Democrats on Defense: Fauci's Diary, Gavin's Skeltons, & the Michigan Debate

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: 10 Minute Drill
Host: Matt Whitlock
Episode Title: Democrats on Defense: Fauci's Diary, Gavin's Skeletons, & the Michigan Debate
Date: July 29, 2026

Matt Whitlock provides a sharp and energetic rundown of the week’s most consequential political stories. This episode focuses on Democrats scrambling over new controversies: revelations from Anthony Fauci’s COVID diaries, resurfaced scandals from Gavin Newsom’s past, and fireworks in the Michigan Democratic Senate debate. Whitlock balances national headlines—with global stakes like the Trump-Zelensky thaw and Netanyahu’s U.S. visit—against campaign trail drama, within his trademark brisk, acerbic delivery.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Farewell to Senator Lindsey Graham (00:32–01:29)

• Capitol Rotunda & National Cathedral Memorials: Bipartisan tributes pour in.
• Speaker Highlights:
  • John Thune: “My heart is heavy. I feel his absence every day, and I know so many of my colleagues do as well.” (00:40)
  • VP J.D. Vance: Recalls Graham’s infectious personality and cross-aisle appeal.
    • “Even though we sometimes disagreed, I loved Lindsey Graham. It was impossible not to like him.” (00:59)

2. Trump’s Warming Alliance with Zelensky & Global Leaders (01:29–03:15)

• A Shift in U.S.–Ukraine Relations:
  • Trump, previously cold toward Volodymyr Zelensky, now admires his battlefield resilience.
  • “Trump, a senior administration official said, likes winners. And Zelenskyy...is increasingly looking like one.” (01:46)
• Israeli PM Netanyahu’s D.C. Visit:
  • Warm optics, but US–Israel outlook tense over Iranian peace talks—with Netanyahu urging Trump not to fall for “a sort of fake charm offensive.” (02:39)
• American Progressives vs. Netanyahu:
  • Zoran Mamdami's call for Netanyahu’s arrest draws widespread criticism—even from liberal voices like Tom Friedman:
    • “Mamdami’s Netanyahu stunt was a waste of his talent and our time.” (03:15)

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3. Michigan Democratic Senate Debate: APAC, Asset Defenses & Primary Drama (05:03–07:49)

• Abdul El-Sayed Scrutinized:

  • Deflects a cost-of-living question by railing against AIPAC and corporate donors.
    • Abdul: “I don’t take money from the corporations who are jacking up your prices in the first place… and AIPAC.” (05:14)
  • Releases controversial tax returns; deflects scrutiny of foreign properties by hinting at ethnic bias.
    • “I wonder why they're so focused on foreign properties. With somebody with a name like mine, do you think it might fit within a well-worn trope?” (05:47)
  • Whitlock dryly observes: “That’s the perfect line for somebody who wants to [woo] the working class with his socialist ideas.” (06:16)

• Haley Stevens’ Positioning:

  • Criticizes ICE, vows “not a penny more for this rogue agency” (06:34) — a stance Whitlock suggests is “not a popular position outside of the far left.”
  • Stevens’ “play-acting” speaking voice becomes viral fodder, with Whitlock providing before-and-after audio proof:
    • Stevens (in full Michigan mode): “Because that’s the Michigan way.” (07:49)
    • Whitlock: “It’s the sort of theatricality that she adds to it.” (07:51)
  • Prediction: Primary may deepen ideological divides, risking disengagement of progressives if establishment prevails.

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4. Dr. Fauci’s COVID Diary Fallout (07:51–11:22)

• Senate Hearing Led by Rand Paul:

  • Release of Fauci’s personal diary exposes discrepancies in his COVID-era public messaging vs. private beliefs.

• Fatality Rate Discrepancies:

  • Fauci privately estimated a fatality rate of 0.2–0.3%, but publicly cited figures 3–5x higher:
    • “He wrote 0.2 to 0.3% in his journal, then told the public over and over a number three to five times higher. This is a huge deal.” (09:16)
  • Whitlock’s Take: Public health guidance was inflated or based on “totally made up science… intended to sort of push for more draconian measures and scare people into doing things that maybe weren’t even necessary.” (09:40)

• Lab Leak Theory:

  • Fauci’s diary showed he privately questioned the “wet market” origin narrative, suggesting the lab leak theory was “far from being discredited.” (10:15)

• Media Fixation:

  • Fauci openly fixated on his media image, bragging about influencing officials and relishing “editorials, print news, Washington Post, etc…[he] cannot keep up or even read all of them.” (11:00)
  • Whitlock’s Tone: Skeptical and critical, implicating Fauci in the politicization of pandemic science.

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5. Gavin Newsom’s Old Affair and Its Political Fallout (11:22–14:57)

• Vanity Fair Exclusive:
  • Ruby Rippey, the woman at the heart of Newsom’s decades-old affair, goes public with her side.
    • Whitlock: “Affairs don’t really tank politicians anymore…It wasn't the affair, in all of these cases, it’s either the COVID cover-up or the bad behavior that went around it.” (12:00)
• Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s Response:
  • Old comments blaming and denigrating Rippey resurface:
    • Siebel Newsom: “If people did research into the scandal, the woman is the culprit.” (13:00)
    • Doubles down, referring to Ruby’s “checkered history” and admitting she couldn’t support her. (13:35)
  • Whitlock: “That’s a pretty huge red flag for Gavin. Even though it was decades ago, …with the fresh eyes we have now, it’s going to be a huge issue… because [Jennifer] is not going to be quiet on the campaign trail.” (14:20)
• Modern Day Media Clash:
  • Clip: “We just find it incredulous…all of these questions have really been about other issues.” – Jennifer Siebel Newsom chastising press at the Capitol (14:45)
  • Whitlock notes that attempts to steer media coverage backfire and only amplify the controversy.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• J.D. Vance on Lindsey Graham:
  • “Even though we sometimes disagreed, I loved Lindsey Graham. It was impossible not to like him.” (00:59)
• Matt Whitlock about Abdul El-Sayed’s Asset Defense:
  • “I love that he says he doesn’t really think about his high valued assets. That is the perfect line for somebody who wants to [woo] the working class with his socialist ideas—pretty perfect.” (06:16)
• Haley Stevens, ‘Michigan way’:
  • “Because that’s the Michigan way.” (07:49)
• Rand Paul’s evidence vs. Fauci:
  • “He wrote 0.2 to 0.3% in his journal, then told the public over and over a number three to five times higher. This is a huge deal.” (09:16)
• Jennifer Siebel Newsom on Ruby Rippey:
  • “If people did research into the scandal, the woman is the culprit.” (13:00)
  • “I’m not going to blindly support a woman who has cheated on her husband multiple times…” (13:35)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:32–01:29: Lindsey Graham tributes (Thune, Vance)
• 01:29–03:15: Trump-Zelensky, Netanyahu’s visit, Mamdami’s “Netanyahu stunt”
• 05:03–07:49: Michigan Dem debate — El-Sayed AIPAC answer, tax returns, Stevens’ ICE stance and voice
• 07:51–11:22: Fauci’s diary revelations, Senate hearing, fatality rate & lab leak discrepancies
• 11:22–14:57: Gavin Newsom’s affair resurfaced, Siebel Newsom’s damaging comments, fresh press clash

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Summary

Matt Whitlock’s 10 Minute Drill episode serves up a pointed, fast-moving survey of Democrats on the defensive—spanning global diplomacy, pandemic hindsight, and bitter intraparty primary spats. Fauci faces damning diary revelations, Newsom’s decades-old affair and his wife’s comments prove newly toxic, and Michigan’s Senate primary shows the left struggling with its own divides. Whitlock’s signature style—wry, cutting, and impatient with spin—makes this a brisk, essential episode for anyone wanting the headlines and the subtext behind them.

Transcript

[Host]

Doctor Fauci's diaries are causing him some major problems. President Trump welcomes major world leaders, and Gavin Newsom is in some very hot water. All of that and so much more today on 10 Minute Drill.

[Abdul El-Sayed]

Everybody get up.

[Interviewer]

Get up.

[Host]

The story of America is the story of an adventure.

[John Thune]

I can hear you.

[Host]

The rest of the world hears you.

[John Thune]

We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free.

[Host]

First off, yesterday there were two major memorial events for the late Senator Lindsey Graham. First in the Capitol rotunda. This is Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

[John Thune]

It's difficult to believe that we're here today to say a final farewell to Lindsey as he leaves the Capitol for the last time. My heart is heavy. I feel his absence every day, and I know so many of my colleagues do as well.

[Host]

Vice President J.D. vance also gave wonderful remarks paying tribute to the senator and his service, even on issues they might have disagreed upon.

[J.D. Vance]

I was talking to, you know, a mutual friend of ours, a person who didn't always agree with Lindsey Graham's politics just shortly after his death. And I expected the person maybe to say something critical, but he said, you know what? Even though we sometimes disagreed, I loved Lindsey Graham. It was impossible not to like him. That sort of swashbuckling, infectious laugh, that attitude, that passion that so many others have talked about. Lindsey Graham was impossible not to like.

[Host]

Then there was a memorial held at the National Cathedral. At the same time, President Trump was holding high level meetings, first with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Now, as we've Talked about on 10 Minute Drill in the last few months, there's been an interesting thawing in what was formerly a bit of coldness between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Through several different meetings and also a lot of lobbying from other European leaders, President Trump seems to have developed new admiration for the Ukrainian leader and his resilience. Wall Street Journal covered this yesterday. Impressed by Ukraine's battlefield gains, Trump warms to Zelensky. But in recent weeks, the president has expressed fresh optimism about Ukraine and its leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to people who have spoken to him. Trump, the people said, has been impressed with Zelenskyy's resilience as he takes the fight deep into Russian territory. Trump, a senior administration official said, likes winners. And Zelenskyy in the US President's is increasingly looking like one. Now, for those who remember the famous Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy over a year ago when Vice President J.D. vance chewed Zelenskyy out for his outfit and what he was wearing. And President Trump talked about how he was ungrateful. They really have come a long way. And I do think a lot of it has to do with Zelenskyy's resilience, but also being able to show what his people are doing on the battlefield. They have been not only resilient, but also incredibly innovative with their use of drones and their ability to change the course of this entire war. Now, as Zelensky has also, he owes a lot of that to the United States and their support. But I think he's also made a lot of effort to show that gratitude and also to work on that relationship that's incredibly valuable. Also at the White House yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was also in town to pay tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, who he had a decades long relationship with. The Israeli Embassy released photos of the meeting and it appeared warm. They're obviously discussing what's going on with Iran. And one report that has surfaced in a lot of different places is as President Trump is continuing or resuming ongoing peace conversations with Iran, the Israeli prime minister wants to make sure that President Trump doesn't fall for a sort of fake charm offensive and that he sticks to the initial demand that Iran never have a nuclear weapon. But another dynamic that's interesting about the Israeli prime Minister's visit is it comes just days after Zoran Mamdami had talked about his team looking into options to potentially arrest the Israeli prime minister, that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes. Now, what Zorran's talking about there is the International Criminal Court, who has called Netanyahu a war criminal and called for him to be arrested. But one, we're not party to the International Criminal Court. Two, our own leadership calls it essentially a kangaroo court of nonsensical activist lunatics that we don't really care about. But Zoran Mandami nevertheless wanted to get attention from the anti Israel dsa. And he did get attention, but it wasn't all helpful. Some Democrats even chided him, like liberal Tom Friedman in the New York Times. Mamdami's Netanyahu stunt was a waste of his talent and our time. What Mamdami is doing is just minting voters for Netanyahu among Israelis who think Bibi is their only protector. If that's what Mamdami now wants to do with his platform, it's such a waste of talent, such a waste of his office, such a waste of his breath and such a Waste of time. On Monday night, Abdullah Sayed and Haley Stevens held another debate for the Democrat nomination for Senate in Michigan. And it was very interesting. As you can expect, there was a lot of Abdul's favorite the subject verb APAC. For example, in this question, Dr. El

[Interviewer]

Sayed, what are you doing? That's something that perhaps we haven't heard before in Washington. That's different to keep the cost of living down.

[Host]

You'll note there that question was about lowering costs. But here's Abdul's answer.

[Interviewer]

For me, it's I don't take money from the corporations who are jacking up your prices in the first place. When you're bought off by DTE and

[Abdul El-Sayed]

Blue Cross and Big Pharma and Big Tech and aipac.

[Host]

Ding apac. What will you do to lower costs for families? AIPAC doesn't make a ton of sense, but Abdul doesn't really try to make a lot of sense. He also yesterday finally released his long awaited tax returns which showed a lot of questionable things like the fact that he and his wife own a lot of property overseas. He was questioned about it and you can guess exactly where he went with his defense.

[Abdul El-Sayed]

What would you say is the highest valued asset in your possession right now? I don't know. Like I don't sit here and think about it and I'll just tell you that like people are gonna pay attention to like just properties that literally my wife's family inherited and then put in there and all of their kids names and then sold. And people out here being like oh well, and I wonder why they're so focused on foreign properties. With somebody with a name like mine, do you think it might fit within a well worn trope?

[Host]

I don't know. First off, I love that he says he doesn't really think about his high valued assets. That is the perfect line for somebody who wants to. The working class with his socialist ideas, pretty perfect. But also the well worn trope is just perfect. No notes. Well done Abdul. Great stuff.

[Haley Stevens]

Not a penny more for this rogue agency that is wreaking havoc.

[Host]

Now there's Haley Stevens reminding everybody that even though Abdul is a lunatic terror sympathizer, she's also a pretty bad candidate herself. Wanting to take away money from ICE and stop immigration enforcement is not a popular position outside of the far left. And she's going to have a lot of trouble this primary if she wins, which again I think she probably will end up winning that primary because the far left is going to stay home after they feel shiv by what the establishment did to Abdul Al Sayed. But the last point I want to make on Haley Stevens is I said when we first started talking about her that making fun of the play acting voice that she's doing is fair game because it's not her real voice. The Marge Simpson, Punky Brewster thing is a part of an act. Now here's a quick sort of before and after to prove that site intelligence

[Haley Stevens]

judiciary are going to be taking up those matters through hearings and different investigations. I sound like the people who I talk to in Michigan who are getting screwed right now by Donald Trump. Okay. And I'm telling you, I'm at the fish fry in Detroit.

[Host]

You can tell in that first one, she does have a Midwestern accent. But what makes it and what made these videos go so viral is the sort of theatricality that she adds to it.

[Haley Stevens]

Because that's the Michigan way.

[Host]

That's the Michigan way. Today, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee is holding a high profile hearing with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Rand Paul is going to be chairing that hearing. And just a few days ago he released a number of diary entries from Dr. Fauci during COVID and before showing the fact that a lot of what Dr. Fauci said during the pandemic did not line up with his own personal views and understandings of the situation on the ground. For example, this from Kaneoka degree distilled a lot of it. Foushee's diary says he privately put COVID fatality rate at 0.2 to 0.3% under oath. Weeks later, he told Congress it was 10 times the flu. That timeline, February 8, 2020. In his private diary, he wrote case fatality rate more like 0.2 to 0.3%. Then on March 10 on Hannity, he said the mortality rate for this is about 2 to 2.5%. It's probably lower than that, closer to 1%. But even if it's 1%, it's 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu. Then on March 11 to Congress under oath, the stated fatality rate of this overall is about 3%. If you count all the cases of asymptomatic infection, that probably brings the mortality down to 1%, which means it's 10 times more deadly than the seasonal flu. Then on March 27 on the Daily show, the mortality of this is about 10 times the flu. It's at least 1%. He wrote 0.2 to 0.3% in his journal, then told the public over and over a number three to five times higher. This is A huge deal. Because one thing we've been finding since the pandemic is so much of the guidance that people faced everything from lockdowns to 6ft to slow the spread was either based on totally made up science or in cases like this, exaggerated science that was intended to sort of push for more draconian measures and scare people into doing things that maybe weren't even necessary with impacts that have been felt for a long time. Another area that he sort of said something publicly that was very different than what he understood in private was about the lab leak theory. For example, in his diary he makes very clear that a lot of what he was putting out there about it being natural born, coming from wet markets and things like that like that wasn't true. His diary suggests that he already knew the wet market was potentially an amplifier. But the lab leak theory was far from being discredited. And for some reason he sort of called everyone who was asking questions about that a dangerous conspiracy theorist. He also seemed to relish in elected officials taking his guidance to the bank, particularly after they saw him in media hits. I spoke with Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City, and convinced him, based on what I was saying publicly and my conversations tonight, to close the New York City schools. He had already decided, based on what I was saying on tv. I went on to tell him he should the bars and restaurants in New York City. He said that he would base this on my recommendation. I had a similar call with Ann o', Leary, the chief of staff for Governor Gavin Newsom of California, and said that based on my TV appearances today and yesterday, the governor has decided to close the schools in California as well as the bars and restaurants. When I left the White House and crossed Pennsylvania and 17th street, several cars honked their horns and shouted thank you out the window. Now, one thing that's ever present in Fauci's diary, both during the pandemic and long before that, is his own focus on his media profile and the coverage and commentary about in traditional and in social media, e.g. multiple editorials, print news, Washington Post, etc. In opinion pieces, Newsweek written about me cannot keep up or even read all of them. Country needs someone to look up to in the face of the Trump presidency. The anatomy of a scandal. Yesterday, Vanity Fair published an essay from the woman who had an affair with Gavin Newsom more than 20 years ago named Ruby Rippey. Vanity Fair How I Blew up, then Rebuilt my Life. When news of her affair with Gavin Newsom exploded into the public eye, it was Only the outward marking of a long, rippling private implosion. In the wreckage of the scandal, Ruby Ripey faced her demons but lost her voice 20 years later. She's ready to share her story now. Affairs don't really tank politicians anymore. The times have changed. With Graham Platner. It wasn't the fact that he was sexting with multiple women that weren't his wife with Cal Cunningham in North Carolina in 2020. It wasn't that he had the affair in all of these cases, it's either the COVID up or the bad behavior that went around it. And one thing that I think is going to dog Gavin Newsom about this is the hand at the time, particularly from his own wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. And to get a lot more background about her role in this at the time, we go to Jen Van Laar from Red State. Here are Jennifer Newsom's disgusting comments about the employee Gavin had an affair with while SF Mayor. Now this is quoting Jennifer Siebel Newsom. I shouldn't say this, but there are two sides to every story. She said in an exhausted tone. If people did research into the scandal, the woman is the culprit. Alex Tork, who was Gavin Newsom's chief of staff and a very good friend of him and Ruby Rippey were was his wife that Gavin had the affair with. Alex Tork is a nice man and it saddens me that his wife did this to him. When Jennifer talks about if people did the research Jen Van Laar at Redstead is suggesting that is encouraging more reporters to dig into the background of Ruby Ripey to try and further discredit her and talk about her own sort of troubled and checkered past. That's not the last time you're gonna hear about that issue. Now Jennifer Siebel Newsom's comments at the time got her in a ton of trouble because people said even back then you sound insane and you're attacking a who's essentially the victim in the sort of power structure of Gavin Newsom having an affair with one of his employees. Jennifer Siebel Newsom dug in and made things a lot worse. Here's from another interview she did after that. The events are in the past. I don't even believe I used the word culprit. Gals. I'm a total woman's woman, girl's girl. And I'm just as sad in the article came out the way it did. I should have said in the article normally I would support the woman, but in this case I could not, given the circumstances and Ruby's checkered history. Yikes. Ruby's checkered history. Now today, in today's age, people would call this attacking the victim. And I think at the time that was the way it was interpreted as well. She goes on, but I'm not going to blindly support a woman who has cheated on her husband multiple times and watch while my boyfriend Gavin Newsom is the only one who gets punished. And what's your definition of affair? He's been hurt by this all personally and professionally and it was a few nothing incidents when she showed up, passed out outside of his door. Yikes. Jennifer Siebel Newsom is acknowledging the fact that when these affairs happened, Ruby Rippey showed up at Gavin's door passed out or drunk and that is when the activities happened. Yikes. That's a pretty huge red flag for Gavin. And even though it was decades ago, I think this kind of sort of bringing back up what happened then with the fresh eyes we have now is going to be a huge issue for Gavin, in part because first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom is not going to be quiet on the campaign trail. And we've seen very recently evidence that she has not gotten any better at her handling of the media.

[Jennifer Siebel Newsom]

We just find it incredulous that we have Planned Parenthood here and women are 51% of the population. And the majority of the questions, all of these questions have really been about other issues.

[Host]

That was her chewing out the Capitol press corps in California for not asking the right questions after Gavin Newsom had hid from media for months and she wanted them to only ask questions about Planned Parenthood, which again is not how it works. But she is going to be one of the biggest vulnerabilities for Gavin's presidential campaign. And we haven't even talked about the federal investigation into her. That is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us again on 10 minute drill from the road. Please leave us a 5 star rating. Leave us a review, Leave us a comment. Tell your friends and have a great day.