Trump addresses the nation; latest from Brown; China threats loom; celeb endorses socialism

Summary

---

10 Minute Drill – Episode Summary

Episode: Trump addresses the nation; latest from Brown; China threats loom; celeb endorses socialism
Host: Matt Whitlock
Date: December 18, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this brisk, news-packed episode, Matt Whitlock breaks down some of the most pressing stories in U.S. news and politics: President Trump’s national address touting administration victories, the ongoing manhunt in Providence following a tragic shooting at Brown University, rising concerns about U.S.-China tech relations, a celebrity vocalizing support for socialism, and some eyebrow-raising political absenteeism from Congressman Eric Swalwell. Whitlock’s tone remains punchy, irreverent, and clear-eyed throughout, delivering headlines with a mix of gravity and good humor.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump’s Oval Office Address

• Main Themes: Trump emphasized his administration’s eleven months of “wins”—border security, peace in the Middle East, and progress against inflation.
• Trump asserted his electoral mandate and claimed victories over a “sick and corrupt system.”
  • Quote:

    “I was elected in a landslide, winning the popular vote and all seven swing states and everything else with a mandate to take on a sick and corrupt system. That X ray really just took, took the wealth from people and crushed the dreams of the American people.”
    (Donald Trump, 00:41)

• Host Analysis: Whitlock underscores the importance for Trump and Republicans to spotlight achievements, noting the public’s short memory in politics.
• Highlighted Policies: Trump drew contrasts with the previous administration, especially on border and economic issues. He urged viewers to watch for tax breaks in the coming year.
• Timestamp:
  • Trump’s Address Discussion: 00:37–01:20

---

2. Brown University Shooting and Ongoing Manhunt

• Incident: Two students at Brown University were killed; the perpetrator remains at large.

• Institutional Response:

  • Media and public frustration is mounting over a lack of clear information from both university and law enforcement officials, especially regarding security camera footage and the shooter’s motives.
  • Quote:

    “Six hours later, you're the president and you don't know?”
    (Interviewer/Reporter to Brown University President, 02:12)

  • Brown University’s Security Gaps: Shooting took place in an older part of the building with little to no surveillance.

      > “There are fewer, if any cameras in that location.”  
      *(Law Enforcement Official, 02:32)*
    

• Questions Around Motive:

  • Reports surfaced the shooter yelled “Allahu Akbar,” but officials are tight-lipped, citing ongoing investigations.
  • Debate over how much information should be released to engage community help versus not fueling premature conclusions or public panic.

  • “That's a really dangerous road to go.”
    (Law Enforcement Official on disclosing suspect’s shouted words, 03:49)

• Host Analysis: Whitlock criticizes the stonewalling, noting that transparency is especially important in active manhunts.

• Timestamp:

  • Shooting and Manhunt Discussion: 01:20–04:04

---

3. U.S.-China Policy, Nvidia Chips, and National Security

• Policy Shift: The Trump administration is debating whether to allow Nvidia’s advanced AI chips to be sold to China—a decision with major stakes for national security and tech parity.

• Expert Reactions:

  • Michael Subalik, Hudson Institute: Warns policy signals a “dangerous shift,” possibly repeating past mistakes with China.

      > “We look back to the fateful decision to normalize trade relations with China 25 years ago as a fateful turning point... They will also look back and know whether America first was doctrine or delusion.”  
      *(Michael Subalik, paraphrased by Host, 05:35)*
    

  • Rep. Michael McCaul: Raises alarms over how China might leapfrog U.S. tech using stolen chip designs.

      > “I shudder to think of what they might do with more advanced hardware like the H200 chips.”  
      *(Rep. Michael McCaul, paraphrased by Host, 06:23)*
    

• Congressional Concerns: Lawmakers like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Tom Cotton oppose easing restrictions, highlighting risks of IP theft and military competition.

• Host Perspective: Whitlock aligns with critics who fear the U.S. is repeating earlier, costly mistakes in relations with China.

• Timestamp:

  • China/Nvidia Policy Discussion: 04:05–07:14

---

4. Birthright Citizenship and “Mega Families”

• Wall Street Journal Report: Exposes how some wealthy Chinese executives use U.S. surrogacy to create large families—and potentially exploit American birthright citizenship rules.

    > “Video game executive Zhu Bo said to have more than 100 children and other elites build mega families testing citizenship laws...”  
    *(Host quoting WSJ, 07:36)*
  

• Legal Complications: Courts and the Trump administration have moved to restrict automatic citizenship, but surrogacy cases present new legal puzzles.

• Supreme Court Involvement: Ongoing review of both birthright citizenship and executive orders denying it in cases like these.

• Host Analysis: Whitlock treats the story as “crazy,” noting its implications for future immigration and family policy debates.

• Timestamp:

  • Birthright Citizenship Segment: 07:14–08:48

---

5. Celebrity Endorsement of Socialism – Amanda Seyfried’s Comments

• What Happened: Amanda Seyfried (of "Mean Girls" fame) publicly praised socialism, calling it “a gorgeous idea.”

    > “For me, it's taking care of each other. If I have more money, I can spend money on other people. What isn't beautiful about socialism is the fact that it's normally carried out at gunpoint and by force... What you are allowed to do now, you don't need a government structure to allow that to happen.”  
    *(Host paraphrasing Seyfried, 09:35)*
  

• Host’s Take: Whitlock points out the common misunderstanding of socialism among celebrities and younger Americans, contrasting real-world socialism with voluntary charity.

• Tone: Mocking but informative—suggests many equate socialism simply with kindness, not its political or economic realities.

• Timestamp:

  • Seyfried/Socialism Commentary: 08:48–10:20

---

6. Eric Swalwell’s Congressional Absenteeism

• Swalwell’s Missed Votes: Hits a record with 45 missed votes in 2025, blamed on activities like campaign events and celebrity appearances.

    > “I should be working right now. I should be in Congress. I should be voting to lower your costs, but instead I'm in a pool.”  
    *(Eric Swalwell, 10:55)*
  

• Host’s Perspective: Whitlock jests about the abundance of “content” from the California governor’s race, suggesting Swalwell’s priorities are in question.

• Support: Points to prominent donors (Kathy Griffin, Jon Cryer, Robert De Niro) backing Swalwell’s gubernatorial aspirations.

• Timestamp:

  • Swalwell Segment: 10:20–11:01

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Trump on his mandate (00:41):
  “I was elected in a landslide... with a mandate to take on a sick and corrupt system.”
• Brown University reporting confusion (02:12):
  Interviewer: “Six hours later, you're the president and you don't know?”
  President Paxton: “I do not know.”
• Law enforcement on shooter’s allegiance (03:49):
  “That's a really dangerous road to go.”
• Michael Subalik on policy risk (05:35):
  “[Future policymakers] will also look back and know whether America first was doctrine or delusion.”
• Amanda Seyfried on socialism (09:35):
  “Socialism is a gorgeous idea.”
• Eric Swalwell’s campaign priorities (10:55):
  “I should be working right now...but instead I'm in a pool.”

---

Episode Flow & Tone

Whitlock’s approach is fast, sharp-witted, and unafraid to mix earnest policy discussion with snarky asides. Each segment moves quickly but lands with clarity—perfect for busy listeners who want more than headlines but less than a deep dive.

---

Timestamps Guide

• Trump Oval Office Address: 00:37–01:20
• Brown University Shooting: 01:20–04:04
• China/Nvidia Chips: 04:05–07:14
• Birthright Citizenship Debate: 07:14–08:48
• Amanda Seyfried/Socialism: 08:48–10:20
• Eric Swalwell Absenteeism: 10:20–11:01

---

Transcript

[Host]

President Trump addresses the nation on 11 months of wins. We have the latest on Rhode island and the manhunt to find the killer of two Brown University students. Also guess which celebrity has some very positive thoughts about socialism. All of that and so much more today on 10 Minute Drill.

[Music/Intro DJ]

Everybody get up. Get up.

[Donald Trump]

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.

[Host]

Last night, President Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office.

[Donald Trump]

I was elected in a landslide, winning the popular vote and all seven swing states and everything else with a mandate to take on a sick and corrupt system. That X ray really just took, took the wealth from people and crushed the dreams of the American people.

[Host]

We've talked on 10 Minute Drill about the need for President Trump and Republicans to make sure they are touting victories. That was a big goal of this speech from President Trump last night. We have short memories in politics and we might have forgotten the fact that just over a year ago at this time, Americans number one concern was the open border and the immigration crisis. President Trump touted closing that. He touted peace in the Middle east, deals that he has worked with other countries to strike. He talked about progress in trying to bring down the cost of things, noting the fact that inflation right now under President Trump is significantly lower than it was under President Biden. He also discussed the need for Americans to watch as they do their tax returns in the new year. All the benefits that are going to come through the big, beautiful bill. The manhunt continues in Providence, Rhode island, for the shooter of two Brown University students. The press conferences that have been held between law enforcement and university officials have unfortunately left more questions than answers. We go back to the first night after the shooting, in this moment, six.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Hours after the shooting, and you said you don't know what was going on in that classroom. How does that happen? Were they taking an exam? Were they meeting for a club?

[Brown University President Christina Paxton]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Six hours later, you're the president and you don't know?

[Brown University President Christina Paxton]

I do not know.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Well, that's kind of concerning.

[Host]

A number of questions in these press conferences have focused on why we don't have better access to images. There are cameras all around a multimillion dollar school, and yet everything that they are releasing for the public is fuzzy and difficult to follow.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

How does a multi million dollar school not have a bunch of cameras in the hallway?

[Law Enforcement Official]

So there's the back part of the building, old Part and front part, new part. The shooting occurs in the old part, towards the back, up towards Hope street in that older part of the building. There are fewer, if any cameras in that location.

[Host]

University officials and law enforcement have been criticized for these failures, both in cameras to capture things that happen, but also in gathering information and being able to assure people that they're safe. Brown University President Christina Paxton attempted to address that.

[Brown University President Christina Paxton]

Brown is deeply committed to the safety and security and well being of our community.

[Host]

Now, a number of media reports have discussed the fact that the shooters shouted something as they were carrying out this horrific act. And a number of credible reports have said the shooter shouted out Allahu Akbar. But people are asking why these officials will not share what that statement was.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Did he yellow?

[Law Enforcement Official]

So that's something. That's something that we're investigating. We took statements and we have to confirm that.

[Host]

So that's been a point that these officials have really been pressed on is what did they yell and why are they not announcing that? Because it could help with the investigation and the public's involvement in finding out more about who this person was. But the officials in these press conferences have been incredibly cagey about that, even as reports circulated online about both the identity and the thing that was shouted.

[Law Enforcement Official]

To your question, Amanda, about words that were spoken. It's easy to jump from someone saying words that were spoken to what those words are to a particular name that reflects a motive targeting a particular person. That's a really dangerous road to go.

[Host]

Down now when you're working on a manhunt like this where you need as much community involvement as possible. The more you can share, the better. And so it's notable that that these officials are working very hard to bottle up these reports, however credible they might be about what this person shouted. But I also think it's very notable that they're trying to keep people from discussing this topic. When the first night after this happened, they were willing to release the name of a person of interest who happened to be a US Service member who they later cleared and released because they found that he had a clear alibi and wasn't involved at all. So a lot of questions are coming out of these press conferences and not a lot of answers. Last week, the Trump administration announced a major shift in their policy around China. They have been debating for several months whether to allow Nvidia, a Santa Clara, California based company well known for making advanced chips of all kinds, to sell their advanced chips to China, which many have suggested would give China a major advantage. As they continue to develop AI technology, among other things. Here's US Senator Dave McCormick reacting to this.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

I'm concerned. I'm not. I'm not clear on why that is.

[Host]

The right path for us. Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Michael Subalik writes that this shift on chips within the larger national security strategy is signaling a very dangerous shift towards China. The National Security Strategy suggests the possibility of a genuinely mutually advantageous economic relationship with Beijing rooted in reciprocity and fairness. It is from these assumptions that many of the administration's most peculiar China policies flow doubling the number of Chinese students without corresponding security protocols, allowing CCP controlled TikTok to operate in violation of U.S. law and approving the sale of advanced artificial intelligence chips to Chinese companies with links to the People's Liberation Army. Sabalic is joined in that concern with people like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Tom Cotton who have long warned that we cannot take China for granted, particularly as they continue to make antagonistic maneuvers in so many different ways towards the United States. Subalik concluded his piece with the President has time to course correct and he has all the inspiration he needs from his first administration. If he doesn't, however, policymakers in 2050 will look back to this decade just as we look back to the fateful decision to normalize trade relations with China 25 years ago as a fateful turning point when America's leaders talked a big game but yielded to billionaires and lobbyists who are not elected or paid to consider the national interest. They will also look back and know whether America first was doctrine or delusion. Former Chairman of the House Foreign relations committee Michael McCall also expressed concerns about this shift on the chips. Deepseek should have been a wake up call about the dangers of selling advanced semiconductor chips to the ccp. Using less powerful Nvidia chips, China developed the most advanced open source models on the planet. I shudder to think of what they might do with more advanced hardware like the H200 chips. The house Select Committee on China also raised their own warnings about this. Right now, China is far behind the United States in chips that power the AI race because the H2 hundreds are far better than what China can produce domestically, both in capability and scale. Nvidia selling these chips to China could help it catch up to America in total compute. Finally, Nvidia should be under no illusions. China will rip off its technology, mass produce it themselves, and seek to end Nvidia as a competitor. This is China's playbook it is using in every critical industry. A few weeks ago we discussed the Supreme Court's decision to hear arguments about birthright citizenship here in the United States. A new story from the Wall Street Journal is sure to factor into that debate. The Chinese billionaires having dozens of US Born babies via surrogate video game executive Zhu Bo said to have more than 100 children and other elites build mega families testing citizenship laws and drawing on nannies, IVF and legal firms set up to help them. The Wall Street Journal unpacks a phenomenon where Chinese billionaires are working with surrogates in the United States to have dozens and in some cases, 100 children that are born here in the United States and would naturally get US Citizenship under current law. However, this is running into a legal minefield. In one case, a judge has denied parentage. In cases like this, these Chinese billionaires are spending millions on surrogates never stepping foot in the United States and having no intention to actually play a role in parenting these children. And again, the legal minefield is incredibly complicated. From Wall street journal. In 2020, the State Department moved to curb so called birth tourism, tightening visa rules for women suspected of visiting the US to give birth. In January, Donald Trump issued an executive order denying citizenship to children born in the US Unless one of their parents was a citizen or permanent legal resident, which is being reviewed by the Supreme Court. It is unclear if either regulation would apply to foreigners working with surrogates who are Americans. So obviously this is an incredibly complex situation. This Wall Street Journal story is crazy, but I imagine this isn't the last we're going to hear about this particular trend. We don't do a lot of celebrity news here on 10 Minute Drill, but Amanda Seyfried, perhaps best known for her role as Karen Smith in Mean Girls.

[Comedian/Interviewer]

So if you're from Africa, why are you white?

[Host]

Has some thoughts about socialism. She says socialism is a gorgeous idea as she grapples with the current state of America. How about we all don't have any kind of agendas? How about our agenda is to take care of each other? I know socialism doesn't work perfectly or that people understand what that word actually means. For me, it's taking care of each other. If I have more money, I can spend money on other people. What isn't beautiful about socialism is the fact that it's normally carried out at gunpoint and by force. Meaning if you made the kind of money that Amanda Seyfried makes, it would be taken from her to fund government programs that in every single case this has ever been tried, don't actually work. But this is an important reminder that when you talk about socialism and you see polling showing more and more people are actually comfortable with the idea of socialism, they don't actually know what it is and they don't actually come into that with the historical context. To them, it sounds like just doing nice things for other people, which you are allowed to do now. You don't need a government structure to allow that to happen. And actual socialism is very different and very dangerous for you. Can't make it up SEGMENT Today we go back to our dear friend Eric Swalwell, who is about to reach an incredible milestone. He's about to do it. As Eric Swalwell's missed vote streak hits 45, he's rocketed past the late Raul Grijalva for the second most missed votes for 2025. Now we know why Swala is busy. He has to make videos like this.

[Eric Swalwell]

I should be working right now. I should be in Congress. I should be voting to lower your costs, but instead I'm in a pool.

[Host]

He is running for governor and according to the New York Post, he's missed votes to attend things like the White Lotus premiere in Los Angeles or a taping with Stephen Colbert. It may be paying off because he appears to be cleaning up with donations from incredible celebrities like Kathy Griffin, Jon Cryer and Robert De Niro. We are always grateful for the incredible content that comes out of this California governor's race and we don't know whether to laugh or cry. That is all the time we have for today. Thank you so much for joining us on 10 minute drill. Please leave us a review. Go on into Apple podcast Spotify. Let us know what you think. Give us some feedback. Have a great day.