The David Pakman Show

Episode Title: Global humiliation spreads like wildfire as dementia goes mainstream
Date: January 22, 2026
Host: David Pakman

Episode Overview

This episode centers on a series of recent incidents that, as David Pakman frames it, have brought “global shame and humiliation” onto the United States, particularly focusing on the actions and public performances of President Donald Trump. The discussion covers immigration enforcement abuses, failed foreign policy theatrics (notably the Greenland acquisition gambit), bizarre and concerning appearances by Trump at international forums, and escalating mainstream acknowledgment of Trump’s cognitive decline. Pakman brings together commentary, media clips, and lawmakers’ reactions to expose the damaging consequences of the current administration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ICE Detains a 5-Year-Old – Immigration Policy's Cruelty Unveiled

Timestamps: 01:31 – 09:44

• Incident: ICE agents in Minnesota detained a 5-year-old boy named Liam Ramos, allegedly using him as bait to lure adults out of a house.
  • "This happened in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. School officials say that at least four kids from the same district have been detained this month." (03:31)
• Human cost: The boy’s brother found the house empty, with both father and brother taken into custody.
• Pakman’s argument: Even those supportive of strict immigration enforcement should be outraged by such tactics.
  • Quote: "Does the detention of a five year old qualify or count as the law and order that we were told Donald Trump would bring to the table? Or is this what happens when you just build a policy on fear and spectacle?" (06:15)
• Broader Context: This reflects the escalation from targeting “dangerous” criminals to families and young children in pursuit of unrealistically large deportation numbers.

2. Greenland & the 'Taco Trade': Trump Tariff Threats Fizzle

Timestamps: 09:45 – 17:48

• Background: Trump threatened broad tariffs on European countries unless the US could buy Greenland.
• Reversal: Suddenly called off the tariffs after markets tanked and even Republicans and allies balked.
  • “The markets loved it. ... And analysts said this is the taco trade. Remember, taco stands for Trump Always Chickens Out.” (11:15)
• Trump’s Framing: Claimed a “framework” deal was reached, but provided no details—in fact, European leaders confirm that Greenland wasn’t even discussed.
• Financial Impact: This erratic approach sees markets yo-yoing based on Trump’s mood swings; it breeds global uncertainty.
  • Quote: “Markets are rallying because we got through another day without Trump lighting the house on fire. It is such a pathetically low bar, and this is why people call it the taco trade.” (13:40)
• Global Credibility: The repeated threats and retreats erode US standing; allies can’t distinguish “what is real versus what is in Trump’s imagination.”

Notable exchange

• Caroline Levitt (on Fox News): Praises Trump’s Davos speech, claiming “it has rave reviews because the president just tells it like it is.” (22:44)
• Pakman's rebuttal: “No, no, no, it doesn't have rave reviews. Trump was a raving lunatic during the speech. The room was alternating between aghast silence and laughing at Trump.” (22:57)

3. The 'Greenland' Farce & Trump’s Fabrications

Timestamps: 14:54 – 17:48

• Q&A with Trump: Repeatedly dodges direct questions about whether a deal for Greenland exists; offers vague, often incoherent answers.
  • Trump: “It's a long term deal. It's the ultimate long term deal.” (15:03)
  • “Infinite.” (15:32)
• European response: Mark Ruda (NATO Secretary General) states: “Greenland never came up. It just, it wasn't even a topic.” (17:19)
• Analysis: Pakman ridicules the charade: “Trump threatened tariffs unless he gets to buy Greenland. ... They go into negotiations, no more tariffs. And NATO goes, Greenland never came up.” (17:48)

4. Caroline Levitt’s Media Spin & the Davos Disaster

Timestamps: 22:36 – 25:00

• Levitt on Fox: Claims global leaders were “inspired” by Trump’s Davos speech.
  • Levitt: “He came here with his America first vision on full display... really inspiring a lot of leaders in Europe to take that same approach.” (23:10)
• Pakman’s Rebuttal: Points out that reaction was “alternating between aghast silence and laughing at Trump.”
  • Quote: “They were terrified by it. And every speech Trump gives to world leaders leads to more trade deals that do not involve the United States.” (23:35)
• Levitt’s further spin: Asserts Trump “solved eight wars” and doubts about Trump come from "not paying attention."
• Pakman: Counters: “Actually, anyone who doubts President Trump has been paying attention.” (25:00)

5. Trump’s Cognitive Decline Goes Mainstream

Timestamps: 27:07 – 36:31

• Davos Speech: Trump repeatedly confuses Greenland with Iceland.
  • Trump: “They're not there for us on Iceland, that I can tell you… because of Iceland. So Iceland's already cost us a lot of money.” (27:07)
• Levitt Tries to Deflect: Claims “Greenland was referred to as a piece of ice,” denying Trump’s confusion.
• Pakman: Methodically rebuts, pointing out the public, repeated mistakes and the absurdity of Levitt’s defense.
• Main Point: The “Trump dementia” theme is now open and mainstream, not just a progressive talking point—members of Congress and media are confronting it openly.

Congressional Reactions

Timestamps: 32:28 – 36:31

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC):
  • “The president has been acting in increasingly erratic ways. ... We are seeing behavior from Donald Trump that is increasingly erratic and alarming.” (32:33)
• Rep. Jasmine Crockett:
  • “This is not about partisanship... based upon what some actual doctors were telling me were signs. ... We have tried to investigate this.” (34:09)
• Rep. Ramirez:
  • “We have a physically unstable, mentally ill man running the White House in this country.” (34:57)
• Rep. Beyer:
  • “Cognitive decline doesn't get better. It's only going to get worse.” (35:36)
• Rep. Ryan:
  • “He couldn't even get the country right that he is saying he wants to invade. It's incredibly dangerous.” (35:51)
• Pakman: “The cat is out of the bag. This is now going to be a story about Trump for as long as he remains president, which, if he survives, is going to be about three more years.” (36:31)

6. Gavin Newsom Skewers Trump

Timestamps: 39:18 – 43:24

• Newsom Reacts to Trump:
  • On Trump’s speech: “It was remarkably boring. It was remarkably insignificant. It was never going to invade Greenland. It was never real. ... Fire and fury, signifying absolutely nothing, even by Trump standards.” (39:26)
• Pakman: Points out Newsom’s reaction targets Trump’s core insecurities — being ignored and considered insignificant.
• On Trump’s Sanctuary Cities talking points:
  • Pakman mocks the irrelevance of Trump's standard domestic stump speech in a global context: “Nobody is impressed by that.”
• Newsom on Trump’s mix-up:
  • “None of this is normalized. There's a normalization of deviancy and consciousness and, you know, comments and commentary. ... For the European audience, that may have been a new speech. My god, there wasn't anything new about that speech.” (42:33)

7. Trump's Unstable TV Appearances: Policy, Ego, and Gibberish

Timestamps: 46:30 – 59:15

• Maria Bartiromo Interview:
  • Trump claims to have “fixed” affordability, though also calls it a hoax created by Democrats. (46:51)
  • Rambling, out-of-breath, and at times incoherent — draws attention to possible health issues (“Why can he not open that right eye?”)
  • On Greenland, insists US will get “total access,” despite diplomatic denials and lack of any deal. (49:52)
  • On capping credit card rates: floats a one-year 10% cap, with little follow-through on feasibility or structural fixes. (51:23)
  • Bartiromo presses Trump on “free market” moves, including US government buying stakes in Intel and defense contractors. Trump claims, “It's very free market,” despite using command-style interventions. (54:56)
• On NATO:
  • Trump questions if allies would “really be there” for the US, ignoring sacrifices made in Afghanistan and Iraq. (57:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the ICE raid:
  • “If you see this and you shrug, you are part of the moral rot and indifference that made this possible.” (05:28)
• On Trump’s tariff flip-flop:
  • “Markets are rallying because we got through another day without Trump lighting the house on fire.” (13:40)
• Trump on Greenland ‘deal’:
  • “It’s a long term deal. It’s the ultimate long term deal… Infinite… There's no time limit. It's forever.” (15:03, 15:32, 15:37)
• On the press managing Trump’s mess:
  • “Now, Mark Ruda says that the status of Greenland did not even come up during the negotiations. This is the most brilliant but also simultaneously pathetic thing.” (17:48)
• On Trump’s cognitive state:
  • “This Trump dementia thing... has gone completely mainstream with members of Congress saying, yeah, it seems like that’s what’s going on.” (31:55)
• AOC:
  • “It is really damning when we think about the degree to which mass media outlets reported on Joe Biden... yet we are seeing behavior from Donald Trump that is increasingly erratic and alarming. And everyone’s pretending that this is normal.” (32:36)
• Congresswoman Ramirez:
  • “We have a physically unstable, mentally ill man running the White House in this country.” (34:57)
• Gavin Newsom on Trump’s Davos speech:
  • “It was remarkably boring. It was remarkably insignificant... So it had fire and fury, signifying absolutely nothing, even by Trump standards.” (39:26, 39:55)
• Pakman on Trump’s economic policy:
  • “Maria, what could possibly be more free market than the government buying pieces of businesses and telling them whether they can do dividends?... That’s the total free market.” (55:00)

Structure and Flow

• The episode follows a logical progression: starting with a hard-hitting look at border policy abuses, moving into Trump’s international blunders and policy reversals, then deeply exploring his public appearances and mental fitness.
• Throughout, Pakman’s tone combines righteous indignation, cutting sarcasm, and fact-based analysis.
• Key segments are punctuated with direct audio or transcripts from Trump, Caroline Levitt, and various lawmakers to reinforce arguments and expose the White House’s spin efforts.

Conclusion

In this episode, David Pakman paints a picture of US leadership in crisis, marked by escalating cruelty at home, bumbling showmanship abroad, global embarrassment, and deepening concerns about the president’s mental fitness. What might have been fringe worries or partisan jabs have now, Pakman argues, become mainstream conversations—voiced not just by progressive media, but by members of Congress, global markets, and foreign leaders. The repeated inability or unwillingness of Trump and his team to speak truthfully, admit errors, or govern coherently is costing the US dearly in credibility, security, and global standing.

Major Segments/Quotes by Timestamp:

• ICE detains 5-year-old: 01:31–09:44
• Trump tariff threats/Greenland debacle: 09:45–17:48
• Caroline Levitt & Davos spin: 22:36–25:00
• Trump’s cognitive decline goes mainstream (lawmakers weigh in): 27:07–36:31
• Gavin Newsom’s take: 39:18–43:24
• Maria Bartiromo interview (Trump’s rambling): 46:30–59:15