The Find Out Podcast

Episode: Republicans Have Chosen Guns Over Our Children

Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Tim, Rich, Chris, Luke (with occasional mention of Zach)

Episode Overview

This emotionally charged episode opens with the tragic news of yet another mass shooting at a Catholic school, serving as a springboard for a passionate, often raw discussion on America’s uniquely persistent gun violence problem under Trump’s second term. The team lays bare their anger, frustration, and grief, connecting the dots between GOP policy, cultural numbness, and the consequences of inaction. Midway, the mood lightens, shifting to “Hot Takes” and banter about pop culture, providing catharsis in the face of relentless political and social despair.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Latest School Shooting and Gun Violence (00:00–16:00)

• Immediate Reaction:
  Tim opens with the facts: two children killed, 17 injured at a Catholic church/school, perpetrator dead. Expresses exhaustion and outrage at ongoing gun violence.

  • “I think we had to talk about it because we're on the air. But I'm sort of at a loss as to what to say...because there are very clear solutions to reduce this problem and...Republicans refuse to do anything about it.” — Tim (00:51)

• Cynicism About Change:
  Rich rhetorically asks if the tragedy will change anything, immediately answering:

  • “You guys think this is going to change the conversation? No, I say that with a sick smile on my face because it's a stupid question.” — Rich (01:32)

• Failure of ‘Thoughts and Prayers’:
  The hosts mock the rote “thoughts and prayers” response, noting it’s now often even skipped, replaced instead by blaming “Democrat cities.”
  Rich connects past tragedies, referencing the lack of action after the Minnesota incident involving the assassination of a former Speaker of the House by a well-armed MAGA extremist (01:47).

• Policy Solutions Ignored:
  Tim provides a rundown of actionable policies (universal background checks, closing loopholes, mandatory registration/training) that are continuously blocked or avoided. He emphasizes the U.S.’s unique violence is not because Americans are “defective,” but because of easy, near-unrestricted access to firearms.

  • “If more guns made us safer, we would be the safest country on earth.” — Tim (05:17)
  • “The Second Amendment is a relic. Like when we used to have muskets. You know, like if we want to just let people have muskets, I'm okay with that. But AR15s… it just... I lose my mind.” — Tim (05:38)

• Personal & Societal Trauma:
  Chris shares his experience as a military veteran and extremism researcher, detailing the horrors of violence not just as statistics, but as traumatic events with deep, lasting ripple effects across families and communities.

  • “All of the mass shootings before will start to flood news feeds...you cannot imagine the effect that your selfish decision, a decision that you truly believe does not impact anyone else, how that can profoundly shape someone's entire life for the worse.” — Chris (08:25, 10:50)

• Racial Dimension & Political Inaction:
  Tim cites the murder of Congresswoman Lucy McBath’s son as emblematic of the intersecting racism and inaction, tying these stories to the persistent failure to regulate weapons designed only to “obliterate what is in front of them.” (10:57, 12:00)

2. Numbness, Distraction, and Conservative Culture (13:19–22:05)

• Manufacturing Numbness & Disconnection:
  Rich posits that decades of Republican policies have intentionally destabilized Americans’ lives, driving detachment and distraction.

  • “They've created this, this culture of numbness where Sandy Hook was the thing where it's like, if not Sandy Hook, if that's not going to drive any change...” — Rich (14:29)

• Political Deflection (“Not a Gun Problem; a Mental Health Problem”):
  The panel eviscerates the GOP’s favored deflections, including blaming mental health—while simultaneously cutting Medicaid, the main source of mental health support for many.

  • “These miserable pricks will sit there and tell you about how it's not a gun problem, it's a mental health problem, while they actively rip the only thing that gives these people mental health care away from them.” — Luke (17:04)

• The ‘Good Guy with a Gun’ Myth:
  Luke and Tim mock the NRA’s narrative, systematically naming mass shootings with armed guards where nothing was prevented (Columbine, Parkland, Uvalde, etc.).

  • “How do you stop a mass shooting before you happens if you don’t know who the gunman is?” — Tim (18:43)

• Political Power and Manufactured Fear:
  Discussion segues to the right’s overt threat displays; referencing DC’s former Fox News host-turned-DA refusing to prosecute open carrying, and the deployment of National Guard troopers in the city.

  • “What they are doing...is inviting people...to go take their long guns into the capital of the United States and face off with the National Guard.” — Chris (20:14)

• Cultural Cruelty and Deplorables:
  Tim notes that cruelty and the desire to see others suffer is central to “about 30%” of the electorate, illustrating how fears are manipulated for political gain.

  • “They want Democrats scared and they want people of color scared. So everyone’s walking around with AKs.” — Tim (23:20)

3. Structural Policy and Economic Inequality (24:23–26:14)

• Republican Policies Breed Despair:
  Rich and Tim tie rising violence, instability, and public despair to decades-long conservative attacks on the social safety net, wages, and healthcare.
  • “Where we're at today is the product of 40, 50 years of Republican policies destroying all of the foundations that allow Americans to be...happier and live happier lives.” — Rich (25:33)
  • “Donald Trump defunded the police...Democrats didn't do it.” — Tim (26:14)

Notable Quotes & Moments

The Podcast’s Frustration and Anger:

• “We are uniquely, uniquely violent. And it is not because Americans are defective. It is because we have widely available access to firearms, essentially 24 hours a day...” — Tim (05:13)
• “They are making people afraid.” — Tim (17:29)
• “If it was only a mental health problem, every country would have the same gun death rates per capita that we do. And...it’s not the western European democracies, it’s...not Australia who actually banned guns....And guess how many mass shootings they’ve had since? 0.” — Tim (17:39)

Personal Testimonies:

• “I met Allison Parker's parents. Allison Parker is the reporter that was shot and killed on live TV 10 years ago...I sat in a room with them when they said, can you help us open her iPhone? We just want the photos, which about broke me...” — Tim (03:16)

Systemic Critique:

• “Everything about an incident like this just makes me so pissed off. Not just at America, but at human. Human beings.” — Chris (08:53)

• “They care about themselves, they care about money, they...do not care about kids, they do not care about families. They only care about making sure that they're getting that NRA money and they don't want to hear it.” — Tim (18:18)

Hot Takes Segment & Pop Culture Banter (~32:00–56:00)

“Taylor Swift Isn’t a Saint” (32:28–42:37)

• Luke’s Hot Take:

  • Taylor Swift uses “parasocial relationships” with fans to distract from her billionaire status and deflect class critique.
  • “Taylor Swift is not a saint, and she uses parasocial relationships with her fans to distance herself...Eat all billionaires.” — Luke (32:28)

• Chris on Taylor Swift:

  • Questions her self-image and the adulation for her business dealings.
  • “I think that Taylor Swift is a little bit delusional...she's kind of like stayed onto that...when the power dynamic shifted. She is bigger and stronger and more influential than anything she interacts with at all.” — Chris (33:00)

• Rich’s Defense:

  • Notes that Swift is exceptional for surviving and thriving in the predatory industry, owning her music end-to-end, and faces a gendered double standard.
  • “All of the other men and women who have tried to ascend to that level where they own they re-own and they are in charge of their own destiny...she's the only one who's done what she's tried to do.” — Rich (39:24)

• No Ethical Billionaires:

  • Luke and Rich, in agreement, reiterate: “There should be no billionaire idols.” — Rich (42:28), Luke (42:37)

Musical Tastes (43:12–47:28)

• Playful ribbing as Luke reveals his “gym playlist” of bands, which includes Creed, Nickelback, and others, to the rest of the group’s comedic mock horror.

On Charlie Kirk and Right-Wing Misogyny (47:47–55:10)

• Charlie Kirk’s Take on Taylor Swift:
  Rich reports Kirk’s comments that Swift should have “more children than houses” to escape her “woke bubble” and be claimed as a “right-wing queen.”

  • “It just shows you what they think of women...Subservient to men. That's it.”—Tim (49:12)

• Mocking Right-Wing Masculinity:
  The team jokes about Ben Shapiro’s infamous speed-bag incident and ridicule the right’s performative “toughness,” drawing a direct line from insecurity to political posturing (50:50–51:13).

Listener Engagement & Uplift (56:00–59:39)

• The hosts encourage listeners to stay involved in democracy—citing the public comment campaign on VA abortion access as an example of mobilization and hope.

  • “As dark as shit gets, don't give up. Keep fucking fighting. It is absolutely worth it.” — Chris (29:19)

• Appreciation for audience support is shown through updates about podcast merch and feedback.

  • “We get emails from people in very, very red states that said, I thought I was alone. And we're working right now to try to figure out better ways to make it so that you can all communicate with each other as well, because it's really, really important.” — Tim (30:15)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–16:00: Reactions, analysis, and personal stories about latest school shooting; U.S. gun violence.
• 16:00–24:23: Numbness, distraction, and the Republican agenda fueling instability and more violence.
• 24:23–26:14: Republicans' impact on policing funding and social services.
• 26:14–32:00: Pivot from tragedy to lighter content; intro to “Hot Takes.”
• 32:00–42:37: Debate over Taylor Swift, billionaire worship, and the ethics of pop culture idolatry.
• 42:37–47:28: Playful defense (or not) of questionable gym playlists and music taste.
• 47:47–55:10: Nomination and takedown of Charlie Kirk for misogynist and absurd right-wing soundbites.
• 55:10–59:39: Podcast housekeeping, merch discussion, audience interaction, and ending banter.

Tone and Takeaways

True to its reputation, the Find Out Podcast blends cathartic anger, irreverent humor, and candid honesty. The opening segments are raw, driven by genuine grief and outrage at yet another preventable tragedy—matched with unvarnished political critique and zero tolerance for false equivalency or right-wing apologia.

Cultural segments provide comic relief, but pop culture is always linked back to deeper political and societal questions, such as billionaire idolatry or the politics of gender.

Ultimately, the show closes with encouragement to stay engaged, a reminder of collective power, and a shared sense of not being alone in the fight against despair and apathy in Trump's America.

[Notable Quotes Recap]

• “If more guns made us safer, we would be the safest country on earth.” — Tim (05:17)
• “All of the mass shootings before will start to flood news feeds...you cannot imagine the effect that your selfish decision...can profoundly shape someone's entire life for the worse.” — Chris (10:50)
• “Everything about an incident like this just makes me so pissed off. Not just at America, but at human. Human beings.” — Chris (08:53)
• “If not Sandy Hook, if that’s not going to drive any change....” — Rich (14:29)
• “Donald Trump defunded the police...Democrats didn’t do it.” — Tim (26:14)
• “As dark as shit gets, don't give up. Keep fucking fighting. It is absolutely worth it.” — Chris (29:19)

For more: Visit Find Out Podcast Substack and merch store