It Could Happen Here: Executive Disorder – White House Weekly #41
Date: November 14, 2025
Podcast: It Could Happen Here (Cool Zone Media / iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: Garrison Davis, Mia Wong, James Stout, Robert Evans
Overview
This episode presents a blistering rundown of the week’s White House developments and associated political fallout, exploring the collapse of U.S. governance, the renewed Jeffrey Epstein files controversy, right-wing media disinformation, shifting alliances in the halls of power, and the very real human consequences of policy failure—from shutdown aftershocks to immigration angst and economic uncertainty. The hosts’ tone alternates between dark humor, open outrage, and bleak realism as they interrogate the events and systemic patterns underpinning American decline.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Government Shutdown Ends: The Political Cost and Healthcare Fallout
[02:56–05:16]
- The U.S. government shutdown—now the longest in history—finally ended after eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans for a deal without Obamacare subsidy extensions.
- The deal only promises a future floor vote on health care tax credits (with no assurance of passage), highlighting performative, orchestrated actions by Democrats.
- None of the eight cross-over Democratic senators face reelection in 2026.
- Notably, the bill included a ban on Delta-8 hemp THC, angering Kentucky’s hemp industry.
Quote:
"So we can't get healthcare, but at least we also can't get health THC."
– Garrison Davis [04:54]
2. Jeffrey Epstein Files: Explosive Revelations and Media Silence
[05:16–18:58; 27:00–29:29]
- The House Oversight Committee released new Epstein-related emails (2011–2019), showing clear awareness among elites—including Donald Trump—of Epstein’s activities.
- Standout exchanges suggest Trump knew of underage girls at Mar-a-Lago and asked Ghislaine Maxwell to “stop.”
- Emails reveal Epstein's close contact with media, political, and financial figures (e.g., Steve Bannon, Peter Thiel, Obama officials, New York Times journalists).
- There’s open joking among elites about crimes, notably in “sent on my iPad” style, demonstrating how mundane and blatant these communications were.
- The episode is peppered with both horror at elite impunity and gallows humor at the banality of their conversations.
Quote:
“It suggests very plainly that we are ruled by a group of pedophiles... I refuse to call them a cabal because cabal implies that they work in the shadows. They were not. The entire ruling class knew this was going on openly and they're joking about it.”
– Mia Wong [12:56]
- Hosts debate whether these revelations will have political consequences; fears are expressed that there won’t be serious accountability, just continued normalization and symbolic “changing of the guard.”
- The leaks may become a tool for Republicans seeking to “decouple” from Trump as scandals deepen.
Quote:
“I think it's going to be utilized electorally by some Republicans to eventually decouple the party from Trump ... turning on him specifically through this issue...”
– Garrison Davis [21:15]
3. Media Complicity and Manufactured Crises
[27:00–28:26]
- Analysis of how major newspapers (notably The New York Times) strategically divert attention by flooding coverage of “migrant caravans” or culture war topics while burying elite crimes.
- The hosts reflect on choices made in newsroom coverage and what stories get front-page treatment—implicating both right- and ostensible left-leaning media in deflection and misdirection.
Quote:
“They're literally saying: look over there.”
– James Stout [28:26]
4. Right-Wing Media, January 6th, and Conspiracy Disinformation
[33:50–49:44]
- The right’s ongoing efforts to blame the FBI, CIA, and “deep state” for the January 6th insurrection are dissected, with specific focus on The Blaze’s widely discredited reporting on the “pipe bomb bomber” and the use of dubious “gait analysis.”
- The episode highlights the danger of such claims and their rapid circulation in alternative media, even as some on the right (including Gateway Pundit and Julie Kelly) push back when claims lack substance.
- The mainstream media’s slow response to debunk such stories is criticized, potentially enabling further conspiracy spread.
Quote:
“It's all kind of dressed up as OSINT, but they're not actually providing you with the information.”
– Robert Evans [45:11]
5. Immigration and Faith: Unlikely Alliances and Pushback
[54:59–59:39]
- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a rare, strong condemnation of the treatment of migrants, denouncing fear-mongering, detention conditions, and family separations.
- The hosts note the surprising “woke” position of the Catholic Church leadership versus right-wing “trad” Catholics.
Quote:
"Critical support to the Catholic Church."
– Garrison Davis [59:12]
- Simultaneously, Texas’s attorney general is suing Harris County for supporting NGOs that aid migrants, again stoking the dangerous narrative that humanitarian work is “aiding and abetting” crime—often laced with antisemitic undertones.
6. Economic Chaos: Tariffs, Mortgages, and Statistics
[62:58–75:21]
- Discussion of Trump’s proposed “tariff rebate checks,” potential 50-year mortgages, and new tariffs on imported Italian pasta (noting resulting impacts on those with dietary restrictions and “fancy” tastes).
- The mortgage proposal is widely derided; analysis finds a 50-year mortgage would save little monthly but drastically increase overall interest paid.
- The shutdown’s impact is felt as reliable jobs and inflation data are delayed or compromised; Trump’s efforts to sway the Bureau of Labor Statistics are noted as an ongoing threat.
Quote:
"You're not even talking about the 15 year auto loans. You know, everyone who buys a Kia can trust that it will keep working for 15 years."
– Robert Evans [70:11]
7. Culture War Fatigue and Shifting Priorities
[73:31–74:58]
- With the Supreme Court declining to revisit same-sex marriage, hosts speculate that Republican “anti-woke” culture war energy may be running out, with economic concerns eclipsing identity panics in the current climate.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Elite Crimes and Impunity:
“For all of the sort of moaning and complaining about woke censorship and MeToo and cancel culture, these people never shut the fuck up, ever. At any point, all of these people are running around to their fucking Epstein conferences taking a bunch of money to talk about eugenics.”
– Mia Wong [13:53] -
On Media Hypocrisy:
“...they’re always like two extra spaces between sentences. Like, you can tell they're old people. Typing on iPads a lot of the time with their fucking clumsy ass fingers.”
– Robert Evans [11:12] -
On the 'Pipe Bomber' Disinformation:
“You certainly shouldn't be hinging your publication survival on getting right that somebody was a bomber.”
– Robert Evans [42:49]
Key Timestamps
- 02:31: Main show begins; weekly review intro.
- 02:56: Shutdown ends, Democrats cave, healthcare deals fizzle.
- 04:53: Delta-8 hemp/THC ban hidden in shutdown deal.
- 05:16 – 18:58: Deep dive into Epstein emails, elite impunity.
- 27:00 – 29:29: Comment on NYT coverage choices; midterms and public attention.
- 33:50 – 49:44: Right-wing conspiracy media and the pipe bomber story.
- 54:59 – 59:39: Catholic Church speaks out on immigration; contradictory social issues.
- 62:58 onward: Trump economics (tariffs, mortgages), delayed labor statistics, economic data manipulation.
- 73:31: Supreme Court, same-sex marriage decision.
- 75:38: Show wrap-up and meta-commentary.
Closing Notes
The episode encapsulates both specific weekly events and the broader, relentless cycles of elite misrule, crumbling institutions, and unresolved injustices, reinforcing the show’s core exploration: "How do we live in—and resist—an era of slow, cynical collapse?" The hosts demand action but acknowledge a real fear: the world keeps burning while those in power escape accountability, often laughing all the way.
Tone and Style: Blunt, irreverent, and often furious; alternating between detailed analysis, dark comedy, and exasperated realism.
For Listeners:
If you missed the episode, this summary will bring you up to speed on every major event, mood, and argument—without the ads, digressions, or despair you might otherwise have to filter through yourself.