Podcast Summary: Part Of The Problem
Episode: The Collapse of Donald Trump
Host: Dave Smith (w/ co-host Robbie the Fire Bernstein)
Date: November 12, 2025
Main Theme / Purpose
This episode centers on the precipitous decline and mounting disillusionment with Donald Trump’s second presidency from a libertarian perspective. Host Dave Smith and co-host Robbie Bernstein dissect Trump’s collapse in public support, particularly among young voters and former supporters, attributing it to failed economic messaging, foreign policy blunders, and disconnect from the base’s priorities. The discussion analyzes major recent Trump interviews, his rhetoric, and what the current malaise means for the right, libertarianism, and the broader American political landscape.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Trump's Swift Fall from Populist Icon to Liability
- Dave opens by emphasizing that Trump's current downfall is “hard to overstate,” noting how he once energized both the GOP base and the political center, even winning over the youth in 2024—only to lose that support within a year ([04:50]).
- Significant stat (Economist, via Dave @ 06:44):
“The biggest shift away from Mr. Trump… has been amongst Americans under 30. His net approval… was positive 3 when he returned to the Oval Office. It’s now minus 40.”
- Trump’s collapse is depicted as profound—a reversal of the “inconceivable” 2016 and 2024 gains with young and independent voters.
2. Youth & Public: Economic Malaise and Foreign Policy Alienation
- Robbie ([09:25]) links young voter disaffection to a weak job market and intense opposition to U.S. backing of Israel:
“They don’t like the Israel situation… I could understand why they're not too pleased with the current administration.”
- Dave ([10:13–11:05]) underscores how pro-Israel stances, tone-deaf economic messaging, and lack of “America First” substance repel younger citizens who see Trump as complicit in ongoing “genocide” and elite corruption.
3. Trump's Messaging: From 'Make America Great Again' to 'Keep America Great'
- Dave expounds on the initial genius of MAGA, which was “vague enough that anyone who doesn’t feel great could go, ‘oh, this is gonna be great’” ([12:09]).
- The 2019–2020 pivot to “Keep America Great” backfired: during COVID and riots, “anyone who doesn’t feel great isn’t really on board with that” ([13:00–14:45]).
- The result: a slogan and campaign adrift from voter reality.
4. Analysis of Recent Trump Interview Responses
- Throughout the show, Dave and Rob dissect Trump’s recent Laura Ingraham interview answers, highlighting:
- Denial of Economic Anxiety:
- Trump attributes economic worry to “fake polls” and claims “we have the greatest economy we’ve ever had,” citing $20 trillion “coming in” from tariffs ([16:16]).
- Dave’s critique ([16:34–19:08]):
“This is Joe Biden’s economic defense!... No, you’re just stupid… If there was a way to seize defeat from the jaws of victory… there’s your message right there.”
- Robbie's breakdown ([19:08–21:17]):
- Unpacks the tariff revenue claims, calling them “phony” and “incoherent”:
“Let’s just go with… $20 trillion coming in from tariffs. So now explain to me, so what’s the pitch? How does that help me?”
- Unpacks the tariff revenue claims, calling them “phony” and “incoherent”:
- General Detachment:
- Statements like “Costs are way down. Gasoline is going to be hitting $2 pretty soon” ([27:38]) are labeled as gaslighting. Dave likens it to Biden’s failed inflation messaging ([29:32]):
“Everyone I know... the running conversation… is how expensive everything is.”
- Statements like “Costs are way down. Gasoline is going to be hitting $2 pretty soon” ([27:38]) are labeled as gaslighting. Dave likens it to Biden’s failed inflation messaging ([29:32]):
- Denial of Economic Anxiety:
5. Strategic & Substantive Failure: Refusal to Tackle Real Problems
- Dave voices frustration that Trump avoids addressing the U.S.’s core structural failings—unsustainable empire, spiraling welfare costs, currency debasement—while boasting minor or misleading “victories” ([35:51]):
“Donald Trump doesn’t have either the knowledge or the balls to just tackle the real problem.”
6. Loss of Enthusiasm and Cultural Energy
- Rob notes the drastic drop in grassroots support:
“I don’t see people out with Trump hats, Trump signs... It seems like, very quietly, it’s like the backpedaling out of the room—like Homer Simpson into the bushes.” ([43:15])
- Dave laments that this collapse jeopardizes the recent, rare cultural movement toward the right ([45:48]), potentially resetting gains if the Democrats capitalize on the opening.
7. Foreign Policy and 'America First'—Contradictions & Disillusionment
- Trumps shifts toward global entanglements and justification of foreign student visas (even at the cost of propping up corrupt universities) is dissected ([61:37–64:06]), with Laura Ingraham and Dave both pressing:
“So, you’re telling me… we have to prop up… one of the most corrosive and corrupt institutions in America, academia… what did you ever even think the swamp was?” — Dave ([64:06])
8. Threats to Liberty & The Road Ahead
- Both hosts warn that if these trends continue, Republicans will “get stomped in the midterms” and may lose the presidency in 2028—to the detriment of free speech, liberty, and the anti-establishment movement ([14:45], [34:32]).
- They pivot to support for Thomas Massie in his re-election against foreign policy/Israel-lobby-funded challengers, citing him as a rare truth-teller aligned with their views ([55:05], [59:29]).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
04:50 — Dave Smith
“The time is now that… for Donald Trump, [and] all of us… to admit this whole thing is just a disaster.”
06:44 — Economist excerpt (read by Dave)
“His net approval [among those under 30] was positive 3… It’s now minus 40.”
10:13 — Dave Smith
“Donald Trump’s out there bragging about being the most pro-Israel president ever, and he’s been funding and facilitating the genocide the whole time he’s been in there. So yeah, that sure as hell doesn’t help with them.”
14:28 — Dave Smith
“Keep America Great… does not have the magic of Make America Great Again… Keep America Great is telling people that your current situation is great. Now, if that’s not the case, there’s a real disconnect.”
16:34 — Dave Smith (on Trump’s economic defense)
“This is Joe Biden’s economic defense… The problem is that you’ve been manipulated to feel the economy is bad… If there was a way to seize defeat from the jaws of victory… just blown it all in a year.”
19:08 — Robbie Bernstein
“What exactly is the pitch here of the $20 trillion coming in? You would at least need the next line of ‘Listen, I understand all your prices are going up and you don’t have a job but… $20 trillion are coming in and I’m going fully socialist. So I’m actually gonna start sending you the money directly.’”
29:32 — Dave Smith (on gaslighting voters)
“When it comes to the economy… You’re telling people to ignore their lying eyes. This is what Joe Biden was doing… Everyone I know… is talking about how expensive everything is.”
35:51 — Dave Smith
“Donald Trump doesn’t have either the knowledge or the balls to just tackle the real problem. …We have an empire that we cannot afford to maintain and a welfare state that we cannot afford to maintain… And if you’re not going to take on that… well, then what are we even left with here?”
43:15 — Robbie Bernstein
“I don’t really see people, like, out with Trump hats, Trump signs… It seems, very quietly, it’s like the backpedaling out of the room, like the Homer Simpson into the bushes.”
53:55 — Robbie & Dave (on campaign messaging)
“It could have been worse campaign…” — Rob
“That is… the worst political messaging… That’s what you say when you’re getting ready to lose an election.”
64:06 — Dave Smith
“What did you ever even think the swamp was? …It just represents, like, the collapse of this administration.”
Key Timestamps
- 04:50 — Trump’s rise & steep collapse in youth support (Economist poll cited)
- 09:25 — Youth align against Trump over Israel and job prospects (Rob)
- 14:28 — Discussion: “Keep America Great" slogan backfires
- 16:16 — Trump’s interview: “greatest economy… $20 trillion from tariffs”
- 19:08 — Rob deconstructs tariff claims, points out incoherent messaging
- 29:32 — Dave on economic gaslighting
- 35:51 — Dave on Trump’s failure to tackle real issues
- 43:15 — Rob on collapse of Trump enthusiasm (‘Homer Simpson into the bushes’)
- 53:55 — “It could have been worse” campaign
- 55:05 — Discussion of support for Thomas Massie vs. lobbyist influence
- 61:37–64:06 — Trump on foreign students, academia—the disconnect
- 67:56 — Final reflections, noting the persistent malaise and missed opportunities
Overall Tone
- Candid, cutting, and at times exasperated: Dave and Rob maintain a mix of dark humor, disappointment, and pragmatic urgency. There is little patience for tribalism or excuses—they urge listeners to recognize reality, not cling to a failed movement.
- Libertarian skepticism pervades: The hosts’ criticisms are rooted in principles—anti-empire, pro-truth, anti-corporate and pro-liberty.
For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In
This episode chronicles—through statistic, anecdote, and audio analysis—the spectacular fall of Trump’s second administration, outlining libertarian-informed dissatisfactions and warning of political and cultural ramifications. The hosts both contextualize Trump’s original appeal and detail how his current policy blunders and tone-deaf messaging have forfeited his coalition, especially among young and independent voices, and how this dynamic reverberates through the right and libertarian spheres.
The discussion is essential for anyone seeking an unvarnished, principle-driven critique of recent U.S. politics—and a sober look at what may come next.