Deadline: White House – “A Plus”

Host: Nicolle Wallace, MSNBC NOW
Date: December 9, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Nicolle Wallace dissects the state of American democracy amid growing unease with the Trump administration’s actions at home and abroad. The hour centers on controversy over a concealed military strike video, the administration’s evolving and controversial foreign policy in Venezuela and Ukraine, public dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy, and the rapidly consolidating, increasingly politicized media landscape. Wallace is joined by Senator Chris Coons, journalist Anne Applebaum, media analyst Oliver Darcy, and others, providing bipartisan analysis and urgent commentary.

Secrecy in U.S. Military Operations: The Venezuela Strike Video

[00:50–12:07]

Key Points

• Bipartisan Outrage Over Concealed Video: Lawmakers from both parties are frustrated that a second strike video, depicting what some describe as a possible war crime against shipwrecked sailors, remains classified. Democrats and some Republicans are now advocating for its release.

  • “It is imperative that we be given a chance to see all of the videos...The provision in the NDAA that takes away Hegseth’s travel money...is a pretty good sign that Republicans share our disgust and impatience.” – Democratic Politician/Commentator [00:50]

• Senator Chris Coons’ Eyewitness Account: Coons, having viewed the video, unequivocally states that the victims were clearly shipwrecked and defenseless, raising grave concerns about the administration's legal rationale and true objectives.

  • “You see the strike that kills two individuals standing on top of a floating piece of wreckage, waving...The larger frame here...is whether this entire undertaking is a good use of...our special forces.” – Sen. Chris Coons [04:23]
  • Coons suspects the escalation is aimed more at regime change in Venezuela and access to resources, rather than drug interdiction.

• Legal and Strategic Consequences

  • Repeatedly, the Law of War manual is cited regarding protections for shipwrecked persons. Coons notes the administration is applying counterterrorism legal logic, originally intended for imminent threats, to questionable anti-drug operations.
  • “If there’s any chance at all that the floating wreck might contain cocaine...that justifies lethal action against them. I frankly think most Americans wouldn’t support this level of violence.” – Sen. Chris Coons [07:00]

• Impact on International Relations

  • U.S. credibility is damaged; the British have ceased intelligence cooperation over the incident.
  • “We’re risking separating us from our partners and allies.” – Sen. Chris Coons [04:51]

• Opaque Motives and Inconsistent Answers

  • Coons calls responses from the Trump administration “unsatisfying, incomplete, or ‘We’ll get back to you.’” [08:35]
  • No clear rationale is provided for targeting distant vessels or for the focus on cocaine, not fentanyl.

Notable Quotes

"I'm afraid that Secretary Hegseth and President Trump are sleepwalking us into a war with Venezuela." — Sen. Chris Coons [05:15]

“If interdicting drugs...is really the point...why did President Trump pardon...the former president of Honduras convicted...of trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine?” — Sen. Chris Coons [08:03]

GOP Anxiety and Muted Public Dissent

[10:50–12:07]

Key Points

• Republican Private Concerns
  • Growing alarm, especially about the Venezuela strike, Trump's softening on Ukraine, and his willingness to allow tech exports to China—but Republicans are not yet speaking out publicly.
  • “That’s got a lot of my Republican colleagues concerned, but not in ways they’re talking about publicly, at least not yet.” – Sen. Chris Coons [11:47]

Global Perspective on Trump’s Foreign Policy & Leadership Style

[12:32–17:53]

Key Points

• Anne Applebaum on Trump’s Ukraine Policy

  • Trump’s calls for Ukraine to cede territory—without security guarantees—defy long-held bipartisan positions and undermine U.S. credibility.
  • “Trump seems now to be saying that Ukraine should not just recognize de facto Russian occupation...but give up territory...in exchange for nothing.” – Anne Applebaum [12:50]

• Erosion of U.S. Military and Diplomatic Reputation

  • Absence of respected military leaders replaced by aggressively hawkish appointees like Pete Hegseth, who downplays war crimes and sees legal protections as obstacles.
  • “He’s now surrounded by people who are determined to undermine the reputation of the United States...whereas we were once reliable...now we’re completely unreliable.” – Anne Applebaum [15:12]

• Unpredictability and Instability

  • Trump’s erratic, self-interested leadership generates international apprehension and planning paralysis.
  • “Everyone...has to be braced for...some erratic decision, for a rapid change, for a complete policy reversal that can come at any moment.” – Anne Applebaum [17:08]

Reality vs. Rhetoric: Trump’s Handling of the Economy

[19:30–27:08]

Key Points

• Trump’s Economic Self-Assessment vs. Voter Reality

  • Trump claims the economy deserves an “A plus plus plus plus plus.” [20:24]
  • Polls tell a different story: nearly half of Americans—and over a third of recent Trump voters—say cost of living is the worst ever, and most blame Trump. [20:29]

• Expert Analysis

  • Steph Rule: Trump's boasts are untethered from on-the-ground reality. Recent tariff wars and subsequent stimulus to farmers underline policy failures.
    • “You can BS people on a lot of things...you cannot BS my mother...when it comes to the economy.” [21:30]
  • Sam Stein: Detachment from reality is political suicide; voters perceive Trump’s wealth as increasingly isolated from their struggles.
    • “If you say everything’s getting better...and the voters don’t feel it...they’re gonna say not is he making things actually worse...but he’s totally detached.” – Sam Stein [23:51]

• Wealth and Corruption

  • Guests highlight ostentatious displays (e.g., Mar-a-Lago parties) and Trump family business dealings as “stratospherically different” grifting that lands with voters as disconnected and corrupt.
  • “He was able to make his ostentatious gold toilet wealth feel contagious. That part...is over.” – Nicole Wallace [25:27]

Authoritarian Media Takeovers: The Paramount–Warner–Netflix Saga

[27:43–40:47]

Key Points

• Media Consolidation under Political Influence

  • Trump and his allies, particularly Larry and David Ellison, are steering hostile takeover attempts of major media properties, with the fate of CNN a central focus.
  • “Donald Trump has inserted himself into this process, which is sort of unprecedented...media moguls basically have to grovel before the president to get a deal done.” – Oliver Darcy [30:09, 31:38]

• Regulatory Leverage

  • Trump makes public his preference for which media deals succeed, with approval linked to favorable coverage or changes (e.g., intent to “fix” CNN). The DOJ’s blessing becomes political currency.

• Foreign Investment Concerns

  • Deals involve $20+ billion financing, with heavy investment from Jared Kushner and Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds, raising alarms about foreign control over U.S. media.
  • “The idea that [the Saudis] would be a part-time owner or part owner of CNN is astonishing.” – Oliver Darcy [34:33]

• Brand Risk and Consumer Response

  • Companies risk alienating audiences, but analysts doubt wide-scale consumer revolt as loyalty and platform confusion run deep.
  • “If you think that the American people are gonna stand up and say, hell no, we won't go. They won’t.” – Steph Rule [39:40]
  • Oliver Darcy raises the difficulty: “If you want to vote with your dollars, where do you send your dollars?” [40:04]

Rachel Maddow Weighs In

[41:36–42:51]

Key Points

• Media Decisions and Historical Judgment
  • Maddow calls recent media moves to appease Trump “a huge embarrassment,” referencing the planned cancellation of Stephen Colbert and the chilling effect of Trump’s low polling and alleged war crimes.
  • “Maybe don’t do that. Maybe you can now see where in history you’re going to end up, and now’s your chance to try to alter that.” – Rachel Maddow [42:18]

Notable Quotes

• “It certainly seemed that way to me...two individuals standing on top of a floating piece of wreckage, waving at something, presumably the plane that is closing in on them to kill them.”
  — Sen. Chris Coons [04:23]

• “Trump is surrounded by people who are determined to undermine the reputation of the United States...now we’re seen as a kind of rogue army.”
  — Anne Applebaum [15:12]

• “You cannot BS my mother or your mother or any person on the street when it comes to the economy.”
  — Steph Rule [21:30]

• “Detachment from reality is political suicide.”
  — Sam Stein [23:51]

• “They dangle Brendan Carr, the FCC chair out there...you have to aggressively curry favors with him or get on his right side if you want to get what you want.”
  — Ms. Now contributor [32:18]

• “If you care about democracy, do you want CNN falling into the hands of a pro-Trump force?”
  — Oliver Darcy [33:29]

• “That type of behavior on steroids, on top of steroids.”
  — Ms. Now contributor [40:44]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Controversy over Military Strike Video – [00:50–12:07]
• GOP Concerns and Private Dissent – [10:50–12:07]
• Global Reactions to Trump’s Foreign Policy – [12:32–17:53]
• Trump’s Economic Reality vs. Rhetoric – [19:30–27:08]
• Media Merger Politics and Risks – [27:43–40:47]
• Rachel Maddow’s Perspective – [41:36–42:51]

Tone & Language

The episode is urgent, sharply critical, with moments of irony and candid exasperation. Wallace and her guests speak directly and vividly; analysis is grounded in real events but colored by a clear defense of democratic norms and sober alarm at their erosion.

Conclusion

This edition of Deadline: White House amplifies bipartisan congressional angst over secrecy and legality in U.S. military actions, exposes the economic pain and anger among Trump’s base, and scrutinizes the unprecedented entanglement of the Trump administration with the nation's major media outlets. The primary concern: transparency, accountability, and the future of American democracy in the face of politicized violence and media consolidation.