The David Pakman Show — BONUS FREEBIE: New Mexico Makes Childcare Free, RFK Weighs Blaming Mass Shootings on Video Games

Date: September 13, 2025
Host: David Pakman
Co-host: Pat

Overview of the Episode

In this special bonus episode of The David Pakman Show, David and co-host Pat discuss major progressive policy news and contemporary political debates—from New Mexico’s pioneering move to universal, free childcare, to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial remarks about the roots of mass shootings, and finally, a Republican lawmaker’s rare defection to the Democratic Party. The conversation is sharp, engaging, and rooted in Pakman’s trademark analytical but accessible style.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. New Mexico's Universal Free Childcare Program

Timestamps: [00:55]–[06:12]

• Policy Announcement: David details New Mexico’s historic decision to provide free childcare for all state residents, regardless of income. The policy offers families up to a $12,000 annual credit per child, supported by the state's oil and gas fund.

  • Quote:

    "No state has done this before. ... It's expected to save families $12,000 a year per child and it'll be available to all residents regardless of income."
    — David [00:55]

• Implementation Nuances: The plan includes building new childcare facilities with a staff minimum wage of $18/hour. David notes that while $12,000/year may seem low in some states, New Mexico’s wages and cost of living are lower, making the subsidy highly impactful.

• Economic and Social Impact: Pat praises the initiative, highlighting the potential for increased workforce participation, economic growth, and improved child development outcomes.

  • Quote:

    "You're directly helping families, giving them that $12,000 annually. You're also going to boost the workforce participation rate ... And then you also improve child development and equality."
    — Pat [03:05]

• Potential Challenges & Republican Pushback: Both hosts foresee criticisms around government giving away "free things," but underscore the initiative’s fiscal sense given New Mexico’s unique revenue streams.

• Debate on Implementation in Other States: The hosts discuss whether New Mexico’s relatively small population and large geographic area make the program easier or harder to pull off, ultimately concluding that political will and budgetary commitment are bigger factors than demographics alone.

2. RFK Jr. and the Video Game–Mass Shooting Debate

Timestamps: [06:12]–[11:57]

• Context: David transitions to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent comments suggesting a possible link between video games and mass shootings—a theory frequently revisited in American political rhetoric.

• Comparing Gun Cultures: David rebuts RFK Jr. by contrasting Switzerland and the U.S., noting that while gun ownership rates are comparable, cultural and legal contexts are drastically different.

  • Quote:

    "Culturally, it is a completely different relationship in Switzerland. They don't have the sickness we have in the US of seeing a gun as something to solve an interpersonal problem with."
    — David [07:28]

  • Pat adds that Switzerland’s stricter regulations and required training are key differentiators.

  • Quote:

    "Only ex military personnel in Switzerland are allowed to keep guns in their homes. So these are presumably people who have been trained in firearms and know what they're doing."
    — Pat [08:15]

• Evidence on Video Games and Violence: David summarizes extensive research showing no consistent link between violent video games and real-world shootings, though he acknowledges a weak connection for people already disposed to aggression. He cautions that the rarity of mass shootings makes statistical correlations tenuous.

  • Quote:

    "There is not a link between violent video games and shootings, but there may be some link between people predisposed to aggression, having their aggression escalated from playing a lot of violent video games. But that's a very tenuous connection to going out and shooting people."
    — David [08:55]

• Host Frustration with Recycled Debates: Both hosts express frustration that debunked theories like the video game hypothesis and vaccine-autism myth persist in public discourse.

  • Quote:

    "It gets to a point where we've already researched these causes ... It gets debunked and it's time to move on because we've already spent the time and money researching that one particular possible causal link."
    — Pat [11:01]

  • David calls for continued openness to research, but insists most evidence supports firearm access as the primary risk factor for mass shootings.

3. Republican Oregon State Lawmaker Defects, Becomes a Democrat

Timestamps: [11:57]–[15:59]

• News Brief: David reports that Oregon State Rep. Soros (or Cyrus) Giovanni has left the GOP for the Democratic Party, citing a departure from core Republican principles—limited government, fiscal responsibility, free speech, free trade, and rule of law.

  • Quote:

    "I respect Gavarti because he is saying, here are my principles. I don't just abandon my principles because my party has. I abandoned my party because my party has abandoned the principles."
    — David [12:26]

• Rarity of Such Defections: Pat notes how rare it is for Republicans to switch parties in the current political climate—emphasizing that most “never-Trumpers” have likely already left and Giovanni is a state-level lawmaker, not a national figure.

  • Quote:

    "If they were doing the right thing, then of course they would also switch to becoming Democrats, or at least leave the Republican Party ... but it's few and far between."
    — Pat [13:47]

• Future of the Republican Party: The hosts speculate on the party's trajectory post-Trump, predicting a split between MAGA-aligned factions and more traditional or corporate Republicans.

  • Quote:

    "There could be a branch that is like the JD Vance type branch that is maybe closer to corporate interests ... And then you could have like a Marjorie Taylor Greene conspiracy theory type branch."
    — Pat [15:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On New Mexico's Approach:

  • "They have an oil and gas fund. So they're basically able to tax the energy companies and that money can go toward this childcare initiative."
    — Pat [03:05]

• On Political Identity and Values:

  • "I don't just abandon my principles because my party has. I abandoned my party because my party has abandoned the principles."
    — David [12:26]

• On Non-Gun Factors in Mass Shootings:

  • "Switzerland also has video games. It also has psychiatric medicines. It also has social media and the types of things that ... people on the right are willing to blame these mass shootings on."
    — Pat [10:00]

• On Policy Innovation:

  • "I'm super interested in this. ... hopefully it's the sort of program that's going to be mirrored elsewhere as well."
    — David [06:12]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:55 — Introduction of New Mexico's free childcare program
• 03:05 — Economic and civic impact discussion
• 06:12 — RFK Jr., video games, and causes of mass shootings
• 08:55 — Review of research on video games and aggression
• 11:57 — Oregon State Republican switches to Democrat, analysis and implications
• 15:15 — Predictions about the future of the Republican Party

Tone and Style

• Analytical, factual, and skeptical yet conversational and lightly humorous
• Frequent direct exchanges between David and Pat, with each offering personal perspectives balanced by data and historical context
• Willingness to revisit and re-examine even “settled” issues, but with clear preference for evidence-based conclusions

This episode is a must-listen for those seeking an in-depth, critical look at progressive policy innovation and contemporary American political divisions—delivered with David Pakman’s signature clarity and wit.