The David Pakman Show — September 25, 2025

Episode: "Trump DOJ will indict Comey as Kirk shooting theory goes viral"
Host: David Pakman
Date: September 25, 2025

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode centers on several explosive developments:

• An analysis of the viral "Kirk Shooting" conspiracy video that questions the official story of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
• The breaking news that Donald Trump’s Department of Justice is set to indict former FBI Director James Comey, highlighting issues of rule of law, political revenge, and institutional independence.
• Discussion of a hidden camera video implicating Trump in shielding the Epstein files.
• The Trump administration’s Tylenol-autism health policy scandal.
• Additional commentary on Democratic messaging crises and current political, social, and legal dynamics.

Throughout, Pakman delivers deep fact-checking, critical skepticism, and walk-throughs of alternative narratives shaping the current political environment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Viral Kirk Shooting Theory

(00:07–17:00)

• Background:
  A gun enthusiast YouTube channel, "Range Day Bro", released a video—“Kirk Assassination. New video evidence changes everything”—questioning the official account of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
  The video amassed nearly six million views, prompting listener requests for Pakman's analysis.

• Official Story Recap:

  • Kirk was shot by Tyler Robinson, located on a rooftop across and to Kirk’s left.
  • Wound consistent with shooter’s position.

• Viral Video’s Claim:

  • The neck wound seen on Kirk’s front left is argued to be an exit wound.
  • Video claims entry was at the back right of Kirk’s head—implying a shooter behind and to the right, not from Robinson’s rooftop.

• Pakman's Critical Analysis:

  • Cautions against “the God of the gaps” fallacy: “Just because we don't have an answer to something doesn't mean that the answer has to be whatever the next person proposes.” (00:46)
  • A second video (“Lifting the Veil”) with slowed footage seemingly debunks the artifact as a bullet entry, suggesting it was possibly an earpiece or unrelated object:

    “Whatever that thing is by Charlie's right ear sort of goes up and away. I believe that whatever that is is what Range Daybro is claiming to be ... the entry of the bullet.” (09:22)

  • No visible entry wound in the back of Kirk’s head in alternate angles; the “plant person” theory is dismissed as speculative.

    “Just because you say, David, I think you've hidden a Game Boy in there. I don't think that we could definitively say that one way or the other.” (13:40)

  • Emphasizes importance of alternative explanation vs. refutation:

    “I can't definitively say what Range Daybro is saying makes ultimate sense to me.” (10:40)

• Meta-Analysis:

  • Pakman outlines the process:
    1. Understand the claim,
    2. Check the evidence,
    3. Ask whether it’s the only or obvious interpretation.
  • Leaves listeners to “investigate and think about” further.

    “With the Range Daybro claims, I certainly don't find myself convinced.” (14:26)

2. Trump DOJ to Indict James Comey

(17:45–27:00)

• Context & Announcement:
  Under Trump, DOJ will indict former FBI Director James Comey for alleged lying to Congress in 2020, days before the statute of limitations expires. The indictment is driven by Trump loyalist Attorney General Pam Bondi.

• Pakman's Commentary:

  • Contrasts Trump and Biden’s approach to DOJ independence:

    “Biden never ordered anyone to indict Trump … he allowed [the investigation] to go on. The indictments of Trump came from independent grand juries, career prosecutors. Because Trump committed crimes, he was convicted of those crimes.” (21:25)

  • Paints Comey’s indictment as “revenge politics”:

    “This is revenge politics. If your argument is we need the rule of law, we need due process, we need to go back to the constitutional way of doing business, this is not it.” (23:12)

  • Warns of chilling effect:

    “If Trump can dig up shaky allegations from five years ago to charge the FBI director who crossed him and dared to say, I'm not going to do your bidding, what message does that send to every single career DOJ and law enforcement official? It tells them, you'd better toe the line or you could be next.” (24:46)

  • Concludes institution’s independence is at risk.

• Notable Quote:

  “Prosecutors are merely tools of the presidency, pawns for Trump to push around his personal chessboard. … The bitter irony here is that Trump campaigned on, we will end the weaponization of the DOJ … until now. And Donald Trump is now doing exactly what he warned us Joe Biden was going to do.” (26:35)

3. Polls Show Dems Losing on Key Policy Issues

(27:00–33:35)

• New Reuters/Ipsos Poll:

  • Republicans are more trusted than Democrats on 7 of 11 key issues (crime, immigration, economy, etc.).
  • Even on democracy, Dems’ advantage is tiny, despite Trump’s anti-democratic actions.

• Pakman's Analysis:

  • Democrats’ messaging, media failures, and inability to hold narrative are at fault:

    “Democrats rolling out policy papers and acronyms and charts and all of this stuff and it is just not working ... they're going to keep Democrats in this position of serious, serious trouble. It's perception. Unless Democrats figure out how to change the story, they're going to lose again.” (32:10)

• Notable Moment:

  • Frustration at Dem leadership:

    “We are not going to win like this. And so we've got, you know, Democrats rolling out policy papers and acronyms and charts and all of this stuff and it is just not working.” (31:13)

4. Hidden Camera Video: Trump, DOJ, and Epstein Files

(33:35–41:53)

• Hidden Camera by James O’Keefe:
  DOJ Investigator Glenn Prager appears to say Trump is protecting others—not himself—by preventing Epstein file releases, implicates Clinton and unnamed others.

  • O’Keefe’s history of deceptive editing is noted.

• Pakman's Take:

  • Careful skepticism is warranted but the tape plainly shows Prager’s assertions.
  • Explains Trump’s motivation as self-protection, linked to others’ fates.

    “If Trump is doing this to cover up for others, it must be that he has come to believe ... he's helping himself by covering up for others.” (40:03)

  • Lays out Prager’s claim of victims being paid off and pressure to recant.

• Notable Quotes:

  "He's not protecting himself because there's nothing there, but he's protecting a lot of people ..." – Prager (34:16)
  "While Clinton was on the plane, there were rapes that occur ..." – Prager (35:04)
  Pakman's caution:
  “We should all be sort of healthily skeptical of anything that James O’Keefe puts out.” (34:35)

5. Adelita Grijalva’s Election and the Coming Epstein Files Vote

(41:53–45:30)

• Breaking Political Shift:
  • Adelita Grijalva’s special election win in Arizona gives Dems enough signatures to force a House vote on Epstein file release.
  • Explains strategic Republican/Democratic implications and why release is not a given:

    “Even if the petition is signed to force the vote, which I think it will be, ... even if the result of the vote is release the files, which I think is a plausible outcome, I do not expect a clean dump of every name and details.” (44:10)

  • Emphasizes the political hypocrisy stakes and the likelihood of further attempts to stall or manipulate the process.

6. Tylenol, Autism, and Trump’s Health Policy Scandal

(45:31–55:44)

• Official Claim:
  Trump, with Dr. Oz and RFK Jr., tells pregnant women to avoid Tylenol, citing autism risk.
  The FDA Commissioner backs this, making it official policy.

• Pakman's Deep-Dive:

  • The Trump stance is based on a Harvard scientist, Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, who was paid $150,000 to testify (as an expert witness)—testimony found unreliable by a judge and repackaged in a non-rigorous academic paper.
  • The scientific consensus, including a study of 2.5 million Swedish children, finds no causal link between Tylenol use in pregnancy and autism.
  • Pakman draws parallels to discredited anti-vaccine research.

• Dr. Oz’s Walkback:

  • The day after the press conference, Dr. Oz on TMZ reverts to standard medical advice: use medications judiciously in pregnancy.

    “What Dr. Oz is saying is what was the existing medical guidance ... If you talk to an OB GYN, they will tell you the normal guidance is don't take anything unless it is appropriate.” (52:25)

• Medical Consensus:

  “The ACOG, the American College of OB GYNs, it reaffirmed Tylenol is the pain reliever and fever reducer of choice for pregnancy. Use it judiciously at the lowest effective dose for the shortest time, coordinating with your clinician.” (53:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Conspiratorial Gaps:

  “Sometimes we come up with something we can't yet explain ... just because we don't have an answer ... doesn't mean that the answer has to be whatever the next person proposes.” – David Pakman (00:46)

• On Video Analysis and Ambiguity:

  “I think that much like with the claims from Nathan Taylor and the Election Truth alliance, the first step is always understanding what are the claims. The second step is verifying ... evidence or exhibits, and then only then ... is this the obvious and only way to interpret this evidence in the context of the claim.” (14:05)

• On DOJ Weaponization:

  “If your argument is we need the rule of law, we need due process, ... this is not it ... Trump is now doing exactly what he warned us Joe Biden was going to do.” (23:12/26:35)

• On Dem Messaging:

  “We are not going to win like this. And so we've got, you know, Democrats rolling out policy papers and acronyms and charts and all of this stuff and it is just not working ... It's perception. Unless Democrats figure out how to change the story, they're going to lose again.” (31:13/32:58)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:07–17:00: Deep-dive on viral Kirk shooting video; breakdown of claims, debunks, and skeptical epistemology
• 17:45–27:00: Comey indictment, DOJ independence, revenge politics
• 27:00–33:35: Reuters/Ipsos poll, Dem messaging struggle
• 33:35–41:53: Hidden camera: DOJ/Epstein files, Trump’s motivations
• 41:53–45:30: Grijalva’s election, possible House vote, Epstein files release scenario
• 45:31–55:44: Tylenol-autism scandal, bogus science, Dr. Oz’s position, official vs. actual medical guidance

Episode Tone & Style

• Sharp, fact-based, blending analysis with skepticism and direct language
• Willing to call out both outlandish theories and careless policy
• Directly addresses and involves the audience: “I want to hear from you. Leave a comment if you like this sort of ... analysis of ... alternatives to the official stories..." (15:21)
• Maintains factual, evidence-driven approach even in speculative territory

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode delivers a comprehensive breakdown of some of the week’s biggest viral and political stories, from internet-fueled assassination theory to Trumpist legal overreach and health “scandals.” Pakman stays focused on skepticism, critical thinking, and data—urging his audience to dissect and challenge all narratives, official and alternative alike.

If you want insight, context, and healthy irreverence on today’s biggest controversies, this episode is essential listening.