Pod Save America: “Trump's Epstein Doodle Grosser than Expected”

Date: September 9, 2025
Hosts: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor
Special Guest: Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a fast-unfolding week in American politics, tackling Trump’s rebranding of the Defense Department as the “Department of War,” the disturbing ICE Supreme Court decision, escalating use of federal power in Democratic cities, the latest on the Trump-Epstein scandal, and the coming midterms. Hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor break down the consequences for democracy, civil liberties, and the Democratic Party’s strategy, with a focus on the New Jersey governor’s race through an interview with Mikey Sherrill.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump Declares "Shypocalypse Now" War on Chicago

• [01:51] The show opens with Trump posting a meme suggesting imminent military action in Chicago, echoing “Apocalypse Now.” The meme—complete with Trump as Colonel Kilgore, helicopters, and fire—signals his most explicit threat yet to send federal troops into a major American city.
• Trump: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War.” — (as cited by Favreau, [04:42])
• The hosts mock the absurdity but emphasize the dangerous normalization of military deployments against U.S. citizens.
• Favreau: “No war. Just. That’s why we call it the Department of War… but no war.” ([04:45])
• Lovett, on Trump's condescension to reporters: “Such a condescending way to talk… Hard to get over it.” ([04:51])

2. Crime as 2025’s Central Issue

• [05:09] The White House believes this “tough on crime” narrative is Trump’s best political ground, as economic numbers worsen.
• Lovett: “If you look at his approval on issues, the best issue is crime at negative two... They want to talk about crime.” ([05:09])
• Coded operations like “Operation Midway Blitz” and “Operation Patriot 2.0” echo post-9/11 “War on Terror” language.

3. Media & Right Wing Crime Narratives

• Hosts dissect the recent viral video of a Ukrainian refugee’s murder—used to justify draconian crime policy.
• Lovett: “This is just Trump exploiting a horrible incident for political gain.” ([12:06])
• Favreau highlights the hypocrisy: “Trump pardoned January 6th rioters who then went on to commit new crimes. That’s a direct connection… not what’s happening here.” ([14:06])
• Vietor notes that even Republicans realize most voters do not want National Guard deployments in their own cities—revealing the narrative is more about stoking culture-war fears than effective policymaking.

4. ICE and the Supreme Court Enable Racial Profiling

• [16:09]–[22:43] The Supreme Court lifts a ban on ICE detaining people based on suspicion, allowing broad racial profiling.
• Justice Kavanaugh: “They just promptly let the individual go. That’s what the officers do.” ([16:40])
• Sotomayor’s dissent and hosts’ stories illustrate the reality—U.S. citizens detained for days, forced to “prove” their status.
• Vietor: “Is the advice everyone needs to carry their papers?... A sign of an authoritarian state.” ([22:04])
• Lovett: “This is going to make racial profiling worse… ICE raids at Home Depots and job sites…” ([17:03])

5. International Incident: ICE Raids South Korean Workers

• [23:02]–[26:48] ICE detains hundreds of Korean workers at a Georgia Hyundai plant, creating a diplomatic uproar.
• Trump’s muddled response: “If you don’t have people in this country right now that know about batteries, maybe we should help them along and let some people come in and train…” ([23:02])
• Lovett: “The reason we’re not bringing them here is because your administration has a cap on H1B visas…” ([23:39])
• Vietor: “They shackled them hand to waist to toe and released a hype video… The media and opposition in Korea went insane—a gigantic betrayal...” ([24:49])

6. The "Department of War" Rebrand

• [28:53]–[31:12] Trump signs an executive order to rebrand the Department of Defense as “Department of War” (a throwback to pre-1949).
• Tommy Vietor: “I find myself not caring… It’s really fundamentally not the name of the Department of Defense… It is a nickname…”
• Favreau: “They love calling it Department of War because they want to be bellicose… The whole thing about peace is just that—being big and tough and bombing everyone into submission.” ([30:33])
• Coincides with new U.S. military strikes on “narco terrorists” near Venezuela, with no legal justification.
• Lovett: “J.D. Vance says: ‘I don’t give a shit what you call it.’ Highest and best use of our military is killing cartel members…” ([31:57])

7. Growing Fears of Unchecked Military Power

• The hosts stress the danger of unchecked executive and military force—now applied overseas and at home with little oversight.
• Vietor warns: “Before long, we’re going to be hitting sites in Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, not just international waters… The strike was the beginning of an effort that could include regime change.” ([32:13])
• Favreau: “Right now, we’re just doing summary executions of drug runners now.” ([33:59])

8. Democratic Party Strategy & Looming Government Shutdown

• [37:39]–[49:27] With a government shutdown on the horizon, the hosts debate whether Democrats should fund what they increasingly see as an unlawful and authoritarian administration.
• Ezra Klein: “Joining Republicans to fund this government is worse than failing at opposition. It’s complicity.” ([38:41])
• Lovett: “I’m 100% with him on the description of the problem… then it’s like, what’s the plan?” ([38:52])
• Discussion focuses on Democrats’ lack of clear messaging, authentic leadership, and debate over whether tying the shutdown to ACA subsidies is enough.
• Favreau: “I can see the end now—Democrats declaring victory at a press conference while ICE is throwing more people into a van in the background…” ([48:21])

9. Republican Infighting and MAGA Fight Club

• [69:17]–[76:17] The episode covers cabinet infighting—Scott Besant and Bill Pulte nearly come to blows at an exclusive Georgetown club, highlighting the internal chaos.
• Favreau: “Key party at Executive Branch. During cocktail hour, Besant accused Pulte of badmouthing him to Trump. He then told Pulte he was going to ‘punch him in his fucking face.’” ([71:02])
• The hosts joke about the fascism, toxic masculinity, and absurdity on display at the highest levels of the Trump White House.

10. The Epstein “Birthday Doodle” and Trump’s Response

• [51:30]–[58:49] The House Oversight Committee releases an infamous Trump birthday note to Epstein featuring a crude doodle of a naked female figure.
• Lovett: “It’s a gross doodle. It looks like an under—let’s not call it a woman. Looks like an underage girl. There’s no arms… Debate about whether the signature is intended to be pubic hair. That’s gross.” ([52:38])
• Trump surrogates dispute the authenticity, with hosts noting right-wing influencers split between denial and outrage.
• Favreau, on the spin: “They’re saying someone planted this in the birthday book, thinking maybe someday Trump would become President and this would be a problem.” ([54:05])
• Vance tweet mocked: “Forgive my language, but this story is complete and utter bullshit…” ([58:25])
• Vietor: “He does play on … so little respect for the people that support Donald Trump.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jon Lovett, on right-wing crime narratives:
  “This is just Trump exploiting a horrible incident for political gain.” ([12:06])

• Tommy Vietor, on the ICE Supreme Court decision:
  “Is the advice everyone needs to carry their papers? Are we at the phase… where you need documentation with you because if you can’t prove you’re a citizen, you could be held for hours or days?” ([22:04])

• Jon Favreau, on Democratic messaging around a government shutdown:
  “I can see the end of this now. Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries declaring victory… While in the background, ICE is just throwing more people into a van. That sounds right.” ([48:21])

• Lovett, on Trump’s Epstein doodle:
  “Gross doodle… Looks like an underage girl. There’s no arms. Debate about whether the signature is intended to be pubic hair. That’s gross. The fact that we’re having this conversation is gross.” ([52:38])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:51 – Trump’s “Shypocalypse Now” meme and threats against Chicago
• 05:09 – The crime narrative & political implications for the GOP
• 16:09–22:43 – The Supreme Court’s ICE decision and racial profiling
• 23:02–26:48 – International incident: ICE raids on South Korean workers
• 28:53–31:12 – The “Department of War” rebrand and what it means
• 32:13–33:59 – Launching military strikes on Venezuela
• 37:39–49:27 – Debate: Should Democrats shut down the government?
• 51:30–58:49 – The Epstein files, "birthday doodle," and fallout
• 69:17–76:17 – MAGA cabinet fight club: Scott Besant vs. Bill Pulte
• 81:36–109:17 – Interview: Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill on New Jersey, cost of living, Trump’s militarization, vaccines, and corruption

Interview Highlight: Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill

Focus: 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial race, cost of living & threats to democracy

• Main theme: Voters care first and foremost about the soaring cost of living, while politicians fixate on national drama.
  • Sherrill: “If I’m coming at you with democracy and you’re coming at me with ‘I’m about to lose my house’… that’s not gonna go well. And shame on us, really.” ([82:47])
• On Trump’s threats: “He promised to drive costs down… [now] he’s trying to wage war on one of his own cities. That’s really beyond the pale.” ([83:37])
• On ICE and the military: “I’ve heard from DHS officials that there is a loyalty test.”
  “Now we’re putting more money into immigration enforcement than we are into the Marine Corps… You see him trying to both weaken the U.S. military and strengthen ICE.” ([91:49])
• On vaccine skepticism and public health: “Without vaccines, our state could become very dangerous, especially for kids and for seniors… I don’t think that’s too much for the community to demand that your kid’s safe going to school.” ([94:55] onward)

Tone & Concluding Thoughts

True to “Pod Save America’s” style, the episode balances incisive political analysis with biting humor, sarcasm, and raw frustration at the normalization of authoritarianism and right-wing propaganda. The hosts refuse to mince words about Trump’s tactics or the Democratic Party’s strategic confusion. Reactions oscillate between gallows humor over GOP dysfunction and genuine alarm about threats to democracy and civil rights.

Favreau, closing the loop on real risks:
“If we think it's an illegal government and an authoritarian takeover and all that stuff, then act like it.” ([49:27])

Useful For:

• Listeners seeking in-depth, plain-spoken analysis of the Trump administration’s current tactics
• Those wanting to understand the reality behind viral news stories & Supreme Court decisions
• Activists & politicos looking at Democratic electoral dilemmas as 2025 midterms approach
• Anyone following the intersection of authoritarian policies, civil liberties, and grassroots politics in today’s America

For those craving the larger context of breaking news, brutal honesty, and the inside scoop on Democratic strategy (and comedy about clock-smashing bathroom runs), this is a can’t-miss episode.