Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar
Episode: Kamala 2028 Run, Trump's 2026 Election Plot, NBA Gambling Scandal (October 28, 2025)
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into three major topics currently roiling American politics and sports:
- The evolving direction of the Democratic Party with Kamala Harris's potential 2028 presidential run, party infighting, and the disconnect between elites and the grassroots.
- A stark, detailed monologue about Trump’s ongoing plot to secure permanent MAGA control of Congress and federal institutions through a multi-pronged strategy, with substantial implications for the upcoming midterms.
- An investigative interview with Pablo Torre about the recent NBA gambling scandal, exposing the tangled relationships between players, organized crime, league leadership, and sports media.
Throughout, Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti maintain their signature tone—sharp, populist, critical of establishment politics, and unafraid to highlight both systemic failure and individual responsibility.
The Democratic Party at a Crossroads: Kamala 2028 and Base Frustration
Kamala Harris’s Potential Run and Party Dynamics
- Krystal reacts skeptically to Kamala Harris's hints at another presidential run, highlighting her track record:
"You didn't even make it to the first votes... then you're handed the nomination after Biden is pushed down... and you lose. ... She also made some really key mistakes and is just incapable of being sort of like a normal person and going out in the world." (Krystal, 03:17)
- Krystal criticizes Harris's absence from grassroots struggles and public fights, perceiving her as self-promoting instead of responding to the urgency felt by much of the base.
"All you're doing is your little self-promotional book tour. I mean, I find it utterly disqualifying, honestly, her absence and her lack of interest in what is happening in the country and the fights that are going on right now." (Krystal, 04:42)
- Saagar expresses skepticism about whether party elites or the base will actually move beyond deference to figures like Harris, citing U.S. tradition of reverence toward party elites and failed candidates (e.g., Nixon).
- Both agree there’s a growing disconnection between the Democratic leadership and its base, with rising stars (Gavin Newsom, AOC, Graham Platner) eclipsing the previous crop. Polls no longer show Harris as the clear favorite.
Party Disconnect, Changing Base, and Shift to Cultural Politics
- Saagar and Krystal discuss a chart showing a massive shift in Democratic Party platform language from economic to cultural terms (17:15):
- Terms like “jobs,” “economic,” “middle class,” “veteran,” and “small business” declined steeply in platform frequency.
- Words like “equity,” “reproductive,” “LGBT,” “climate,” and racial terms soared by multiples.
"That was the cultural takeover over any economic message. And that's what went wrong for them." (Saagar, 17:35)
- Krystal recounts how, post-2012, party elites—especially Hillary Clinton—weaponized identity politics as a wedge against the economic populist left.
"Hillary in particular pioneers... I'm going to sort of position myself like I'm actually to the left of Bernie because he doesn't care enough about racism." (Krystal, 18:20)
- They note establishment attempts to cancel new progressive figures (Zoran, Graham Platner) over past controversies—using the same tactics previously aimed at Sanders.
Party’s Strategic Error and 2028 Outlook
- Saagar lists “cultural” Democratic positions (abolish the police, free healthcare to illegals, lowering voting age to 16, etc.) as the least popular in polling, again underscoring the split between the party's focus and voter sentiment (20:28).
- Krystal warns against analyses that urge Democrats to merely position themselves at the statistical center, arguing narrative, fight, and authenticity matter far more (Krystal, 22:13).
- The episode closes this segment with both agreeing that the real test will come in 2028, with grassroots insurgents posing the strongest challenge yet to business-as-usual party elites.
Trump’s “Permanent Defendable” MAGA Congress: Detailed Breakdown
Bannon’s Blueprint and Ongoing MAGA Legal Maneuvers
- Krystal and Saagar dissect Steve Bannon’s explicit plan to make the House "permanently defendable by the MAGA movement”:
"[Bannon:] We need to... get the House in a situation that is permanently defendable by the MAGA movement." (Bannon, 28:33)
- Krystal summarizes four fronts in the Trump strategy:
- Personnel: Election cybersecurity and civil rights offices have been gutted; top roles are filled by “Stop the Steal” allies—e.g., Heather Honey (DHS Election Integrity) and Marcy McCarthy (CISA) with histories of conspiracy promotion and voter purges.
- Executive Orders: Multiple EOs signed to centralize federal control, tighten machine certification, end mail-in ballots, and grant “fraud audit” access to Trump-aligned figures.
- Gerrymandering: Heavy White House pressure (via JD Vance and direct communication with state GOP) to redraw congressional maps for maximal GOP advantage; the Supreme Court expected to gut Voting Rights Act provisions, raising the gerrymandering ceiling.
- Threats: DOJ monitors sent to blue states, National Guard deployments, Insurrection Act floated—all as intimidation and groundwork for contesting election results.
- Krystal reads alarming details about the newly partisan ownership of Dominion (now “Liberty Vote”), and fresh executive orders designed to disrupt electoral machinery in blue areas.
The Consequences—From Monologue to Action
- Krystal lays out the analytical bottom line:
"The Trump administration are engaged in an all out war against their political adversaries in an attempt to seize long term control. That's what Bannon means when he says seize the institutions and create a permanent defendable MAGA majority. ..." (Krystal, 38:02)
- She urges public vigilance and organizing as the only check on these developments.
- Saagar’s premium reaction is teased but not included.
NBA Gambling Scandal Exposé: Interview with Pablo Torre (41:32–62:27)
The Scandal: Systemic Corruption, Mob Ties, and League Incentives
- Pablo Torre, investigative journalist, breaks down the widening NBA gambling scandal:
- The root: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s push for legalized and regulated sports gambling, creating an “incentive structure” for widespread, sometimes illicit betting (42:33).
- High-profile poker games (Operation Royal Flush) attracted NBA figures like Kevin Garnett, Ty Lue, and Chauncey Billups as “whales” to entice betting action in mob-organized, rigged games.
- Technology used for cheating: x-ray card scanners, marked sunglasses, rigged shuffling machines, all deployed in high-roller settings (45:32).
- Direct link to recent game-fixing: Player John Tay Porter, in debt to mob-associated gamblers, conspired to “hit the under” on his own stats—mirroring earlier mob tactics but now leveraging prop bets and inside info (47:33).
League, Media, and Government Response
- Saagar and Pablo discuss league complicity:
"Adam Silver is now facing calls to come before Congress... The NBA cleared Terry Rozier of all wrongdoing. ... When the Department of Justice now comes out and says, actually that's completely false, how can we ever have any faith in the word of the NBA, of the NFL, of these private sports leagues which are directly in league with the betting companies?" (Saagar, 48:14)
- Pablo explains how the NBA, incentivized by billions in legal gambling money, prioritizes brand over truth—often muffling or minimizing internal investigations (49:34).
- The scandal’s broader cancer: Mainstream sports media, reliant on league access and betting ad dollars, generally shies away from adversarial reporting—leaving independent journalists to carry the torch, but also exposing bettors and fans to systemic corruption (53:54).
Notable Quotes & Media-Industry Rot
- Krystal: "Even us being outside of the sports media sphere, many of our competitors take tons of money from these gambling properties. ... If you were taking that money and you see something untoward, you're maybe gonna keep it to yourself rather than risk that cash." (Krystal, 56:44)
- Pablo: "There is such a demand for people who actually want to know the truth... The pendulum has just swung in such a way that I think there's actually now a business case, obviously, to get into a real journalistic operation." (Pablo, 57:17)
Capping with Scandal: Steve Ballmer & Kawhi Leonard Cap Circumvention
- Torre describes his latest work: Owner Steve Ballmer allegedly paid millions via a “green” company to star Kawhi Leonard, circumventing NBA salary rules. While the NBA claims to be “investigating,” it’s independent journalists, not federal authorities, who are moving the story (59:34).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 03:17 | "You didn't even make it to the first votes... then you're handed the nomination after Biden is pushed down... and you lose." | Krystal Ball | | 09:17 | "I want them to have a fight. Like, I want them to have to come out and be like, she's an abject failure and we're not going down this path ever." | Saagar Enjeti | | 17:35 | "That was the cultural takeover over any economic message. And that's what went wrong for them." | Saagar Enjeti | | 18:20 | "Hillary in particular pioneers... I'm going to sort of position myself like I'm actually to the left of Bernie because he doesn't care enough about racism." | Krystal Ball | | 28:33 | "We need to... get the House in a situation that is permanently defendable by the MAGA movement." | Steve Bannon (quoted by Krystal) | | 38:02 | "The Trump administration are engaged in an all out war against their political adversaries in an attempt to seize long term control." | Krystal Ball | | 42:33 | "All of this is fruit from the Adam Silver op ed to Johnte Porter group chat and now banned for life scandal..." | Pablo Torre | | 45:32 | "We're talking about x-ray machines that are hiding under the tables... sunglasses that can read marked cards... rigged deck shuffling machines." | Pablo Torre | | 57:17 | "There is such a demand for people who actually want to know the truth... the pendulum has swung... now a business case to get into a real journalistic operation." | Pablo Torre | | 59:34 | "...it is the richest owner in American sports, Steve Ballmer... trying to get money to Kawhi Leonard... this was for Cap circumvention..." | Pablo Torre |
Key Segment Timestamps
- Kamala Harris / Democratic Party in Crisis: 02:22–26:19
- Trump’s MAGA Election Plot: 28:05–39:39
- NBA Gambling Scandal Interview (Pablo Torre): 41:32–62:27
Summary Takeaways
- Democratic Party: Deep disconnect between base and elites; Kamala Harris’s comeback faces a newly restive, skeptical base and tough competition; party’s turn toward identity issues comes at the expense of economic focus, with electoral consequences.
- Republican/MAGA Maneuvering: The Trump wing is using a sophisticated, multi-front legal, institutional, and cultural strategy to cement long-term power; the passive response of institutions, including SCOTUS, is worrying to the hosts.
- NBA Scandal: The intersection of gambling, organized crime, and league complicity is laying bare the corruption of both sports and media; independent journalism is vital as mainstream media bows to business incentives.