The Morning Meeting (2WAY) — December 17, 2025

Episode: “Makes Me Suspicious”: Mystery Deepens Over Brown U. Shooting With Killer Still at Large, ID Unknown

Episode Overview

In today’s episode, Mark Halperin, with guest co-hosts Yemassi and Larry, provides a wide-ranging preview of the news cycle, featuring key political developments, palace intrigue in Washington, international crises, and—centrally—a probing discussion on the unresolved Brown University campus shooting. The conversation traverses White House maneuvers, legislative standoffs, foreign policy dilemmas, the role of media, and the societal climate underlying current violent events, giving listeners critical context and analysis on the day’s most pressing stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. White House Agenda & Media Strategy

• President’s Prime-Time Address
  • President to address the nation at 9pm ET, topics undisclosed but possibly foreign policy related (Venezuela discussed as a potential focus)
  • Networks notably covering the address live, bucking a trend of growing selectivity
  • “I'm a little surprised...they're covering it. I suspect part of why they're covering it is because the President's cowed them all.” — Mark Halpern [05:27]
• Media’s Changing Role
  • Discussion about how presidential addresses have shifted in importance and media cooperation over decades

2. Political Intrigue & Trump World Personalities

• Melania Trump Documentary Trailer
  • Halpern and co-hosts react to a new theatrical trailer featuring Melania, describing it as well-produced, potentially humanizing, and sure to provoke public interest beyond Trump’s base.
  • “Her and her son Barron are the two most enigmatic figures in Donald Trump's life who also wield incredible influence over him.” — Larry [11:51]
  • Talk of whether Melania’s portrayal marks a shift in public perception: “She comes off as extremely likable in that trailer. To my ear.” — Mark Halpern [13:15]
• Susie Wiles / Vanity Fair Article
  • The episode returns to the recent story of Susie Wiles, Trump’s influential chief of staff, and her unflattering quotes about colleagues in a Vanity Fair profile.
  • Mark clarifies her cooperation was with author Chris Whipple (chiefs of staff chronicler), not for the "glamor" of Vanity Fair.
  • Discussion of how political context and off-cuff remarks can be distorted: “If I say Larry’s a genius…Larry was late last week…somebody writes an article and says...‘Halperin says, well, Larry was late last week’…of course that’s going to make it seem like I’m negative about Larry.” — Mark Halpern [19:16]
  • The consensus: this story “has no traction outside of a beltway politico circle.” — Yemassi [16:39]

3. Congressional Standoff: Healthcare & ACA Subsidies

• Healthcare Legislation
  • Updates on efforts to extend ACA (“Obamacare”) premium subsidies, including a potential bipartisan workaround (discharge petition)
  • Guest Rep. Mike Lawler shares his perspective:
    “The enhanced premium tax credits put in place during COVID…are expiring. So without the subsidy continuing, insurance companies are raising rates at an astronomical pace. But...you can’t just cut it off cold turkey without a plan to address the spike.” — Mike Lawler [35:06]
    Describes ongoing efforts to broker a practical, bipartisan reform
• Speaker Johnson’s Position
  • Emphasizes that any continuation of subsidies should address underlying healthcare costs and fraud

4. International Crises: Venezuela & Russia/Ukraine

• Venezuela
  • Discussion of U.S. escalating military and economic pressure on the Maduro regime, including oil tanker blockades and broader “psyops”
  • Analysis that U.S. strategy also reflects power competition with China
    “This is part of the whole spheres of influence thing… by the end of his term, China, Russia and the United States are going to have carved up the world into spheres of influence. And he [Trump] wants Latin America.” — Mark Halpern [58:22]
• Russia/Ukraine
  • New U.S. and European security guarantees for Ukraine; speculation over a possible deal emerging soon

5. Brown University Shooting: Mystery & Mental Health Concerns

• Unresolved Crime & Law Enforcement Response
  • Andrew calls in with questions about the ongoing Brown U. shooting case. The hosts note:
    • Lack of details about the crime scene raises suspicions
    • Shooter’s unorthodox escape leaves room for speculation (“We just…we need to get to the bottom of it. I'm not engaging in a conspiracy theory; everything I said is factual, and it's just unsettling under the circumstances.” — Mark Halpern [51:34])
• Connections to Political Violence & Mental Health
  • Mental health crisis in the U.S. discussed in connection with recent mass violence:
    “I'm not seeing the strands of recovery, of unity and of mental health… particularly for young people who've turned away from faith…” — Mark Halpern [46:59]
  • Yemassi underscores institutional responsibility, especially academic preparedness for security threats

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the President’s TV Address
  “If the conventional wisdom in D.C. is this is going to sort of be a combination Queen’s Speech at Christmas time and sort of a valedictory look back at the first 10 months of the greatest presidency our nation has ever…seen—or any nation…"
  — Larry [07:03]

• On the Susie Wiles Article Fallout
  “I don't think anything gets done before Christmas.” — Yemassi [15:37]

• On Health Care Gridlock
  “Doing nothing is not an answer either…why Brian Fitzpatrick signed…why others may…this is such a foolish exercise by some of my colleagues.” — Mike Lawler [38:54]

• On the Brown U. Shooting
  “Look how little we know about what happened in that room. Where did he enter from? How long was he in there? Who did he shoot in what order? How close was he … when he shot them? The news…has not been reported…makes me suspicious.” — Mark Halpern [49:36]

• On U.S. Intentions in Venezuela
  “President's view is: we want oil. The oil that's in our hemisphere, that's our oil. That's not to go to China.” — Mark Halpern [59:18]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:00] Show begins: Mark Halpern, Yemassi, Larry set the agenda
• [03:25] White House, Congress, media daybook rundown
• [05:27] Presidential address—media rationale, speculation on topic
• [10:11] Discussion: Melania Trump documentary trailer
• [15:37] ACA Subsidies — Congressional discharge petition, likelihood of passage
• [16:39] Susie Wiles profile — insider vs. public impact
• [21:36] Rubio openly supports Vance for ‘28; Cabinet friendships
• [24:52] Federal Reserve Chair succession speculation—cabinet vs. private sector
• [29:54] Venezuela: U.S. military/psyops; Russia/Ukraine update
• [34:45] Rep. Mike Lawler: health care compromise, fiscal vs. party strategy
• [44:25] Audience Q&A opens—focus on Brown University shooting, mystery, and law enforcement response
• [49:36] Mark Halpern: details lacking in Brown U. shooting coverage—calls for transparency
• [58:22] U.S. moves against Venezuela analyzed as anti-China regional strategy
• [60:27] Show wraps: upcoming guests, programming notes

Original Tone & Style

The conversation keeps a sharp, insider-savvy, slightly irreverent edge. The hosts are candid, skeptical of both government PR and media spin, and deeply engaged in the substance and performance of leading public figures. The listener is always treated as an intelligent peer—expected to keep up and connect dots.

Summary Value

Listeners gain a rich, inside-baseball forecast of headline events, clear-eyed commentary on intra-party drama, and honest examination of political violence and mental health—framed by the day’s big mystery at Brown University. Political, judicial, media, and foreign policy threads are woven together to emphasize how today’s news isn’t siloed, but deeply interconnected—and in this episode, sometimes, suspiciously opaque.