Shutdown blowing up on Dems; SCOTUS delivers surprising 8-1 blow to left-wing activism - 10 Minute Drill

10 Minute Drill – Episode Summary

Podcast: 10 Minute Drill
Host: Matt Whitlock
Episode Topic: Shutdown blowing up on Dems; SCOTUS delivers surprising 8-1 blow to left-wing activism
Date: April 1, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special Wednesday episode, Matt Whitlock delivers a rapid-fire rundown of current political stories making headlines. The episode focuses on ongoing government shutdown debates, a landmark Supreme Court decision on Colorado’s conversion therapy law, the implications of tax-funded political advocacy, and concerning incidents tied to immigration and public education. Matt maintains a brash, irreverent style, mixing commentary, news clips, and pointed criticism of Democratic lawmakers and left-leaning policies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown and Legislative Pay (00:00–02:02)

Background: Matt recalls Senator John Kennedy’s proposed resolution to dock congressional pay during government shutdowns—an idea blocked by Democrats.
Debate Over Pay: Clips from news shows and Democratic spokespeople demonstrate ongoing resistance to docking pay for members of Congress, even as shutdowns impact TSA and DHS workers.
- Quote: "Democrats think that they should get paid, but they don't believe that the people that are checking your bags... should get paid..." (Matt Whitlock, 02:02)
Unexpected Consequence: To offset TSA staff losses during shutdowns, ICE agents are now assisting at airports, increasing ICE’s role and information access—a shift Democrats didn’t foresee.

2. ICE Operations and Congressional Reaction (02:02–03:28)

Viral Incident: A video went viral of ICE arresting a woman in San Francisco who was already ordered for deportation (seven years prior).
Response from California Senators: Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla call for an inquiry into ICE and TSA collaboration but are criticized for, as Matt frames it, “creating the problem” by withholding TSA pay.
- Quote: "Well, Adam, if you guys weren't withholding TSA agents paychecks, President Trump wouldn't have sent ICE..." (Matt Whitlock, 03:28)

3. Major Supreme Court Ruling on Conversion Therapy (03:28–04:54)

Case Details: In an 8-1 decision, SCOTUS strikes down Colorado’s conversion therapy ban as viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment.
Justice Gorsuch’s Statement:
- Quote: "The First Amendment stands as a bulwark against any effort to prescribe an orthodoxy of views..." (Justice Gorsuch, 04:24)
Broader Implications: Matt asserts the law was much broader than “conversion therapy,” limiting therapy choices for minors to "gender affirming" frameworks. He credits the decision as a win for free speech and common sense, condemning activist lawsuits out of Colorado.

4. Synagogue Terror Attack – Immigration and Security (04:54–06:40)

Incident Recap: Details emerge about a Lebanese national who became a U.S. citizen before orchestrating a Hezbollah-inspired terror attack on a Michigan synagogue.
Political Fallout: Matt shares audio of a Michigan Senate candidate refusing to condemn the Ayatollah for fear of offending “death to America” supporters.
- Quote: "I just don't want to comment on Khamenei at all. Like I don't think it's worth even touching that." (Campaign audio, 06:08)
Critique: He links a segment of the Democratic Party to "pro-terror, anti-Semitic groups" and criticizes ongoing shutdowns for impeding DHS funding.

5. Taxpayer-Funded Political Advocacy: National Academy of Sciences (06:40–08:35)

Fox News Report: Claims surface that the National Academy of Sciences receives $200M annually and pushes partisan ideology (climate, DEI, transgender issues) under “trust the science.”
Notable Quote:
- "It's time we talk about an org that receives $200 million in taxpayer dollars annually, yet has almost single handedly caused the complete corruption of science in America..." (Will Hild, 07:35)
Audio Clip: A NAS speaker emphasizes the plight of Black trans women as a central civil rights issue.
Matt’s Take: Warns about partisan bias influencing science and judicial decision-making, and suggests an impending Congressional investigation.

6. Fairfax County Sexual Assault Scandal and Immigration Policy (08:35–09:38)

Background: Illegal immigrant student accused of assaulting 12 girls in a Virginia high school; alleged cover-up by local authorities.
Federal Action: The Department of Education is now investigating the incident, which Matt pins on sanctuary policies preventing ICE intervention.
- Quote: "...Fairfax officials had known about these assaults for the last year and covered them up and parents only found out very late in the game." (Matt Whitlock, 09:00)

7. Notable Moment: “You Can’t Make It Up” – Jennifer Siebel Newsom (09:38–11:19)

Context: Focus on Gavin Newsom’s wife, who charged taxpayers for access to her documentaries and used state resources for promotion.
2023 Interview Clip (10:48):
- "We have healing to do... so that they can use their voices to stand up and speak out when they see pain and suffering and bullying and racism and misogyny around them." (Jennifer Siebel Newsom, 10:55)
Matt’s Reaction: Compares her to Kamala Harris and Meghan Markle, mocking her rhetoric as “word salad,” and criticizes her for taking her children South to “see racism up close.”
- Quote: "It's very easy to hear her talk for a couple of minutes. I think she's like a perfect combination of Kamala Harris and Meghan Markle..." (Matt Whitlock, 11:19)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

Justice Gorsuch (SCOTUS Ruling, 04:24):
“The First Amendment stands as a bulwark against any effort to prescribe an orthodoxy of views...”
Matt Whitlock (on Democratic shutdown stance, 02:02):
“Democrats think that they should get paid, but they don't believe that the people that are checking your bags... should get paid...”
Will Hild (on NAS, 07:35):
“It's time we talk about an org that receives $200 million in taxpayer dollars annually, yet has almost single handedly caused the complete corruption of science in America...”
Jennifer Siebel Newsom (visit to the South, 10:55):
“We have healing to do and so that they can... speak out when they see pain and suffering and bullying and racism and misogyny around them.”
Matt Whitlock (on Siebel Newsom, 11:19):
“I think she's like a perfect combination of Kamala Harris and Meghan Markle, which is like trying too hard but not actually having anything intelligent to say.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

Government shutdown/pay debate: 00:00–02:02
ICE, TSA, and San Francisco incident: 02:02–03:28
SCOTUS conversion therapy ruling: 03:28–04:54
Michigan synagogue terror attack: 04:54–06:40
National Academy of Sciences political advocacy: 06:40–08:35
Fairfax County school assault scandal: 08:35–09:38
Jennifer Siebel Newsom commentary: 09:38–11:19

Conclusion

Matt wraps with a promise to keep covering these threads, especially taxpayer-funded activism and government accountability. The episode, packed with pointed critiques and conservative commentary, delivers quick takes on stories at the intersection of policy, partisanship, and social controversy.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Way that the Democrats have used tax dollars to try and force their political agenda on people. And picking apart a viral segment from the View about birth rates in America. All of that and so much more on another special Wednesday episode of 10 Minute Drill. Everybody, get up. Get up. The story of America is the story of an adventure. I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. Kicking off today. We spoke a couple weeks ago about a viral moment on the Senate floor when Senator John Kennedy tried to pass a resolution that would dock senators pay anytime there's a government shutdown. Because if the government isn't open and funded and working for people, why should employees like United States Senators and congressmen get paid? Democrats objected to that bill. And it's opened up a very interesting discussion about whether or not Democratic during shutdowns, elected officials should get paid while failing so miserably to do their job. And that's come up a couple times in the last few days. First, from Monday on america's Newsroom between Dana Perino and one member of Congress.

B (1:11)

Would you support the idea that members of Congress are the ones that should not get paid if there's a government shutdown in the future?

A (1:18)

This notion that somehow Congress is separate from the American people and we're holding it up, but also it's kind of written into the Constitution that you can't use the pay of Representatives as a leverage point on how to get policy. Then there was a second moment that happened the following with Catherine Clark, who is one of the lead messengers for the House Democratic Caucus, that members of

B (1:38)

Congress should not also should also not get paid if there is a shutdown or there is a default. Do you, like, at some point feel the pain that people are feeling? Yeah, and I do feel the pain that people are feeling. And I hear it every single place that I go in my district. And this is a hardship. And what we want to do is come together and actually govern.

A (2:02)

So Democrats think that they should get paid, but they don't believe that the people that are checking your bags to make sure that terrorists aren't carrying weapons onto planes should get paid or anybody else involved in the Department of Homeland Security as long as they're carrying out this tantrum. And another side effect of this has been giving ICE access to more things. President Trump has called in ICE to help TSA agents because Democrats are withholding their pay. That has given ICE access to even more people and an even larger role, which is something that Democrats definitely didn't intend. And it's led to moments like this. This video went viral last week of ICE agents arresting a woman in San Francisco for evading previous ICE attempts to arrest her. She had been ruled more than seven years ago, ruled for deportation from an immigration judge. Now California Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla are demanding information from ICE about what they're learning from TSA about illegal immigrants that are, in many cases fugitives that have evaded ice. Schiff says I'm launching an inquiry with Senator Alex Padilla on the alarming actions by ICE at San Francisco International Airport. We must know what immigration data TSA is sharing with ICE and why. Well, Adam, if you guys weren't withholding TSA agents paychecks, President Trump wouldn't have sent ICE in to back them up, allowing for more collaboration between ICE and tsa. Imagine that. Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered a major ruling on a complex case out of Colorado dealing with conversion therapy. In an 8 to 1 vote, the Supreme Court holds that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy as applied to petitioners talk therapy, violates the First Amendment because it constitutes viewpoint discrimination. And in the ruling, Justice Gorsuch wrote for that 8, 1 majority, the First Amendment stands as a bulwark against any effort to prescribe an orthodoxy of views reflecting a belief that each American enjoys an inalienable right to speak his mind and a faith in the free marketplace of ideas as the best means for finding truth. Laws like Colorado's, which suppress speech based on viewpoint, represent an egregious assault on both commitments. And it's also really important to understand that this law went much more broadly than just what the left has attacked as conversion therapy. The left has framed conversion therapy as having counselors tell a gay person that they're not gay. In this case, it expands much further and basically solidified the fact that the only kind of therapy, talk therapy, that could be given to minors was the sort of pro trans, what they call gender affirming care. And in many cases, people have pointed out major flaws in that. And so this is a victory for common sense across America, but also one of the latest in so many Colorado activist lawsuits that have been taken in front of the court and lost while the Democrats have had the government shut down. It's actually been terrifying to see the increased threats around the country. And one of those threats was a terror attack at a synagogue in Michigan that we talked about a few weeks ago. We have new details from FBI filings about what actually went on behind the scenes. There this from Bill Malouj based off the new info from the FBI. Today the US Welcomed in a Lebanese national and gave him American citizenship only for him to repay it by committing a Hezbollah directed and inspired terrorist attack at a Michigan synagogue in which he had hoped to slaughter Jewish children. Now this is important to note because we also now have video of a Michigan Senate candidate who told his staff that he didn't want not want to make a statement about the death of the Ayatollah because he worried that it might offend some of his potential constituents and voters who were big F of the death to America Pro terror Ayatollah. I also want to remind you guys that there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today. So like I just don't want to comment on Khamenei Khamenei at all. Like I don't think it's worth even touching that. So there's a number of important threads here. One is again understanding the tie between a certain segment of the Democrat Party and pro terror anti Semitic groups. But the other thing here is the continued risk that we face. You'll remember right after that attack at the synagogue, Michigan Senator Alyssa Slotkin had said we need to fund dhs. And yet she has continued to stand in the way of funding that how many more terror attacks and violent incidents need to happen, including ones like this with a radicalized terrorist who wanted to murder Jewish children before Democrats are willing to stop this outrageous shutdown. One theme that we spend a lot of time here on 10 Minute Drill is understanding how the left has used all different kinds of mechanisms and infrastructure to promote their political agenda, in many cases funded by taxpayers. A very high profile example of that that we've discussed just a little bit before is the National Academy of Sciences. This from Fox News Watchdog targets Taxpayer funded national Academies over DEI climate and transgender spending we talked a few weeks ago about how the Federal Judicial center, the think tank funded by taxpayers to support judges as they rule on complex cases, had developed a very politically charged guide, including language on things like climate change, that was intended to push judges to find in favor of climate radicals and climate alarmism using things that were not by any means settled. Science that has now shifted to a larger conversation about the National Academy of Sciences. What we have found and what Consumers Research has dove into is the fact that the National Academy of Sciences has basically become a clearinghouse for left wing political ideology. This from Will Hild. It's time we talk about an org that receives $200 million in taxpayer dollars annually, yet has almost single handedly caused the complete corruption of science in America and transformed it into pseudo religion for far left activists. And you don't have to take it from me or from Will Hild or from Fox News. Here is a clip of some of their work. We will center the fact that black trans women are probably subject to what I would argue is one of the greatest human rights violations in America, which is the systemic brutalization of this community and slaying of these people at such a high rate. What if you knew that this kind of radical political ideology was being promoted through your tax dollars and being sort of positioned as the trust the science doctrine that we needed to follow and that judges should base interpretation of on? I think that's a pretty terrifying thing. And we're gonna continue following this story because I don't think we've heard the end of the National Academy of Sciences as Republicans in Congress are likely going to have major questions about how our tax dollars are funding things that are working so directly against American interests. We talked a number of weeks ago about a horrifying story out of Fairfax County, Virginia, where an illegal immigrant who was 19 years old had sexually assaulted a 12 different girls in Fairfax High School. A terrifying story that also had a much deeper, deeper story behind it, which was that Fairfax officials had known about these assaults for the last year and covered them up and parents only found out very late in the game. And at the same time, Steve Descano, the radical Fairfax county prosecutor, was actively working to get this illegal immigrant serial sexual assaulter back in schools. Well, now the Department of Education is jumping into the fray on this. ED is opening yet another investigation into Fairfax county following reports from 12 high school girls who have credibly accused one male student, an illegal immigrant, of sexual assault. This is the latest in a long list of investigations into Northern Virginia school divisions. So again, this was a shocking story that basically involved all levels of Virginia Democratic governance, from the prosecutors who were hiding the fact that this person was a repeat offender and they wanted to get him back in schools, to the sanctuary policies that prevented ICE from being able to remove this person despite having other previous criminal record from the community so that he was allowed to prey on girls. And this is in a public school that receives federal funds. And so the Department of Education is going to look into this and see what they can do to hold the people accountable who allowed this to happen. For our you can't make it up segment today, I want to go back to Mrs. Gavin Newsom or Jennifer Siebel Newsom, or as she likes to be called, the first partner of California. Now, we've talked about her a couple times now in part because if Gavin Newsom is running for president, which he seems to be, she's going to be a very important part on the stage for that. We talked before about a major scandal in which she had charged taxpayers for the rights to show politically charged documentaries that she had produced in California schools. And her husband, the governor, had used official resources to promote her documentary, which she made hundreds of thousands of dollars off of. Well, there's a clip going around of her from 2023.