The David Pakman Show

Episode: "When the going gets tough, the weak throw insults"
Date: February 12, 2026
Host: David Pakman

Episode Overview

This episode offers a sharp, detailed breakdown of the latest and most chaotic events in American right-wing politics, focusing on the on-camera meltdown of Attorney General Pam Bondi, Republican Congressman Jim Jordan’s unwitting condemnation of Trump’s own base, and a broader contemplation of how political and cultural shifts are threatening the MAGA movement ahead of the midterms. David Pakman scrutinizes the performative nature of authoritarian loyalty, the cracks forming in Republican solidarity, and how Trump’s myth-making — right down to meaningless awards — mirrors classic dictatorial patterns. Notably, Pakman highlights how losses of influence in the broader "manosphere" and pop-cultural spaces like podcasts may have dramatic electoral consequences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pam Bondi’s Congressional Meltdown

[01:56 - 11:04]

• Summary:
  Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before Congress to address questions about Jeffrey Epstein and Trump’s connections. Rather than engage, Bondi dodged the substantive issues, launched personal insults, and aggressively redirected questions to topics like the stock market, boasting, “The Dow is over $50,000.”
• Key Moments:
  • Bondi brought a paper with the online search history of a Democratic congresswoman as a weaponized prop.
  • When asked about underage girls at Trump-Epstein parties, Bondi avoided the question, merely saying there’s “no evidence Trump has committed a crime.”
  • Exchanges grew heated, with Rep. Ted Lieu accusing Bondi of lying under oath.
• Quotes:
  • Pam Bondi (04:10): “The Dow is over $50,000. I don't know why you're laughing. You're a great stock trader, as I hear, Raskin... Americans’ 401ks and retirement savings are booming. That's what we should be talking about.”
  • Ted Lieu (07:56): “Were there any underage girls at that party or at any party Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein?”
  • Bondi (08:29): “There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime. Everyone knows this has been the most transparent presidency...”
  • Ted Lieu (09:18): “I believe you just lied under oath. There is ample evidence in the Epstein [files].”
• Pakman’s Analysis:
  • Points out how Bondi’s evasiveness and filibustering are not only dishonest but show unfitness for office.
  • Notes Republican discomfort, with some even calling for Bondi’s resignation.
  • Observes how authoritarians redirect scrutiny, refuse accountability, and resort to insults when pressed.

2. Jim Jordan Accidentally Condemns Trump’s Own Tactics

[11:04 - 13:06]

• Summary:
  Jim Jordan, while trying to chastise protesters, inadvertently describes exactly what January 6th rioters—and Pam Bondi herself in the hearing—did.
• Key Moments:
  • Jordan delineates that you "can’t disrupt Congress," not realizing he’s describing Trump supporters’ actions.
• Quotes:
  • Jim Jordan (12:27): “You can’t come into this room and start screaming at Mr. Raskin or me… It doesn’t give you the right to go into the Capitol and disrupt Congress.”
• Pakman’s Analysis:
  • Spotlights the irony and hypocrisy: “Jordan then goes on to say, you can't come to the Capitol and disrupt Congress. That is exactly what the Trump rioters did...”
  • Distills the "authoritarian movement" logic: “You can’t do X—unless you’re doing it for Trump. Then you can.”

3. The Trump Glitch and Fake Awards

[19:04 - 25:36]

• Summary:
  Trump, in a public appearance modified to praise the coal industry, “glitches” and rambles incoherently about “windmills” and tariffs, then accepts a farcical award as the “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.”
• Key Moments:
  • Trump falters mid-sentence: “I’m proud to officially name the Undisputed... Just when did this come out?”
  • Launches into a tirade against renewable energy, making factually incorrect claims about wind power in China and Europe.
  • Receives and celebrates a meaningless trophy.
• Quotes:
  • Trump (22:48): “Another one of my favorite words is the word tariff… I used to say it’s my favorite word. They said, what about God? What about religion? What about family and your wife, your children? So now I make it my fifth favorite word.”
  • Pakman (25:36): “Trump is now the only winner of both the FIFA Peace Prize and the Beautiful Clean Coal Champion award. How about that, liberals? Nothing Sleepy Joe could do.”
• Pakman’s Analysis:
  • Draws parallels between Trump’s need for constant flattery and how authoritarian regimes create fake accolades to appease leaders.
  • Explains “clean coal” as a marketing myth, not a scientific reality.

4. Republican Break from Trump on Tariffs

[33:04 - 37:48]

• Summary:
  For the first time, six House Republicans join Democrats to repeal Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports—direct defiance of Trump, who responds with threats.
• Key Moments:
  • Trump warns: “Any Republican...that votes against tariffs will seriously suffer the consequences… that includes primaries.”
• Pakman’s Analysis:
  • Recognizes the significance: “When these Republicans decide we need to break from Trump to save ourselves, you know that there is a shift happening here.”
  • Explores the implications for party unity, concluding that Trump’s strongman grip is weakening.

5. Policy Reality Check & Failures of Trumpist Governance

[37:48 - 43:56]

• Summary:
  Pakman surveys Trump’s core policies (immigration, tariffs, economics, public trust) and voter opinion, finding failures across the board. Trump’s approval sits dangerously low, the public is dissatisfied, and even former allies are questioning his fitness and results.
• Pakman’s Analysis:
  • Details why populist promises have not led to positive outcomes; debt and deficit are soaring, the public dislikes immigration enforcement protocols, and tariffs are economically damaging.
  • Warns that when authoritarian projects lose legitimacy, their operators may choose to "break the system" rather than reconsider policy.

6. Republican Leadership Struggles, ‘Damage Control’ & Projecting Confidence

[43:56 - 48:04]

• Summary:
  Republican leaders downplay Bondi’s meltdown and the fractures on tariffs, blaming Democrats for “theatrics.” Speaker Mike Johnson insists confidence about the midterms, despite rising evidence of panic and declining cultural power.
• Key Moments:
  • Mike Johnson (43:56): “These are unserious people… they demonstrate that with their antics in the committee hearings…”
• Pakman’s Analysis:
  • Notes that “the goal is not to win the factual argument. The goal is to show loyalty"—even if panic is setting in privately.
  • Dismisses Johnson’s confidence as classic “public bravado, private panic” typical of weakened political coalitions.

7. MAGA’s Waning Cultural Influence: Rogan & Schultz Turn Away

[51:29 - 56:33]

• Summary:
  As right-wing pop culture figures begin to publicly question Trump, especially regarding the Epstein files and clemency questions, Pakman sees a dangerous “vibe shift” for MAGA. Notably, Joe Rogan and Andrew Schultz express skepticism about the Trump narrative.
• Key Quotes:
  • Joe Rogan (52:01): “That’s the gaslightiest gaslighting I’ve ever heard in my life… Whoa. What do they think is going on? Just a bunch of guys hanging out…?”
  • Andrew Schultz (54:11): “If [Trump's] name was clear, why do you need clemency before? … Like, to me, if she’s shrewd enough to indict him that way… why are you even putting that on the table?”
• Pakman’s Analysis:
  • Explains how the defection of cultural intermediaries erodes MAGA enthusiasm, potentially decimating turnout—even if the policy or political structure remains.
  • Argues that the loss of these voices can have disastrous political effects, especially as they influence low-information and anti-establishment voters more than party operatives or cable news.

8. The Stakes: Failing Systems & Authoritarian Temptations

[Throughout, especially 37:48-43:56, 56:33-end]

• Pakman’s Warning:
  The overall message: as Trump’s administration falters, approval dives, allies defect, and culture shifts away, there’s a risk the authoritarian tendency will be to further break the system, rather than respond to public will.

Most Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Pam Bondi redirecting questions:
  [04:10] “The Dow is over $50,000. I don’t know why you’re laughing…” (Pam Bondi)

• Ted Lieu Calls Out Bondi:
  [07:56] “Were there any underage girls at that party or at any party Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein?” (Ted Lieu)

• Bondi Evasion:
  [08:29] “There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime…” (Pam Bondi)

• Jim Jordan’s Accidental Truth:
  [12:27] “You have a right to petition the government… That doesn't mean you can come into this room and start screaming… or go into the Capitol and disrupt Congress.” (Jim Jordan)

• Trump’s Tariff Tirade:
  [22:48] “Another one of my favorite words is the word tariff...So now I make it my fifth favorite word.” (Donald Trump)

• Trump’s Fake Coal Award:
  [25:36] “Trump is now the only winner of both the FIFA Peace Prize and the Beautiful Clean Coal Champion award. How about that, liberals?” (David Pakman)

• Six Republicans Break with Trump:
  [33:04] “The joint resolution is passed without objection.” (Mike Johnson, Speaker)

• Trump’s Threat to Dissenters:
  [33:17] “Any Republican…that votes against tariffs will seriously suffer the consequences come election time.” (Donald Trump, quoted by Pakman)

• Joe Rogan on the Epstein Files:
  [52:01] “That’s the gaslightiest gaslighting I’ve ever heard in my life… What, just a bunch of guys hanging out?” (Joe Rogan)

• Andrew Schultz on Ghislaine Maxwell and Trump:
  [54:11] “If [Trump's] name was clear…well, why are you even putting [clemency] on the table?” (Andrew Schultz)

Conclusion

David Pakman’s episode spotlights not only the wildest moments of the current political landscape—from shouting matches in Congress, to Trump’s incoherence and the GOP’s rare public splits—but more crucially, the existential danger that surfaces as authoritarians lose their grip: they’re tempted to break constitutional systems rather than adjust to political reality. The episode also powerfully illustrates how the loss of cultural cachet—when podcast giants like Rogan and Schultz start to question and lampoon Trumpist mythology—can ripple into electoral disaster, especially as turnout and enthusiasm wane in the right’s most critical audience segments.

In Pakman’s own words:

“[Losing cultural intermediaries] can happen very quickly… Once they start feeling we were sold a narrative that doesn’t hold up, the backlash can be sharp and quick. These audiences … often see themselves as anti establishment and anti media, anti elite. They don’t want to feel like they were tricked.” ([56:33])

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