The David Pakman Show

Episode Title: And now the scamming of Americans begins
Date: January 6, 2026
Host: David Pakman
Guest: Sen. Raphael Warnock

Episode Overview

In this incisive episode, David Pakman dissects a week's worth of US political turmoil, focusing on the recent Trump administration's foreign policy decisions—most notably, the taxpayer-backed oil plan for Venezuela, the administration's sudden militaristic turn abroad, anti-science moves regarding vaccines, jabs at progressive states, and the increasing sense among both citizens and political commentators that Americans are being conned. The episode features a notable interview with Senator Raphael Warnock, plus pointed critiques and real-time reactions from Fox News personalities, highlighting the confusion and dissatisfaction brewing across the political spectrum.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Venezuela Oil “Scam” and Corporate Welfare

[00:30 – 7:45]

• Trump proposed a plan where American oil companies would rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, earn profits, and get reimbursed by US taxpayers.
• Pakman frames this as corporate welfare in disguise, reminiscent of the profiteering seen after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the 2008 financial bailout—where risks are socialized and profits privatized.
• Pakman criticizes Trump’s claim that this will lower gas prices, pointing out that prices are already relatively low and the proposal doesn’t actually benefit the average American.
• Notably, oil companies themselves are hesitant due to risks like potential Venezuelan renationalization and unpredictability associated with Trump's foreign policy.

Memorable Quote:
"Big Oil spends money. Big Oil takes the profits. You take the risk and you reimburse them."
— David Pakman, [01:17]

2. Trump’s “Anti-War President” Facade Collapses

[07:45 – 16:59]

• Highlights Trump’s and allies' increasing openness to military interventions in Iran, Cuba, Colombia, and even Greenland.
• Lindsey Graham is quoted praying for military escalation, while Marco Rubio and other GOP figures echo similar hawkish rhetoric.
• Pakman exposes a contradiction: Trump campaigned on “no new wars” and isolationism, but is now aggressively saber-rattling.

Notable Quotes:
"Remember, no new wars... Well, they in the Trump administration, including Trump, are talking about Cuba, Iran, Colombia, and even Greenland."
— David Pakman, [08:59]

"We might go into Iran, we might go into Cuba. Where else could we go? What about Colombia?... Well, Donald Trump likes that idea as well."
— David Pakman, [11:30]

3. Fox News Hosts Struggle With Trump’s Logic

[26:51 – 30:12]

• Pakman plays clips showing Kat Timpf and Greg Gutfeld on Fox News openly struggling to rationalize Trump’s regime-change about-face and the Maduro kidnapping.
• Timpf rightly points out the whiplash, noting Trump’s 10-year anti–regime change stance now upended by his own actions. Gutfeld questions whether the operation even constitutes regime change.

Highlighted Exchange:
"Let me get this straight. We go to a country, we capture their leader, we bomb it and then we say we run this country now—and that's not war? But when they say send cocaine over here, that people are willingly snorting, that is war?"
— Kat Timpf, [27:54]

"A lot of people feel skeptical that this isn't gonna be the one that's different than all the other ones. For me personally, I'm not so confident that this is... not the regime change that's finally gonna work the way we say it's gonna work."
— Kat Timpf, [29:49]

4. Trump’s Anti-Science Actions: Vaccines and Tylenol Guidance

[33:50 – 37:55]

• Trump releases a misleading post on Truth Social, claiming the US childhood vaccine schedule requires “72 jabs,” and recommends breaking up combination shots.
• Pakman debunks these points, explaining the real vaccine schedule is for about 14 diseases, mainly administered via combination shots.
• Trump issues unscientific warnings against giving Tylenol to pregnant women and children—contradicting standard medical guidance.

Noteworthy Commentary:
"The US childhood vaccination schedule does not require 72 shots. This is an old anti-vaccine trick..."
— David Pakman, [34:07]

"Tylenol is not risk-free... but the medical guidance still suggests Tylenol is the preferred pain and fever reducer during pregnancy... Trump ignores all of that."
— David Pakman, [36:14]

5. Interview with Senator Raphael Warnock: Fighting Presidential Adventurism

[41:06 – 54:28]

• Warnock condemns Trump’s foreign interventions, calling them distractions from urgent domestic crises like healthcare and wages.
• He describes bipartisan efforts in Congress to rein in Trump’s authority and blames Republicans for abdicating their congressional power, risking more "forever wars."
• Warnock details how healthcare premium hikes are hitting red states hardest and warns against despair, urging grassroots action.

Key Quotes:
"We are witnessing... that elections have consequences, and we are doing everything that we can... but it's my Republican colleagues who... continue to give their power away to a president who is obviously conducting himself according to some kind of philosophy of a unitary executive."
— Sen. Raphael Warnock, [43:39]

"Change doesn't happen from the top down, it happens from the bottom up. And I just want my constituents to know that I'm fighting for you and with you and walking alongside you."
— Sen. Warnock, [49:20]

6. Trump, Maduro, and the Nobel Peace Prize: Ego Overrides Geopolitics

[54:29 – 57:06]

• Pakman comments on Trump’s unwillingness to install Nobel Peace Prize–winning opposition leader Maria Carina Machado in Venezuela—possibly due to jealousy.
• Machado’s offer to share the Peace Prize with Trump is described as “humiliating,” further diminishing her standing in Trump's eyes.

Sharp Observation:
"Trump does not want a partner. Trump wants dominance, someone who owes everything to Trump. But if she's already been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize—a prize that Trump desperately wants—that is not going to be someone that fits the bill..."
— David Pakman, [55:43]

7. Debunking the California Exodus Narrative & Tax Myths

[57:06 – 62:00]

• Provides a reality check on the right-wing trope that “everyone is leaving California,” pointing out population and GDP growth.
• Clarifies that most Californians do not pay the top state income tax rate, and overall tax burdens are often lower in California compared to “low tax” red states due to hidden fees and high property taxes elsewhere.

Quote:
"They love to attack California, but the truth is California's population isn't declining, the economy isn't collapsing..."
— David Pakman, [61:45]

8. America’s Double Standards: Why Not Kidnap Putin?

[66:08 – 66:59]

• Pakman critiques the inconsistency of targeting Maduro as a dictator while being friendly with others like Putin and Kim Jong Un.
• Highlights Ukrainian President Zelensky's rhetorical jab: “If it’s possible to deal with dictators like that, then the United States knows what to do next.”

Key Point:
"This is the clearest proof yet that none of their stated principles are real. Democracy now, Freedom, Liberty. No. Opposition to authoritarianism. Nope. What is real is power politics. And, and it's filtered through Trump's personal grievance and alliance prism."
— David Pakman, [66:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• "Big Oil spends money. Big Oil takes the profits. You take the risk and you reimburse them." — David Pakman, [01:17]
• “Remember, no new wars... Well, they in the Trump administration, including Trump, are talking about Cuba, Iran, Colombia, and even Greenland.” — David Pakman, [08:59]
• "Let me get this straight. We go to a country, we capture their leader, we bomb it and then we say we run this country now—and that's not war? But when they say send cocaine over here, that people are willingly snorting, that is war?" — Kat Timpf, [27:54]
• "For me personally, I'm not so confident that this is... not the regime change that's finally gonna work the way we say it's gonna work. I would not willingly go die for it. I would not willingly send my son to go die for it." — Kat Timpf, [29:49]
• "Tylenol is not risk-free... but the medical guidance still suggests Tylenol is the preferred pain and fever reducer during pregnancy... Trump ignores all of that." — David Pakman, [36:14]
• "Change doesn't happen from the top down, it happens from the bottom up." — Sen. Raphael Warnock, [49:20]
• "Trump does not want a partner. Trump wants dominance..." — David Pakman, [55:43]
• "This is the clearest proof yet that none of their stated principles are real... What is real is power politics. And, and it's filtered through Trump's personal grievance and alliance prism." — David Pakman, [66:40]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:30] — Introduction of main topics: Venezuela oil scam, Trump’s military ambitions, Fox News confusion.
• [01:17] — Breakdown of Trump’s Venezuela plan as a “scam.”
• [08:59] — New hawkish turn: Iran, Cuba, Colombia, Greenland.
• [26:51] — Fox News struggles with Trump’s regime change inconsistency.
• [33:50] — Trump’s anti-science rhetoric on vaccines & Tylenol.
• [41:06] — Interview with Sen. Raphael Warnock: Congressional options and warnings.
• [54:29] — The Nobel Peace Prize, Trump’s ego, and Venezuela’s opposition.
• [57:06] — California debunking and tax discussion.
• [66:08] — Zelensky’s comment about targeting dictators, exposing US double standards.

Conclusion

This episode offers a vivid snapshot of the deepening unease with the Trump administration’s pivot to militarism and corporate favoritism, the confusion it’s sown across both parties and the media, and the widening gap between government actions and the struggles of ordinary Americans. Senator Warnock’s interview delivers a note of resolve, pushing back against despair with a call for grassroots activism. The episode is rich in both detail and vivid commentary—essential listening for anyone seeking clarity on America’s current intersection of politics, foreign policy, and public welfare.