IHIP News - Episode Summary
Episode: Deranged Trump Goes Off The Rails and Forces Takeover of Museums?
Date: August 16, 2025
Hosts: Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Episode Overview
In this episode, Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan deliver sharp, comedic, and emotionally charged commentary on recent political news, focusing on Donald Trump's alleged interference with historical institutions, dubious government honors, the role of women and minorities within MAGA politics, and the long-term dangers they see in the current trajectory of the American right. Infused with their signature wit and righteous indignation, Jennifer and Angie break down the stories behind the headlines and call for action among progressives, especially women.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Trump’s Takeover of Historical Institutions
-
Trump Vetting the Smithsonian Museums
- Hosts express deep concern and anger over reports that the Trump administration is vetting Smithsonian exhibits to fit Trump’s version of history.
- Quote:
“How insecure do you have to be that you want to oversee factual reporting of history? Hasn’t this country whitewashed enough?”
— Jennifer, [01:11] - The hosts argue that these moves are an attempt to rewrite history in service of racist and authoritarian narratives.
-
Re-naming and Personal Iconography
- Discuss Trump's tendency to rebrand institutions (e.g., renaming the Kennedy Center).
- Complain that he “puts his face all over the place” and treats the presidency as a personal fiefdom.
- Quote:
“He calls the Kennedy center the Trump Center... He’s full dictator. He wants to be a dictator.”
— Angie, [01:28] - Worry about segregation of figures like Obama in the White House for personal/political reasons.
- Jennifer jokes she’d rather Obama’s portrait not “witness” the corruption, preferring it “in the staircase for now.”
- [02:21]
2. Granting High Civilian Honors to Dubious Figures
- The “Big Balls” Controversy
- Satirically nickname an obscure ex-Doge staffer “Big Balls” who is allegedly being considered for the highest civilian honor, aligning him with civil rights icons like Rosa Parks and Dr. King.
- Express disbelief and outrage, connecting it to the administration’s pattern of deceit.
- Quote:
“Big Balls got beat up by a girl. I just don’t trust anything surrounding this Big Balls thing because he’s the guy that was Elon Musk’s henchman and he’s like 19 years old… And now we’re giving him an award that was given to Martin Luther King. Like, come on, come on.”
— Jennifer, [03:30] - Suggest the incident is being weaponized to justify a federal takeover of Washington, D.C. (“employ the National Guard, just happens to be a black mayor”) and to push racist and authoritarian policy.
- Angie's take:
“Go into blue cities with black mayors, take them over so we don’t have the midterms or it scares people out of voting... this man is so craven and vile.”
— Angie, [04:34]
3. Administration’s Lies and Propaganda
- Outlandish Claims on Social Media
- The hosts mock Trump’s false claims on economic matters (“Egg prices are down 2000%,” “Drug prices down 1,500 percent”), illustrating the administration’s disregard for facts.
- Quote:
“Egg prices are down 2000%. Which would mean that when you go to the grocery store, the grocery store is paying you for the eggs.”
— Jennifer, [05:05] - Regularly call out Trump officials (Caroline “KKK” Levitt, Pam Bondi, Cash Patel) as habitual liars, describing the GOP base as a “cult” immune to the truth.
4. Role and Manipulation of Women and Minorities in MAGA Movement
-
Pastor Pete Hess on Gender Roles [06:49 – 07:30]
- Play an alarming clip of Pastor Pete Hess advocating total repression of women’s roles in public life:
- “No more women in Congress. No more female state reps. No more women in any function of societal leadership.”
- Hosts warn that Project 2025 is fueled by these regressive ideologies.
- Quote:
“White women, when you are a part of this movement and you forget that you were able to go to college because of hard work of the suffragettes... At some point, the knives that these people... are going to be turned against you.”
— Jennifer, [08:21] - Draw parallels to the MagA movement using minorities and women as props, who are ultimately discarded or scapegoated.
- Quote:
“These knives are going to be turned against the gay members of MAGA. They’re already turning against the Latino members of MAGA... the Arabs for Trump, they’re all spinning out right now because people are getting deported. They were merely props.”
— Jennifer, [09:32]
- Play an alarming clip of Pastor Pete Hess advocating total repression of women’s roles in public life:
-
Wake-up Call for White Women
- Angie expresses disappointment that so many white women didn’t mobilize after the loss of abortion rights.
- Warns that the MAGA movement is now explicitly attacking women’s participation in society.
- Quote:
“They’re saying, you and your daughters shouldn’t work. You and your daughters shouldn’t be allowed to vote. What’s it going to take, white women? ...Pull yourself together and start fighting for your daughters.”
— Angie, [09:43]
5. Empathy, Intersectionality, and a Call to Action
- Solidarity with Marginalized Groups
- Jennifer reiterates that “if one child is unsafe, all children are unsafe,” urging progressive listeners (particularly mothers) to care about the well-being of black and brown children as much as their own.
- Quote:
“As mothers, it’s important that we care about black children and brown children as much as we do our own children. Because if one child is unsafe, all children are unsafe.”
— Jennifer, [10:44] - Ends with thanks to their community and a call to fight for women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color.
- Quote:
“Let’s fight for our country and fight for women and fight for immigrants and fight for LGBTQ plus people. Fight for black and brown people because by God, they make our lives and our culture so much better.”
— Jennifer, [11:30]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Trump and historical revisionism:
“Hasn’t this country whitewashed enough?” — Jennifer, [01:11]
- On the “Big Balls” saga and government propaganda:
“So now we have to... employ the National Guard, just happens to be a black mayor. And, and they talk about thugs in inner city, which is code for black people.” — Angie, [04:12]
- On the precarity of prop-status for minorities in MAGA:
“At some point, these knives are going to be turned against the gay members of MAGA... the Arabs for Trump, they’re all spinning out now...they were merely props.” — Jennifer, [09:32]
- On women’s rights rollbacks:
“They’re saying, you and your daughters shouldn’t work. You and your daughters shouldn’t be allowed to vote. What’s it going to take, white women?” — Angie, [09:43]
- Call to empathy:
“If one child is unsafe, all children are unsafe.” — Jennifer, [10:44]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Trump vetting museums; historical revisionism: [00:35–02:48]
- Civilian honors “Big Balls” controversy: [02:49–05:04]
- Disinformation and MAGA's base: [05:04–06:49]
- Extremist gender ideology (Pastor Hess): [06:49–07:30]
- Women and minorities as MAGA props: [07:30–09:43]
- Call to action and intersectional solidarity: [10:44–11:30]
Tone and Style
The episode maintains a biting, irreverent, and deeply passionate tone. Jennifer and Angie blend humor with real urgency and moral clarity, highlighting absurdity with sarcasm while keeping the focus on the serious consequences of current political trends.
In Short:
This IHIP News episode is a rollercoaster of outrage, humor, and heartfelt calls to resist creeping authoritarianism, misogyny, and racism. The hosts break down the latest stories, serving equal parts analysis, catharsis, and rallying cry for progressives in tough times.