Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Episode: "'Undo Trump' gains traction as a Democratic campaign message as Trump's popularity plummets"
Date: January 3, 2026
Host: Jen Psaki

Overview

Jen Psaki opens 2026 by examining the growing momentum behind a new Democratic campaign message: “Undo Trump.” The episode surveys the Trump administration’s latest controversies—ranging from lavish White House redecorations to missing health care subsidies—and the backlash these have sparked within both political parties. Psaki features a series of interviews with lawmakers, legal analysts, and journalists, each weighing in on the prospects for Democratic accountability, the state of Republican unity, and the legal battles engulfing the Trump administration. The episode also spotlights key policy and cultural flashpoints, including the ongoing saga of the Epstein files and Bidenomics vs. Trump’s tariff-driven economy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Trump’s Priorities in the New Year

• Lavish Redecorations and Entertainment:

  • Trump’s “top priority appears to be redecorating.” Recent actions include canceling leases on public golf courses to rebrand them for elite events, proposing an arch by the Lincoln Monument, and shopping for marble for a new $400M White House ballroom after demolishing the east wing.
  • The Mar-a-Lago New Year's party is highlighted as an emblem of excess—where a portrait of Jesus painted in 10 minutes was auctioned off for $2.75 million.
  • Notable quote:

    "It's hard not to look at Trump and his top aides celebrating the New Year in luxury, not think about how much that luxury contrasts with the way the Trump administration is treating the rest of America." – Jen Psaki [04:06]

• Contrast with Policy Neglect:

  • Key Cabinet officials (Dr. Oz, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio) party at Mar-a-Lago while critical policies, such as Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, lapse, leading to a spike in health care premiums for over 20 million Americans.

• ICE Crackdown as a Celebration:

  • ICE’s mass arrests (including of US citizens) are juxtaposed with officials like Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem celebrating to “Ice, Ice Baby,” symbolizing the administration’s disregard for pain caused by these policies.

Democratic Accountability – Interview with Rep. Eric Swalwell

[08:00–14:08]

• Strategies for Accountability if Democrats Retake the House:

  • Use of subpoena power, Committee investigations, and possible funding restrictions to hold Trump officials accountable.
  • Notable quote:

    "Republicans don’t think we have the balls to do it...If we telegraph that now, we may not reverse the deals that were done in the past, but we may stop the next drug deal that the president is cooking up right now." – Rep. Eric Swalwell [08:25]

• Specific Focus on Justice Department and Pam Bondi:

  • Calls to restrict DOJ funding until Epstein files are released.
  • Discussion on broader offensive strategies, including legal challenges against targeted political prosecutions.

The Epstein Files and the DOJ – Interview with Christy Greenberg

[15:36–23:55]

• DOJ’s Repeated Failure to Release Documents:

  • DOJ now claims 5.2 million undisclosed Epstein documents, despite earlier assurances of an “exhaustive review.”
  • Only 3% of required files have been made public.
  • Analyst Christy Greenberg expresses skepticism that the DOJ was unaware of the true volume, pointing out their prior court filings disclosing the scale.

• Potential Legal Remedies:

  • Suggests a civil lawsuit by Congress to force document release, labeling DOJ’s current redactions as excessive:

    “They are making a decision, a choice to actually withhold that information from the American people.” – Christy Greenberg [21:50]

GOP Cracks and Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Public Break

[25:07–32:32]

• ‘MAGA’ Infighting:

  • Both Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert have publicly defied Trump, especially over Epstein document releases and local policy conflicts.

  • Greene has emerged as a critical internal voice, with Robert Draper (New York Times) remarking:

    “She found she had certain misgivings about the way people could be so worshipful of him... She was uncomfortable with the sexualization... at Mar-a-Lago.” – Robert Draper [27:49]

  • Greene’s revelation of a phone call where Trump objected to releasing Epstein files, claiming ‘my friends will get hurt,’ is a pivotal moment [29:03].

• Weakening Trump Grip:

  • Draper suggests the party’s “stranglehold” is weakening, with more Republicans defining their own stance:

    “Already, just at the end of his first year, he's already kind of a lame duck...” – Robert Draper [30:31]

Tariffs and the State of the Economy – Interview with Bharat Ramamurthy

[34:13–40:35]

• Trump’s Tariffs Under Fire:

  • Trump’s economic policies are showcased as unstable—loudly promoting tariffs, then issuing industry exemptions. The Wall Street Journal editorial board calls Trump out:

    “Rarely has a president worked so hard to cover the damage from his policies without admitting it.” – Wall Street Journal (quoted by Psaki) [34:00]

• Debunked Job Claims:

  • Trump’s assertions that new jobs are all going to Americans are debunked by government data.

  • Bharat Ramamurthy clarifies:

    “If you look at the job market overall under the Trump economic agenda, it is very poor... Native born US Workers were doing better under Joe Biden than they had been under Donald Trump.” [35:24]

• Obamacare Subsidy Loss:

  • ACA premium tax credits expired, causing health care cost spikes. Ramamurthy warns a “health insurance crisis” is looming, exacerbated by Republican cuts to Medicaid.

The ‘Open Secret’ of Trump’s Controversies

[44:02–54:11]

• Trump’s Alleged Coverups are Transparent:

  • From his health explanations (aspirin and bruises) to the White House’s resistance to releasing Epstein files, attempts at secrets are mostly “obvious.”
  • Wall Street Journal reporting connects Mar-a-Lago employees to Epstein; Rep. Robert Garcia warns of “a directed White House coverup.”

• Congressional Efforts for DOJ Accountability:

  • Garcia outlines potential contempt charges and bipartisan support for House oversight, planning coordinated moves to break open the Epstein files and broader allegations of Trump-era corruption:

    “When you're directing the DOJ, when you're trying to cover up what's happening at the White House, when you're protecting men who raped and abused women and children, that needs to be exposed.” – Rep. Robert Garcia [53:04]

January 6th and the Judiciary – Jack Smith's Closed Door Testimony

[55:34–62:05]

• Deposition Highlights:

  • Smith is adamant Trump is overwhelmingly responsible for January 6th:

    “The evidence here made clear that President Trump was, by a large measure, the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy... The attack that happened at the Capitol ... does not happen without him.” – Jack Smith [55:34–55:57]

  • Smith rebuts the argument that Trump’s lies are protected by the First Amendment, explaining these statements targeted a lawful government function and were made with knowing falsity [56:19].

  • Former FBI agent Michael Feinberg:

    “Frankly, Smith ran circles around them, and they did not succeed in any of their real goals.” [57:25]

Legal Strategy — Interview with California Attorney General Rob Bonta

[64:07–69:58]

• Lawsuits as Resistance:

  • California has sued the Trump administration 52 times, with an 80% win rate.
  • Bonta describes these actions as upholding the “rule of law,” not partisanship:

    “If Trump doesn’t break the law, we don’t sue. If he breaks the law, we sue. And most of the time, we win.” [64:07]

• Blueprint for State-Level Pushback:

  • California’s victories in keeping the National Guard out of cities serve as a model for others.
  • Discussion of state laws requiring law enforcement officers to identify themselves—a direct response to ICE agents’ tactics under Trump.

2026 Midterms and Texas Senate Race – Interview with James Talarico

[70:02–78:12]

• Energized Democratic Prospects:

  • Democrats are newly hopeful about both the House and Senate. Texas is posited as a surprising battleground, with Talarico raising $13 million from 215,000 donors.
  • Notable quote:

    “People are hungry for a different kind of politics... rooted in honesty, in service, in kindness and love for our neighbors. That's what we're building here in Texas.” – James Talarico [74:11]

• Healthcare and Anti-Corruption Platforms:

  • Talarico, a type 1 diabetic, personalizes the fight for ACA subsidies.
  • Advocates for campaign finance reform, banning lawmaker stock trades, and a national ban on gerrymandering.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “ICE, ICE baby” party with top immigration officials [05:36].
• “We are going to seek to understand all of it... If we telegraph that now, we may not reverse the deals that were done in the past, but we may stop the next drug deal that the president is cooking up.” – Rep. Eric Swalwell [08:25]
• Marjorie Taylor Greene’s confession on Trump:

  “I was just so naive... They, meaning Trump's White House, have major problems and it's only starting to build.” – Marjorie Taylor Greene, via Robert Draper [29:03]

• “If you have a job right now, it's very hard to switch jobs because there's not a lot of new hiring going on. And if you are unfortunately out of work, it's very, very hard to find a job.” – Bharat Ramamurthy [35:24]
• “Smith ran circles around them, and they did not succeed in any of their real goals.” – Michael Feinberg, on the GOP’s failed interrogation of Jack Smith [57:25]
• “If Trump doesn’t break the law, we don’t sue. If he breaks the law, we sue. And most of the time, we win.” – Rob Bonta [64:07]

Important Timestamps

• White House Redecorations & Cabinet Partying: [01:09 – 07:59]
• Eric Swalwell Interview on Democratic Accountability: [08:00 – 14:08]
• Christy Greenberg on DOJ/Epstein Files: [15:36 – 23:55]
• Robert Draper on MAGA Cracks & Marjorie Taylor Greene: [27:49 – 32:32]
• Bharat Ramamurthy on Trump Economy: [34:13 – 40:35]
• Rep. Robert Garcia on White House Coverup: [47:19 – 54:11]
• Jack Smith Deposition & January 6th Evidence: [55:34 – 62:05]
• AG Rob Bonta on Legal Resistance: [64:07 – 69:58]
• James Talarico on Texas and Democratic Momentum: [72:41 – 78:12]

Tone and Language

The tone is sharp, often incredulous, and leans heavily on irony to critique Trump administration excesses and priorities. Jen Psaki’s language is conversational and direct, blending humor with righteous outrage. Guests are candid and often urgent in their descriptions of crises, while also highlighting pathways for Democratic accountability and policy reversals.

Conclusion

This episode of The Briefing captures a moment of mounting Democratic energy, growing GOP fractures, and persistent legal and moral battles over Trump-era policies. The “Undo Trump” theme underscores a pivot point: after a year of scandal and controversy, a broad swath of voices—from lawmakers to legal analysts to journalists—detail both the stakes and the opportunities for accountability in 2026. Whether on legal fronts, at the ballot box, or in direct policy reversals, momentum is building for a Democratic response—and potential reckoning—with the Trump administration’s legacy.