Pod Save America: “The Gospel According to Trump”

Date: April 17, 2026
Hosts: Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor
Guest: Peggy Flanagan (Minnesota Lt. Governor, Senate candidate)

Episode Overview

This episode sharply dissects the ever-escalating “holy war” between Trump and the Catholic Church following Trump’s feud with Pope Leo, explores the political and theological absurdities surrounding the administration’s messaging, and covers the broader fallout—including the Iran conflict, inflation woes, and chaotic Republican politics. It culminates with a detailed, heartfelt interview with Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s Lt. Governor and U.S. Senate candidate, focusing on Minnesota’s political landscape and her vision for Democratic reform.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Trump’s “Holy War” With the Pope and Catholic Church

[02:00 – 17:41]

• Escalating Feud:
  Trump reignites tensions with Pope Leo, accusing him of being "weak on crime" and "better get his act together," leading to an unprecedented MAGA clash with the Vatican.

• J.D. Vance’s Controversial Comments:

  • J.D. Vance, now Vice President and recent Catholic convert, “Catholic-splains” to the Pope about theology and the Just War doctrine, which the hosts savagely mock.
  • “It’s just Catholic explaining to the Pope.” – Jon Favreau [05:30]
  • “He just became a Catholic like five minutes ago.” – Jon Favreau [06:05]

• U.S. Catholic Bishops Response:
  The bishops rebuke Vance, clarifying Just War and the Pope’s authority:

  • “When Pope Leo speaks as supreme pastor… he is not merely offering opinions on theology. He is preaching the gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ.” [08:29]

• Political Stupidity Highlighted:

  • “There are so many ways for JD Vance to address this, and he chose the absolute worst one.” – Dan Pfeiffer [05:37]
  • “You look like an asshole.” – Dan Pfeiffer [07:39]

• Strategic Analysis:
  The hosts argue attacking the Pope is suicidal politics, especially with so many Catholic swing voters in key states.

2. Religious Imagery and the Iran War

[09:35 – 15:45]

• Media & War Rhetoric:
  Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary, invokes wild biblical allegories on Fox News:

  • “Our press are just like these Pharisees. Your politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you from the brilliance of our American warriors…” [10:23]

• Trump as Jesus Figure:
  Hosts lampoon the increasingly messianic tone, with comparisons made between Trump, Jesus, and the Iran war.

  • “Trump is Jesus. Trump bombing Iran is healing the sick.” – Jon Favreau/Dan Pfeiffer [11:04 – 11:10]

• Dangers of Christian Nationalist Rhetoric:
  Dan warns weaponizing Christian language to frame U.S. wars feeds anti-American propaganda and makes conflict with Muslim countries more volatile.

  • “It feeds the suggestion that… this is a religious war… a tool that was used during post 9/11, the Iraq war by Al Qaeda, to recruit people against the United States. It’s so stupid to think that way.” – Dan Pfeiffer [12:39]

• Pope’s Counter-message:
  Pope Leo, from Cameroon, rebukes the instrumentalization of religion for war:

  • "Blessed are the peacemakers, but woe to those who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their military, economic, or political gain." [13:38]

3. Political Fallout: Trump Versus the Catholic Vote

[17:13 – 24:32]

• Key Voting Bloc:
  The Catholic vote, increasingly right-leaning since Obama, is spotlighted as pivotal in states like PA, MI, WI, and AZ. The hosts debate whether the Pope feud will move voters:

  • “Catholic vote is very powerful in this country, and particularly powerful in the states that decide the presidency.” – Dan Pfeiffer [21:56]

• Margins Matter:
  “Even if a tiny fraction of Catholics in the states I mentioned turned on Trump for this, that has real implications for House races in those states, Senate races in those states, like the Michigan Senate race, for instance, and 2028 if it stays that way.” – Dan Pfeiffer [24:06]

4. Culture War Absurdity: Pulp Fiction Prayer

[24:53 – 26:24]

• Pete Hegseth Recites “Ezekiel” from Pulp Fiction:
  A viral Pentagon moment as the Defense Secretary recites a fake Bible verse (actually Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction script).
  • “Well, it’s important to point out that that’s not a real verse.” – Dan Pfeiffer [25:34]
  • “You think Pete Hegseth skipped that theology class? Was it before noon?” [26:13]
    The hosts roast the increasingly surreal blend of pop culture and state religion.

5. Iran War Stalemate and Trump’s Spin

[30:23 – 38:26]

• Diplomacy-by-Gaslight:
  Trump gives contradictory, incoherent answers on ceasefire negotiations, playing down the war and economic consequences.

  • “He wants this war to be over. He wants the Strait of Hormuz open… without admitting defeat, like he wants a win of some kind.” – Dan Pfeiffer [32:25]
  • “We have very little leverage… and at some point you recognize that… Iran could start messing with other waterways…” – Dan Pfeiffer [32:41]

• Damage Done:
  The hosts compare the war’s political effect to Katrina for Bush or Covid for Trump:

  • “This is what everyone warned about with Trump. It’s what Katrina was to Bush politically.” – Dan Pfeiffer [34:33]

6. Midterms, Gas Prices, and Trump’s Economic Messaging

[38:26 – 43:17]

• Trump Flailing on Affordability:
  Trump’s attempts to brag about “no tax on tips” and low gas prices fall flat:

  • “Gas prices are high. That sucks. But it is a sacrifice we all have to make to prevent Iran from posing an existential threat.” – Dan Pfeiffer [40:19–40:31]

• Messaging Failures:

  • “He is psychologically incapable of delivering what would be the most effective economic message. He just can’t do it.” – Dan Pfeiffer [41:11]
  • “Instead of talking about it as, hey, we made a down payment and we helped you out a little bit... all he can do is be like, and I solved everything and everyone’s rich now and gas prices aren’t bad and the fake news media is telling you your life’s bad, but everything’s great.” – Jon Favreau [43:17]

7. Republican Panic & Political Prognosis

[44:03 – 46:45]

• Trump’s Midterm Hand-waving:
  “I asked people that are deep into the psychological world. I said, why is it that a voter votes for the opposite party even when you have a good president?” – Donald Trump [44:07]
  The hosts lampoon Trump’s misunderstanding of public opinion and the panic among House Republicans.

• Strategic Analysis:
  “Even if Trump was executing his political and message strategy perfectly, the Republicans would still be kind of fucked here. [...] But Trump is doing nothing to help them.” – Dan Pfeiffer [45:27–46:13]

8. Lessons from Hungary’s Opposition Victory

[48:04 – 57:13]

• Viktor Orban’s Ouster:
  The hosts celebrate the defeat of Hungarian autocrat Orban, emphasizing that resistance and accountability are essential post-Trump.

  • “You simply cannot turn the other cheek to fascism. [...] There’s going to be a massive project to dig out root and branch all of the corruption and the corrupt that Trump has put in our government and to hold them accountable.” – Dan Pfeiffer [50:44]

• Hard Lessons for Democrats:
  Some Democrats will want to “look forward”; others will press for accountability. The hosts advocate for a blitz of anti-corruption reforms if Democrats retake power.

9. RFK Jr. Oddities & Health Policy Critique

[57:13 – 61:01]

• Raccoon Penis Scandal:
  Bizarre headlines from a new RFK Jr. biography become podcast “dessert,” ridiculing the new Health Secretary’s odd behavior and failed testimony.

Guest Interview: Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota Lt. Gov & Senate Candidate

[62:38 – 97:09]

Flanagan on Democratic Backbone & Senate Reform

• Not Afraid of a Fight:
  “People are sick and tired of Democrats fighting from a defensive crouch or governing by sternly worded letter.” [63:29]

  • Calls for Democrats to show up, lead protests, and use all tools to fight the Trump agenda.

• Schumer Leadership:

  • “I feel the same way about Chuck Schumer that he feels about me. Uncommitted.” [65:28]
  • Advocates for a progressive Senate leader from the ‘Fight Club’ caucus (Warren, Sanders, Van Hollen, etc.).

• Age and Representation:

  • “We don’t have enough moms with kids under the age 18 serving in the Senate. There’s only four, and boy, can you tell.” [67:04]
  • Celebrates the importance of diversity, especially as the potential first Native American woman Senator.

• Post-Trump Reforms:

  • “There has to be some kind of reckoning… the biggest thing we need to do is make sure you can’t get rich off of serving in public office.” [70:02]
  • Wants strict accountability, criminal charges for Trump’s team, and significant Supreme Court reforms.

• Campaign Finance:

  • “Corporate PACs and billionaires are running the show in Washington… a fantastic reason why we shouldn’t take that money.” [73:47]
  • Contrasts herself with her primary opponent, saying she’s not beholden to corporate or AIPAC money.

On Policy, Poverty, and the Minnesota ICE Occupation

• ICE Occupation’s Trauma:
  Shares moving stories about the deep emotional and economic damage done by the federal ICE/CBP raids across Minnesota, especially to children and immigrant communities.

  • “There are going to be some children in our state who have an ACE score… simply because there were federal agents in their neighborhood.” [84:26]
  • “This is unforgivable. What the federal government laid at our doorstep, they have to repair and heal and restore.” [85:50]

• Fighting Fraud/Right Wing Narratives:
  Flanagan calls out GOP attempts to smear social programs using fraud cases, while vowing strong oversight and public accountability.

• Personal Story and Social Safety Net:
  Moving description of her family’s reliance on social programs:

  • “I’m alive because of those programs. All of those investments helped to lift my family towards the middle class. And now I get to pay that forward and pay it back in service.” [91:06–92:08]

• Paul Wellstone Legacy:
  Flanagan credits Wellstone’s mentorship and grassroots organizing as formative; celebrates organizing “the Wellstone way”—meeting people where they are, crafting policy with real communities in mind.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Jon Favreau: “He just became a Catholic like five minutes ago.” [06:05]
• Dan Pfeiffer: “The audience, in Pete Hegseth’s mind, is Donald Trump and no one else.” [12:03]
• Pope Leo: "Blessed are the peacemakers, but woe to those who manipulate religion in the ... name of God for their own military, economic or political gain." [13:38]
• Dan Pfeiffer: “This is what everyone warned about with Trump. It’s what Katrina was to Bush politically, which was we knew the guy was kind of a knucklehead.” [34:33]
• Peggy Flanagan: “People are sick and tired of Democrats fighting from a defensive crouch or governing by sternly worded letter.” [63:29]
• Peggy Flanagan, on social safety net: “I’m alive because of those programs. And when I think about, you know, my mom...she went back to school and was able to do so because of the childcare assistance program.” [91:06]
• Peggy Flanagan, on J.D. Vance: “If the Pope was mad at me...I would die. If my own priest was mad at me, I would feel just—or disappointed in me. Like, that would be the worst.” [90:31]

Episode Structure

• The hosts mix rapid-fire comedic commentary with substantive analysis of theological debates, war politics, and the ways in which culture-war distractions are deployed to offer cover for real policy failures.
• The extended Peggy Flanagan interview offers a vivid contrast: ground-level empathy, progressive reform proposals, and lessons from actual community organizing.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is rich in political satire, inside-baseball analysis, and heartfelt progressive advocacy. It’s equally useful for understanding how Trump’s chaotic approach affects both domestic and international politics, and for hearing how a new generation of Democrats—like Peggy Flanagan—are pushing to reform their party and country from the ground up.