Podcast Summary: The David Pakman Show

Episode: "10/3/25: Trump is getting ignored as pollsters drop brutal warning"
Date: October 3, 2025
Host: David Pakman

Main Theme

This episode centers on deepening resistance among blue-state governors to Donald Trump’s federal policies in his second term, a legal and political exploration of state vs. federal authority, and a sharp analysis of current Democratic messaging failings as 2026 and 2028 loom. Pakman also critiques Trump’s victim narrative, unpacks the real costs of Trump's economic policies, and reveals concerning new polling that spells trouble for the Trump presidency.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Blue-State Governors Push Back Against Trump

Timestamps: 00:07–01:55, 01:55–06:40

• Governors’ Defiance: Democratic governors like Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, California’s Gavin Newsom, New York’s Kathy Hochul, and Illinois’s J.B. Pritzker are increasingly ignoring edicts from the Trump administration, asserting their states’ rights under the Tenth Amendment.
• Specific Examples:
  • Josh Shapiro refuses to cede health care decisions to Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
  • California continues with strict climate policies despite Trump reversing federal environmental rules.
  • New York commits to maintaining gun safety and abortion rights regardless of federal moves.
  • Illinois prepares to shield immigrants from federal deportation drives.

Josh Shapiro [01:08]:
"RFK Jr. doesn't run health care here in Pennsylvania. Dr. Bogan does, as the health secretary."

• State vs. Federal Law:
  • Federal supremacy is not absolute; states can exceed federal minimum requirements but can’t go below them (ex: emissions standards, minimum wage).
  • For certain federally preempted areas (immigration, civil rights), states must yield to federal law. Elsewhere (property, business regulations), states have authority.

David Pakman [03:30]:
“The key distinctions are that if there is a direct conflict on something which federal law controls, federal law wins in a sense. But big picture, federal law sets floors and not ceilings. If the Constitution doesn’t give federal government power over an area, it remains up to the states.”

2. Eric Trump’s “They” Conspiracy Rant

Timestamps: 07:38–11:03

• Eric Trump’s Victimhood Rhetoric:
  Pakman plays a clip from Eric Trump (son of Donald Trump) listing a litany of supposed coordinated attacks against the Trump family, repeatedly referencing a shadowy “they” responsible for everything from legal judgments to social media bans.
• Pakman’s Dissection:
  Pakman points out the incoherence of this “they” – a conflation of judges, Congress, law enforcement, social media companies, and even other Republicans – all lumped together to feed the narrative of a grand, unified anti-Trump conspiracy.

Eric Trump [07:43]:
“…they tried to kill us. I mean, I was outside the courthouse… defending my father because they gag ordered him about 200 times … they impeached him once, they impeached him again. … They took him off Twitter. They took…”

David Pakman [08:14]:
“He’s using the ubiquitous ‘they’ even to describe stuff that Republicans did. … He’s referred to a dozen different entities here, none of which are coordinated in any way that they’ve been able to demonstrate.”

• Key Analysis:
  Pakman notes the Trump brand’s contradiction: painting themselves as ultra-tough, yet always the “ultimate victims.”

David Pakman [11:03]:
“This is a family that wants you to believe there are no stronger people, no smarter people. … Yet despite being ultra-wealthy and hyper-privileged, they are the victims. They want you to believe they are the victims. Not the migrants being treated like crap ... This is the face of victimhood, according to Eric Trump.”

3. Why David Cancelled His ‘Jubilee’s Surrounded’ Appearance

Timestamps: 13:15–19:20

• Security & Format Concerns:
  Pakman explains his decision to withdraw from a high-profile debate show, initially citing safety after Charlie Kirk’s recent death at a similar event, but ultimately concluding the “rage-bait” debate format doesn’t foster real discussion or move political discourse in a desired direction.
• Ethical Worries:
  He expresses discomfort with participants who are “pretty obviously mentally ill” being included for spectacle rather than substance.

David Pakman [19:10]:
“A lot of the good conversations end up excluded. Some of the participants are pretty obviously mentally ill… It’s almost like predatory to include them in some of this stuff. So, I’ve made the decision not to participate.”

4. Democratic Messaging: Pakman’s Brutal Warning

Timestamps: 19:20–31:19

• Communication Failures:
  Pakman laments that most Democratic leaders are “unable or unwilling to communicate in an emotionally salient, meaningful way with voters.” He provides frank anecdotes of interviews where guests dodged questions, got defensive, or answered with meandering talking points.
• Case Studies:
  • Jared Polis became defensive when asked about private equity in Colorado apartments.
  • Colin Allred failed to specify what he offers Texas Republicans.
  • Rahm Emanuel gave a six-minute answer about education to an economics question and got aggressive when pushed.

David Pakman [26:03]:
“If you look at the comments on that interview, your reaction was exactly what I was thinking, which is, he's not answering the question... And he never really gets to the point.”

• Contrast with Standouts:
  Pakman praises a few who communicate directly and inspire – like NY Assemblymember Zoran Mamdani or CA Gov. Gavin Newsom.

David Pakman [29:35]:
“Mamdani … is emerging as one of the few Democrats who actually excites people and just answers the questions that he's asked.… Even when he says how he'll pay for the bus plan, I don't believe it. But he's got an answer.”

• Blunt Outlook:
  Unless Democrats improve communication fast, Pakman warns the left faces “disaster” in 2026/2028.

5. The Real Cost of Trump’s Economic Policies

Timestamps: 33:40–37:41

• Tariffs and Shadow Taxes:
  Pakman contends that Trump’s “tough-on-trade” policies are a scam: average Americans, not China or Mexico, get stuck paying for tariffs via higher consumer prices, while farm bailouts cost taxpayers twice.

David Pakman [34:54]:
“Every time you go to the store, every time you pay your bills, you are footing the bill for Donald Trump’s economic insanity. … Tariffs are a tax on imports. The cost gets passed to you.”

• Ripple Effects:
  Tariffs raise the price of goods, construction, and eventually, property taxes. Local governments must scramble to fill budget holes as economic pain trickles downward.

David Pakman [37:31]:
“Trickle down in the sense of cut taxes for the rich and everyone benefits doesn’t exist, doesn’t work…. It leaves local governments … to try to scramble and cover up the gaps.”

6. Devastating Polls for Trump in Swing Districts

Timestamps: 37:41–41:20

• New Poll Numbers:
  A Lake Research/Free Speech for People survey of swing congressional districts shows:
  • 49% support impeaching Trump (45% “strongly”).
  • 56% disapprove of Trump’s job performance.
  • Pakman notes this is “almost unprecedented” negative sentiment only eight months into a presidential term. Nixon, by comparison, didn’t reach this until his second term’s end.
• Historically Low Prospects:
  Presidential approval rates tend to slide downward; regaining approval is rare outside of extreme events (like post-9/11 Bush bump).

David Pakman [39:23]:
“Might even be unprecedented… you've got about half of swing district voters saying the president should be impeached, and we're only eight months in. Nixon didn't hit these numbers until the end of his second term. Clinton never had numbers like this.”

• Impeachable Offenses:
  Pakman rattles off a list: militarizing cities, DOJ abuse, pressuring media, attacking the First Amendment, etc., but notes that actual impeachment is unlikely while Republicans control the Senate.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On state pushback:

  "We're not going to let those who do not believe in science ... dictate health care here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
  —Governor Josh Shapiro [01:44]

• On America’s direction:

  “I hope that we can survive three and a half more years of this insanity. But if we were to get another version of Trump in 2028, I would start to worry about the survival of this country.”
  —David Pakman [45:30, feedback]

• On the Democratic messaging crisis:

  “Unless there is a clear platform, clear policy ideas, an emotional connection to voters, Democrats are going to keep running into the same wall.”
  —David Pakman [28:35]

• On Trump’s victimhood narrative:

  “They want you to believe that they are the victims. Not the migrants being treated like crap, not the people being deported … This is the face of victimhood, according to Eric Trump.”
  —David Pakman [11:03]

• On participating in rage-bait debates:

  “I don’t think the conversations that Charlie Kirk was having, and I don’t think the conversations that I would have if I did this event would really foster understanding, advance a productive cause, or bring people together in any way.”
  —David Pakman [18:22]

Listener Feedback Highlights

Timestamps: 41:47–53:15

• Media Coverage Disparity:
  Why did Charlie Kirk’s death get vastly more attention than other tragedies? Pakman explains the structure of media coverage and the unfortunate reality of mass shootings’ frequency.
• Country’s Division:
  One listener suggests the country isn’t as divided as the media portrays; Pakman agrees but notes that salient divisions remain crucial.
• Who to Blame for Democratic Messaging?
  Some insist right-wing media is solely at fault; Pakman counters that Democrats cannot solely blame the opposition for credibility problems.

“Absolving Democrats of blame doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”
—David Pakman [50:10]

Structure & Flow

The episode is structured as a rapid-fire political analysis with minimal digressions:

1. Trump resistance by governors (legal, political, strategic explanations)
2. Dissecting right-wing victim narratives (Eric Trump’s “they”
3. Pakman’s own media participation ethics
4. Democratic messaging critique and campaign communication failures
5. Economic realities of Trump-era trade and tariffs
6. The significance of damning new polls for Trump
7. Closing with audience feedback and further engagement

For listeners who missed the episode:

• Get concise legal and political analysis of the new blue-state resistance to Trump’s agenda.
• Hear pointed breakdowns (with receipts) of Trump-world grievance narratives.
• Learn why Democratic messaging is faltering and what needs to change in 2026/2028.
• Understand the practical effects of Trump’s tariffs and poll numbers showing a crumbling political base.
• Listeners are challenged to demand better communication from Democratic leaders and not simply blame the right-wing media.

Additional Segments (Brief Mentions)

• Pakman’s decision not to participate in rage-bait debate shows post-Charlie Kirk murder
• Listener questions on media bias, political violence, and Democratic communication
• Ongoing “bonus show” opportunities for subscribers

Summary prepared for clarity and continuity—ad skips, sponsor reads, intros, and outros have been omitted.