No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen

Episode: Trump Has Week from Hell as Agenda Collapses
Date: December 14, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Brian Tyler Cohen, examines what Cohen calls one of the worst weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency. The episode explores the significant political setbacks and controversies facing Trump, including Republican resistance in redistricting, embarrassing failures in court, damaging Epstein-related revelations, and rising GOP infighting. Cohen is joined by Tommy Vitor (Pod Save America), California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Senator Jon Ossoff to provide in-depth discussion of these issues.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s “Week from Hell” – A Cascade of Setbacks

• Republican Resistance in Indiana Redistricting ([00:01 - 01:54])

  • Republicans in the Indiana Senate defy Trump's demand for a 9-0 GOP congressional map.
  • Many Republicans face threats for not complying; more GOP members ultimately reject Trump’s plan, marking a rare public rebuke.
  • Impact: Weakens Trump’s influence and signals fracturing party control over redistricting nationally.

• Legal Setbacks for Trump and His Attorneys ([01:54 - 03:05])

  • Trump’s third attempt to indict NY AG Letitia James fails.
  • Trump’s "retribution agenda" is stalled; attorneys face likely sanctions.
  • Memorable quote: “Alina Haba and Lindsey Halligan will likely join Rudy Giuliani, Kenneth Chesebro, John Eastman, and Jenna Ellis in the list of Trump attorneys who have sacrificed their livelihoods in their desperation to please the God King.” (Brian, [02:25])

• Epstein Files Drip and DOJ Stonewalling ([03:05 - 04:20])

  • House Oversight Democrats release new photos of Trump with Epstein and young women.
  • The steady trickle of evidence threatens ongoing damage and implies a White House cover-up.
  • Insight: Keeping files hidden lets rumors spiral; public sentiment assumes the worst.

• Republican Block of ACA Subsidies Extension ([04:20 - 05:18])

  • Senate GOP blocks ACA subsidy extension, virtually ensuring a surge in health care costs for 24 million Americans before the next election.
  • Memorable: "If 2018 told us anything, it's that Americans are pretty damn sensitive to efforts by the government to hobble the ACA.” (Brian, [04:53])

• Trump’s Disconnect and Self-Grading ([05:18 - 06:22])

  • Trump rates his second term an "A" despite record-low 36% approval.
  • Communicates that he sees no need for change, deepening disaffection among voters.

• Concluding Perspective – Democratic Opportunity ([06:22])

  • A call for Democrats to seize the opening as Trump’s grip slips.
  • Brian: “This isn’t a ‘we got him’ moment... but it does represent a huge opening for Democrats in midterms.” ([06:00])

2. Interview: Tommy Vitor on Epstein Files, MAGA Media, & Right-Wing Fractures

Interview begins [06:24]

Epstein File Drip and Trump’s Exposure

• House Oversight releases 19 images out of 95,000 Epstein estate files, outpacing the DOJ.
• Tommy Vitor: “We can create for you the worst of both worlds... you look like you’re staging a cover-up while the truth is slowly getting out there.” ([06:56])
• Discussion on whether the worst assumptions are true, or if the cover-up is more damaging than the reality.
• Tommy: “The cover-up right now is letting all of us think the worst... for once, it’s doing damage within the MAGA base. It’s not just Democrats that are upset.” ([08:52])

Will the Epstein Files Ever Truly Come Out?

• Distrust that Trump allies like Pam Bondi will ever fully release the files.
• Tommy: “They are going to try to clean up these files, cover up what they can, and release what they think is politically damaging to others and not Donald.” ([11:48])

Dan Bongino and Right-Wing Media Credibility

• A remarkable clip: Bongino admits he lied for money as a podcaster, but must stick to the facts as Deputy FBI Director.
• Tommy: “He just gave up the whole game... you probably should have focused a little more on the facts in your previous job.” ([13:45])
• Fallout: Right-wing influencers losing trust even among their own base over the Epstein cover-up and other controversies.

Civil War in the Right-Wing Coalition

• Erupting infighting among conservative influencers (Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk’s assassination, TPUSA, Tim Pool, etc.).
• Tommy (on Candace Owens): “She’s alleging that Brigitte Macron is her own brother... everything about this is just bonkers.” ([16:53])
• The right lacks a uniting figure with Trump’s impending political exit; everyone jockeying for position.

3. Interview: Rob Bonta (California AG) on Beating Trump’s Federal Overreach

Interview begins [21:14]

Recent Court Victory Over Trump’s National Guard Deployment

• Federal judge (Charles Breyer) orders the end of Trump’s extended National Guard deployment in CA as unconstitutional.
• Rob Bonta: “The founders designed our government to be a system of checks and balances. But the Trump administration has made clear that it’s only interested in one check, a blank one.” ([21:22])
• Trump’s claim that court oversight doesn’t apply to his deployment decisions was firmly rejected.

Legal Arguments and Implications

• Trump’s justifications found “shocking” and baseless: No rebellion, no invasion, no failure of law enforcement to justify troops.
• Bonta: “Their position is shocking… They suggested they can deploy the National Guard forever... based on one incident in one place at one time.” ([21:22])
• Ongoing concern: Trump’s attempts to normalize domestic military deployments (“The first time it happens, it’s shocking... his belief is the second time, the third time, less so. But it should always be shocking.” [32:26])

4. Interview: Senator Jon Ossoff on GOP Health Care Block and Corruption

Interview begins [34:47]

ACA Subsidies Crisis

• Democrats push to extend ACA subsidies for three years; GOP has “no plan.”
• Ossoff: Shares constituent stories of life-threatening cost increases: “One woman in her early 60s, fighting breast cancer, her premiums about to go up to $500 a month. She can’t afford that. She may lose her insurance in the middle of chemotherapy.” ([35:17])
• GOP refusal framed as a “policy choice” with dire human consequences.

Political and Electoral Fallout

• Republicans’ actions undermine their own populist campaign promises.
• Ossoff: “The president is out here publicly dismissing affordability, saying it’s some kind of hoax, making fun of people who are suffering... while he decorates the White House in gold like it’s some kind of royal palace.” ([40:46])
• Trump’s approval among his own supporters is tanking.

Abuse of Presidential Pardons and Corruption

• Discussion of Trump’s pardons, including the ex-president of Honduras convicted of narco trafficking, and insurrectionists.
• Ossoff: “It’s a mind-blowing abuse of the pardon power... the depth of the corruption and the abuse of power is so unprecedented... we are seeing the American people turn against this.” ([45:58])

Needed Reforms & What’s At Stake

• The presidency has accrued too much unchecked power.
• Ossoff: “This presidency is the wake up call… If we don’t attack the corruption in our political system and if we don’t constrain… the presidency… we’re still going to be in a perilous place.” ([48:44])
• Top legislative priority: Immediate extension of ACA tax credits to prevent suffering; long-term reform to re-balance checks and balances.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump’s Weakness:
  “Trump has lost the confidence of the country, of his base, certainly of those Latino and young voters that propelled him and his party to victory in 2024, of Republican officials who used to bend to his every whim.” (Brian, [06:00])

• On the Epstein Cover-Up:
  “The cover-up right now is letting all of us think the worst… for once, it’s doing damage within the MAGA base.” (Tommy Vitor, [08:52])

• On Right-Wing Media’s Credibility Crisis:
  “He just gave up the whole game… you probably should have focused a little more on the facts in your previous job.” (Tommy Vitor on Dan Bongino, [13:45])

• On Judicial Rejection of Trump’s Overreach:
  “The founders designed our government to be a system of checks and balances. But the Trump administration has made clear that it’s only interested in one check, a blank one.” (Rob Bonta, [21:22])

• On Human Impact of Health Policy:
  “One woman in her early 60s, fighting breast cancer, her premiums about to go up to $500 a month. She can’t afford that. She may lose her insurance in the middle of chemotherapy.” (Jon Ossoff, [35:17])

• On the Need for Reform:
  “This presidency is the wake up call that’s long overdue about how presidential power… can be so easily abused by a shameless and corrupt president.” (Jon Ossoff, [48:44])

Highlighted Segments & Timestamps

• [00:01 – 06:24]: Brian Tyler Cohen’s monologue: Trump’s week of defeats and the state of GOP politics.
• [06:24 – 19:49]: Tommy Vitor (Pod Save America): On Epstein files, MAGA media civil war, and the fracturing right.
• [21:14 – 34:44]: Rob Bonta (CA Attorney General): Victory over Trump’s National Guard deployment; rule of law and checks and balances.
• [34:47 – 52:52]: Senator Jon Ossoff (GA): ACA subsidy extension fight; Republican failures; abuse of presidential power and calls for reform.

Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the escalating political and legal woes facing Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Through a blend of reporting and incisive interviews, it paints a picture of an administration losing control—beset by legal defeats, infighting, and eroding public trust. The conversations with Tommy Vitor, Rob Bonta, and Jon Ossoff underline the fragility of Trump’s standing and the critical importance of seizing this moment for structural reform and electoral challenge.

The tone is urgent, candid, and unapologetically progressive throughout.

Useful for New Listeners

This summary distills the episode’s narrative arc, key moments, and direct quotes, giving new listeners a clear sense of the week’s chaotic developments in U.S. politics, the significant issues at play, and why they matter heading into the 2026 midterms.