Podcast Summary: IHIP News — “Trump Guts The Government During Secret Shutdown Scheme”

Hosts: Jennifer Welch & Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Date: October 18, 2025

Overview

In this episode of IHIP News, hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan (“Pumps”) dissect the ongoing federal government shutdown under Donald Trump’s administration. With their characteristic blend of biting humor and righteous indignation, they argue that Trump’s actions are more than incompetence—they’re part of a deliberate plan to hollow out the federal government, consolidate power, and enrich himself and his cronies. The duo covers topics including the shutdown’s catastrophic impact on everyday Americans, the dismantling of key federal programs, rampant grifting by the Trump family, and the administration’s international and domestic maneuverings.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Federal Shutdown as a Tool for Power and Punishment

• Trump’s Open Admission of Graft and Retaliation

  • The episode opens with a segment of Trump bragging about killing a major New York transportation project, painting it as revenge against Chuck Schumer and a way to cut “Democrat programs.”
    • Notable Quote:

      “We got the people that we want paid. … We're terminating those programs and they're going to be terminated on a permanent basis. And it's thousands of people and it's, it's, you know, billions of dollars.”
      — Donald Trump (02:02)

  • Welch’s reaction:
    • Trump is running government as a shakedown, making people “bend the knee” (01:19).
    • Argues the economic fallout from eliminating these programs will be "cascading, deep, and completely damaging."
      • Quote:

        “Trump's taking the mask off and he's saying, yep, that's what we're doing. Wrestle Vote Project 2025. We're going to rip up the federal government because they don't ever want to leave.”
        — Jennifer Welch (03:21)

• Project 2025 and Russell Vought

  • Reiterated warnings about Project 2025’s goal to “dismantle the federal government” and consolidate power for a specific ideological agenda (03:21–04:45).

Trump’s Open Partisanship and Erosion of the Social Contract

• Trump’s Refusal to Allocate Federal Funds to Blue States

  • Sullivan highlights Trump’s blatant refusal to send money to blue states, purely for partisan reasons:
    • Quote:

      “He just says it out loud. I’m not going to send money to blue cities and blue states because they didn’t vote for me. ... It is absolutely stunning how much joy he takes in hurting Americans.” — Angie Sullivan (04:45)

• International Affairs as Grift

  • The hosts detail Trump’s plan to send $40 billion to Argentina, supposedly to support Javier Milei’s government if he wins.
    • Welch critiques this as another instance of prioritizing rich allies, with U.S. taxpayers footing the bill:
      • Quote:

        “As your rural hospitals close ... just know that your money, by this administration, by these tax breaks for the 1%, your money will be paying for Argentinians. ... This is not an America First policy. This is a realignment with Trump wanting to align with other corrupt leaders around the world.”
        — Jennifer Welch (05:23)

Trump Family Grifting and MAGA Hypocrisy

• The ‘Trump Elf’ and Merchandise Grifts
  • The Trump family’s holiday-themed merchandise is mocked as both absurd and evidence of continual grifting.
    • Welch notes the hypocrisy, contrasting MAGA outrage at Hunter Biden’s art with acceptance of Trump’s family peddling merchandise:
      • Quote:

        “If you can imagine for a moment if Michelle Obama or Malia and Sasha Obama and Barack, if Barack Obama had sneakers and watches, you can imagine all of the racist tropes that would be spewed at them. But again, Trump is able to do all of this grifting, violating all sorts of laws…”
        — Jennifer Welch (07:42)

    • Sullivan lampoons the merchandising spree and ties it back to Trump’s self-obsession:
      • Quote:

        “Christmas is about Jesus, really, Because Trump thinks it’s about him with this stupid grifting and elf on the shelf.”
        — Angie Sullivan (09:11)

Billionaires’ Ball—Fundraising During Hardship

• Trump’s Fundraising Amidst the Shutdown
  • The episode contrasts Bernie Sanders and AOC’s town hall, which centers the real struggles of working Americans, with Trump’s gathering of donors.
    • Trump boasts to donors about collecting $25 million contributions for his new White House ballroom:
      • Quote:

        “I have so many friends and so many of you have been really, really generous. I mean, a couple of you, I’m sitting here saying, sir, would $25 million be appropriate? I said, I’ll take it. You know, it doesn’t take too many 25s to get it done.”
        — Donald Trump (11:15)

    • Welch sharply contrasts this with the anxiety of federal workers living paycheck to paycheck:
      • Quote:

        “While last night Bernie and AOC did a town hall … people that work for the federal government, that live paycheck to paycheck… This is going to wreck my credit report. These are real issues. So while this is going on ... this man [Trump] is sitting in the White House with his very wealthy donors that will never be affected by any of this.”
        — Jennifer Welch (09:34, 11:45)

    • Critiques the nature of Trump’s transactional relationships:

      • “Trump’s love language is if you can give me a lot of money, then I own you and we can do business relationships. He doesn’t care about the American people.”
        — Jennifer Welch (11:45)

Systemic Economic Decay & Capitalism Critique

• The hosts echo Sanders’ warnings about the unsustainability of American capitalism and the ongoing transfer of wealth to the elite.
  • Welch warns:

    “What Trump talks about, what he projects is what he’s doing… The economy will go, the universities will go. This will be a disaster. This country will be a disaster.”
    — Jennifer Welch (13:24)

  • Project 2025 is estimated to be over 50% implemented, underscoring the urgency.

Final Thoughts: Mobilization and Calls to Action

• Sullivan decries the farce of Trump as a successful businessman and expresses dire warning about the consequences of his leadership:
  • Quote:

    “He has never run anything that has been successful. … Everything Trump touches turns to dog shit.”
    — Angie Sullivan (14:45)

• The hosts urge listeners to participate in the upcoming “No Kings March” and to band together against the administration’s efforts, particularly in supporting marginalized and vulnerable communities.
  • Welch closes with a call for solidarity:

    “We have to band together, and this is the fight of our lives right now. ... That 1% is not that many. All right, make sure you like and subscribe, and we'll see you all later.”
    — Jennifer Welch (17:31)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments (With Timestamps)

• On Trump’s punitive use of government funds:

  "Everything that Trump does is a shakedown because he wants people to kiss his ass. And the crime and the double dealing ... are multiple per day."
  — Jennifer Welch (01:19)

• On Project 2025:

  "Trump's taking the mask off and he's saying, yep, that's what we're doing. Wrestle Vote Project 2025. We're going to rip up the federal government because they don't ever want to leave."
  — Jennifer Welch (03:21)

• On damaging working-class Americans:

  "He takes joy in hurting Americans."
  — Angie Sullivan (04:45)

• On contrasting priorities:

  "While ... people that work for the federal government ... are worried ... Trump is having his wealthy millionaire and billionaire donors at the White House."
  — Jennifer Welch (11:45)

• On economic and social decay:

  "The economy will go, the universities will go. This will be a disaster. This country will be a disaster."
  — Jennifer Welch (13:24)

• Blunt rebuke of Trump’s business acumen:

  "Everything Trump touches turns to dog shit."
  — Angie Sullivan (14:45)

• Message of Resistance:

  "We have to band together, and this is the fight of our lives right now."
  — Jennifer Welch (17:31)

Important Timestamps

• [01:19] "The federal government is basically being run like this..." (Jennifer Welch sets the stage)
• [02:02] Trump audio clip on terminating federal projects
• [03:21] Discussion of Project 2025 and Russell Vought
• [04:45] Sullivan on Trump’s partisanship and disregard for rule of law
• [05:23-07:19] The Argentina bailout controversy
• [07:42-09:34] Trump family grifting, "Trump Elf" and merchandise
• [09:34-11:45] Trump’s fundraising, Bernie/AOC contrast, and government suffering
• [13:24-14:45] Risks to the economy and warnings about fascism
• [15:23] Trump’s million-dollar fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago during shutdown
• [17:31] Final plea for mobilization and resistance

Overall Tone & Style

Welch and Sullivan maintain a tone that is at once furious, incredulous, and darkly comedic. Their language is raw (“Everything Trump touches turns to dog shit”), and their argument is punctuated with both satire and serious warnings, targeting Trump’s administration, the broader Republican project, and the apathy or complicity of wealthy elites.

Summary Takeaway

This episode warns that Trump’s ongoing government shutdown is no accident; it’s the execution of a plan to permanently diminish the federal government, with devastating economic and social consequences. The hosts urge listeners to reject cynicism and despair, mobilize in defense of democracy, and focus on solidarity—especially with America’s most vulnerable. Their overarching message: the future of the country is at stake, and resistance is not optional, but essential.