Mark Levin Podcast – 12/26/25

Episode Title: Understated Success: Trump’s Unseen Achievements This Year
Date: December 27, 2025
Guest Host: Brian Mudd (in for Mark Levin)

Main Theme

This episode, guest hosted by Brian Mudd, delivers a detailed, fact-driven review of Donald Trump’s achievements during the first 11 months of his ongoing second term as President. Mudd centers the episode around Trump's "20 Point Plan to Save America," methodically examining each point and offering supporting statistics, memorable moments, and analysis, all to highlight what he describes as Trump’s “remarkably understated” successes—many of which, he argues, have gone unnoticed, even among some supporters.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Understated" Worker-President

• Mudd repeatedly emphasizes Trump’s tireless work ethic—claiming the President never takes a day off, as evidenced by his high-profile Christmas Day strikes against ISIS terrorists in Nigeria.
• Quote:

  "One descriptor that nobody, including his biggest supporters, would ever think about would be understated... But guess what? He is. His success is understated even among his supporters." – Brian Mudd (02:07)

2. Trump’s 20 Point Plan to Save America (20:17–38:00)

• Mudd reads out and explains the key points of Trump’s 20 Point Plan, which covers everything from border security to economic growth to social issues.
• He maintains the episode’s structure by returning repeatedly to this plan, later providing “receipts” (hard data/evidence) on each goal.

Highlights of the 20 Point Plan include:

1. Seal the border and stop migrant invasion
2. Largest deportation operation in American history
3. End inflation and make America affordable
4. Make America dominant energy producer
5. Restore manufacturing jobs and impose tariffs
6. Major tax cuts for workers; no tax on tips/overtime/Social Security
7. Defend the Constitution and Bill of Rights
8. Prevent World War III; establish peace and missile defense
9. End weaponization of government
10. Crush drug cartels and gang crime
11. Rebuild and clean up cities
12. Modernize and de-woke the military
13. Preserve the US Dollar’s reserve status
14. Protect and strengthen Social Security/Medicare
15. Cancel EV mandates/cut regulation
16. End DEI/CRT/gender/social content in schools
17. Keep men out of women’s sports
18. Deport pro-Hamas radicals; crack down on campus antisemitism
19. Secure elections
20. Unite and enrich the nation

3. Accomplishments, Data, and Specific Examples (39:26+)

Mudd moves from laying out the plan to providing detailed results (“receipts”) for each item. Some of the standouts:

Border & Deportations

• Claim: Border crossings at their lowest level in recorded history; a 99%+ decrease compared to Biden-era figures (53:49).
• Deportations: Over 2.5 million (primarily self-deported, saving US resources).
• Quote:

  "There were more illegal border crossings in a typical day under the Biden administration than there have been in over 11 months under the Trump administration." – Brian Mudd (53:35)

Economic Performance

• Stock Market: S&P 500 at record highs; strongest run since 2020.
• GDP Growth: 4.3% in Q3, following 3.8% in Q2.
• Tariffs: $200+ billion in new revenue.
• Gas Prices: Lowest December national average since 2020.
• Manufacturing: 59% of U.S. firms increased stateside production; over 400,000 jobs gained or protected this year.

Taxes & Cost of Living

• Cuts: No taxes on tips, overtime, Social Security for ~90% of recipients.
• Average tip worker: +$2,000/year
• Social Security recipient: +$1,500/year (via tax savings)
• Affordability: The average American is ~1% better off than a year ago, reversing prior declines.
• Quote:

  "The average person is actually a decent amount better off than they were this time a year ago." – Brian Mudd (36:23)

Crime & City Safety

• Murder rate: Largest single-year decline ever recorded—murders down 17%, robberies/thefts down 25%, overall crime down 11% (79:31, 93:49).
• Causation: Mudd credits mass deportation of criminal illegal immigrants and National Guard support in cities.

Ending “Woke” Policies

• DEI Backlash: 20% of companies fully eliminated DEI; another 10% reduced it.
• Universities: 432 colleges in 47 states removed DEI programs.
• NCAA: Now blocks “men pretending to be women” in women’s sports (NCAA policy reversal following Trump order).
• Military: Ban on transgender personnel and elective surgery.

Social Security & Medicare

• Fraud Savings: $9 billion/year removed from Social Security fraud; $14.6 billion/year from Medicare fraud.
• Prescription Drugs: $12 billion/year in savings after renegotiation.

Education Reform

• Dept. of Ed: Staff cut by over 50%, many duties shifted—first steps toward abolishing the department.
• CRT/“Woke” Curricula: Federal funding halted for non-compliant schools.

National Security & Foreign Policy

• ISIS: Example of Christmas Day airstrike in Nigeria.
• Ukraine/Russia Peace Efforts: Trump has brought more progress “in two weeks than the prior year.”
• Middle East: New or sustained peace deals; US arms sales now structured for repayment via rare earth/natural resource access.
• Venezuela: Pressure campaign isolating Maduro and disrupting drug trafficking.

Dollar Status & Investment

• US Dollar: 5% rise in global reserve usage.
• Investment: $9.6 trillion in US investment this year—equivalent of 44 years’ worth at the previous decade’s pace.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you’ve waited for much of your life hoping for fundamental changes within the way our federal government operates…this is your year.” – Brian Mudd, reflecting on shrinking the bureaucracy by 9% (41:20)
• “President Trump has knocked the cover off the ball with almost all of these within the first 11 plus months of his second term.” – Brian Mudd (36:23)
• “20% of companies have eliminated DEI programs completely this year...432 colleges and universities across 47 states have eliminated DEI programs this year.” – Brian Mudd (41:46)
• “The NCAA changed its official policy stance to end men that are pretending to be women from competing as women in collegiate athletics. Kind of a big deal, right?” (41:46)
• “President Trump proved during his first term to be the ultimate arbiter of peace... now following the message that Biden created—the weakness of Biden and what that led to around the world—man, that’s led to Trump becoming a historic peacemaker.” – Brian Mudd (85:00)
• “It’s hard for Donald Trump to be understated. His success this year has been understated even among his supporters.” (106:55)

Key Timestamps

Opening Reflection and Theme:

• [02:07] – “Understated” nature of Trump’s presidency
• [05:41] – Christmas Day terrorist strikes as an exemplar

Trump's 20 Point Plan Laid Out:

• [20:17–38:00] – Systematic breakdown of each point

“Receipts” and Results Section Begins:

• [39:26] – Transition to data, specifics on government reduction
• [41:20] – DEI, college reforms, NCAA sports policies
• [53:49] – Major border & deportation details
• [79:31] – Crime statistics
• [85:00] – Military, dollar, Social Security
• [97:32] – Education, CRT, and Department of Ed reforms
• [109:32] – Caller segment on conservatism and generational shift

Memorable Callers:

• [63:36] – Caller on national debt
• [109:32] – Sandra on conservative values
• [114:19] – Joel on Muslim immigration/assimilation

Structure & Tone

Structure:

• The episode moves sequentially from broad theme (Trump’s “understated” success) to details (20 Point Plan), then to evidence for each item, intermingled with calls and anecdotal moments. Mudd keeps a steady, fact-focused, enthusiastic, and unapologetically pro-Trump tone.

Tone:

• Assertive, combative toward “woke,” legacy media and Biden-era policies, full of superlatives (“holy crap material,” “knocked the cover off the ball”), and marked by Brian Mudd’s blend of numbers-driven analysis and rhetorical flourish, honoring Levin’s style.

Conclusion

Brian Mudd concludes by asserting that Trump’s accomplishments are historic, multifaceted, and frequently go underappreciated—even by his own base. He encourages continued vigilance, optimism for further gains, and frames the current moment as a potential “generational opportunity” for conservatism, akin to the Reagan era.

For listeners wanting a thorough review of tangible Trump administration outcomes in every major policy area—this episode serves as a detailed year-in-review, buttressed by data, calls, and the distinct, passionate tone of Levin’s network.