10 Minute Drill: Thanksgiving Special

Episode: Trump Pardons the Turkey; 5 Things We’re Thankful For
Host: Matt Whitlock
Date: November 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special Thanksgiving episode, Matt Whitlock takes a lighter approach to politics by sharing five humorous and memorable things from the past year that he and the podcast team are grateful for. The episode celebrates the eccentric, oddball, and unintentionally comic moments in U.S. political life, offering listeners a holiday break from all the usual seriousness.

Key Themes & Segments

1. Theater Kids in Politics

• Timestamps: 01:25 – 04:06
• Matt kicks off with recent political protests that blur the line between activism and amateur theater:
  • Describes a church skit about resisting ICE arrests, highlighting the intensity of the performers:

    “Man, that lady in the red is really into this role.” (01:44)

  • Mocks Democrats’ struggle of calling ICE “the Gestapo” while responding with 80s-themed aerobic protest classes:

    “I love the guy in the blue with the pink shorts who really is dedicated to the cause.” (02:30)

  • Recaps dancing and singing protests at the Kennedy Center against layoffs (“Doge protests”), likening them to “a quirky resistance talent show.”
  • Shares standout protest lyrics:

    “He wants us to bow to him, but we want him in jail. Oh man, that’s really good.” (03:15)

  • Enjoys original protest songs:

    “Keep on moving forward, never turning back. So basically, the Doge Protests became kind of like… a quirky resistance talent show. And I for one, really, really appreciated the content.” (03:51)

2. Book Tour Blunders

• Timestamps: 04:08 – 07:08
• Reflects on the joy gleaned from political figures’ book promotional tours, focusing on Kamala Harris and Karine Jean-Pierre:
  • Kamala Harris
    • Shares a wild rally memory:

      “‘Someone in the back would hand that baby over through the crowd up to you…’ The idea of passing [a baby] around to strangers at a political rally is one of the craziest things I have ever heard.” (04:45)

    • Quotes Harris bungling a podcast interview, leading to a staff joke:

      “Brian, I said through gritted teeth, that was a rhetorical question.” (05:32)

    • On Harris’s self-own:

      “Sometimes people use their books to try and paint themselves as really cool. Kamala is posting her Ls here… I guess I can appreciate a little bit of self-awareness there.” (05:59)

    • Recalls an awkward exchange with Rachel Maddow about Pete Buttigieg:

      “‘No, no, no, that’s not what I said. That… that he couldn’t be on the ticket because he is gay.’” (06:28)

  • Karine Jean-Pierre
    • Features her response to a pointed question:

      “‘It’s a simple yes or no.’ ‘You don’t even know no, no, no. Because you’re asking for a yes or no question. I want to put some context to it, too.’” (07:10)

    • Matt’s take:

      “Not only does Karine not have any regrets, but she wants to make sure that you know she is a queer black woman.” (07:28)

    • References a sizzle reel of Jean-Pierre highlighting her identity’s visibility:

      “As a black woman, as a person who’s also LGBTQ… they felt seen when they saw me at the podium…” (07:36)

3. Humor in Identity Politics

• Timestamps: 07:40 – 09:05
• Matt highlights moments where identity politics become almost satirical:
  • Recalls Senator Josh Hawley grilling a Biden official on “two spirit” terminology:

    “What’s two spirit? Well, look, I don’t know exactly. You guys are pulling some interesting quotes.” (08:18)

    • Matt points out the official not knowing his own policy report:

      “He’s the guy who wrote the report and he doesn’t seem to totally know what two spirit is…”

  • Offers a tongue-in-cheek definition:

    “2 Spirit is essentially an identity invented in the 90s by left wing activists… invented in the 90s to represent the ancient indigenous spirits. If that sounds weird to you, you are not alone.” (08:53)

4. The California Governor’s Race Clown Car

• Timestamps: 09:08 – 11:59
• Mocks the often farcical nature of the ongoing gubernatorial primary:
  • Katie Porter
    • Outburst in an interview:

      “‘I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m gonna call it. Thank you. You’re not gonna do the interview with us? Nope, not like this, I’m not. Not with seven follow ups to every single question you ask.’” (09:35)

    • Reference to Porter’s viral “tirade” caught on Zoom and her fraught personal conduct:

      “…as people learn more about Katie Porter’s court records showing that she had poured boiling mashed potatoes on her husband, things like that, a white knight entered the scene.” (10:36)

  • Eric Swalwell
    • Announcement for governor framed by his baggage:

      “Eric Swalwell, most famous for having an illicit relationship with a Chinese spy named Fang Fang. But the good thing about Eric Swalwell is at least we know he exercises.” (10:49) “‘I should be working right now. I should be at the capitol. I should be in a suit. Not too strong, though, because that is 135 pounds, which many junior high girls use as their baseline.’” (11:05)

5. Thank You, Tim Waltz

• Timestamps: 12:01 – 13:10
• The show’s recurring muse is Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz:
  • Montage of his most memorable (and cringeworthy) moments:
    • Waltz singing “Dancing Queen.”
    • His self-proclaimed identity:

      “‘I could code talk to white guys watching football, fixing their truck.’”

    • On handling Trump:

      “‘But when it’s adult, like Donald Trump, you bully the shit out of him. Back. You push back.’” (12:38)

    • Matt’s tribute:

      “On behalf of the full team at 10 minute drill, we are always grateful to Tim of the feminine products Waltz and the machine of content he always provides for us. May he stay happy and healthy evermore.” (13:03)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Theater Kids in Politics:
  “Man, this is already off to a good start.” (02:52)
  “I for one, really, really appreciated the content.” (03:51)

• On Kamala’s Book Tour:
  “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” (05:09)

• On Identity Politics:
  “Most of the Biden administration policy was written by radical outside groups.” (08:38)

• On California’s Governor’s Race:
  “…if it’s going to continue to implode, we need to poke a little bit of fun at the people driving it off the cliff.” (09:10)

Episode Tone & Style

Whitlock maintains a fast-paced, irreverent, holiday-spirited tone, peppering the episode with sharp wit and rapid-fire quips. The satire is affectionate but pointed, skewering across the political spectrum and finding humor in the year’s chaos.

Recap & Takeaways

• The episode delivers a rapid-fire, humorous look back on political performance art, book tour gaffes, identity politics quirks, California primary antics, and the ever-memeable Governor Tim Waltz.
• Whitlock’s playful summations provide comic relief for listeners, offering “gratitude” for the entertainment value found in contemporary political theatre.

Perfect listening for your morning coffee—or during Thanksgiving prep—if you need a laugh about the state of politics without taking it too seriously.

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [01:25] — “Theater Kids in Politics”
• [04:08] — “Book Tour Blunders”
• [07:40] — “Humor in Identity Politics”
• [09:08] — “California Governor’s Race Clown Car”
• [12:01] — “Thank You, Tim Waltz”