In a wide-ranging and unapologetically sharp interview on Chicago’s Morning Answer with Amy Jacobson and John Anthony, conservative commentator Scott McKay took aim at everything from overbearing federal regulations to media bias, and from trade policy confusion to China’s growing influence over America’s economy.
McKay, publisher of The Hayride, senior editor at The American Spectator, and author of Racism, Revenge and Ruin, joined the show to mock the absurdity of federal rules governing something as mundane as water pressure—and used it as a springboard to a much broader critique of progressive governance.
“These are death by a thousand paper cuts,” McKay said, describing the accumulation of seemingly minor controls over everyday life, such as showerhead flow rates, gas stove crackdowns, and now, even environmental concerns surrounding pet ownership. “They want to take your dog, your shower, your stove. It’s all about control,” he argued, citing examples of EPA overreach and bureaucratic micromanagement.
McKay recalled a moment from the early 2010s when then-Senator Rand Paul grilled an EPA official over ineffective dishwashers and low-flow toilets. “That was a perfect example of how left-wing bureaucracy kills quality of life,” he said.
The conversation turned toward trade policy, specifically President Trump’s recent mixed messaging over tariffs. Trump initially suggested exemptions for certain Chinese imports before walking the statement back. McKay believes this isn’t disorganization—it’s strategy.
“If I had to guess, I think some of this is planned chaos,” he said, suggesting the Trump team is deliberately creating uncertainty to push companies into relocating their supply chains outside China. “It’s hard to make firm business decisions when the signals from D.C. are constantly shifting. That’s the point.”
He pointed to China’s trade manipulation and the widespread practice of relabeling Chinese products in places like Vietnam to avoid tariffs. McKay argued Trump’s approach, while seemingly erratic, was ultimately focused on weakening China’s economic grip.
In his American Spectator column, “The Liars Are Out in Force,” McKay compared media coverage of Trump’s trade policy to Walter Cronkite’s infamous Vietnam commentary. He doubled down on that critique during the interview, slamming major media outlets for their fast-and-loose interpretations of complex economic decisions.
“Jonathan Martin at Politico declared the market had already judged Trump’s tariffs after just two days,” McKay said. “That’s ridiculous. And the public knows it.”
He argued that legacy media no longer has the clout it once did to shape public opinion. “Nobody cares what they say anymore. They’re activists, not journalists—and they’ve stopped pretending otherwise.”
The conversation briefly turned humorous when the hosts discussed a viral video of someone buying a miniature fridge off a Chinese app, only for it to produce a single ice cube. “That’s the price of cheap goods,” McKay said. “You’re funding the Chinese military every time you shop on Teemu.”
McKay emphasized the national security angle of the trade debate, noting the tens of billions of dollars America sends to China each year in trade deficits. “That money is going into building an offensive military,” he said. “You’re not just getting a bad shirt—you’re subsidizing your own enemy.”
As the segment wrapped up, Jacobson noted that President Biden would be in Chicago later that day to deliver his first public speech since leaving office. The topic? Social Security.
McKay, never one to hold back, took a jab at the announcement, saying, “I don’t really know what the definition of ‘disabled’ is with that organization.” Anthony quickly jumped in to end the segment before things veered further off course.
McKay’s message throughout the interview was clear: the battle over showers, trade, and media narratives aren’t isolated—they’re part of a much larger conflict over control, freedom, and whether the United States can reclaim its economic and cultural independence.
You can follow Scott McKay’s work at The Hayride and The American Spectator.