Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Episode Title: GOP panics as Democrat closes gap in red district special election
Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Jen Psaki (MS NOW)
Key Guests: Ken Delaney, Michael Feinberg, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeh Johnson, Afton Bain

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on two major news events shaping the week:

1. Breaking News: Shooting of Two West Virginia National Guard Members Near the White House
   Jen Psaki leads an in-depth discussion on the incident, details known at broadcast time, the evolving investigation, and political reactions.

2. A Shocking Political Race: A Democrat Closes the Gap in a Deeply Red Tennessee District
   The episode features an interview with Tennessee Democratic candidate Afton Bain, exploring her unexpectedly competitive bid in a district Donald Trump won by 22 points.

The show stitches together expert analysis, real-time updates, and reflections on the intersection of security, politics, and social tensions, all while maintaining a focus on facts and reasoned discussion.

Segment 1: The D.C. National Guard Shooting

Timestamps: 01:00–12:30, 25:23–36:18

Key Developments in the Attack

• Timeline and Details ([01:00–03:54])

  • At 2:15 p.m. local time, a lone gunman identified as Rahmounullah Lockhinwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, ambushed two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House.
  • The guards returned fire. Both guards remain in critical (one, grave) condition.
  • The suspect, subdued and apprehended by law enforcement and National Guard, is in custody. Motive is unknown.

• Immediate Federal Response ([03:31–03:54])

  • Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that President Trump ordered 500 additional National Guard members into D.C.

    “It will not stand. … This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C. safe and beautiful.” – Michael Feinberg relaying Trump's order ([03:31])

Investigation & Analysis

• Guest: Ken Delaney, Justice and Intelligence Correspondent ([04:48–06:36])

  • Confirms that the suspect entered the US in 2021 via the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome.
  • Notes open questions on the suspect’s subsequent asylum process, but urges caution—“we have not confirmed these reports.”
  • FBI’s terrorism unit leads the investigation, searching the suspect’s digital life and contacts.

    “As soon as the FBI concluded that this was a targeted attack on uniformed members of the armed services, they took over the investigation from D.C. police…” – Ken Delaney ([06:04])

• Guest: Michael Feinberg, Former FBI Assistant Special Agent ([07:09–10:45])

  • Outlines standard investigation procedures, including interviewing associates, swearing out search warrants for devices, and analyzing motive.

    “I’d be incredibly wary of imposing any narrative or motivation on this event at this point… We simply have no idea.” – Michael Feinberg ([08:36])

  • Notes concern that federal law enforcement attention is stretched by immigration tasks, reducing focus on security threats.

• Law Enforcement Staffing Concerns ([10:45–11:55])

  • Feinberg worries about the reassignment of task forces from national security to immigration:

    “A large proportion of the federal law enforcement community that is normally focused on things like this has been moved to immigration roundup efforts. There simply aren’t the same number of people working national security threats as there were before January 20th.” ([11:31])

Updates and Notable Quotes

• Delaney: Guard members remain in critical and grave conditions, no further update ([10:05]).
• Jen Psaki emphasizes the importance of not jumping to conclusions about motive and national security categorization ([08:16]).

Segment 2: Political and Policy Response

Timestamps: 13:55–23:31

Hakeem Jeffries Interview: Perspectives & Reactions

• On the Attack ([13:55–16:22])

  “It’s a terrible tragedy, and we certainly are praying for the recovery … These are reasonable questions that the American people deserve answers to.” – Hakeem Jeffries ([14:28, 17:02])

  • Jeffries highlights questions about the shooter’s motivation, weapon acquisition, potential accomplices, and law enforcement protection steps.

• On Trump Administration Actions ([17:02–17:45])

  • Trump administration seeks a stay after a federal court ruled Guard deployment in D.C. illegal, and ordered 500 more Guardsmen.
  • Jeffries: Actions must be justified with an overarching public safety strategy.

• On Health Care & ACA Tax Credits ([17:45–21:26])

  • Jeffries blasts the “devastating Republican health care crisis.”

    “We're in the middle of a devastating Republican health care crisis that is threatening the safety and well-being of tens of millions of Americans in a year where they've already enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history.” ([18:31])

  • Notes that Democrats are a handful of signatures away from forcing a vote to extend ACA tax credits (“discharge petition”), argues urgency ahead of December 31 expiration.

• On Republican Disarray & Congressional Prospects ([21:26–23:10])

  • Acknowledges “GOP civil war” and potential for Democrats to retake House control before the midterms if more prominent Republican resignations follow.

Segment 3: Analysis with Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson

Timestamps: 25:23–36:18

Immediate Reactions to the Shooting

• Lessons on Information and Motive ([27:55–30:04])

  • Cautions against early misinformation (“so much of it can be false”).
  • Emphasizes that vetting is critical but one individual should not define all refugees.

    “A deranged shooter like today’s assailant does not reflect this vast number of thousands of people [welcomed refugees]. Let’s remember that.” – Jeh Johnson ([31:45])

  • Points to the prevalence of guns as the through-line in high-profile violent incidents.

• On Trump’s Remarks and Potential Blowback ([30:04–32:21])

  • Psaki calls Trump’s call for re-examining all Afghan refugees “racist, xenophobic… and dangerous.”
  • Johnson warns about xenophobia and highlights strong vetting of Afghan and Syrian refugees:

    “There are many communities…who are welcoming of immigrants…They become productive members…A deranged shooter … does not reflect this vast number...” ([31:37])

• On National Guard Surge in D.C. ([32:21–34:26])

  • Johnson calls the 500-troop surge “knee-jerk,” questions its efficacy, and points out historical reluctance for military presence in civilian cities.

    “If I were asked to deploy an additional 500 Guard, the question I'd be asking is, well, how will [they]…make a difference to a deranged shooter who's determined to take down somebody in uniform?” ([32:43])

• On Law and Congressional Authority ([34:26–36:10])

  • Dismisses court-martial threats to Congress members for public statements as baseless and protected by law:

    “They were exercising their First Amendment right…Any use of law enforcement, either civilian or military, in my judgment, is abuse of that authority.” ([35:01])

Segment 4: Surprising Shift in Tennessee’s 7th District

Timestamps: 36:19–44:01

Interview: Afton Bain, Democratic Candidate for Congress

• On the Race’s Competitiveness ([39:19–40:12])

  “This race is competitive because Tennesseans are fed up and we're done being sold out to the highest bidder…voters across the 7th district want leaders who will fight for their families, not the billionaire boys club who is backing my Republican opponent.” – Afton Bain ([39:19])

  • Running in a district Trump won by 22 points; new poll shows her trailing by just 2 points.

• On Messaging and Policy ([40:12–41:07])

  • Bain is unapologetically progressive, focusing on affordable groceries, utilities, and health care.
  • Claims bipartisan support for her efforts to end Tennessee’s grocery tax and her track record as a healthcare organizer.

    “I've just been on the campaign trail talking about cheap groceries, cheap utilities, you know, lowering rent costs. And it's resonating…” ([40:34])

• On Voter Resonance with Epstein Scandal ([41:07–42:31])

  • Campaigning on accountability and rule of law, referencing local officials’ scandals and the national Epstein file outrage:

    “There are two systems. There is one for the wealthy and well connected, and there's one for the rest of us.” ([41:47])

• Strategy for Flipping Support ([42:31–43:27])

  • Mobilizing Democrats, expanding the electorate with young and new voters, and convincing independents and even Trump supporters unsettled by cost of living and dysfunction in Washington.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early Reporting & Misinformation:

  “In the immediate aftermath of a crisis…the push to get information out…so much of what we hear in the first minutes is wildly inaccurate.”
  — Jeh Johnson ([28:01])

• On Law Enforcement Manpower:

  “There simply aren’t the same number of people working national security threats as there were before January 20th. And you know, a lot of us have been saying for a long time, at a certain point that's going to come back to bite us. I hope this is not that point.”
  — Michael Feinberg ([11:30])

• On Political Strategy in a Red District:

  “I need you to preserve the subsidies in the Affordable Care act and you will be the first Democrat I will ever vote for in my life.”
  — Afton Bain ([41:07])

• On Xenophobia in Response to Crime:

  “A deranged shooter like today’s assailant does not reflect this vast number of thousands of people…Let’s remember that.”
  — Jeh Johnson ([31:45])

• Sharp Condemnation of Trump’s Call for Vetting:

  “That’s obviously an incredibly irresponsible and just racist, xenophobic, all of the things thing to say, but it’s dangerous too.”
  — Jen Psaki ([27:55])

Key Timestamps for Reference

• 01:00–03:54 — D.C. shooting rundown and initial federal response
• 04:48–10:45 — Investigation details, law enforcement perspectives
• 13:55–23:31 — Hakeem Jeffries on attack, policy, and House politics
• 25:23–36:18 — Full segment with Jeh Johnson on investigation and policy
• 36:19–44:01 — The Tennessee special election, Afton Bain interview

Episode Tone & Style

Jen Psaki maintains urgency, empathy, and rigorous attention to detail throughout—insisting on careful fact-checking, deferring speculation, and pushing guests for practical solutions and political accountability. The interviews are candid and unvarnished, letting each voice—from officials to activists—explain their experiences and anxieties.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode provides a sober, thorough look at both a major national security incident and the unexpectedly competitive political landscape. You'll hear expert breakdowns, clear-eyed warnings about misinformation, a defense of refugee communities, and an on-the-ground view of how progressive Democrats are challenging the GOP in deep red America.