No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen

Episode: "Trump fumbles the ball heading into 2026"

Date: December 7, 2025
Host: Brian Tyler Cohen
Guests: Rep. Jamie Raskin, Sen. Mark Warner, Tommy Vietor

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the Republican Party’s mounting struggles under Donald Trump’s leadership as the 2026 midterms approach. Brian Tyler Cohen scrutinizes Trump’s inability to address the nation's affordability crisis, the mounting GOP hypocrisy, and the disconnect between party leadership and the struggles of everyday Americans. Cohen conducts three pivotal interviews:

• Rep. Jamie Raskin on recent Trump administration scandals, government waste, and the cover-up of the Epstein files
• Sen. Mark Warner on the fallout from military scandals, his reelection campaign, AI’s economic threat, and Democratic strategies
• Pod Save America’s Tommy Vietor on House GOP turmoil, the Mike Johnson speakership, internal disarray, redistricting, and the legal jeopardy of Trump’s key allies

The episode maintains a trenchant, irreverent, and analytical tone throughout, adhering closely to its promise of “no bad-faith talking points, no disinformation, and no lies.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Political Stumble on Affordability (00:13 – 05:13)

• Trump's Dilemma: Instead of addressing skyrocketing living costs, Trump is forced to pretend that affordability has been solved to avoid admitting failure, trapping both him and the wider GOP in denial.
• Voters are not convinced: Nearly half of Americans (46%) say the cost of living is the worst they remember, including 37% of 2024 Trump voters. A similar percentage assigns blame to Trump’s administration.
• GOP Hypocrisy: Cohen lambasts Republicans for now presiding over a costly economy after years of blaming Democrats for a similar crisis:

  “Not only are they inept, they’re also hypocrites.” (01:36)

• Trump’s Opulence and Disconnect: Cohen ridicules Trump’s focus on lavish renovations and personal enrichment:

  “Trump’s sole focus is building a $350 million ballroom, renovating the Lincoln bathroom in marble, paving over the Rose Garden, encrusting the Oval Office in gold... I doubt he’s interacted with any human being not worth a million dollars in the last six months.” (04:17)

• Notable Quote:

  “If Trump or Republicans run on making America more affordable, that would come with it a tacit admission that they've failed at achieving affordability. And, you know, Trump would rather cut off a limb than admit failure.” (00:38)

2. Interview: Rep. Jamie Raskin – Corruption, Investigations, and the Epstein Files (06:32 – 23:05)

Kash Patel Scandal & Broader Corruption (06:32 – 13:52)

• Misuse of Government Resources: Patel, as head of the FBI, allegedly used government jets for personal luxury, with zero remorse.

  “It’s the oldest story in the book. He’s just looting public funds for private use.” (06:45)

• Trump sets the tone: Raskin points to top-down corruption, with Trump treating public office as a personal cash cow and others following suit.
• Republican Complicity: Raskin hopes some GOP members can “raise the stakes for this kind of misconduct.” (08:22)
• Spectacle over Substance: The administration, according to new FBI reports, is more concerned with optics and performative acts than actual law enforcement.

War Crimes and Military Controversies (13:52 – 17:54)

• Extrajudicial Killings: Discussion of alleged war crimes involving strikes on “drug boats” (specifically, a second strike on survivors, a clear violation of military law).

  “Attacking the people who now were hanging on for dear life to the wreckage of the boat was a war crime.” (14:57)

The Epstein Files & Pardons (17:54 – 23:05)

• Epstein Cover-up: Raskin details how the administration seeks to suppress information about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, even as they float possible pardons for Ghislaine Maxwell.

  “They are clearly involved in very elaborate relationship and seduction of Ghislaine Maxwell. All she has to do is utter the right words, and then she gets transferred out of a higher security, tougher prison...” (18:28)

• Urgent Congressional Push:

  “We in Congress have got to act now. And so that is the purpose of this resolution, putting Congress on record as opposing any clemency for the convicted child sex trafficker and offender, Ghislaine Maxwell...” (20:39)

3. Interview: Sen. Mark Warner – Military Fallout, Election Strategy, and the Future of Tech (24:44 – 36:53)

Military Scandal & Accountability (24:44 – 30:13)

• Passing the Buck: Warner sees Pete Hegseth blaming Admiral Mitch Bradley for a “double-tap” military strike that resulted in war crimes.

  “This is the same Pete Hegseth who around the time of the strike bragged that he watched the whole thing and that he was the guy in charge. ...it sure does seem to me that this is a guy that's also trying to run for the hills and frankly, trash Admiral Bradley or potentially have him be the fall guy.” (25:09)

• Lack of GOP Backbone: Warner expresses skepticism that Senate Republicans will actually hold a real investigation, despite public promises.

Warner’s Virginia Campaign & National Issues (30:13 – 36:53)

• Why Run Again?: Warner cites the need for technological leadership, especially in AI, and a role in pushing back against Trump’s abuses.

  “An issue that I particularly want to bring to the table...will be the economic disruption caused by artificial intelligence. ...A lot of that is going to be job dislocation. ...I think who can be the person that can force the AI tech community to actually help us design what that three to five year transition look like and how to pay for it? I think I can add some value on that.” (31:01)

• Generational Change: Warner commits—this is his final term, acknowledging the need for new leadership.

  “I think it’s really important to do generational change...but I also felt like as somebody who has been a governor, been a senator for a while, that I’m adding some peak value at this point.” (32:40)

• Gerrymandering Arms Race: Warner supports plans for aggressive redistricting to counter Republican gerrymanders.

  “I want to push it. I want to be part of something that makes sure that we got as many Democratic votes as possible. But I also want to make sure it's something that we're going to be successful at.” (35:26)

4. Interview: Tommy Vietor (Pod Save America) – GOP Civil War, Speakership Turmoil, and Redistricting Dominoes (38:18 – 53:22)

Mike Johnson Speakership Crisis (38:18 – 42:06)

• Open Mutiny in GOP: With resignations and public dissent, Johnson’s speakership looks precarious.

  “Yeah, that is one sad little Johnson, huh?” (39:03, Tommy Vietor) “After Kevin McCarthy got so utterly humiliated by that motion to vacate... Now Mike Johnson gets it. Who’s going to want a job where you basically have to herd cats... torn between showing blind deference to Donald Trump... or actually adhering to what your members want?” (39:31)

• Republican Messaging Disaster: Their forced loyalty to Trump has aligned the party with unpopular and extreme positions.

Republican Disarray, Redistricting, and 2026 Prospects (42:06 – 45:16)

• Voter Defections & New Swing Voters: Trump’s failure on affordability is costing the GOP even its own former voters.

  “This guy ran on something very specific...Not only did he not fix that, but he exacerbated those problems. And so he's creating this new class of people, this new class of swing voters that didn't even exist before...” (42:16)

• The Danger of 'Dummy Manders': GOP's aggressive redistricting may backfire, opening formerly safe seats to Democratic challenge.

Pete Hegseth’s Scandals (45:16 – 53:07)

• War Crimes in the Caribbean: Details about the airstrikes, with survivors killed—now pinned by Hegseth on Admiral Bradley.

  “Pete Hegseth is clearly trying to pass the buck and to blame him...Now we should say Pete Hegseth might be blaming Admiral Bradley now, but...they actually had promoted him.” (47:36, Vietor) “If I were Admiral Bradley, Pete Hexeth is clearly trying to pass the buck...and they promoted him until this double tap airstrike was reported out.” (47:36)

• SignalGate: Hegseth mishandled classified info, putting lives at risk, then claimed personal declassification authority in defiant Trumpian style.

  “...clearly, Pete Hegseth took information from the classified servers over the Pentagon and was copy and pasting it into this group chat on an unclassified app... Absolutely not allowed.” (49:57, Vietor) “The IG report says...his actions ’could have resulted in failed US Mission objectives and potential harm to US Pilots.’” (50:45, Cohen) “It reeks...of the gaslighting that we see so often, but, I mean, it feels like it was written exactly by Donald Trump. These guys just morph into him. They do the exact same thing as him.” (51:42, Cohen)

• Military Backlash: Vietor emphasizes that Pentagon leadership is unlikely to forgive Hegseth’s conduct, given his refusal to participate in the IG investigation and the clear double standard.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On GOP’s predicament:
  “Not only are they inept, they’re also hypocrites.” (01:36, Cohen)

• On affordability and MAGA denial:
  “People aren’t dumb. They know when they go to the grocery store what it costs and what it doesn’t...So we’ve got to deliver.” – Sen. Josh Hawley (summarized by Cohen, 02:36)

• On Trump’s priorities:
  “Trump’s sole focus is building a $350 million ballroom, renovating the Lincoln bathroom in marble... This guy is so far from a populist, I doubt he’s interacted with any human being not worth a million dollars in the last six months.” (04:17, Cohen)

• Raskin on Republican scandals:
  “He’s just looting public funds for private use.” (06:45, Raskin)

• Raskin on administration corruption:
  “It starts with Donald Trump, but it certainly filtered down to a lot of the other members of his cabinet.” (09:10, Raskin)

• Warner on Republican courage:
  “Between promises and actions, I found a lot of my Republican friends seem to lose their courage when it comes to actually acting.” (27:56, Warner)

• Vietor on House leadership:
  “Yeah, that is one sad little Johnson, huh?” (39:03, Vietor)

• Vietor on redistricting backlash:
  “The double-edged sword of redistricting…in a wave election, that means Democrats will have an easier time winning back seats that otherwise would have been challenging.” (43:17, Vietor)

• Vietor on internal GOP chaos:
  “If you look at the guy’s Twitter feed...one tweet is blaming Admiral Bradley...then the next one is like a gif of a fucking turtle shooting people with a machine gun.” (49:01, Vietor)

Key Timestamps

• 00:13 - 05:13: Cohen on Trump’s affordability messaging fiasco; poll stats; Republican hypocrisy; Trump’s personal enrichment
• 06:32 - 23:05: Jamie Raskin interview: Patel/Trump administration corruption, war crimes, Epstein files, Maxwell pardon
• 24:44 - 36:53: Mark Warner interview: Hegseth/Bradley strike scandal, lack of GOP accountability, tech policy, redistricting
• 38:18 - 53:22: Tommy Vietor interview: GOP leadership mutiny, redistricting, Hegseth scandals, SignalGate, military blowback

Concluding Thoughts

This episode delivers a blistering critique of the Trump administration and the wider GOP—highlighting their struggles with affordability, rampant corruption, disastrous messaging, and both moral and political failings ahead of the midterms. Guest interviews reinforce the sense of institutional erosion, accountability crises, and the rising prospects for Democratic resurgence in 2026. The tone is sharp and deeply engaged, with moments of dark humor amid the seriousness.

Useful for listeners and non-listeners alike, this summary covers all major content segments and distills the action-packed, no-holds-barred spirit of the episode.