidents. From the absence of President Biden’s portrait to the sharply worded commentary beneath it, the display blurs the line between historical record and political trolling. What’s the purpose of memorializing predecessors this way, and is it appropriate for a sitting president to remake a shared national space to settle scores? Even some allies are scratching their heads. This is less about partisan outrage and more about judgment, decorum, and what kind of legacy this kind of spectacle is meant to leave behind.
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    6 min
  • Inside the $1,776 “Warrior Dividend”: Where the Money Really Comes From

    Inside the $1,776 “Warrior Dividend”: Where the Money Really Comes From
    Dec 19 2025
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    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i

    WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured

    The $1,776 “warrior dividend” sounds like new money for America’s service members—but it’s not. In this episode, Chris breaks down what’s really behind the $2.9 billion payout, drawing on reporting from Defense One to explain how the funds were reallocated from existing military housing allowances rather than generated by tariffs or new revenue. While supporting troops is non-negotiable, this shell game raises serious questions about Pentagon priorities, budgeting transparency, and whether short-term checks come at the expense of long-term support for military families. Before you celebrate the headline, here’s the reality behind the numbers.
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    3 min
  • Why Should I Pay Taxes? When Fraud, Waste, and Grift Become the System

    Why Should I Pay Taxes? When Fraud, Waste, and Grift Become the System
    Dec 19 2025
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    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i

    WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured

    Why should Americans keep paying taxes when billions are being siphoned off through fraud, waste, and abuse—and no one is held accountable? In this episode, Chris asks the uncomfortable but necessary question, pointing to staggering examples like billions lost to Medicaid and Medicare fraud, runaway Pentagon spending, and a political system that refuses to follow the money. From Washington’s culture of grift and lobbyist-driven spending to foreign aid and defense dollars flushed down the drain, this is a blunt look at why trust in government has collapsed. If taxes are meant to serve the public good, where exactly is the accountability—and why are taxpayers still being asked to foot the bill?
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    5 min
  • You Can’t Deep-Dive a Shallow Pool: The Real Inflation Story Wall Street Won’t Tell

    You Can’t Deep-Dive a Shallow Pool: The Real Inflation Story Wall Street Won’t Tell
    Dec 19 2025
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    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i

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    https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured

    The headlines say inflation is cooling—but a closer look shows the data is full of holes. In this deep (and skeptical) dive into the latest CPI numbers, Chris breaks down why 2.7% inflation doesn’t match the reality Americans live every day. From manipulated BLS data and stagnant wages to the soaring cost of life’s bare necessities—food, insurance, housing, and energy—this episode challenges the conventional wisdom that 2% inflation is “success.” Why should the dollar lose value at all? Drawing on decades of experience and the economic views of Judy Shelton, Chris explains why zero inflation should be the goal, why debt and money printing are crushing future generations, and why Washington keeps kicking the can down the road.
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    8 min
  • Foaming for War: When Influencers Cheer Conflict and Forget the Cost

    Foaming for War: When Influencers Cheer Conflict and Forget the Cost
    Dec 19 2025
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    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i

    WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured

    Ahead of Trump’s speech, right-wing influencers worked themselves into a frenzy over rumors of a new war with Venezuela—treating the prospect of conflict as something to celebrate. In this commentary, Chris calls out the disturbing enthusiasm for sending young Americans to fight and die, the hypocrisy of self-proclaimed Christian values, and America’s endless addiction to “wars” we never seem to win. From Afghanistan to the so-called wars on terror, drugs, and poverty, the lesson is clear: we were promised restraint, not reckless escalation. The question is simple—when will we finally stop cheering for war?
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    3 min
  • Trump’s “Jingle All the Way” Speech: Fewer Gimmicks, Higher Stakes

    Trump’s “Jingle All the Way” Speech: Fewer Gimmicks, Higher Stakes
    Dec 19 2025
    LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i

    WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured

    Staying up late paid off—this was a different kind of Trump speech. No teleprompter, fewer crowd-pleasing riffs, and a noticeable shift in tone toward acknowledging real economic problems. Yes, there were inaccuracies and familiar exaggerations, but this time the speech was lighter on gimmicks and heavier on responsibility. Using Jingle All the Way as a metaphor, this episode digs into leadership, credibility, and the danger of making promises you can’t—or won’t—keep. Is this the beginning of a long-overdue pivot, or just a brief pause in the performance? The midterms, inflation, and voter patience will decide.
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    10 min
  • Target-Date Funds: Wall Street’s “Set It and Forget It” Trap

    Target-Date Funds: Wall Street’s “Set It and Forget It” Trap
    Dec 18 2025
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    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i

    WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured

    Target-date funds are sold as the easy, worry-free choice for 401(k) investors—but that simplicity is disappearing fast. As Jason Zweig warns in the Wall Street Journal, Wall Street has a habit of taking elegant ideas and burying them under fees, complexity, and opaque strategies. In this episode, Chris explains why target-date funds have always been problematic, how over-diversification and mediocre performance leave investors just treading water, and why “alternatives” are likely the next thing quietly stuffed into these portfolios. If you think you’re safely set it and forgetting it, you may actually be volunteering to be the last buyer in Wall Street’s game of musical chairs.
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    5 min
  • The War on Poverty in U-Hauls: When Government Aid Can’t Save a Town

    The War on Poverty in U-Hauls: When Government Aid Can’t Save a Town
    Dec 18 2025
    LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i

    WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured

    A heartbreaking Wall Street Journal report from McDowell County, West Virginia exposes the limits—and unintended consequences—of decades of anti-poverty programs. Billions in federal spending, from welfare to Medicare and Medicaid, have failed to revive a county that’s lost nearly 70% of its population. Instead, dependency has replaced aspiration, and entire towns are fading away. In this episode, Chris revisits Appalachia, the legacy of LBJ’s Great Society, and the harsh reality of economic decline. Drawing on Joseph Schumpeter’s “creative destruction” and a blunt insight from comedian Sam Kinison, we ask the uncomfortable question: would it be better to help people move to opportunity rather than endlessly pouring money into places with no future—and even return some areas to nature?
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    8 min