2WAY Morning Meeting – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Jimmy Kimmel Expected to Be "Conciliatory But Defiant" Tonight; Kamala Harris' Book Tour Under Fire
Date: September 23, 2025
Hosts: Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine

Episode Overview

This episode of the 2WAY Morning Meeting brings the latest inside analysis on the coming news cycle. Hosts Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, and Dan Turrentine preview the President’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) appearance, discuss Jimmy Kimmel’s anticipated return to late night television after recent controversy, and dissect the early failures of Kamala Harris’s book tour. Running threads include the impact of the President’s statements on Tylenol safety, the intricacies of vaccine-related policy, and a special segment on navigating medical risk, featuring expert OB-GYN callers and commentary. The conversation is candid and often combative, reflecting both cable news and backroom strategy session energy.

Key Discussion Topics & Insights

President’s Daybook & UNGA Preview

• The President is en route to the UN to deliver what’s expected to be a direct, critical speech about the United Nations and world institutions.
  • [04:25–09:45]
  • UN speeches rarely leave a lasting mark; most are quickly forgotten, with Trump's “Little Rocket Man” jibe about Kim Jong Un being a rare exception ([08:40]|Mark, Sean).
• Marco Rubio—serving as both Secretary of State and National Security Advisor in this admin—previews Trump's theme as challenging the UN's “fecklessness” ([07:17–08:19]).
  • Quote: "The UN will play no role if they [China] do that. So I think what the President’s going to do is challenge the UN to find its meaning and its purpose..." – Marco Rubio [07:17]

US–Ukraine Policy Discussion

• Hosts express low expectations for progress in the President’s meeting with Zelensky; consensus is US policy is cautious and essentially reactive ([11:26–12:19]).
  • Quote: "Trump will not do anything. I'm just going to talk. That's all he's going to do." – Dan [12:07]

President’s Tylenol Announcement & Vaccine Policy

• Trump’s warning against Tylenol use by pregnant women (related to autism risk) oversteps his own medical advisors’ guidance, sparking divided media coverage ([12:19–14:05]).
  • Bill Cassidy publicly pushes back, asking for scientific evidence ([13:17–14:05]).
  • Quote: "There's no evidence of anything you two said, the other person being RFK." – Dan [13:17]
  • Spicer sees the issue as significant, with real-world impact on behavior and patient-doctor conversations ([14:07]).

Kamala Harris’ Book Tour: Missed Opportunity

• Harris's interviews (with Rachel Maddow and GMA) are criticized for vagueness and retreating from the book’s most newsworthy claims ([15:10–20:29]).
  • Examples include Harris avoiding restating her suggestion that America wasn't ready for a Black woman and a gay man on the ticket, or talking around concerns about Biden’s mental fitness ([16:36–18:41]).
  • Quote: "Dan, in the business, we call that a word salad. So she doesn't actually tell the story, she just kind of refers to the story. Not a way to sell books." – Mark [17:13]
• Her lack of follow-through and apparent discomfort are seen as harming both her book’s prospects and any designs on future presidential campaigns.
  • Quote: "She actually reminds you why you didn't vote for her." – Sean [21:04]
  • Book currently #2 on Amazon, but hosts question who is buying it ([21:52]).

Jimmy Kimmel’s Return

• Kimmel is expected to be “conciliatory but defiant” after being reinstated post-suspension for spreading misinformation ([22:51–28:31]).
  • Quote: "In any crisis, the option is, you know, you acknowledge regret or are somewhat conciliatory. Kimmel hasn't said a word, not one." – Sean [25:07]
  • Spicer: “If I were TP USA tonight, I would target every single advertiser that goes on that show and ask for a nationwide boycott.” [25:44]
  • Debate over forgiveness, conditions for apology, and whether broadcast TV standards should be higher than cable ([26:29–28:31]).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On UN Speeches:

  • "Can you name anything that ever happened in one of these that was memorable and had an impact on the world?" – Mark [08:19]
  • “He referred to Kim Jong Un as Little Rocket Man.” – Sean [08:40]
  • “If you were the White House communications director...what would you tell him to say?” – Mark [08:53]

• On Harris Book Tour:

  • "I think you framed it perfectly, Dan. How could the staff not have said...if you're going to say the equivalent of nothing specific comes to mind or whatever...don't put them in the book." – Mark [20:04]
  • "She looks uncomfortable, she looks tentative..." – Dan [20:29]

• On Jimmy Kimmel’s Controversy:

  • "He has not apologized. He lied. He spread misinformation." – Sean [25:07]
  • "Almost all of cable news would be canceled." – Dan [28:15]

Government Shutdown Showdown

• Trump cancels a scheduled meeting with Schumer and Jeffries, calling their demands “unserious” and “ridiculous” ([56:27–57:33]).
  • Quote: “I’ve decided that no meeting with the congressional leaders could possibly be productive. They’re threatening to shut down the government...unless they can have over $1 trillion in new spending...” – Mark reading Trump [56:27]
  • Hosts analyze political maneuvering, impact on negotiations, and how Democrats might recalibrate (focus on ACA extension) ([57:33–58:53]).

Listener Q&A: Medical Risk, Individualized Care, and Vaccine Policy

Timestamps: [36:16–55:45]

• Multiple OB-GYNs and doctors join to discuss Tylenol, vaccine policy, and trust in public health messaging.
  • Strong agreement: The science is murky; true informed consent requires nuance.
  • Quote: “I think the problem with any of the broad statements...is you should discuss this with your doctor...It's very hard to draw causal links in medicine.” – Dr. Melissa [37:09–39:46]
  • Consensus that the COVID era’s “one size fits all” strategy has damaged trust—guidance should revert to individualized risk assessment ([48:10]).
  • Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns is debated as an example of where individual risk often makes more sense than blanket policies ([50:08–55:45]).
    • Quote: "If a mom is hepatitis B negative, then it should be the mom's choice whether she wants to do it then or come back and potentially get it later." – Dr. Melissa [54:42]

Other Memorable Moments

• Macron’s New York gridlock adventure and President Trump’s advice to “just walk” to avoid the UN traffic ([29:17–30:43]).

  • Light-hearted banter about classic Manhattan logistics.

• Multiple inside-baseball discussions about political optics, from high-stakes photo ops to anticipated media narratives ([32:16–34:34]).

• Preview of culture war and agriculture issues on deck for coming days ([58:55–59:17]).

Timeline & Timestamps for Key Segments

• Show Preview & UNGA Background: [00:00–04:25]
• UNGA/Trump Themes: [04:25–12:19]
• Tylenol & Public Health Messaging: [12:19–15:10]
• Kamala Harris Book Tour Critique: [15:10–22:32]
• Kimmel Discussion: [22:32–28:31]
• NYC Gridlock and Macron Anecdote: [29:17–31:26]
• Shutdown Negotiation Strategies: [32:16–35:30]
• Listener Q&A, Medical Ethics and Policy: [36:16–55:45]
• Trump Cancels Thursday Meeting / Final News: [56:04–58:53]
• Upcoming Programming Notes: [58:53–end]

Tone & Language

The episode combines newsroom frankness, campaign strategy chatter, and a freewheeling, sometimes adversarial style. The hosts balance serious policy analysis with media-savvy banter and don’t shy away from sharp criticism or humor (often self-referential).

Summary For Non-Listeners

This episode of 2WAY Morning Meeting skillfully previews the coming day’s top political and media stories, offering an insider’s (sometimes jaded) view of what actually matters behind the headlines. Expect pointed critique of big personalities—Kamala Harris’s cautiousness on her book tour, Trump’s headline-chasing approach at UNGA, and the continuing media fallout for Jimmy Kimmel. The hosts’ chemistry powers the show, drawing out fresh insights and levity even on wonky health policy and DC gridlock. Listeners also gain a rare window into nuanced medical debates usually absent from overtly partisan news commentary.

Notable Quotes (with Speaker and Timestamp):

• “She actually reminds you why you didn't vote for her.” – Sean on Kamala Harris [21:04]
• “He has not apologized. He lied. He spread misinformation.” – Sean on Jimmy Kimmel [25:07]
• "If a mom is hepatitis B negative, then it should be the mom's choice whether she wants to do it then or come back and potentially get it later." – Dr. Melissa [54:42]
• “I think the problem with any of the broad statements...is you should discuss this with your doctor...It's very hard to draw causal links in medicine.” – Dr. Melissa [37:09]
• “In any crisis, the option is, you know, you acknowledge regret or are somewhat conciliatory. Kimmel hasn't said a word, not one.” – Sean [25:07]

For the latest on Kimmel’s return and Harris’s book tour fallout, tune in to tomorrow’s show for follow-up analysis and new developments.