The David Pakman Show – November 25, 2025 Episode Summary

Title: Job losses crack as Trump needs 2 more weeks on healthcare
Host: David Pakman
Date: November 25, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, David Pakman delivers an incisive breakdown of mounting economic distress under the Trump administration, the administration's unprecedented shutdown of key economic data, legal embarrassments involving dismissed prosecutions against Trump's political adversaries, the latest farcical attempts at healthcare reform, and the recurring trend of political spectacle outweighing substantive policy. The show features interviews and news clips—including an in-depth legal conversation with attorney Mark Elias on a looming Supreme Court campaign finance case. Throughout, Pakman maintains his signature blend of sharp critique, humor, and evidence-based analysis in tackling today’s most pressing political developments.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Economy in Crisis and Data Blackouts

[00:58–08:45]

• Private sector jobs are declining: Pakman leads with the alarming statistic that private companies are shedding 13,500 jobs per week, citing alternative payroll data from ADP due to the Trump administration abruptly halting official economic reporting.
• White House suppresses economic reports: Trump has fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and canceled the release of jobs, inflation, and GDP reports. The Federal Reserve must now make monetary policy decisions "on guesswork," devoid of trusted government data.
  • “We are now relying on an ADP spreadsheet because the President was so terrified of the official numbers that he said, no more.” [02:30]
• Playing the same game: Pakman contextualizes this move in the President’s pattern of denying inconvenient facts, comparing it to COVID testing suspensions and broader reality denial.
  • “This shouldn't surprise anybody. This is the guy who said, 'I don't like how many COVID cases we have. Stop testing.'” [03:12]
• Policy impacts compound economic malaise: Pakman ties the mass deportation plan and air traffic issues to economic decline, forecasting the devastating effect a full-scale deportation would have on GDP (loss of 7%).
• Comparative presidential job creation: Using historical data, Pakman demonstrates that Democratic presidents create jobs at nearly triple the rate of Republicans, reinforcing a factual, longitudinal difference.
  • “Facts don’t care about your feelings. They're not good with the economy. They're not good at creating jobs.” [06:05]

2. “Fixing” Air Travel: The Individual vs. The Structural

[09:45–16:15]

• Transportation Secretary’s priorities questioned: Sean Duffy, Trump’s Secretary of Transportation, launches a “civility campaign” focused on passenger behavior—pajamas, slippers, feet on seats—while systemic air traffic control issues remain unaddressed.
  • Duffy: “I'm just making the ask. Let's all travel better together... don't take your shoes off and put your feet on the chair ahead of you.” [10:40]
  • Pakman’s retort: “This is not what the Secretary of Transportation needs to be focused on. We've got to deal with air traffic control, airport meltdowns, ground stops, understaffed staff.” [11:25]
• Classic deflection to individuals: Pakman likens this approach to “plastic straw” arguments—placing systemic failures on individuals rather than institutions.
  • “It's another example of putting the individual ahead of the structural... we have a structural problem.” [14:09]
• Media queries the logic: Duffy, pressed by a reporter, admits to billions being spent on ATC modernization but continues to focus on superficial improvements.
  • Reporter: “They feel like it's putting the onus on passengers to create a more pleasant air travel experience...” [15:36]

3. Trump’s Legal Humiliation: Dropped Prosecutions

[16:15–24:10]

• Federal judge demolishes Trump’s “revenge” prosecutions: Charges against James Comey (ex-FBI) and Letitia James (NY Attorney General) are tossed out, owing to Trump’s handpicked prosecutor Lindsey Halligan being illegally appointed—she had no Senate confirmation and no prosecutorial experience.
  • “The prosecutor that Trump picked to go after his enemies was not legally appointed... it is all flushed.” [16:48]
• Reactions from all sides: Both CNN and Fox News break the news in disbelief, while Comey himself hammers Trump’s “malevolence and incompetence.”
  • James Comey: “I'm grateful that the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence and incompetence and a reflection of what the Department of Justice has become under Donald Trump.” [19:13]
• Pakman’s analysis: The attempt to attack political rivals has not only failed but blown back spectacularly, underlining the administration’s lack of competence and lawful foundation.
  • “Trump tried to prosecute his enemies, which is what he said Biden was doing. Biden wasn't doing it. Trump is.” [22:08]

4. The Never-ending Health Care Plan Delay

[27:58–31:35]

• Trump’s “two more weeks” promise cycles again: Both CNN and Fox News are left flat-footed after the White House delays its health care “framework” yet again, a promise Trump’s been making since 2020.
  • CNN anchor: “I'm sorry, this has actually been... the White House has postponed its expected unveiling of this new health care proposal.” [28:41]
  • Pakman: “It’s like an SNL skit. ...It's just going to be another couple... another couple of weeks.” [29:07]
• Limited options, dire consequences: Pakman lays out three choices: do nothing (premiums double, disaster), major reform (ideologically off-limits), or extend ACA subsidies for a short-term fix, which seems most likely.
  • “It's good if they do it, but it is just yet again, this stupid political football that really doesn't solve anything long term.” [32:45]
• Historic broken promises: Pakman replays a 2020 Trump soundbite again promising a healthcare plan “within two weeks.” The recycling of this broken assurance is lampooned throughout.

5. Distraction Tactics and Red State “Migration”

[33:49–34:55]

• “Move to a red state” to beat inflation: Right-wing pundit Scott Bessant advises Americans to move to red states for lower inflation (allegedly 0.5% lower), a suggestion Pakman dubs ludicrous given wage and quality-of-life disparities.
  • Pakman’s calculation: “A 0.5 percentage point higher inflation rate?… That's like $25 a month… but your salary might go down by $20,000.” [34:09]
• Broader point: The segment underscores the GOP’s penchant for performative, impractical “solutions” that ignore the data and real-world consequences.

6. Interview: Mark Elias on Campaign Finance at the Supreme Court

[38:50–52:34]

• Case summary: Prominent election lawyer Mark Elias previews his December Supreme Court argument defending federal limits on coordinated spending between parties and candidates.
  • Elias: “Republicans have been trying to strike these limits down for literally decades… What the Republican Party wants is essentially the Republican Party’s funds to be able to use in unlimited amounts to simply pay the bills of their campaigns.” [39:00–41:56]
• Legal terrain explained: Elias details distinctions between “coordinated” and “independent” expenditures, the legacy of Citizens United, and why Republicans are strategically attacking campaign finance rules piece by piece.
  • “If the Republicans win here… they are essentially going to win one of two ways. Either they're going to say the contribution limits fall…or they will say that…coordinated spending is entitled to more protections…” [47:52]
• Historical disadvantage for Democrats: Pakman asks if this Supreme Court trend is a clear win for Republicans; Elias says unequivocally yes, contrasting the GOP’s court success on campaign finance vs. their relative failures in the voting rights arena.
  • Elias: “I don't think you could view it any other way… To find an instance in which the Republicans have not won a case that they have brought...you have to go back a while.” [50:17]

7. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt’s Bad Day

[52:40–66:49]

Levitt’s media gaffes include:

• Ducking on H1B visas and American workers:
  • Levitt: “The President does not support American workers being replaced. You are mischaracterizing what the President said.” [54:59]
  • Pakman: Immediately plays a clip of Trump explicitly saying, “No, you don’t have certain talents and you have to bring in [foreign workers].” [55:48]
• Dodging on Ukraine peace plan: Levitt claims active Ukrainian involvement and criticism is “misinformation,” ignoring factual imbalances in the Trump-brokered plan.
• On the New York mayor-elect meeting: Levitt spins Trump’s NYC friendliness as “wanting what's best for New York,” while Pakman suggests Trump just wants future construction permits. [59:22]
• On the health care plan delay: Levitt falls back on “frequent and robust discussions,” offering no meaningful detail. [60:42]
• Fox News stumble: Levitt claims that, “there are no illegal orders,” and misstates military law, drawing a comparison to Nixon’s infamous “if the president does it, it’s not illegal.”
  • Levitt: “Not a single order this president or administration has given…has ever been illegal, nor will it ever be. This administration respects and abides by the law.” [63:33]
  • Pakman: Corrects, citing UCMJ requirements to refuse unlawful orders, and lists specific Trump-administration demands that were rejected by the military as unlawful. [64:12]
• On Comey/James dismissed charges: Levitt falsely claims the judge acted on a “technical ruling” and that Trump’s appointee was “legally appointed” (contradicted by court findings).
  • Levitt: “We believe the attorney in this case, Lindsey Halligan, is not only extremely qualified…she was, in fact, legally appointed.” [66:16]
  • Pakman: Predicts (and welcomes) no success whatsoever on appeal.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “We are now relying on an ADP spreadsheet because the President was so terrified of the official numbers that he said, no more.” — David Pakman [02:30]
• “None of this projects strength, none of this projects competence, and none of this projects confidence. It's all an administrative meltdown.” — David Pakman [05:29]
• “It’s another example of putting the individual ahead of the structural… we have a structural problem.” — David Pakman [14:09]
• “The prosecutor that Trump picked…was not legally appointed… it’s all flushed.” — Pakman [16:48]
• “It’s like an SNL skit… it’s just going to be another couple of… another couple of weeks.” — David Pakman [29:07]
• “A 0.5 percentage point higher inflation rate?… That’s like $25 a month… but your salary might go down by $20,000.” — David Pakman [34:09]
• “This is not what the Secretary of Transportation needs to be focused on. We’ve got to deal with air traffic control, airport meltdowns…” — David Pakman [11:25]
• “If the Republicans win here… they are essentially going to win one of two ways. Either they’re going to say the contribution limits fall, or… coordinated spending is entitled to more protections.” — Mark Elias [47:52]
• “Not a single order this president or administration has given…has ever been illegal, nor will it ever be.” — Caroline Levitt [63:33]

Key Timestamps

• 00:58: Opening analysis of worsening job losses & data censorship
• 10:25: Secretary Duffy’s bizarre “civility” campaign
• 16:15: Trump’s Comey and James prosecutions thrown out
• 27:58: Breaking news: Trump delays health care plan unveiling again
• 33:49: The “move to red states for lower inflation” argument dissected
• 38:50: Interview with Mark Elias — campaign finance and Supreme Court
• 54:43: Caroline Levitt’s string of press failures begins
• 62:18: Levitt’s Fox News gaffe on the legality of presidential orders

Tone and Style

Pakman’s tone remains direct, critical, and acerbically humorous. He highlights the absurdities and dysfunction of current Trump administration policies, deftly blending fact-checking with sarcasm (“SNL skit”), and zero tolerance for spin or deflection. Guests and clips (notably Mark Elias) add gravitas and policy depth.

For New Listeners

This episode comprehensively examines the Trump administration’s attempts to obscure negative economic news, its ongoing legal and policy stumbles, and the continuing gap between political theatrics and substantive governance. David Pakman dissects each news item with a progressive, data-centered perspective—making plain the risks of leadership untethered from fact, law, and institutional competency.