No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen
Episode Summary:
Backfire: Trump Writes His OWN Attack Ad
Date: April 2, 2026

Overview: Episode Theme & Purpose

In this episode of "No Lie," host Brian Tyler Cohen spotlights a recent, politically damaging clip of Donald Trump openly disparaging federal support for daycare and other key social services, framing it as inadvertent ammunition for Democratic attack ads ahead of the midterms. He also conducts two substantive interviews:

• Zoran Mamdani (NYC Mayor), about his first 100 days, war in Iran, and progressive policy implementation;
• Leah Lippman (U. of Michigan Law Professor and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast), who analyzes the Supreme Court's handling of Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship.

The episode offers a mix of sharp critique, detailed policy discussion, and legal insight into how major national developments are playing out.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. The Trump "Attack Ad" and Republican Priorities

[00:16 – 03:28]

• Cohen introduces a White House clip (since deleted) where Trump downplays federal responsibility for daycare, Medicaid, and Medicare, insisting these are “little things” states must handle, with the federal government focused solely on military matters.
• Trump’s direct quote:

  “Don’t send any money for daycare because the United States can’t take care of daycare. ...We can’t take care of daycare. ...We have to take care of one. Military protection. ...But all these little things, all these little scams that have taken place, you... have to let states take care of them.” – Donald Trump [00:50]

• Cohen highlights the disconnect between Trump's rhetoric and the affordability crisis facing Americans:

  “My God, just get this guy on the campaign trail. Like, talk about a winning message. No daycare, no health care, just wars. That is the only priority of the federal government.” – Brian Tyler Cohen [01:43]

• Trump’s past campaign focus on prices (“groceries went through the roof. And I campaigned on that.”) juxtaposed with Republican policy actions (gutting ACA, Medicaid, food assistance) reveals a stark difference between campaign promises and in-office priorities.
• Cohen’s take:

  “We work every fucking day so that we can be little cogs in Trump’s war machine.” [03:28]

• Emphasis on Democrats' real-world policy delivery, naming Zoran Mamdani (NYC) and Abigail Spanberger (VA) as examples.

II. Interview: Zoran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City

[06:44 – 24:09]

A. U.S. War Spending & Domestic Tradeoffs

• Mamdani strongly criticizes the $200 billion war in Iran, noting the opportunity cost for Americans struggling with affordability:

  “...the kind of money that could transform working class Americans’ lives...all of that being thrown aside for the pursuit of yet another regime change war.” – Zoran Mamdani [07:17]

B. Progress on Progressive Promises in NYC

• Universal Childcare: Launched with $1.2B in state funding. Piloting free childcare for two-year-olds (scaling from 2,000 kids this fall to universal coverage by end of term).
• Fast and Free Buses: Policy decisions to speed up routes used by 130,000 daily, with pilot free routes in legislature budget negotiations.
• Rent Freeze: Advocates for freezing rents; awaits Rent Guidelines Board decision, encourages tenant participation.

C. Tax and Revenue Policy

• Proposes a 2% income tax on NYC earners over $1M, supports broader wealth taxation.

  “Taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers...that little bit more to ensure that working class New Yorkers can afford to live in this city is something that is necessary.” – Mamdani [12:07]

• Dismisses “capital flight” fear-mongering:

  “...now we have more millionaires than we did back at that point. And these are the kinds of facts that too often are missing from the conversation.” [13:50]

D. Vision for Democratic Socialism and Local Government

• Emphasizes “sewer socialism” (“no problem too big, no task too small”), explaining the link between granular services (potholes) and trust in government:

  “If you can’t fill a pothole, how are you going to deliver universal childcare? These are two parts of the same kind of connected set of politics.” [19:53]

• On broader goals: bringing tangible relief from cost-of-living crises and expanding democratic engagement in daily life.
• Cites Bernie Sanders as a mentor, advocating focus on both transformative and practical governance.

E. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Our North Star is how to take what at times are buses that are crawling slower than a New Yorker walks when they’re late to making them the envy of the country...” [09:23]
• Pothole repair tally: “We’re coming close to 100,000 being fixed by the time that we’ve been in office.” [19:13]

III. Interview: Leah Lippman, Supreme Court and Birthright Citizenship Case

[25:54 – 38:30]

A. Trump v. Barbara: The Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Challenge

• Lippman predicts a clear (but not necessarily unanimous) decision against Trump’s attempt to deny birthright citizenship:

  “...the executive order purporting to deny people birthright citizenship is unconstitutional...the text of the 14th Amendment is super clear, the history is super clear.” – Leah Lippman [26:13]

• Lamentation that it won’t be unanimous is “a travesty” [26:13], revealing deep politicization of even “open-and-shut” legal questions.

B. Trump’s Unorthodox Supreme Court Appearance

• Host and guest discuss Trump’s presence as spectacle and possible attempt at intimidation, but Lippman dismisses its likely effect:

  “There’s just no way his actual presence was going to be that level of intimidation to the justices...” [27:59]

• The moment Trump left after Solicitor General’s arguments is interpreted as boredom or recognition things weren’t going well.

C. The Supreme Court’s Credibility Crisis

• On partisan bias:

  “It’s hard to come up with...yet another example of how the Supreme Court could prove itself to be more of a clown show. And yet they always find new ways.” [32:05]

• Lippman criticizes the Court for even hearing such a case, positing they seek good publicity with an easy ruling in the midst of a controversial term:

  “They are buying themselves more credibility and more favorable publicity when they draw this out...” [33:24]

D. Court Reform Discussion

• Lippman advocates for court expansion, new ethics rules, and curbs on the Court’s power:

  “Expand the court, Impose ethics rules on the court, limit the Supreme Court’s authority to strike down laws like the Voting Rights Act...” [35:46]

• Technically, it would take a simple Congressional majority and presidential signature (if filibuster is removed) [36:11].

E. Political Landscape Outlook

• Cohen expresses hope about a “ceiling” of strong Democratic Senate gains in 2026, citing unexpected leftward swings—even in red states like Tennessee and Florida [36:26].

F. Notable Quotes

• “Even Donald Trump could probably pick up on that, even if he could not follow any of the actual words that were being said.” – Lippman (on Gorsuch’s joke, Supreme Court argument) [29:47]
• “Just see the 14th Amendment.” – Lippman, on how easily the Supreme Court could dismiss the case [33:24]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:16 – Episode intro and theme, Trump’s viral daycare clip
• 00:50 – Trump on daycare, Medicaid, and war
• 02:21 – Trump on “groceries” as a campaign point
• 06:44 – Interview: Zoran Mamdani begins
• 09:23 – Mamdani on childcare and free bus initiatives
• 13:50 – Debate over NYC wealth tax and capital flight
• 19:13 – 100,000 potholes filled: the case for “sewer socialism”
• 25:54 – Interview: Leah Lippman, Supreme Court on birthright citizenship
• 26:13 – Lippman: “executive order ... is unconstitutional”
• 27:59 – Trump’s Supreme Court appearance: impact analyzed
• 32:05 – Lippman on the Court’s credibility and bias
• 35:46 – Court reform, legislative strategy for expansion
• 36:26 – Cohen on 2026 Senate map & Democratic hopes
• 37:57 – Lippman’s podcast and book recommendations

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “We work every fucking day so that we can be little cogs in Trump’s war machine.” – Brian Tyler Cohen [03:28]
• “No problem too big, no task too small.” – Zoran Mamdani, summarizing his (and Bernie Sanders’s) approach [21:16]
• “It’s hard to come up with...yet another example of how the Supreme Court could prove itself to be more of a clown show. And yet they always find new ways.” – Leah Lippman [32:05]
• “Just see the 14th Amendment.” – Leah Lippman [33:24]

Tone & Analysis

The tone throughout is direct, urgent, and progressive, blending journalistic outrage (Cohen) with policy pragmatism (Mamdani) and legal critique (Lippman). There’s a clear sense of that the stakes—both in policy and in the courts—are high and that the contrast between the parties is as sharp as it has ever been.

This episode is essential for listeners wanting a nuanced, insider look at political communications blunders, big city progressive governance, and the current state (and future) of the Supreme Court.