The David Pakman Show – BONUS FREEBIE

Episode: Trump to classify Antifa a terrorist organization, Luigi Mangione terrorism charges dismissed
Date: September 20, 2025
Host: David Pakman
Guest/Co-host: Pat

Overview

This bonus episode features David Pakman and co-host Pat exploring three timely political stories: Donald Trump's intention to classify Antifa as a terrorist organization, the dismissal of state terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione (accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson), and the political quandary faced by Democrats over a House resolution honoring Charlie Kirk following his assassination. The hosts examine the substance and motives behind these developments, offering incisive commentary on the strategies and pitfalls at play.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Plan to Designate Antifa a Terrorist Organization

[00:00–04:53]

• Is “Antifa” a Designate-able Organization?

  • David notes the inherent issue: “One of the problems is that Antifa really isn't an organization.” He compares it to the Proud Boys, which, despite being loosely defined, is still more coherent than Antifa.
  • “It’s a very unorganized kind of movement.” – David [00:23]

• Legal Implications and the Pointlessness of Designation:

  • David questions the legal effect: “What does that even really mean? ... The way that we prosecute is based on actions and sometimes intentions.” [01:45]
  • Pat speculates Trump's administration could use this to tack on terrorism charges to left-leaning individuals by association: “Call anyone that they don’t like who happens to be on the left part of Antifa in order to bring about those terrorism charges.” [02:31]

• Trump’s Susceptibility to Manipulation:

  • David points out Trump is easily led by reporters’ questions, imagining a scenario: “If we went to Trump and you said, sir, are you considering labeling bananas….” [03:09]
  • Pat says, “That’s why he’s so easily manipulated by Putin and others… the easiest person to manipulate because he succumbs to flattery so easily.” [04:41]

2. Luigi Mangione Case: State Terrorism Charges Dismissed

[04:53–09:03]

• Case Background and Legal Proceedings:

  • David recaps: “Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He just had some state terrorism charges dismissed. ... The 11 state charges included murder and terrorism.” [04:53]
  • The judge dismissed the terrorism charges as “legally insufficient,” noting there was no evidence Mangione aimed to terrorize the public or conspired with an organized group. [05:50]

• Was This Assassination an Act of Terror?

  • David raises a point: “At least colloquially, like, I don't know, it kind of did seem like it had a broader goal. ... CEOs... were like, we need to ramp up security.” [06:41]
  • Pat contrasts with 9/11: “Clearly this doesn’t rise to that level because there’s no way to argue that Mangione was trying to instill fear in everyone. But ... maybe you can argue that he was, in a sense, terrorizing them, but maybe not by the letter of the law.” [06:46]

• Future Legal Path and Political Overlap:

  • David: “This is a guy who is going to be caught up in legal proceedings for a very long time. ... Just for the state trial like this is. This is going to be years.” [07:29]
  • Pat underscores the federal vs. state angle: “In New York state law, I don’t believe there’s a death penalty. Luigi Mangione certainly isn’t facing the death penalty, but federally he is.” [08:33]

3. Democratic Dilemma: House Resolution Honoring Charlie Kirk

[09:03–12:21]

• The Trap in a Congressional Resolution:

  • David discusses a Republican-backed House resolution honoring Charlie Kirk after his assassination: “There’s a resolution to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk and condemn his assassination. ... The resolution praises Kirk as a courageous American patriot who wanted to elevate truth and blah, blah, blah.” [09:03]
  • Democrats feel trapped: support the resolution and appear to praise Kirk, or oppose it and risk being attacked as not condemning his murder.

• Navigating Political Manipulation:

  • Pat argues Democrats should vote against the resolution if they disagree with the language: “If they don’t believe Charlie to have been a courageous American patriot... then they should vote against it. ... To pretend that Charlie Kirk was a great guy on all these political issues and rewrite history, I’m not going to support that.” [10:34]
  • David: “At the end of the day, Republicans are just going to make it about how you vote. … Once you’re explaining, you’re losing.” [11:24]

• Potential Republican Strategy:

  • Pat speculates, “I wouldn't be surprised if they try to turn Charlie Kirk into a Martin Luther King type figure, someone who spoke their mind and was assassinated... maybe we should have a holiday for [him].” [11:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Antifa Designation:

  • “Antifa really isn't an organization. … It’s a very unorganized kind of movement.” – David [00:23]
  • “Call anyone that they don’t like who happens to be on the left part of Antifa in order to bring about those terrorism charges.” – Pat [02:31]
  • “Trump is smart enough to. To not go. Absolutely not. Because he probably would assume, I don't necessarily know everything about this, to say no.” – David [03:09]
  • "He’s the easiest person to manipulate because he succumbs to flattery so easily.” – Pat [04:41]

• On Mangione Case:

  • “No evidence was presented to say that the point here was to terrorize the public, to inspire fear or engage in a broader campaign of violence.” – David [05:50]
  • “Maybe you can argue that he was, in a sense, terrorizing them, but maybe not by the letter of the law.” – Pat [06:46]

• On Democrats and the Kirk Resolution:

  • “Once you’re explaining, you’re losing.” – David [11:24]
  • “To pretend that Charlie Kirk was a great guy on all these political issues and rewrite history, I’m not going to support that.” – Pat [10:55]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Antifa/Terrorism Organization Discussion: 00:00–04:53
• Luigi Mangione Case and Dismissed Terrorism Charges: 04:53–09:03
• Democratic Dilemma over Kirk Resolution: 09:03–12:21

Tone & Final Thoughts

David and Pat’s discussion is sharp, skeptical, and often wry, dissecting both the strategic motives and legal realities behind headline-grabbing political developments. Both hosts are candid in their critique of political maneuvering and steadfast in their insistence on fact-based analysis, underscoring the challenges of navigating today’s hyper-polarized environment.