IHIP News Podcast Summary

Episode: Trump Threatens the EU and Chaos Erupts in FBI Hearings as Kash's Team Faceplants
Release Date: December 12, 2025
Hosts: Jennifer Welch (A), Angie “Pumps” Sullivan (D)

Episode Overview

In this high-energy, irreverent episode, Jennifer and Angie dissect the latest political chaos: the embarrassing FBI hearings led by Trump-appointee Kash Patel, Trump’s latest attempts to intimidate the EU and red states, and the alarming mainstream platforming of far-right voices like Erica Kirk. The hosts skewer right-wing narratives, lament the corruption and dysfunction at federal levels, and push back on media complicity—all with biting sarcasm and wit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. FBI Hearings—Confusion, Farce, and Fabrication

[00:00–03:19]

• The hosts react to clips from recent congressional hearings featuring the FBI, led by Trump loyalist/“failed podcaster” Kash Patel.
  • FBI officials struggle to identify Antifa as a real terrorist organization, failing to provide numbers or locations.
  • Hosts ridicule the fact that the FBI is “pouring all these resources…into an organization that does not exist” (D, 02:38).
  • Emphasis on the real threats: Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, right-wing extremist groups—ignored by Trump’s FBI.

"They're making everyday Americans that are resisting this fascist regime into an imaginary terrorist organization. And it is so Nazi-esque, it's unbelievable."
—Jennifer Welch [05:31]

• Jennifer raises the specter of weaponizing the “domestic terrorism” label against anti-Trump Americans, referencing reporting by journalist Ken Klippenstein.
• Both hosts draw historical parallels: Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma City bombing, and January 6—underscoring the longstanding issue of right-wing domestic terror.

2. Trump’s Delusional Rhetoric and the EU

[06:15–09:57]

• The hosts play a clip of Trump boastfully claiming Europe “listens to us and respects us like never before.”
• Angie mocks Trump’s “delusions of grandeur,” highlighting frequent protests against him in Europe:
  • “Every time you go overseas, they put Jeffrey Epstein in your picture on the side of castles. Scotland protests and says Trump is a Nazi...” (D, 06:40)
• Conversation pivots to the strategic dangers behind Trump’s stance:
  • Jennifer posits this is either dementia or intentional manipulation (by Putin, oligarchs, etc.) to destabilize the EU.
  • Discussion of the coordination between far-right US actors (Elon Musk, Peter Thiel) and efforts to undermine European regulations and unity.

"They want all of the Europeans data and they're going to try to collect it as they come into the United States. And Europe is holding a lot of these tech oligarchs accountable." —Jennifer Welch [09:22]

3. Media Fumbles: Bari Weiss at CBS (“Cringe Bullshit”)

[09:57–12:36]

• Jennifer slams Bari Weiss’s ascendancy at CBS, rebranding the network as “Cringe Bullshit.”
• Critique centering on Weiss’s “softball” interview with Erica Kirk (widow of Charlie Kirk), focusing on conspiracies and grief instead of gun violence or far-right rhetoric.
  • “Barry Wise, did you ask her…your husband said that if some kids were killed in schools, as long as he had his Second Amendment, that he was fine with that.” (A, 11:00)
• Both hosts denounce the lack of real accountability in mainstream reporting and the overall erosion of media standards.

4. Heritage Foundation, Indiana, and Federal Extortion

[15:27–19:06]

• Jennifer spotlights a threatening Heritage Foundation tweet, warning Indiana lawmakers of lost federal funding if they resist GOP redistricting (gerrymandering):
  • “If the Indiana Senate fails to pass the map, all federal funding will be stripped from the state…These are the stakes and every no vote will be to blame.”
• The hosts decry the Heritage Foundation as a “Christian nationalist mafia,” condemning local establishments for hosting their events.

"The federal government is a mafia regime. If they're going to deny hardworking Indianans their funding…those businesses deserve to go bankrupt. Shame on anybody who welcomes these bigots, these crime mafia style insecure babies…"
—Jennifer Welch [16:52]

• Angie frames Trump’s threat as outright criminal extortion, expressing hope (tempered by Jennifer’s realism) that such actions could warrant prosecution post-presidency.

“If Donald Trump withholds one federal dollar based on this tweet, that is extortion…”
—Angie Sullivan [18:03]

“They will find some loophole…they keep siding with him time and time again.”
—Jennifer Welch [19:06]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the absurdity of FBI priorities:
  “They're looking at a non existent, what they think is a Democratic leaning organization. It's bananas.” (D, 02:38)

• On mainstream media and propaganda:
  “She is a walking, talking advertisement [that] they are not a serious news organization in the least.”
  —Jennifer Welch [10:19]

• On the normalization of extremism:
  "These are questions that need to be asked, but they won't be. They'll be like, oh, poor Erica. You know, everybody feels sorry for Erica. She lost her husband."
  —Angie Sullivan [12:37]

• On the Supreme Court’s complicity:
  “I love you, but you think Alito Gorsuch, the Handmaid, Thomas, they're gonna rule that he has immunity.”
  —Jennifer Welch [19:06]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–03:19 – FBI hearings, Antifa myth, and critique of federal law enforcement
• 06:15–09:57 – Trump’s speech on Europe, analysis of manipulation tactics and the new right-wing “charm offensive”
• 09:57–12:36 – Bari Weiss at CBS and the media’s failure to engage on gun violence and extremism
• 15:27–19:06 – Heritage Foundation’s Indiana threat and the legal/moral implications of Trump’s extortion

Summary Tone and Style

The episode is fiercely progressive, sardonic, and urgent. Jennifer and Angie balance caustic humor with alarm at the severe erosion of democratic norms and institutions. They call listeners to resist normalization—of both right-wing extremism and media complicity—and remind their audience of their own agency.

For those who missed the episode, this recap covers the episode's major developments and the hosts’ scathing commentary—giving context, insights, and clear references for deeper exploration.