Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes – Trump PUNISHES Blue States With Shutdown Agenda

Date: October 2, 2025
Host: JVL
Guest: Andrew Egger (Author of the Morning Shots newsletter)

Episode Overview

In this candid episode, JVL and Andrew Egger examine the political strategy behind President Trump's second-term government shutdown, focusing on Russ Vought's explicit approach to leverage the shutdown as a tool to punish Democratic (“blue”) states. They dissect the legality, logic, and potential political fallout of targeting blue states with infrastructure and green energy funding cuts, while reflecting on whether Trump's core supporters even register—let alone care—about these consequences.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Shutdown as a Political Weapon

[00:09]

• JVL sets the tone with heavy irony, noting, “We are in day two of Donald Trump's shutdown and it's glorious... And none of those things are true.”
• The duo quickly debunks any notion that the shutdown is being managed in good faith.

2. Russ Vought's Strategy – “Hurting Blue States”

[00:43]

• Andrew details reporting on Russ Vought’s (director of the OMB) plan:
  • Firing federal workers: Aimed at hurting Democratic-leaning constituencies, especially around D.C.
  • Targeting major infrastructure projects: Notably, $18 billion in New York City projects, including subway expansion and the Hudson River Tunnel.
    • “...this was very much like an F you to Chuck Schumer, a way to... twist his arm.” — Andrew Egger [01:35]
  • Selective freezes on green energy ("green new scam") spending:
    • $billions cut, only in 16 Democratic-run states—all blue.

3. The Raw Politics of Retaliation

[03:13]

• Egger notes, “They are very explicitly only freezing them in blue states...16 states that all voted for Kamala Harris and have Democratic senators. So again, just naked, open, obvious, the plan is to put pressure on these blue state senators.”

Notable Quote

“...just naked, open, obvious, the plan is to put pressure on these, these blue state senators...”
— Andrew Egger [03:40]

4. Legality and Legal Pretense

[03:59–05:50]

• JVL asks directly: “Is this legal?”
• Egger: Legally dubious. Projects are halted under claims of needing to review DEI compliance, but that’s a fig leaf:
  • “As long as you say the magic phrase, you, you give yourself some, some iron plating as far as lawsuits are concerned.” [05:23]
• In reality, Congress appropriated the funds; the executive’s refusal to spend them is on shaky ground.
  • “No, it’s not (legal)...This is just the latest example of that.” — Egger [05:55]

5. Political Backfire Potential – Who Gets Hurt?

[06:06–09:00]

• JVL probes whether Trump’s team realizes not all blue-state workers are Dem voters; many construction and union workers are Republican.
• Egger highlights the irony:
  • Stopping projects in blue states can hurt Trump’s own base, e.g., Staten Island construction workers, Rhode Island ironworkers, and New York’s exurbs—areas vital for the GOP House majority.
  • “These people wield disproportionate power in the House because Republicans know, like, we wouldn’t have the Speaker’s gavel without these guys...and they are like the voters who this is shafting.” — Andrew Egger [08:28]

6. Trump’s Political Incentives – Does He Care?

[09:07]

• JVL delivers the show's central thesis with characteristic bite, suggesting Trump is unbothered by collateral damage to his own voters:
  • “Donald Trump doesn’t actually care about his voters, Andrew...He has discovered that he can govern just fine by issuing executive orders as an autocrat...He gets to make two and a half million people watching Fox every night happy because he’s owning the libs. That’s all that matters. Right?” [09:22]
• The argument: Even affected Trump voters likely won’t blame him.

Notable Quote

“If we were able to poll all of these types of construction workers who are getting their lives upended...a month from now, none of them will blame Trump for it.”
— JVL [09:47]

7. MAGA Base Psychology & Unshakeable Loyalty

[10:43–12:14]

• Egger posits that while “ultra-MAGA” voters are unmovable, some are more nuanced.
• JVL provides an anecdote of a Trump supporter harmed by Trump policies but still unwilling to blame Trump—a psychological hurdle for accountability.

8. Broader Messaging Contradictions & Public Opinion

[12:14–13:59]

• Egger notes irony:
  • GOP’s public stance is “Democrats are making the shutdown bad,” while behind the scenes, the Trump administration is engaging in targeted retaliation, muddying the message.
• He holds out that some opinion can move, even if only a little.

9. Mood Check – Despair and Persistence

[13:59–15:03]

• JVL lays out bleak context: job losses, inflation, international conflicts, rising Trump approval.
  • “As terrible as things are...he’s more popular now than he was in September of 2017.” [14:48]
• Egger: All we can do is persist in informing and changing minds, however incrementally.
  • “Every day is another day to try to change their minds.” [15:03]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:35] Andrew Egger:
  “This was very much like an F you to Chuck Schumer, a way to kind of like twist his arm...”
• [03:40] Andrew Egger:
  “Just naked, open, obvious, the plan is to put pressure on these blue state senators...”
• [05:23] Andrew Egger:
  “As long as you say the magic phrase, you...give yourself some iron plating as far as lawsuits are concerned.”
• [09:22] JVL:
  “Donald Trump doesn’t actually care about his voters, Andrew...He gets to make two and a half million people watching Fox every night happy because he’s owning the libs. That’s all that matters.”
• [09:47] JVL:
  “If we were able to poll all of these types of construction workers who are getting their lives upended...a month from now, none of them will blame Trump for it.”
• [14:48] JVL:
  “As terrible as things are...he’s more popular now than he was in September of 2017.”

Key Timestamps

• 00:09 – 00:43: Introduction to Trump’s targeted shutdown strategy
• 00:44 – 03:59: Details of OMB moves, targeting blue states, explanation of policy choices
• 03:59 – 06:05: Discussion of legality and legalistic justifications
• 06:05 – 09:07: Political repercussions—targeted cuts hurting both Dem and GOP constituencies
• 09:07 – 13:59: Exploration of Trump’s political calculus, MAGA base psychology, and messaging contradictions
• 13:59 – 15:08: Reflections on public mood, Trump’s approval, and the hosts’ efforts to inform

Takeaway

This episode unabashedly critiques the Trump administration for using the shutdown as a partisan cudgel, punishing blue states in attempts to pressure Democratic leaders while largely insulating Trump’s own political standing. JVL and Egger warn that, due to both legal ambiguities and base psychology, this strategy may not backfire on Trump as logic might predict. The hosts’ banter, alternating between dark humor and earnest concern, captures both the raw politics at play and the sense of futility (and duty) faced by critics in the current climate.