Nightly Scroll with Hayley Caronia

Episode 122: Team Trump Trolls Newsom

Date: August 29, 2025
Host: Hayley Caronia
Guest: Scott Bryson (ex-Secret Service, host of "Beyond the Service")

Episode Overview

In this fiery edition of Nightly Scroll, Hayley Caronia unpacks President Trump’s team’s trolling of California Governor Gavin Newsom—particularly the buzz around Trump 2028 hats and White House renovations—while giving her candid conservative perspective on cultural flashpoints, Democratic fundraising woes, and a series of headline-grabbing stories, including the closure of Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant facility, Gloria Gaynor’s unexpected Republican donations, and a discussion about school shootings and gun safety with ex-Secret Service agent Scott Bryson.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Team Trump Trolls Newsom with “Trump 2028” Hats

Timestamps: [00:01] – [08:34]

• Set-Up:

  • Newsom was rattled at POLITICO’s California Agenda Summit, warning about Trump’s “danger” to democracy and circulating rumors about Trump not wanting another election.
  • Trump’s response: selling "Trump 2028" hats—a move Hayley frames as intentional trolling, since Trump has said on the record he won’t run in 2028 and is promoting heirs to the movement.
  • Hayley notes mainstream figures (Kennedy Jr., Newsom, etc.) are perpetuating the rumor for political effect, despite Trump’s clear statements.

• Hayley’s Take:

  • Calls out Democratic “fear-mongering” and clarifies, “If President Trump really didn’t want another election, he could just keep selling Trump 2024 hats because that would have been the last election. Am I right?” ([03:28])
  • Frames Trump as “bad at being a dictator” if he’s joking about new elections.
  • Dismantles the narrative about Trump’s White House renovations, saying it’s about “legacy” and “the people’s house,” not personal power.

• BuzzFeed Controversy:

  • Left-wing media (BuzzFeed) mocks Trump’s White House décor, claiming his “gold” updates are cheap Home Depot knock-offs.
  • Hayley: “They are mad at him when he’s cost effective. They’re mad at him when he uses his own money. The left is just mad at him.” ([06:05])

2. Trump’s Proposed RNC-Style National Convention Before Midterms

Timestamps: [07:30] – [10:07]

• New Tactic:

  • Trump proposes a never-before-seen pre-midterm “national convention” to energize the GOP base and showcase party priorities, signed off as “President of the United States of America” on Truth Social.
  • Hayley likens it more to a Trump rally than a “stuffy” State of the Union, asserting, “Nobody parties like President Trump. Nobody reaches the voters better.” ([08:21])

• Rally Energy:

  • Hayley and co-host Andy reminisce about the unparalleled energy at Trump events versus Biden’s “boring, yawn” rallies, highlighting the cultural contrast for listeners.

3. Gloria Gaynor and GOP Supporters in Unexpected Places

Timestamps: [10:07] – [17:21]

• Surprise Donor:

  • Famous for “I Will Survive,” singer Gloria Gaynor has donated $22,000 to several key Republican candidates, causing an uproar in the LGBTQ community and among media figures like Ana Navarro.
  • Hayley: “If she’s willing to donate thousands of dollars to Republican candidates and causes, she’s not gonna be too offended to accept an award from President Trump.” ([15:51])

• Trump at the Kennedy Center:

  • Trump “appointed himself to the Kennedy Center,” plans to host star-studded honors including Gaynor, Sylvester Stallone, George Strait.
  • Hayley delights in Trump “commanding the room... the lights, the camera, the action.”

• Athletes in Congress:

  • Yankees’ Mark Teixeira announces congressional run for Chip Roy’s seat (Roy pursuing Texas Attorney General role).
  • Playful banter about the GOP’s “athlete recruitment” for Congress and possible impact on the Congressional Baseball Game: “If they have Mark Teixeira, they will be in business.” ([15:51])

4. Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Migrant Facility Closing

Timestamps: [17:21] – [22:26]

• Facility Background:

  • DeSantis’ signature detention center for migrants, once housing up to 1,000 people, now nearly empty following court-ordered dismantling.
  • “We went from a thousand beds to like 300 detainees, and then apparently soon there’s going to be zero.” ([20:25])
  • DHS relocating detainees to other centers; DeSantis planning “Deportation Depot” in Jacksonville.

• Political Framing:

  • Hayley: “Whatever President Trump does, whatever Republicans do, these judges, activist judges, they are going to fight it at every turn.” ([21:56])

5. International & Domestic Leftist Violence

Timestamps: [22:26] – [25:00]

• Argentina:
  • Far-left protestors attack Argentine President Javier Milei at a rally, allegedly over corruption rumors involving big pharma “kickbacks.”
  • Hayley uses the incident to illustrate her view of left-wing protest tactics: “Just goes to show that leftist protesters, no matter where you go... they are deeply disturbed and violent.” ([23:00])

Special Segment: School Shooting Response

Guest: Scott Bryson (Ex-Secret Service)
[Timestamps: [25:00] – [45:13]]

6. Minneapolis School Shooting & Gun Debate

• Hayley’s Recap:

  • Discusses issues of mental health, access to SSRIs, and gun rights following trans-identifying shooter’s attack on Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
  • Expresses hope for investigations into the potential effects of gender-affirming and psychiatric drugs on violence.

• RFK Jr. Quote ([23:25]):

  • On Fox & Friends:

    “We are doing those kind of studies now at NIH... launching studies on the potential contribution of some of the SSRI drugs and some of the other psychiatric [medications] that might be contributing to violence... We need, we can’t exclude those as a culprit.”
    —John Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

7. Gun Control, Mental Health, & School Safety

Hayley & Scott Bryson Discussion [26:07+]

• Guns & Medication:

  • Scott notes commonality of SSRIs and broad mental health issues:

    “Proper diet, sunlight, sleep and exercise cures a lot of these problems... You have to do your due diligence and be a free thinker, not just take [meds] hook, line, and sinker.” ([27:22])

  • Debate around connecting red-flag laws to medication use; Hayley remains a “Second Amendment absolutist,” but acknowledges recurring mental health themes among mass shooters.

• Law Enforcement Data Gaps:

  • Scott underscores the inaccuracy and incompleteness in background check databases due to HIPAA and practitioner hesitancy:

    “The information in those databanks... the poor guy selling the gun doesn’t know [the buyer’s mental health]. But he’s the bad guy.” ([30:05])

• Determining Motive & School Shooter Response:

  • Hayley:

    “It seems like depending on who the shooter is, we either get a motive or we don’t.” ([31:00])

  • Scott explains the investigation process—interviews, canvassing, social media review, with an emphasis on patience and thoroughness.

8. School Security: Hard Targets, Arming Teachers, and Active Shooter Protocols

• Soft vs. Hard Targets:

  • Schools often chosen for convenience and lack of security; security presence can deter attacks, but experience in the field varies greatly.
  • Example: American school in London had “former Israeli Shin Bet soldiers... [who] looked the part.” ([36:44])

• Arming Teachers?

  • Scott:

    “...[the] only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. That’s not debatable... But you might want to really vet the people... Not everybody’s proficient.” ([38:45])

  • Hayley sees armed security as preferable to “gun free zones”—states this will likely be a red state solution, not blue.

• Active Shooter Advice:

  • Scott shares “CRASE” method—Avoid, Deny, Defend:
    1. Avoid: Run and lock/barricade.
    2. Deny: Barricade in hard rooms (bathrooms, cinderblock walls).
    3. Defend: As last resort, defend with available means. ([44:00])

9. Cultural Commentary & Viral Clips

Timestamps: [45:26] – End

a) Trans Ideology and Kids’ Entertainment

• Hayley shares viral video of a mother having to explain to her 4-year-old the difference between “girl” and “boy” to counter gender ideology:

  “If a four year old is coming to her mom asking... the fact that that ideology has gotten to a four year old is super concerning.” ([47:54])

• Hayley and Andy note the pervasiveness of the issue in media, children’s books, TV, with Andy pointing out cultural shift as celebrities increasingly speak out (e.g., Snoop Dogg).

b) Elders Protesting Rainbow Crosswalk Cover-Ups

• Hayley plays a viral clip of elderly protesters laying in the road to protest the removal of rainbow crosswalks, poking fun at the spectacle:

  “If someone is blocking the road and they refuse to leave, you can turn them into a speed bump, a softer speed bump, but a speed bump nonetheless.” ([52:19])

c) Viral Video: “Nasty Woman” vs Elon Musk

• Hayley laughs at a video of a woman angrily emailing Elon for his “actions and inactions” and being flagged as a spammer:

  “Actions and inactions both bad for Elon Musk.” ([54:03])

• Showcases comedic chat comments roasting her, “She looks like she played linebacker for the 78 Steelers.”

d) Viral Video: Elderly Accountant Channels ‘Sleepy Joe’

• Viral TikTok account of an aged accountant dispensing advice.
  • Hayley and Andy riff with the chat comparing him to Joe Biden, “Every Biden speech, this is someone’s paw paw.” ([58:18])
  • Keeps it lighthearted, warns audience not to be “snowflakes.”

Notable Quotes

• On Trump Trolling Newsom:

  “By him even joking about another election means that Trump is a pretty bad dictator, right? They like to call him Hitler… but, you know, President Trump and his team obviously taunting Gavin Newsom because he’s the likely nominee for the Democrats in 2028.”
  — Hayley Caronia ([03:34])

• On School Security:

  “More good guys with guns to fight bad guys with guns, probably better outcome.”
  — Hayley Caronia ([38:22])

• On SSRIs & Gun Ownership:

  “Proper diet, sunlight, sleep and exercise cures a lot of these problems… Being a free thinker is the way forward.”
  — Scott Bryson ([27:22])

Important Timestamps

• [01:58] – Clips of Newsom and RFK Jr. on Trump and election rumors
• [03:28] – Hayley ridicules fear of Trump as dictator
• [07:30] – Trump proposes pre-midterms national convention
• [10:07] – Trump event energy vs. Biden rallies, GOP raises $1.5bn
• [15:51] – Gloria Gaynor’s GOP donations and Kennedy Center Honors
• [20:25] – “Alligator Alcatraz” near-empty, facility closure news
• [23:25] – RFK Jr. on SSRI studies and mental health
• [26:07+] – In-depth gun, medicine, and safety debate with Scott Bryson
• [36:44] – Security at schools, overseas comparison
• [44:00] – CRASE/Active shooter response
• [47:06] – Mother’s conversation with 4yo about gender ideology
• [52:04] – Elderly rainbow crosswalk protesters
• [54:03] – Woman berates Elon Musk: “actions and inactions”
• [58:18] – Elderly accountant draws Biden jokes

Final Remarks & Audience Engagement

• Hayley interacts closely with the Rumble chat throughout, amplifying conservative humor and banter.
• Encourages social media follows and previewing future episodes on Rumble and podcast platforms.
• Classic Nightly Scroll blend: political play-by-play, pop-culture snark, defense of conservative positions, and moments of lighthearted, meme-heavy fun.

End of Summary