Podcast Summary:

Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov
Episode: The GOP’s Health Care Crisis Is Blowing Up
Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Vox Media Podcast Network
Guests: Jessica Tarlov (co-host), Aaron Parnas (guest journalist)

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the escalating crisis around Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies and the broader GOP healthcare struggle—all through a centrist, pragmatic lens. Co-host Jessica Tarlov and TikTok journalist Aaron Parnas break down the week’s biggest political stories, with a special emphasis on health care politics, U.S.-Venezuela tensions, New York City political intrigue, and the ever-shifting ground of influence peddling and culture wars. The hosts blend insightful, often witty banter with inside-baseball analysis, offering a pulse-check for moderates frustrated by political extremes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI as TIME Person of the Year (01:43–04:39)

• Announcement Reaction: The hosts discuss TIME’s decision to name AI as Person (or Force) of the Year, reflecting on its transformative (and sometimes terrifying) power.
• Ethical & Regulatory Concerns:
  • Jessica notes the general anxiety over AI’s acceleration and the lack of meaningful regulation:

    "I'm always so scared when I hear some of these AI overlords basically saying that they're scared out of their minds about where AI is going to go." (03:00)

  • Aaron echoes concerns about federal overreach and the danger of pre-emption of state authority:

    "Truth be told, there may be some AI that's even smarter than the President right now in some respects." (03:18)

2. US-Venezuela Tensions & Regime Change Concerns (04:47–08:51)

• Situation Recap: Recent reports of the U.S. seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker prompt discussion on parallels to previous U.S. interventions.
• Escalation Worries:
  • Aaron predicts a swift military footprint:

    "I wouldn't be surprised if we have troops in Venezuela this weekend, like, that soon." (06:22)

  • On the likelihood and nature of conflict:

    "It's not really going to be ... a protracted conflict like you would see in Ukraine, Russia ... more like the United States bombing a bunch of military installations in Venezuela, sacking Maduro and then taking over Venezuela's oil." (06:48)

• Impact on MAGA Base & Political Fallout:
  • Jessica ponders Trump's 'peace president' brand and whether base support will erode.
  • Aaron observes:

    "70% of Americans don't support it. So there's zero appetite for us going into Venezuela ... Regime change never works historically." (07:40)

  • Prediction for the future:

    "In 2036, the top Democrats and Republicans are running on like a, I never supported the Venezuela war message ... It's all oil. A Republican president wanting to bomb a country to make money, and it never works." (08:14)

3. ACA Subsidy Crisis: Gridlock and Political Theater (09:05–14:09)

• House & Senate Dynamics: With ACA subsidies about to expire, both parties are locked in standoffs and symbolic votes.
• Aaron’s Assessment:

  “...the only way we have a resolution on health healthcare is if Trump comes in and says, you know what? Here's what we have to do. Republicans, get your shit together.” (10:55)

• Moderate Compromises?
  • Jessica asks if a deal involving health savings accounts and ACA subsidies could work.
  • Aaron is skeptical:

    “If you actually get sick, a thousand bucks doesn't get you very far in America's healthcare system … maybe in the waiting room.” (12:45–12:52)

• Realistic Outcomes:
  • Both agree the deadline is looming and political incentives favor blaming the other side over solving the crisis.

4. New York Political Drama: Lander vs. Goldman, Mandani’s Influence (16:17–20:11)

• Brad Lander's Challenge to Dan Goldman:
  • Jessica notes the intricate dance of endorsements, political debts, and factional influence.
  • Aaron:

    “If Lander wins, then obviously Mamdani's influence will grow. I don't know that Lander will win. I think Goldman will be heavily favorited in terms of funding … It’ll be a close kind of toss up situation." (16:59)

• Local vs. National Political Machines:
  • Mamdani's clout is tested; Aaron tracks how union and activist snubs might signal limits to his power.

5. Epstein Files Anticipation (20:12–21:30)

• Jessica asks for predictions:
  • Aaron expects "tens of thousands of pages," mostly legal and investigatory minutiae, not viral bombshells:

    “Anyone expecting there to be like this bombshell of like, Trump is in there and Trump did all these horrible things… it’s not happening.” (21:04)

  • Main curiosity is “the money trail”—which banks, which elites.

6. Culture Wars: Nick Fuentes & Incels, Online Right-Wing Subcultures (21:30–24:04)

• Piers Morgan Interview/Clip Culture:
  • Jessica decries attention-seeking interview content:

    "...made for clip culture and you know, like, the question about, like, are you a virgin? And then like, that's going viral." (21:47)

• Nick Fuentes’ Influence:
  • Aaron:

    "Fuentes and all of these guys, like, they have their, like, hyper online bubbles on the Internet. They're not really breaking out of it." (23:20)

• Trump & Right-Wing Online Spheres:
  • Aaron observes that without Trump giving them a bigger stage, these factions remain niche.

7. Lightning Round: Rage & Calm (24:29–25:56)

• Jessica's Rage: Preschool birthday party logistics (“so many Frozen-themed napkins and plates at my house right now...”). (24:45)
• Aaron's Rage: Cold weather without snow:

  “If it's going to be freezing, I need it to snow.” (25:32)

• Things to Calm Down About:
  • Both pick holiday stress/HOA drama.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On US-Venezuela military action:

  “Every time the United States touches regime change, like, we screw up majorly.” — Aaron Parnas (07:59)

• On ACA gridlock:

  “It's like, we have the lowest standards. You know, like that girl who's, like, dating the guy and he's just, like, blatantly cheating on her. But, like, he does hang out with her on her birthday. That's like us” — Jessica Tarlov (10:12)

• On health savings accounts:

  “If you actually get sick, a thousand bucks doesn't get you very far in America's healthcare system… maybe in the waiting room.” — Aaron Parnas (12:45)

• On expectations from the Epstein Files:

  “Anyone expecting there to be like this bombshell of like, Trump is in there and Trump did all these horrible things… it's not happening.” — Aaron Parnas (21:04)

• On culture war containment:

  “Fuentes and all of these guys, like, they have their, like, hyper online bubbles on the Internet. They're not really breaking out of it.” — Aaron Parnas (23:20)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Time | |---------------------------------------------|-----------| | AI as TIME Person of the Year | 01:43–04:39| | U.S.-Venezuela tension & regime change | 04:47–08:51| | ACA subsidy crisis | 09:05–14:09| | New York political showdowns | 16:17–20:11| | Epstein files preview | 20:12–21:30| | Culture war oddities (Fuentes, Tate, etc) | 21:30–24:04| | Rage & Calm lightning round | 24:29–25:56|

Conclusion

This episode provides a centrist, unvarnished take on the week’s political flashpoints. Tarlov and Parnas offer humor-laced skepticism about America’s appetite and skill for foreign interventions and are deeply cynical about both parties’ willingness or ability to address looming healthcare disasters. Their banter on the limits of online subcultures, the blurred lines of local and national politics, and the futility of expecting salacious “bombshells” in the ongoing Epstein saga, all paint a bleak-but-witty portrait of U.S. politics for exasperated moderates and political junkies alike.