10 Minute Drill – November 4, 2025

Episode: Election Day: Trump’s Message to New York, Shutdown Ties Record, and the Swalwell Scandal
Host: Matt Whitlock

Episode Overview

In this fast-paced 10-minute episode, Matt Whitlock provides a rundown of the most pressing stories in U.S. news and politics on a high-stakes election day. Topics covered include pivotal races in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, the government shutdown tying the record for the longest in U.S. history, President Trump's messaging and recent interviews, campaign finance controversies surrounding Eric Swalwell, and a "you can’t make it up" segment poking fun at California Governor Gavin Newsom’s media persona.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Election Day Focus: Major Races and the Trump Factor

• New York Mayoral Race
  • President Trump weighed in during his 60 Minutes interview, blasting the leftward tilt in NYC leadership:

    “You have a communist running New York. All you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there...if it's going to be between a bad Democrat and a Communist, I'm going to pick that bad Democrat all the time.” (Trump, [00:54])

  • Whitlock highlights Democrats’ electoral challenges, notably their reliance on “rich, white, liberal women” and the nomination of “actual communist Zoran Mondami.”
  • The race is seen as symptomatic of a national narrowing Democratic coalition.
• New Jersey Governor’s Race
  • Once considered a safe race, polls have tightened:

    “Just a month or two ago, this looked like a five to seven point race. Now it is closed with polls showing it between one and four points apart, which is within striking distance for Jack Cittarelli...” (Whitlock, [01:19])

• Virginia Governor and Attorney General Races
  • Democrats’ lead is narrowing; Attorney General’s race especially close after J. Jones’ controversial texts about “wanting to murder his political opponents and watch their children die.” ([01:44])
  • Republicans gain momentum, especially Jason Miyares in the AG race.
  • Barack Obama called in as a “closer” in both NJ and Virginia, reflecting a lack of new Democratic stars:

    “It highlights the fact that Democrats don’t really have a new, fresh champion…there’s not a lot of new energy...” (Whitlock, [02:55])

• California Prop 50 – ‘Nuclear Option’ Gerrymandering
  • Described as an attempt to further skew electoral maps
  • Whitlock questions support for more power to Newsom, referencing California’s cost of living and population flight:

    “Everything in your life is getting more difficult. Do you really want to give more power to Gavin Newsom, the person behind that?” ([03:36])

2. Government Shutdown: Ties Record at 35 Days

• Shutdown reaches 35 days, matching the U.S. record.
• Whitlock skewers Democratic messaging and response, playing several clips:
  • Hakeem Jeffries:

    “The question is why are Republicans continuing to keep the government shut down.” ([04:35])

  • Senator Tim Kaine deflects criticism over Democrats’ refusal to support a short-term CR ([05:01])
  • Rep. Janelle Bynum struggles with legislative jargon:

    “There's always been a poison pill to it…What were the poison pills of the clean CR or the continuing resolution?” ([05:33])

• Public feels real effects (e.g., Thanksgiving travel chaos).
• SNAP benefits become a legal flashpoint:
  • Judges order Trump administration to fund food stamps despite shutdown, raising constitutional questions.
  • Whitlock wonders why courts can compel food stamp funding but not reopening government overall.

3. Trump’s Messaging: Interviews & Polls

• On 60 Minutes, Trump draws a hard immigration line:

  “You came into the country illegally, you’re gonna go out now.” ([08:12])

• CBS polling cited:
  • Republicans/Trump lead Democrats by 13 points on immigration ([08:20])
  • GOP holds a 7-point trust advantage on the economy ([08:20])
• On Congressional negotiations:

  “I’m not gonna do it by extortion. I’m not gonna do it by being extorted by the Democrats who have lost their way.” (Trump, [07:21])

  • Whitlock argues Democrats want subsidies to pass “without any kind of debate or process because they know if there’s hearings…they won’t [convince the public]” ([07:26])
• On city safety:
  • Trump claims D.C. is safer; Norah O’Donnell hesitates to challenge given her lack of “being out and about.” Whitlock calls it a “cop-out” moment ([09:10])

4. Swalwell Campaign Finance Scandal

• Fox News and Americans for Public Trust reveal "bizarre inconsistency" in Eric Swalwell’s campaign payments to Darlie Meyer, labelled vaguely as security but unregistered.
  • Payments range from $53 to over $12,000; Meyer set to earn over $120k in 2025 ([10:00])
• Noted history of questionable spending: luxury yachts, resorts, Paris and Dubai hotels.
  • Whitlock’s take is tongue-in-cheek:

    “But I support whatever he needs to free up more time for him to be able to make videos like this.” ([11:23])

• Comic relief with Swalwell’s “Hey, Congressman, what’s going on?” video loop. ([11:31])

5. Judicial Impartiality Questioned in Maryland Climate Case

• Fox News reports a Maryland Supreme Court justice overseeing a key climate lawsuit hosted a politicized Halloween display (“gravestones” for the Constitution, climate science, First Amendment, etc.) ([11:38])
• Whitlock underscores the importance of impartiality:

  “Imagine if you’re the defendant…and you found one of the judges put this up in their yard for Halloween. Not only are they kind of a weirdo, but it will make you wonder if you’re actually getting a fair trial.” ([12:24])

6. You Can’t Make It Up: The ‘Patrick Bateman’ Newsom Meme

• Host highlights an odd soft-launch for Gavin Newsom’s possible higher ambitions, featuring an awkward interview referencing the American Psycho killer:

  “What do you make of all the Patrick Bateman talk?...even your friends…say this.” (interviewer, [13:07]) “I'm gonna reevaluate my guest list.” (Newsom's reply [13:20])

• Whitlock notes:

  “To be told your friends compare you to American Psycho…is pretty brutal.” ([13:22])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|--------------|-------| | 00:54 | Trump | “You have a communist running New York...if it's going to be between a bad Democrat and a Communist, I'm going to pick that bad Democrat all the time.” | | 01:19 | Whitlock | “Now it is closed with polls showing it between one and four points apart, which is within striking distance for Jack Cittarelli...”| | 02:55 | Whitlock | “It highlights the fact that Democrats don't really have a new, fresh champion...”| | 03:36 | Whitlock | “Everything in your life is getting more difficult. Do you really want to give more power to Gavin Newsom, the person behind that?”| | 04:35 | H. Jeffries | “The question is why are Republicans continuing to keep the government shut down.”| | 05:33 | J. Bynum | “There's always been a poison pill to it…What were the poison pills of the clean CR or the continuing resolution?”| | 07:21 | Trump | “I'm not gonna do it by extortion. I'm not gonna do it by being extorted by the Democrats who have lost their way.”| | 08:12 | Trump | “You came into the country illegally, you're gonna go out now.”| | 09:10 | Whitlock | “That's not a fair answer...she's just trying to be a little bit antagonistic there to create sort of a TV moment. And I'm glad that President Trump pushed her on that.”| | 13:20 | Newsom | “Yeah, I'm gonna reevaluate my guest list.”| | 13:22 | Whitlock | “To be told your friends compare you to American Psycho. Patrick Bateman is pretty brutal.”|

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:35 – Overview of key elections (NY, NJ, VA, CA)
• 03:36 – California Prop 50 and state exodus critique
• 04:29–05:56 – Democrats under fire over shutdown defense
• 06:00–07:17 – Legal showdown over SNAP benefits during shutdown
• 07:21 – Trump’s refusal to “negotiate by extortion”
• 08:12 – Trump on immigration; trust poll numbers
• 09:10–09:53 – City safety debate and host’s critique of O’Donnell
• 10:00–11:23 – Swalwell scandal and campaign finance oddities
• 11:38 – Maryland climate judge’s Halloween gaffe
• 13:07–13:22 – Gavin Newsom and the “Patrick Bateman” meme

Episode Tone

Matt Whitlock keeps the analysis snappy, blending sharp political commentary with tongue-in-cheek humor. The episode maintains a sardonic, insider’s tone while breaking down complex, ongoing issues in national politics, poking fun at both public figures and political missteps.