Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes

Episode: Trump’s “Gatsby” Party Proves He’s Lost Touch With Reality

Date: November 2, 2025
Host: Sam Stein (Managing Editor, The Bulwark)

Main Theme

In this episode, Sam Stein draws a stunning contrast between the extravagant Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party held by Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago and the concurrent harsh realities faced by working-class communities struggling with aggressive Border Patrol operations — all during a government shutdown. Stein uses this stark "split screen" to comment on what he sees as the administration’s profound disconnect from everyday American hardships.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Recap of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Gatsby Party

• Description of the Scene
  • Lavish costumes, burlesque dancers, tuxedos, ice luges — “over the top and so outlandish” (01:03)
  • Noted the party’s exuberance: “Maybe a fun party actually. Like, I guess if you’re into that stuff.” (01:22)
• Implicit Double Standard in Media Coverage
  • Imagined public reaction if a Democratic president hosted such an event:
    • “Imagine what would have happened if Joe Biden threw a party like that. People’s minds would have been blown, their jaws would have on the floor. It would have been considered so utterly inappropriate.” (01:35)
    • References backlash Obama faced for inviting Common to the White House: “That was considered unbecoming of the president.” (01:48)
• Context of Wealth and Detachment
  • Locations and attendees: “This is a gathering of some of the wealthiest people. They’re all decked out in tuxes… They are living it up like they’re in the Gatsbys. Like, this is Moulin Rouge.” (02:10)
  • “All during a government shutdown when [the] president is demolishing the East Wing to build his ostentatious ballroom.” (02:25)

2. The Split Screen: National Crisis vs. Extravagant Celebration

• Growing Social Disparities
  • “While the government’s being shut down… there’s a lot going on in the world, especially with regards to ICE and Border Patrol and especially in Chicago where it’s become basically ground zero.” (03:03)
• Realities on the Ground in Chicago
  • Lower, middle, and upper income communities reportedly “terrorized” by ICE and Border Patrol operations (03:08)
  • Alleged incident leading to confrontation:
    • “A Border patrol car is driving and another car back ends it... People on the scene say that the car stopped abruptly, the car stopped properly in order to get a collision so that they can then have this confrontation.” (03:29)
• Contrast Highlighted
  • “Just… think that this is happening roughly around the same 24 hour period as Donald Trump and his buddies in Mar a Lago are out there yucking it up, having champagne and martinis… This is also happening in America right now.” (04:05)

3. The Viral Confrontation: Escalation on Chicago Streets

• Description of the Video (Played at 06:10)
  • Audio filled with chaos and profanities as bystanders confront law enforcement about excessive force
  • Gun drawn, pepper spray threatened, physical altercations and an officer reportedly punching a restrained individual
• Department of Homeland Security’s Explanation
  • “They say... the red car... rear-ended the government car and that they resisted arrest and that the guy who you saw on the ground was grabbing the officer’s genitals... that’s why he punched him. That’s their explanation.” (09:34)
• Stein’s Reaction
  • “That's terror, man. That is just pure terror right there for everyone involved. And it’s happening increasingly across this country as ICE and Border Patrol are ramping up operations. They are tearing communities apart.” (09:58)
  • “You have to escalate to this level is absurd. It’s un-American. It’s gross. It’s scary, honestly.” (10:09)

4. The “Grotesque” Dichotomy

• Callout of Hypocrisy and Disconnection
  • “People at the upper crust of society with the most power, with access to the Oval Office and the President himself, yucking it up, watching burlesque dancers… Like at the same time that these people have guns pointed at them because an officer got hot after someone rear ended him.” (10:30)
  • “I just don’t see how you can continue to have this coexist. I don’t. It is… It’s grotesque, honestly.” (10:51)
• Bigger Message
  • “That is a microcosm of the current place we are in. It’s a sad microcosm, but it is what it is. And it really is what stuck with me throughout this Halloween weekend.” (11:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the party’s optics:
  • “Just close your eyes for a second and imagine what would have happened if Joe Biden threw a party like that.” —Sam Stein [01:35]
• On public vs. private conduct:
  • “They are living it up like they’re in the Gatsbys... while the government’s being shut down.” —Sam Stein [02:10]
• On the violence in Chicago:
  • “That’s terror, man. That is just pure terror right there for everyone involved.” —Sam Stein [09:58]
• On broader implications:
  • “You cannot have as incredible and as sad a dichotomy as what you just witnessed… People at the upper crust… yucking it up… while people have guns pointed at them.” —Sam Stein [10:30]
  • “It’s a sad microcosm, but it is what it is.” —Sam Stein [11:03]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:59 - 02:30 | Breakdown and reaction to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Halloween party
• 03:00 - 04:30 | Introduction to ICE/Border Patrol operations in Chicago and alleged incident
• 06:10 - 09:31 | Playback and analysis of the Border Patrol confrontation video
• 09:31 - 11:10 | Stein’s response, larger commentary on America’s current divide

Conclusion

This episode uses the split-screen metaphor to lay bare America’s deep social divides — opulence and power at the top, chaos and fear for ordinary citizens. Stein’s tone is candid, sometimes incredulous, and driven by a sense of moral urgency, highlighting the surreal disconnect between leaders “living it up” and communities “being torn apart.”