The Antihero Broadcast – The Night Shift (11/20/2025): "TRUMP TWEETS"

Podcast: The Antihero Broadcast
Episode: The Night Shift (11/20/2025)
Release Date: November 21, 2025
Duration: ~127 minutes
Hosts: Jimmy, Mike, Lewis, Tyler, Matt
Special Focus: Broadcast for veterans and first responders

Episode Overview

This episode of The Night Shift is a wide-ranging, unscripted conversation between five hosts—most of them veterans and/or former police—with a “for the troops, by the troops” feel. The guys blend dark humor, gallows talk, current events, law enforcement controversies, and military tactics, all with the irreverent, sometimes rowdy banter typical of the show.

While the episode’s official hook is to discuss "Trump tweets," the crew spends significant time breaking down viral policing videos, crime stories, urban warfare in Ukraine, and the challenges of modern combat and policing. The tech issues add a humanizing (and often hilarious) chaos throughout. Key moments include spirited debate about federal prosecutions, discussion of Ukraine's evolving battlefield, trench and drone warfare, the psychology of strength sports, and a Rubik’s Cube speed solving contest.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Policing Stories & Law Enforcement Ethics

(04:00-07:40)

• Lewis shares a story about a cop in Martin County, Justin Lee, who bent the rules in undercover drug stings, only to get embroiled in a scandal for using questionable methods and allegedly deleting his phone when subpoenaed (“the old Hillary”).
• Debates the line between "proactive" policing and administrative/federal overreach.
• Highlights frustrations among officers:

  “He literally got in trouble for arresting people. Like, that's what he got in trouble for.” (Lewis, 06:21)

• Broader conversation follows about how bureaucracy and technicalities are more likely to catch officers today than failures to get drugs off the street.

2. Violent Crime in Major Cities

(08:20-11:50)

• Discusses a bizarre crime in Chicago: a man on his way to law school set a woman on fire, sparking a conversation about how "terrorism" is defined.

  “In Chicago, you can run around with Draco and shoot 30-40 people a weekend. And that's not terrorism, right? But light that one lady on fire, and man, you're a terrorist.” (Lewis, 10:02)

• The group criticizes selective federal prosecutions and case cherry-picking for the sake of statistics or office self-justification.

3. Military Stories, Veteran Life, and Camaraderie

(12:07-14:13, 49:00-50:00)

• Tyler identifies as an Afghanistan and Syria veteran, currently National Guard.
• Swapping stories about military breaching courses:

  "They don’t even realize how much damage they're doing to their brains, but, you know, it is what it is." (Tyler, 13:13)

• Banter about the effects of repeated blast exposure, military height “inflation” jokes, and the realities of shrinking after years in service.

4. Trump’s Social Media Drama & Media Reactions

(14:22-16:36)

• The group reacts to Trump’s signal boosting of a tweet suggesting Democrats be hanged ("George Washington would"), and his comment that "serious behavior punishable by death" caused a widespread, heated political/media response.

  “The President of the United States of America just called for the death of Democrat lawmakers. This man is sick in the head.” (Lewis, relaying Gavin Newsom, 15:33)

• The group shrugs at the outrage, comparing partisan hypocrisy and amped-up rhetoric on both sides.

5. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, & Veteran Mental Health

(18:25-20:09)

• Matt, a Marine vet, shares his journey with powerlifting—injuries, body dysmorphia, and the challenge of substance use in the community.
• Broad acknowledgment of the mental health challenges and “battle” that comes with strength sports, especially among current and former service members.

6. Live Technical Difficulties: A Running Comedy

(21:21-24:46+)

• Throughout the episode, the team is plagued by poor video quality, lag, and bandwidth problems, leading to ongoing jokes, impromptu tech troubleshooting, and sarcasm.

  “Pour water on it.” “Motrin and water… fixes everything.” (Tyler & Lewis, ~22:44–24:00)

• They end up joking about their low-rent setup but power through.

7. Viral Video Breakdowns: Ukraine, Urban Combat & Police Goofs

a. Urban Combat in Ukraine (25:40–30:00; 65:14–69:50+)

• Extensive review of footage of Ukrainian infantry fighting for a half-destroyed building, discussing the use of yellow armbands for identification and how modern urban warfare has diverged from years of U.S. CQB training.

  “We’ve been training for the last how many years to get excessively good at this thing. That doesn’t really apply right now.” (Tyler, 27:43)

• Dives into drone use, fiber optic command wires, and the horrifying reality of modern trench and urban warfare.

b. “Inflatable Penis” Arrest Video (30:50–34:30)

• The group watches and roasts a viral cop bodycam capturing an officer earnestly attempting to arrest a protester in a Spirit Halloween penis costume.

  “I want you to tell me why the penis is running.” (Lewis, 32:13) “I can tell you right now, all kids could drive by that and have no idea what that lady’s dressed as. I didn’t know it was a penis till they said it!” (Lewis, 33:11)

• Discussion on police overreaction, freedom of speech, and the culture of “cop vs. auditor” viral encounters.

c. Urban Shootouts & Crime (39:35–41:20+)

• They review New Jersey CCTV of a daylight shootout between "engineers" and "doctors" outside a liquor store, mocking media’s use of virtue-washed labels for violent actors.

  “That is a military battle. Those are the number of casualties in an actual military…” (Lewis, 40:06)

8. Realities of Modern War: Ukraine Deep-Dive

(65:14–77:00+)

• The hosts dive into drone innovations, fiber optic-controlled kamikaze drones, and the terrifying advances in indirect, anonymous killing on the modern battlefield.
• They discuss the psychological toll, the futility of the war, the devastation of Ukraine, and the difference between GWOT (Global War on Terror) and state-on-state conflict.
• Notable moment:

  "There’s an entire generation of young men that don’t exist anymore." (Jimmy, 72:36) "When that war ends, our lives will be no different… But for entire… hundreds of thousands… families are done." (Lewis, 72:02-72:42)

9. Tech, Social Media & Opsec: Lessons from Ukraine

(83:07–87:46)

• Discussion about Russian Chechens being annihilated due to social media geotagging; leads to a mini-lesson on embedded GPS info in photos.

  "Your phone could not be connected to the internet… when you take a picture… it saves the location in the data." (Tyler, 84:54)

• The group ties this back to police officers’ problems with wives and Instagram.

10. Veteran Experiences & “Who Fought the Hardest” Chat Brawl

(88:03–91:14)

• As the crew compares hardships from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Ukraine, a debate erupts in the chat (between veterans in the Antihero audience) about who had it worse.

  “That was rough, but it ain’t compared to what they’re dealing with in Ukraine—and I stand by that.” (Jimmy, 88:51)

11. Combat Communications and Command & Control in Modern Warfare

(97:00–100:00+)

• They break down the nature of comms on modern battlefields, the challenges of crypto changeover, and how lack of radios and jamming force units back into WWI tactics.

  “If you use comms, the Russians will direction find you and bucket dropper…” (Jimmy, 96:52)

• “Stay on your freak” becomes suggested as a t-shirt slogan.

12. Rubik’s Cube Competition – Mental Endurance and Showmanship

(110:16–114:46; 121:19–122:40)

• The episode ends with multiple Rubik’s Cube speedsolving contests—a recurring staple—showcasing Lewis reliably solving the cube in around 10 seconds, to Mike’s amazement.
• “Can you do 10 pushups and then do the Rubik’s Cube?” “You gotta do the Rubik’s Cube in your mouth while you do pushups.” (121:51+)
• Playful, self-effacing banter about who actually has “talent” and the nature of practice/giftedness.

13. Closing: Community, Mental Health, and Vet Support

• Announcements about supporting veterans/first responders on holidays—Thanksgiving plans to hold an open stream for anyone alone.

  “Nobody deserves to spend holidays alone. So, if you're alone, you come join us.” (Lewis, 124:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Moment | |------------|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:21 | Lewis | “He literally got in trouble for arresting people. Like, that's what he got in trouble for.” | | 10:02 | Lewis | “In Chicago, you can run around with Draco and shoot 30-40 people a weekend. And that's not terrorism, right?” | | 13:13 | Tyler | “I don't think half the instructors that do breaching courses even realize how much damage they're doing to their brains.” | | 14:29 | Mike | “Apparently Trump… it was like four words. It wasn’t… I wouldn’t even say vague. It was pretty direct.” | | 32:13 | Lewis | “I want you to tell me why the penis is running.” | | 40:06 | Lewis | “That is a military battle. That… is the number of casualties in an actual military…” | | 72:36 | Jimmy | “There's an entire generation of young men that don't exist anymore.” | | 84:54 | Tyler | “Your phone could not be connected to the internet… when you take a picture… it saves the location in the data.” | | 88:51 | Jimmy | “That was rough, but it ain’t compared to what they’re dealing with in Ukraine—and I stand by that.” | | 124:14 | Lewis | “If you’re alone, you come join us.” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:00 – Martin County Cop Story (Policing Ethics)
• 08:20 – Chicago Fire Attack, Urban Terrorism, Feds
• 12:07 – Veteran Introductions, EOD, Military Camaraderie
• 14:22 – Trump Tweets & Media Outrage
• 18:25 – Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Vet Mental Health
• 21:21 – Start of Ongoing Tech Difficulties
• 25:40 – Ukrainian Urban Combat Video Breakdown
• 30:50 – “Inflatable Penis” Protest Arrest Video
• 39:35 – New Jersey “Engineers vs Doctors” Shootout
• 65:14 – Ukraine: Drones, Trenches, Modern Combat
• 83:07 – Chechen/Russian Opsec Failures & Social Media
• 88:03 – Chat-Vet Argument (Who Had it Worse?)
• 97:00 – Combat Comms, Command & Control
• 110:16 – Rubik's Cube Speedsolving Contest
• 124:14 – Holiday Support for Vets & First Responders

Tone & Takeaways

• Language/Tone: Part military smoke-pit, part cop shop, the show is raunchy, darkly comic, and proudly irreverent—but honest about the pain/absurdity of modern service, policing, and warfare. Tech issues become entertainment, and banter is fast and mocking but affectionate.
• Humor: The blend of sarcasm (“inflatable penis in custody,” “define fine”), total deadpan breakdowns of viral videos, in-joke height rivalry, tech self-ownage, and the world's most chaotic Rubik’s Cube contest runs throughout.
• Serious Note: Under the comedy, there's a deep thread of military/civil service trauma, skepticism about political authority, and a real desire to support community—especially around holidays.

For New Listeners

This episode typifies The Antihero Broadcast's focus on real talk for and by veterans and first responders: irreverent yet honest, mixing gallows humor with hard truths, and always keeping camaraderie at the core.

If you’re in the military, law enforcement, or adjacent circles, you’ll recognize the blend of sarcasm, sarcasm, and uncommon honesty. If not, you’ll get an unfiltered window into their world—with all its chaos, conflict, and the simple, vital comfort of people “being in it together.”