Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes

Episode: "This Trump Rally’s Creep Factor Is Off the Charts"
Date: December 10, 2025
Hosts: Tim Miller and Andrew Egger

Episode Overview

Tim Miller and Andrew Egger of The Bulwark break down Donald Trump’s latest rally at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Poconos. After a pause from the campaign trail, Trump returned to the stage with a focus—at least nominally—on the economy. The hosts analyze the content, tone, and recurring themes of Trump’s speech, reflecting on whether his approach has changed, what still resonates with his audience, and the curious, unsettling energy that permeated the event.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump's Return to the Rally Stage

• Expectation vs. Reality:
  Trump had been notably absent from rallies for much of the year, stirring speculation about his energy and connection to his base.
  • "I had almost not noticed that he had stopped, but really, for kind of the first time since he arrived on the scene, Trump has not been doing rallies this year." (Andrew Egger, 02:28)
• No Surprises:
  The rally was "exactly like every single other fucking one of these he’s ever done," with repeated jokes, attacks on the media, and familiar routines.
  • "Aren't you a little bored after a decade of, like, ah, look at the fake news back there… Is nobody a little bit sick of that by now?" (Andrew Egger, 03:24)

2. Assessing Trump’s Stamina and Messaging

• Vigor Remains—But So Do Old Habits:
  Trump appeared physically energetic and “as vigorous as ever,” but his message was largely a rehash, failing to address new or pressing economic anxieties in a substantive way.
  • "He looked like an old guy, but kind of normal old. I don't know that he gave us a lot of evidence though that his finger is on the pulse of people's concerns about the economy." (Tim Miller, 04:32)
• Disorganized and Rambly:
  Trump repeatedly lost his train of thought, often detouring into unrelated gripes or praise for foreign leaders, and taking 15 minutes to circle back to a point—yet his crowd tolerated or even enjoyed it.
  • "He just follows it down every cul de sac and every little cranny of thoughts that he has." (Andrew Egger, 08:12)

3. Core Economic Message and Its Flaws (Affordability "Hoax")

• Clipping the Biden Message:
  Trump’s camp is pushing him to focus on Americans’ concerns about affordability and inflation. Trump, however, frames all criticism as a “hoax” while confusing the details.
  • “[Advisors are] trying to say, Mr. Trump, this economic message is getting away from you. People are really, really starting to look poorly on this whole project.” (Andrew Egger, 05:16)
  • Trump on inflation:

    “Our prices are coming down. Their prices. It's a hoax... the Inflation Reduction Act... I said, there's nothing to do with inflation reduction there... they're just dealing with bad people. And the word affordability is the exact same thing.” (Donald Trump, 06:22-07:44)

• Disconnection from Policy Reality:
  The hosts note that his message isn’t resonating because it doesn’t reflect reality; people still feel things getting worse, not better.

4. Personnel and Odd Praise: The “Creep Factor”

• Awkward Compliments and Name Gaffes:
  Trump publicly complimented staffers in a way the hosts found uncomfortable—misnaming campaign manager Susie Wiles as “Susie Trump,” and focusing on press secretary Caroline’s “beautiful face… and those lips that don't stop like a little machine gun.”
  • “Yeah. So we got. Got the chief of staff's name wrong and complimented the press secretary's lips. So, you know. I guess that's Trump. Guess that's where we're at.” (Tim Miller, 16:06)
• Old-Man Energy:
  "There is definitely a gross old man energy that comes through right there." (Andrew Egger, 16:30)

5. Recurring Racial and Xenophobic Themes

• Attack Lines on Ilhan Omar & The ‘Enemy’ Fallback:
  Trump riled the crowd with extended rants about Rep. Ilhan Omar, notably using the crowd’s animosity and chanting “send her back” as a rallying device, distracting from supposed economic themes.
  • “All she does is bitch… And I guess one other observation I had is he's really letting loose on the cussing. A lot of cussing, you know, and I cuss. So it's not really. It's just an observation… there's a misogynistic edge to that for me.” (Tim Miller, 16:46)
• The Enemy as a Rallying Tool:
  The hosts discuss how, lacking genuine economic wins to excite voters, Trump stokes resentment and bigotry, making "Somalis" (i.e., immigrants, or specific politicians) scapegoats for the crowd's anger.
  • "You need an enemy if you're Trump... It's a lot easier to vilify a group than to, like, make the case that your policies are making people's lives better." (Tim Miller, 19:12, 20:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:28 | Andrew Egger | "Trump has not been doing rallies this year... there's been some question like, oh, is Trump kind of, like, losing the ear of his people?" | | 03:24 | Andrew Egger | "Aren't you a little bored after a decade of... 'look at the fake news back there'... Is nobody a little bit sick of that by now?" | | 04:32 | Tim Miller | "He looked like an old guy, but kind of normal old. I don't know that he gave us a lot of evidence though that his finger is on the pulse..." | | 06:22 | Donald Trump (clip) | “Our prices are coming down. Their prices. It’s a hoax… after they got it approved... they said, 'We agree it has nothing to do with inflation.' Screw you, we don't care." | | 08:12 | Andrew Egger | "He just follows [his speech] down every cul de sac and every little cranny of thoughts that he has." | | 13:25 | Tim Miller | "He talked about how tariffs was his favorite word… a lot of time discussing the Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright… and makes Scott Besant stand up, not to be gay bashed, which is, I guess, a plus..." | | 14:21 | Donald Trump (clip) | “I have no higher priority than making America affordable again. That's what we're going to do. And again, they caused the high prices, and we’re bringing them down.” | | 15:52 | Donald Trump (clip) | “[Caroline’s] got no fear… when she gets up there with that beautiful face and those lips that don't stop like, like a little machine gun...” | | 16:06 | Tim Miller | “We got the chief of staff's name wrong and complimented the press secretary's lips. So, you know. I guess that's Trump.” | | 19:12 | Tim Miller | "You need an enemy if you're Trump. One of the things...he needs a foe and he needs somebody to get people routed out to be mad at." |

Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:24 – Discussion: Has the rally format become stale?
• 06:22-07:44 – Trump on inflation, the “Affordability Hoax” (clip played and analyzed)
• 13:25-16:06 – Trump’s remarks on staff (awkward compliments and name confusion)
• 16:46 – Trump resorts to profanity and aggressive attacks, including on Ilhan Omar; audience reaction.
• 19:12–20:10 – The role of “enemies” (Somalis/Ilhan Omar) as scapegoats to animate the crowd.

Overall Tone & Host Reactions

• The hosts adopt a blend of exasperation, dark humor, and guarded disbelief at both the content and style of Trump’s address.
• They explicitly note the “creep factor,” focusing on both the repetition of tired rally tropes and the unsettling personal comments made by Trump.
• While occasionally irreverent, their tone underscores genuine concern about the direction and tenor of Trump’s messaging—as well as its continued appeal to his rally crowds.

Conclusion

This episode captures a Trump rally stuck in the past—rife with recycled catch-phrases, personal grievances, and cringe-inducing asides. Despite strategic attempts to refocus on economic hardship, the substance falls flat, overtaken by bigotry and performative outrage. For Trump’s diehard fans, the hate remains the main draw—while for the Bulwark hosts, it’s a tired, even unnerving spectacle with little new to say.