Podcast Summary: Next Up with Mark Halperin

Episode: Megyn Kelly on Dems’ Shutdown Deal Meltdown and Schumer’s Fall, Plus Inside the Rise of Nick Fuentes

Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Mark Halperin
Guest: Megyn Kelly

Episode Overview

This wide-ranging episode examines the fallout from the recent government shutdown resolution and deep divides within the Democratic Party, contrasting the current states of leadership and factionalism in both Democrats and Republicans. The conversation also spotlights the rising influence of far-right streamer Nick Fuentes, particularly among young men, and questions how American institutions are losing their grip on the next generation. Mark Halperin’s monologue distills the populist-vs-establishment struggle running through both parties, before Megyn Kelly joins for a candid, pointed discussion of Democratic disarray, Schumer’s woes, and the broader political climate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Populist vs. Establishment Battles Shape Both Parties

Timestamps: 05:00 – 27:17

• Halperin observes that both Democrats and Republicans are gripped by populist uprisings against their party establishments, a dynamic dating to 2015/2016, but accelerating now.

  • "Both parties now are in the midst of long running populist revolts that date back to 2015, 2016..." (08:30)

• For Republicans, Donald Trump is the “sun” around whom the party orbits; the Democratic Party, by contrast, is “leaderless”—creating a profound asymmetry between the sides.

  • "One party dominated by a single person, the other party... just a void." (17:40)

• Both parties’ internal convulsions are playing out in fights over policy (Israel support, anti-Semitism), yet deeper currents of anger, distrust, and demand for fundamental change drive them.

  • "These are real conflicts... symptoms of something deeper... proxy wars again, between the establishment and the insurgent populace..." (12:30)

• Halperin highlights the anxiety among establishment figures (e.g., Ted Cruz and Rahm Emanuel) about the populist wings. They try to nudge back toward the center without provoking outright revolt.

  • "Nobody in the establishment really wants to take on that fight because... they don't want to get eaten on either side. They don't get eaten by the populist tiger." (23:50)

• The midterms and shutdown are seen as pivotal events: Democrats enjoyed a spectacular Election Night, then almost immediately descended into intra-party chaos during the shutdown negotiations—especially as eight Democratic senators broke ranks.

  • "Election ends up on Democratic terms and then eight Democratic senators end the shutdown on Republican terms." (13:10)

2. Megyn Kelly on the Democrat Meltdown & Schumer’s Fall

Timestamps: 27:17 – 36:56

Why Are Democrats So Upset About Ending the Shutdown?

• Kelly: Democrats expected to ride Election Night momentum, but pragmatic senators recognized their shutdown stance was untenable. The political cost of delayed flights and missed paychecks loomed.

  • Quote: "I will need my psycho hat if I'm going to analyze their behavior. ...Some more judicious thinkers in the Senate realized someone had to be the grownup in the room." — Megyn Kelly (27:32)

• Both host and guest note most Democrats quietly wanted a deal but left the eight siding senators exposed as scapegoats.

  • Quote: "The cowardice of their fellow Democratic senators... most of whom wanted this deal, too. They just didn't want to put their names on it." — Megyn Kelly (28:54)

The Leadership Vacuum

• Kelly and Halperin agree Democrats lack any real leader or “bench.”

  • Quote: "There was a poll out just this week showing the number one person getting votes as the Democratic Party leader is: I don't know. That's their leader." — Megyn Kelly (30:31)
  • Quote: "He’s in a weaker position than I’ve ever seen him since he became minority leader." — Megyn Kelly on Schumer (31:23)

• Schumer is now seen as increasingly out-of-touch and analogous to Mitch McConnell for Dems—uninspiring, artificial, and destined to be overthrown by the party’s more energetic left.

  • Quote: "Senator Schumer is the most artificial, tough to connect with person on earth... What's his constituency? There’s not like some huge contingent of Chuck Schumer fangirls..." — Megyn Kelly (31:57)

• The Republican Party, by contrast, rallies around Trump with visible “second-chair” bench players, while Democrats struggle to name any figure carrying the shutdown message.

  • Quote: "Who were the big Democratic stars on the shutdown? No one. Right?" — Mark Halperin (33:43)

3. Gavin Newsom, the Next Democratic Hope?

Timestamps: 34:48 – 36:56

• Discussion turns to Governor Gavin Newsom as a potential 2028 contender. Kelly expresses skepticism about his authenticity and “oily” persona but concedes he's performed better as a Trump antagonist, which is valued in today's Democratic Party.
  • Quote: "He's so dishonest and he's so oily... But I think he's on his way. He's definitely better off than he was a year ago." — Megyn Kelly (36:53)

4. Why Did Democrats Outperform Expectations on Election Night?

Timestamps: 36:56 – 39:04

• Kelly credits Democratic overperformance to Trump’s polarizing effect:
  • Quote: "I think Trump, while we love him on the right... it definitely alienates Independents and they make the difference in every election. And they are now voting overwhelmingly blue..." — Megyn Kelly (37:16)
• She notes candidate quality also played a role, describing underwhelming GOP performances and "death wish" voting patterns in New York.

5. How Can Republicans Rebuild Support Among Independents and Latinos?

Timestamps: 39:04 – 41:11

• Kelly points to economic issues as central, with a need for visible action beyond rhetoric on inflation and cost of living. She also notes media narratives around immigration and how they may drive Latino voters away from the GOP.
  • Quote: "People want to see that you’re doing something… They want to feel like you’re doing something, as opposed to you just saying, trust me…" — Megyn Kelly (41:01)

6. Trump & Media Accountability: The BBC Incident

Timestamps: 41:11 – 43:53

• Halperin and Kelly discuss Trump’s exceptional ability to hold media accountable, citing top BBC officials ousted after an unfair broadcast clip about Trump.
  • Quote: "Every reporter knows it's dicey even skipping like one or two sentences in the same answer to. But the last part of the answer together with the first part of the answer for clarity. ...You in no world can go an hour later in a speech and pull the most incendiary part and then staple it together..." — Megyn Kelly (43:10)
• Both agree the incident represents a seismic media reckoning, prompted by Trump’s doggedness.

7. Special Analysis: The Rise of Nick Fuentes and Young Men’s Alienation

Timestamps: 44:30 – end (~1:04:55)

Heritage Foundation, Tucker Carlson & The Fuentes Flap

• Halperin reflects on recent controversies about the Heritage Foundation’s stance toward Tucker Carlson’s interview with Nick Fuentes, framing these as secondary compared to a core issue: why Fuentes has such an appeal, especially to young men, and what this says about America’s future leadership and stability.

The Real Issue: Winning (or Losing) Young American Men

• Halperin draws extensively from Michael Young (@wok_distance) to explain why boys are gravitating toward reactionary movements:

  • Stifling school environments promote only “feminine” modes of interaction, marginalizing boys for being masculine.
  • Boys’ natural modes of learning, communicating, and being are treated as defective; there is “an utter indifference towards the interests, fortunes and inner lives of young boys.”
  • This neglect creates fertile ground for figures like Fuentes to offer belonging and a sense of defiant community.

  Quote (citing Young):

  "Once you understand this, the real question is not why are some young men radicalizing? The real question is why are there any young men at all who have not been radicalized?..." (approx. 56:00)

• Halperin warns that it’s a “crazy thing to consign our young men to” — being led by haters for lack of other support.

  • Quote: "The fight we all should want to win is to win back these young boys, to create educational opportunities and forums and environments where they don't feel this way." (approx. 1:01:00)

• He calls on political, spiritual, and community leaders to inspire young men with economic opportunity, community belonging, and ideals—rather than focusing merely on fighting the Fuenteses of the world.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Halperin:
  • "One party dominated by a single person, the other party... just a void." (17:40)
  • "Nobody in the establishment really wants to take on that fight because... they don't want to get eaten on either side." (23:50)
  • "I don't really care who runs the Heritage Foundation...What I care about is whether we take the lesson from this...to win back these young boys." (1:03:30)
• Kelly:
  • "Some more judicious thinkers in the Senate realized someone had to be the grownup in the room." (29:18)
  • "Senator Schumer is the most artificial, tough to connect with person on earth..." (31:57)
  • "Trump… definitely alienates independents and they make the difference in every election." (37:16)
  • "He's so dishonest and he's so oily... But I think he's on his way…" (36:53) on Gavin Newsom

Important Timestamps

• 05:00 – Symmetry & Asymmetry in Party Dynamics
• 13:10 – Democrats’ Election Win/Shutdown Meltdown Paradox
• 23:50 – Establishment Caution: “Getting eaten by the populist tiger”
• 27:17 – Megyn Kelly joins, Democratic Shutdown Fallout
• 30:31 – Kelly on Democratic Leadership Vacuum
• 31:57 – Schumer’s Crisis & Comparison to McConnell
• 34:48 – Democratic bench, Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Potential
• 37:16 – Trump’s Impact on Democratic Election Success
• 41:01 – Media’s Impact on Latino Vote, Economic Remedies
• 43:10 – The BBC Incident, Media Standards (Kelly on journalism)
• 44:30+ – The Rise of Nick Fuentes, Young Men, and Institutional Failures

Tone & Style

The episode delivers sharp, unvarnished analysis (in both Halperin’s and Kelly’s signature styles), with a thread of bemused cynicism and urgency about the current political situation. The tone is frank, sometimes biting, with humor and cultural references (e.g., “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Blue Man Group”). Both speakers are direct about their skepticism over existing leadership and express concern about a future driven by resentment and radicalization.

Conclusion

This episode offers a nuanced breakdown of the leadership crisis and populist upheaval consuming both major US parties, the recent Democratic debacle over the shutdown deal, and the calming absence of moderate leadership. Through dialogue with Megyn Kelly and a reflective monologue, Halperin underscores how failures to inspire and engage young men are giving rise to figures like Nick Fuentes—a problem neither party nor society at large can afford to ignore.