Mark Levin Podcast — January 3, 2026

Episode Title: "1/2/26 - Why 2026 Could Be the Best Year Yet for Americans"

Host: Brian Mudd (guest hosting for Mark Levin)
Podcast: Mark Levin Podcast
Date: January 3, 2026

Episode Overview

Guest host Brian Mudd, filling in for Mark Levin, delivers an hour packed with optimism about America’s trajectory in 2026. Mudd lays out a case for why 2026 could be a landmark year for the country, emphasizing recent policy successes under President Trump’s second term, the promise of economic gains, and the critical importance of conservative political engagement in the upcoming midterms. The episode offers a detailed analysis of what underpins American success—including economic figures, policy changes, and social trends—while repeatedly urging listeners not to repeat the perceived mistakes of 2018’s midterms. Throughout the episode, Mudd balances high-level political strategy with granular economic data and cultural commentary, peppered with characteristic humor and a sense of urgency.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Optimism for 2026 & The "Great Refund Year"

• Historic Refunds Ahead: Millions of Americans are poised to receive significant tax refunds this year, owing to changes initiated at the start of Trump’s new term and the lag in withholding adjustments. Many workers in 2025 overpaid, meaning substantial refunds are on the way.

  • “There’s going to be a heck of a lot more money in your pocket this year, and things are going to be a whole lot better off than even most people have realized.” (02:00, Brian Mudd)

• Policy Lag, Payoff Now: Mudd argues that many benefits from 2025’s economic and immigration policies are only just beginning to materialize, with more gains to come throughout 2026.

B. The Power and Pitfalls of Conservative Engagement

• Lessons from 2018: Mudd draws parallels to 2018, when (in his view) conservative complacency allowed Democrats to take back the House, leading to gridlock and impeachments.

  • “Trump voters were the 97%, for the most part, kind of sat back, didn’t appreciate fully the opportunity that was in front of us. Didn’t get out there and vote in 2018... and what happened, what happened to this country?” (11:40, Brian Mudd)

• Call for Pragmatism: Emphasizes the need for voters to support the best available candidate, regardless of perfection or ideological purity:

  • “Don’t become single issue people that are not willing to get out and do the pragmatic and smart thing to vote for the best candidate in every election, which is always the only smart thing. A no vote is always a vote.” (21:55, Brian Mudd)

• Midterm Myths: Pushes back hard against the idea that midterm losses are inevitable for the President’s party, urging conservatives to make 2026 a rare exception.

  • “Why can’t this be number four?” [in reference to midterm gains] (13:10, Brian Mudd)

C. Policy Achievements Highlighted

Mudd details what he sees as significant and underappreciated gains since Trump’s 2025 inauguration:

• Shrinking Federal Bureaucracy: “271,000 fewer federal government employees compared to the day that Trump took office. This term, the size of the federal government has shrunk by nearly a tenth, by over 9%.” (26:30, Brian Mudd)

• DEI Rollback: 20% of companies eliminated DEI, 10% cut their programs, and 432 higher ed institutions axed DEI initiatives. (27:20, Brian Mudd)

• Border Security & Deportations: 2.5 million deportations since January 2025, significantly reducing illegal immigration and (according to Mudd) related inflation and crime.

• Crime Down: Violent crimes, homicides, robberies, thefts all sharply reduced—“Crime down 17% for homicides, robberies 25% lower ...” (49:15, Brian Mudd)

• Economic Boon:

  • Domestic energy production at record highs, leading to lower energy prices.
  • Manufacturing jobs up: “244,000+ more manufacturing jobs ... 59% of companies increased manufacturing activity here.” (48:00, Brian Mudd)
  • GDP growth hits 4.3% in Q3 and 3.8% in Q2, surpassing previous administrations.

• Tax Cuts Realized in 2026:

  • Average tipped employee saves $2,000 in federal taxes.
  • 90% of Social Security recipients avoid federal tax on benefits.
  • Regulation cuts save average households $600 per year.

• Record U.S. Investment: “Trump securing a total of $9.6 trillion in new US investment ... what we previously would have accumulated in about 44 years in this country.” (52:10, Brian Mudd)

D. Cautionary Tales: "Commie" Cities & States

• New York & Seattle: Warns of deteriorating conditions in these cities under new socialist or “commie” leadership (especially New York's Mamdani and Seattle’s Katie Wilson).

• Migration Trends: Notes ongoing exodus from New York and California to Florida, attributing it to failed leftist policy.

  • “Final boarding call for a lot of people in New York, this country set for unprecedented success this year. You in New York City, not so much.” (16:50, Brian Mudd)

E. Cultural Commentary & Analogies

• Best Year of Your Life: Mudd analogizes personal success to national prosperity—both are best achieved with minimal government interference.

  • “The best year of your life, whatever it’s been, was not because of the government at any level. And if it was, that's a much bigger issue.” (17:55, Brian Mudd)

• Sports & Referees: “You’ve never had a game that was great because of a referee or an umpire. Right. ... you can have them ruin it. And that is the same kind of landscape …” (22:35, Brian Mudd)

F. Engagement, Turnout & Political Math

• Voting Statistics:

  • Presidential: 64% turnout
  • Midterms: 48% turnout
  • Local: Under 20%
  • “The bottom line is that if Trump's voters show up and vote this year the way they voted previously, this midterm election cycle, this is winnable for the GOP, but most importantly for Trump's agenda...” (68:40, Brian Mudd)

• Polling and Registration Improvements: Republicans 3 points better in approval, 9 points better on the generic ballot, and showing year-over-year voter registration advances in swing, red, and even blue states.

  • “In every single state that tracks partisan registration information, Democrats lost ground in 2025. Every single state.” (63:30, Brian Mudd)

G. Audience Calls & Concerns

• Voter Fraud & Election Integrity:

  • Several callers raise issues about voting security, fraud concerns (especially in Minnesota), and the importance of audits.
  • Mudd responds by touting new executive orders on mailed ballot verification and the importance of local and state elections for changing such systems.

• Complacency & Pragmatism:

  • Callers echo the concern that sitting out midterms or demanding perfection is damaging.
  • “Every single election voting anymore, we're voting for Republicans just to keep the Democrats out of office. ... you got really going to go to hell in a handbasket.” (105:44, Caller Mike)
  • Mudd’s response: “Even if they suck, they'll suck less than the other person ... Trump has been able to pull enough of them across the finish line to get the job done. And so pragmatism must win the day." (105:59, Brian Mudd)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On 2026’s Potential:

  • “If you want to have unprecedented success in 2026, I got the recipe. I’m going to lay it all out for you. And again, it's super simple. And if you're looking for reasons to feel really good heading into this year, I’ve got them for you.” (07:40, Brian Mudd)

• On New York City’s City Hall:

  • “You got the Mamdani commie dream team. You got him. You got the Bern swearing him in. You had AOC on hand. I mean, what else could you want? Good times. Good times.” (15:45, Brian Mudd)

• On DEI and Gender Policies:

  • “You know the guys that wake up and go, man, you don't like a chick today, think I'm gonna go play ball as a girl. That doesn't happen anymore. Right. And why? Trump.” (28:10, Brian Mudd)

• On Conservative Turnout:

  • “Republicans have to stop being the stupid party, the people. I’m a single issue voter. Or this. You need to vote for the best candidate...” (41:03, Brian Mudd)

• On Realignment:

  • “Everywhere we look over the past year, we continue to see the Republican gains net of Democrats. The same type of shift that was in place for the 2024 election that is continuing.” (87:40, Brian Mudd)

Key Timestamps by Segment

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | Introduction, “Great Refund Year” explained | | 03:10 | Optimism vs. conservative pessimism | | 07:40 | Recipe for 2026 success, lessons from 2018 | | 11:40 | Parallels to 2018—a call for turnout | | 14:40 | Heritage Foundation 250th anniversary survey | | 17:45 | Why govt is rarely the cause of your best year | | 21:55 | Pragmatic voting; avoiding “stupid party” status | | 26:30 | Recap: Trump’s first-year policy accomplishments | | 34:40 | Border success, DEI rollback, decreasing crime | | 41:03 | Importance of turnout in midterms and local elections | | 48:00 | Manufacturing, energy, economic growth stats | | 52:10 | $9.6 trillion in new US investment | | 62:10 | Caller Susan on historical GDP growth perspective | | 63:30 | Polling/voter registration outperformance | | 87:40 | State-by-state party registration gains | |105:44 | Caller Mike: Republican pragmatism in voting | |107:41 | Election integrity: audits, reforms, and local races |

Tone & Style Notes

Brian Mudd maintains Mark Levin’s trademark blend of intellectual rigor, biting humor, and unapologetic partisanship. He blends analogy (sports, personal life, business), data analysis, and listener engagement fluidly. As always, the tone is combative toward “the left,” deeply optimistic about conservative prospects (if “we” don’t screw it up), and unforgiving of right-wing complacency.

Conclusion

In this episode, Brian Mudd lays out a comprehensive argument for why 2026 could mark a turning point for America, provided conservatives heed the lessons of the past by showing up and supporting pragmatic progress. Economic, social, and foreign policy gains are all presented as evidence that—with consistent and determined engagement—the best days for Americans may well be just ahead.

For additional context, check out the full episode on the Mark Levin Podcast via your preferred podcast app.