PBD Podcast | Ep. 635

Date: August 25, 2025
Title: Trump's Chicago Threat, Newsom's New Merch, Wes Moore vs National Guard & Snoop SLAMS Disney

Overview

This episode of the PBD Podcast, hosted by Patrick Bet-David and the Home Team (Vinnie, Tom, Adam), delivers a charged and lively discussion on the current national landscape. The team explores President Trump’s National Guard deployments in major cities, Gavin Newsom’s rising online presence and new “Patriot Shop” merch, controversies in crime reporting and statistics, Snoop Dogg’s viral remarks about Disney, and fresh debates on retirement age, inheritance tax, and international upheaval in Venezuela. The episode exemplifies the podcast’s blend of real-time reactions, personal stories, sharp humor, political analysis, and audience engagement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. National Guard Deployments & Urban Crime (11:13–29:56)

• Trump’s Crackdown: 1,700 National Guard members deployed in 19 states to support ICE and crack down on crime and illegal immigration. The hosts dive into the polarized reactions from city leaders and residents.
• Manipulation of Crime Stats: Tom points out (12:31) evidence that D.C. police fudged crime numbers, often downgrading serious crimes to make stats look better.
  • Quote—Washington Police Commissioner Greg Pemberton (13:19):
    “You’ll have a captain… advise them to take a report for a lesser offense … a shooting or a stabbing might get reported as just an injured person…to keep the stats down.”
• City Reactions:
  • Baltimore: Governor Wes Moore refuses to authorize Maryland National Guard, calling deployments unsustainable, unconstitutional, and disrespectful (18:44).
    • Quote (19:18):
      “It’s a direct violation of the 10th Amendment…for a party that talks about state rights, it’s amazing how they’re having such a big government approach…” – Wes Moore
    • Hosts’ Response: Vinnie and Tom express skepticism towards Moore’s argument, criticizing failures of blue city governance and emphasizing the rising murder rates in places like Chicago.
  • Chicago: Mayor Johnson threatens legal action and encourages locals to “rise up against tyranny” if federal forces intervene (22:17).
    • Quote (22:47):
      “If that’s necessary, I believe the people of Chicago will stand firm alongside me as I protect this city…” – Mayor Johnson
  • Public Sentiment: Clips played of both support (“Come help us!”—pleading Seattle resident, 28:13) and resistance (“Don’t let them do this to you!”—protester in D.C., 29:38) to Guard presence.

2. Newsom’s “Patriot Shop” & The Battle for 2028 (32:59–48:50)

• Gavin Newsom Campaigns Like Trump: Newsom copies Trump’s merch approach (e.g. new hats), rapidly growing his X (Twitter) followers and online attention.
  • Quote—Harry Enten with stats (34:49):
    “Gavin Newsom… daily Google searches up like a rocket since June 1st, up 1300% compared to August 1st.”
• Panel Debate: Is Newsom’s rise sustainable and will his political baggage (e.g. 2007 affair, past scandals) hurt his chances? Tom believes DNC will prefer a Midwestern candidate like Pritzker, but Vinnie argues Newsom’s shamelessness and digital presence make him the 2028 frontrunner.
  • Quote—Patrick (36:58):
    “If you truly want to make change, you’re only dealing with 15-20% of people in the middle…you’re not changing the 40% (Republican) or 44% (Democrat) diehards.”

3. Party Loyalty, Voter Demographics & Political Identity (38:50–56:28)

• Unyielding Party Loyalty: The team discusses psychological studies and Gallup numbers showing deep-rooted, nearly unchangeable party affiliations.
  • Quote—Patrick (40:02):
    “You’re not going to change this 40%, you’re not going to change this 44%... Just forget about it.”
• The Battle for the Middle: The real contest is for the middle 10-15% of voters, especially independents.
  • Quote—Adam (54:45):
    “Does Gavin Newsom have a chance? You betcha… He looks the part, acts the part…and women are going to pick Gavin.”
• Gender Political Divide: Young women are moving far left while men stay relatively centered (55:08).

4. Parenting, Environment, and the Shaping of Political Views (59:43–66:25)

• Parental Influence: Segment on the limited effect parental influence has after age 15, largely replaced by peers and community.
  • Quote—Guest psychologist (60:29):
    “…after age 21, there is no influence of parenting on psychological traits…”

5. Venezuela: U.S. Confrontation & Oil Politics (74:13–86:32)

• Rising Tensions: U.S. preparing for confrontation with Maduro’s regime, which is responsible for 25% of world’s cocaine and severe human suffering.
• Chevron & Geopolitics: U.S. oil interests at play—Chevron resumes operations, Venezuela holds OPEC leverage.
• Living Conditions: Venezuela’s misery index, mass outages, and economic disaster discussed as emblematic of the failure of socialism.
  • Quote—Pat (84:21):
    “In some regions, 20 hour outages… 200 outages a day… on the misery index they’re 178 out of 180 countries.”

6. Snoop Dogg Slams Disney Over Woke Children’s Content (104:49–111:57)

• Viral Snoop Clip: Snoop recounts being asked by his grandson how two women in a Disney film (Lightyear) could have a child (105:37–106:05).
  • Quote—Snoop Dogg (105:42):
    “Papa Snoop, how’d she have a baby with a woman? She a woman? Oh, I didn’t come in for this…”
• Hosts’ Take: Panel sees this as evidence Disney’s “woke” direction is alienating even traditional left-leaning figures—and losing money.
  • Quote—Vinnie (110:36):
    “Just when you thought Disney couldn’t make it any worse, they find a freaking way… Snoop is anti-Trump, but even he can’t explain it.”
• Shift in Support: Snoop now expresses support for Trump (107:57).

7. Retirement Age & Inheritance Tax: Myths vs. Reality (86:32–104:49)

• Ideal vs. Reality: Survey says Americans want to retire at 58, but the panel calls this naive and financially “stupid.”
  • Quote—Adam (87:59):
    “People who believe they can retire at 58 are stupid… They’re uninformed and naive.”
• Inheritance Tax Debate: Discussion about radical proposals for 100% inheritance tax, criticized as punitive to successful, disciplined savers.
  • Quote—Tom (98:33):
    “Be careful about taking away the incentive to accumulate… You’re just justifying your envy.”

8. International Relations: Ukraine, Russia, and Negotiation Tactics (123:04–131:08)

• Putin’s Possible Concessions: J.D. Vance explains Russian willingness to guarantee Ukrainian sovereignty in some form — a shift from early stated goals.
  • Quote—JD Vance (123:04):
    “The recognition that Ukraine will have territorial integrity after the war…they’re not going to be able to install a puppet regime in Kiev…”
• Media Framing & Negotiations: Critique of liberal/Democratic framing of peace negotiations and sanctions.
  • Quote—Tom (125:23):
    “All they care about is Trump being wrong… They don’t care about ending the war.”
• Interview with Sergei Lavrov: Tense exchange highlighting the stalemate in negotiations and the central role of detailed diplomacy (131:08).

9. Lighter Moments & Team Banter

• Bench Press Challenge: Extended ribbing and laughs over who can bench 135 pounds the most times, using viral clips of NYC and Brooklyn politicians embarrassing themselves at the gym (117:44–121:12).
• Car Sale Anecdote: Early lesson: always get three offers before selling your car (8:52–10:49).
• Commentary on Political Tribes: Repeated reminders that the show aims for the “reasonable guy in the middle.”

Notable Quotes

• Pat Bet-David (36:58):
  “If you truly want to make change, you’re only dealing with 15-20% of people in the middle…you’re not changing the 40% (Republican) or 44% (Democrat) diehards.”
• Greg Pemberton, DC Police Union (13:30):
  “You’ll have a captain… advise [officers] to take a report for a lesser offense…”
• Vinnie (21:11):
  “Maintain your fricking state, you idiot… Well-led cities don’t need [the National Guard].”
• Adam (54:45):
  “Does Gavin Newsom have a chance? You betcha… He looks the part, acts the part…and women are going to pick Gavin.”
• Snoop Dogg (105:42):
  “How’d she have a baby with a woman? ...I didn’t come in for this…”
• JD Vance (123:04):
  “The recognition that Ukraine will have territorial integrity after the war…they’re not going to be able to install a puppet regime in Kiev…”
• Tom (98:33):
  “Be careful about taking away the incentive to accumulate… You’re just justifying your envy.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:13 – Episode theme rundown and basic advice stories
• 11:13–29:56 – National Guard deployments, urban crime & city leadership reactions
• 32:59–48:50 – Newsom’s “Patriot Shop”, digital strategy, and national ambitions
• 54:45–56:28 – How gender divides and “the middle” shape elections
• 59:43–66:25 – Parenting, peer influence, and the roots of ideology
• 74:13–86:32 – Venezuela, U.S. policy, oil politics, and living conditions
• 104:49–111:57 – Snoop Dogg vs. Disney and cultural backlashes
• 123:04–131:08 – Ukraine/Russia negotiations, JD Vance, and Lavrov interviews

Tone & Style

• Language & Tone: Smart, irreverent, energetic; passionate but grounded in stats and anecdotes; sharp banter balanced with substantive breakdowns.
• Memorable Moments: Benching memes, Snoop’s Disney bewilderment, collective exasperation over “should be 58” retirement, and the persistent references to party loyalty and political echo chambers.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a dense but dynamic primer on the state of US urban crime, politics, ideological battle lines, and the subtle shifts shaping 2028. The team peppers hard news with authentic personal anecdotes, viral soundbites, and off-the-cuff humor—supplemented by sharp stats and clear, candid analyses of party politics, governance failures, digital campaigning, and the everyday concerns of ordinary (and extraordinary) Americans. Whether you care about crime policy, presidential wannabes, corporate entertainment, or the drama of world affairs, this episode offers you a front-row seat to the cultural, political, and moral fistfight in today’s America.