The Find Out Podcast

Episode: "There Is Something Seriously Wrong With Donald Trump"

Release Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the alarming personal and political behavior of Donald Trump during his second term, especially in the wake of recent violence both in America and internationally. The hosts—Tim, Zach, Luke, and other contributors—discuss Trump's inflammatory and unempathetic responses to tragedy, the broader American gun violence epidemic, and the left’s internal rifts over issues like Israel and Gaza. The conversation is candid, irreverent, and laced with dark humor, as the hosts process disturbing current events and their political ramifications.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump's Reaction to the Rob Reiner Murder

• [00:29] The hosts open by reacting to Trump's Truth Social post after the murder of Rob Reiner and his wife:
  • Trump blames the tragedy on “Trump Derangement Syndrome” rather than the actual circumstances (their son with a history of addiction and mental illness).
  • The hosts read the post aloud and note its callousness and surreal self-obsession.
  • Quote (Host 1, reading Trump):
    “He was known to have driven people crazy, all caps. By his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump…” [01:56]
  • Even some Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, condemned Trump's reaction—an unusual event.
  • The hosts describe their emotional exhaustion—transitioning from anger to sadness at the normalizing of such behavior.

2. The Broader Collapse of Empathy in Politics

• [02:49] Trump, rather than staying silent or showing empathy, appears to "enjoy" tragedies involving his critics.
  • Zach: “He likes when people die. Like, that's… that's it.” [06:04]
• [06:18] Trump’s response to the Brown University shooting is noted as similarly dismissive: “Things happen bad. But as Luke said, things happen.”
• Emphasis on Trump’s ability to redirect any event to his own benefit or grievances.

3. America's Gun Violence Crisis & Political Inaction

• [08:45] The entire panel vents about Republican unwillingness to implement common-sense gun reforms.
  • Discussion centers on universal background checks, the “gun show loophole,” and illegal sales via online platforms like Facebook.
  • Host 1: “Republicans are perfectly fine with the level of gun violence we have in order to continue to have unfettered access to firearms.” [08:45]
  • The hosts discuss the disconnect between the GOP base and the majority of Americans, who support stronger gun laws but fail to prioritize them electorally.
• [16:06] Comparison with Australia’s response to mass shootings:
  • After a major shooting, Australia enacted strict gun laws and has only had a couple of mass shootings since.
  • Host 2: “You have a problem, you find a problem, you offer a solution to that problem. It's that easy if you don't have the NRA.” [16:07]

4. Empathy (or Lack Thereof) and Tribalism in American Politics

• [19:58] The conversation shifts to how Republicans express empathy only for their immediate circles, compared to the broader, often overwhelming empathy of liberals and the left.
  • Zach: Summarizes research showing conservatives’ empathy rarely extends beyond family and close friends, while liberals’ is much more expansive.
  • [22:16] The role of privilege: By restricting their concern to those close to them, groups in power avoid reckoning with societal problems.
• [24:12] Discussing the difficulty and emotional toll of trying to empathize broadly—how empathy must be balanced with meaningful action and self-care.

5. U.S. Foreign Aid and National Security

• [24:59] The hosts underscore that even fiscal conservatives should see the value in foreign aid, both for humanitarian and national security reasons.
  • Dramatic US aid cuts create vacuums that adversaries like Russia and China will fill, costing the U.S. more in future conflicts.

6. The Left’s Internal Fights: Israel, Gaza, and the Texas Senate Primary

• [31:34] The hosts pivot to “Democrats in Disarray”—highlighting nastiness and misinformation being spread about Texas primary candidates Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico based on perceived loyalty to AIPAC or Israel.
  • They criticize the left for using Middle East policy as an unrealistic litmus test for Democratic candidates in noncompetitive states.
  • Host 2: “There are 737 things that are more important to Texas voters right now probably than whatever is happening in the Middle East.” [35:51]
  • Stress on the need for pragmatic coalition-building, not purist in-fighting, especially with key midterm races ahead.

7. The Real Stakes: The Supreme Court & Democracy

• [37:58] Zach: “It is extremely likely, extremely likely that Samuel Alito and probably Clarence Thomas both will announce their retirement in the second two years of Trump's tenure... If we steal the Senate against all the odds, then it puts them in a really, really, really difficult position.”
• The hosts emphasize the crucial importance of holding Congress to prevent further right-wing control of the Supreme Court and national policy.
  • Discourages single-issue purity (“If they don’t agree with me on Gaza, I’m not voting”) in favor of strategic voting to block MAGA power.

8. Final Thoughts: Pragmatism Over Purity & Merch Talk

• [41:34] The hosts reiterate: the outrage over litmus tests or donations is mostly an online, amplifying minority.
• They encourage listeners to focus on the bigger picture and not to engage needlessly in left-on-left infighting.
• The episode closes with banter about their merch store, Substack, and a teaser for Thursday’s episode with Maine Governor Janet Mills.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [01:56] Host 1 (Trump's Truth Social):
  “He was known to have driven people crazy, all caps. By his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump administration surpasses all goals and expectations of greatness... may Rob and Michelle rest in peace.”
• [06:04] Zach:
  “He likes when people die. Like, that's… that's it.”
• [08:45] Host 1:
  “Republicans are perfectly fine with the level of gun violence we have in order to continue to have unfettered access to firearms. They don’t care. They do not care.”
• [16:07] Host 2 (on Australia):
  “You have a problem, you find a problem, you offer a solution to that problem. It's that easy if you don't have the NRA.”
• [19:58] Luke:
  “Republicans and empathy. I feel like they do have empathy, but only for people they know... The second their neighbor that they like gets shot, then [it's] ‘we gotta rethink this whole gun thing.’”
• [22:16] Zach (on empathy):
  “They made it, like, two circles out. It was essentially my immediate family and my immediate best friends. And then everything after that... if you’re not the best friend, they don’t care.”
• [37:58] Zach (on Supreme Court):
  “It is extremely likely, extremely likely that Samuel Alito and probably Clarence Thomas both will announce their retirement in the second two years of Trump's tenure... The 10-year clock starts really right now as soon as we start picking our candidates for the Senate.”
• [40:03] Host 2:
  “And you are. First of all, you’re [an] idiot. And second of all, you’re not paying attention to anything. You’re going to take one issue and you’re gonna basically let John Cornyn or worse, Ken Paxton just roll in.”

Important Timestamps

• 00:17 — 06:00: Trump’s Rob Reiner post: reading, instant reactions, and broader implications of his rhetoric.
• 06:18 — 10:30: America’s response to mass shootings; political inaction vs. Australia’s approach.
• 19:58 — 26:38: Empathy, privilege, and the limits of personal concern in American politics.
• 31:34 — 37:17: Texas Senate primary drama, leftist infighting, and the real-world consequences of purity politics.
• 37:58 — 41:49: The pivotal importance of the 2026 Senate for the Supreme Court and American democracy.
• 44:00 — End: Light closing banter, merch info, and a preview of next episode with Gov. Janet Mills.

Tone & Style

The episode is sardonic, emotionally raw, and sometimes bleakly funny. The hosts oscillate between irreverent banter and sobering assessment of America’s political dysfunction, driven by a deep sense of urgency and exhaustion with both MAGA-politics and left-wing self-sabotage. The language is direct, informal, and laced with expletives and internet culture references.

Summary for New Listeners

If you missed the episode: The Find Out Podcast lays bare just how normalizing and exhausting Trump’s unhinged rhetoric has become in 2025, especially against the backdrop of real national traumas. The left’s struggle—and sometimes failure—to act pragmatically is dissected, with the hosts pleading for focus on the existential stakes of fascism, not internecine squabbles. Real-life policy, empathy, and coalition-building are presented as the only meaningful resistance to MAGA nihilism.