The Gist – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Gist
Host: Mike Pesca (Peach Fish Productions)
Date: January 13, 2026
Episode Title: Reese Gorman on Congress's Vanishing Backbone — and Dexter Filkins' Rubio "Zig and Zag" Portrait

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, host Mike Pesca explores the shifting dynamics within American political power, with a focus on Congressional malaise and the loyalty of Republican lawmakers to the Trump administration. The episode features a deep-dive discussion with Reese Gorman, Capitol Hill reporter and host of the On Notice podcast from Notice, a new nonprofit journalism venture. The first portion covers Dexter Filkins' extensive New Yorker profile on Marco Rubio, examining his transformation and contrasting foreign policy stances inside the Trump administration. The latter half is a wider critique of internal Congressional dynamics and the erosion of institutional backbone within the GOP, ending with a "spiel" on the rise of radical ideas on both the left and right.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Marco Rubio, Trump Loyalty, and the "Zig and Zag" Profile

[00:00–12:00]

• Pesca introduces the main theme: How Rubio has adapted to Trump's agenda, drawing from Dexter Filkins' new 12,000-word New Yorker piece.
• Filkins describes Rubio as having to "zig and zag" with Trump's every move and quotes a diplomat:

  “He’s had to swallow a lot of shit.” – Filkins, via former diplomat (03:27)

• Rubio is characterized as "ideologically malleable," contrasting him to more extreme actors like J.D. Vance.
• Pesca notes the two "power centers" in the Trump administration:
  • JD Vance (isolationist)
  • Marco Rubio (more interventionist, but compliant)
• Rubio’s lack of ideological rigidity and willingness to carry out Trump’s wishes is seen as both problematic and, under current conditions, maybe "the best we can hope for inside the Trump orbit," per Pesca.
• Discussion of Vance’s objections to foreign intervention, e.g., U.S. strikes (Houthis, Venezuela), versus Rubio’s willingness to support such moves.

2. The Nature and Mission of Notice

[12:03–14:45]

• Reese Gorman explains Notice’s mission as a nonprofit "teaching hospital" for journalists, started by Robert Allbritton (founder of Politico).
  • Each year, ten fellows learn investigative political reporting in D.C.
  • Focus is maintaining true nonpartisanship and evidence-driven journalism.
• On objectivity in journalism:

  “I just teach them that just the news is the news. [...] Go into it with the story not already written in your head and you do the reporting.” – Reese Gorman (14:03)

3. The Current State of Republican Congress

[14:45–32:06]

• Gorman reveals the protagonist problem in Congress: Many Republicans privately object to exclusion from decision-making, especially on foreign policy (e.g., Venezuela), tariffs, and appropriations; however, they rarely go on the record.
• House Republicans express frustration about being "steamrolled" by administration decisions but have ceded power and are now resigned:
  “Congress almost just given up, throwing their hands in the air like, ‘Oh, yes, sir, Trump, like you can take and do whatever you want and we will not fight you.’” – Reese Gorman (19:58)
• There have been efforts via "discharge petitions" (16:01, 21:05), such as on the Epstein Act and ACA subsidies, but these are led by rank-and-file, not senior members, and usually amount to symbolic action.
• Real institutional resistance has vanished:
  “There’s no real effort to do that.” – Reese Gorman on Congress defending its power for its own sake (23:46)
• Even Republicans who privately object to Trump’s moves still, overall, like him and fear crossing him due to his dominance in the GOP:

  “They still like Trump. That’s the thing. They’re upset about how it’s happening, but members still like Trump.” – Gorman (24:30)

• Trump’s relational skill: He is accessible, remembers their names, and practices “retail politics” with Congress, which many members appreciate.

4. Congressional Malaise and Regret

[27:44–31:58]

• Many members of Congress are demoralized and miserable; they feel powerless, overworked, and prone to short-term thinking due to pressure from Trump and changing political winds.
• Frequent retirements are a symptom of this resign—the office is seen as joyless and futile.
• In retrospect, some regret giving away so much legislative prerogative, especially in areas like appropriations and agency funding during the “Doge era” (Musk/Doge-fueled politics), but at the time they felt steamrolled by public and presidential pressure.

5. The Spiel: Radicalism and Party Coalitions

[33:20–end]

• Pesca shifts to a critique of both far-left and far-right radicals, emphasizing the ascent of ideas previously fringe in Democratic coalitions (e.g., abolishing property rights, police/prison abolition, MMT).
• He argues that, while right-wing nationalism is inherently more dangerous and direct, left-wing radicalism often hides behind ambiguous, shape-shifting definitions of “socialism.”
• Memorable quote:

  “If what you need me to say is the right is worse, okay, sure. White Christian nationalists are worse. After every utterance pretend I’m saying that… So last week a woman named Sia Weaver was confirmed…” – Mike Pesca (33:20)

• He warns both parties grapple with their extreme wings due to the U.S. two-party system.
• Endnote: Both the left and the right are increasingly animated by radical ideas, and ambiguity is often by design.

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Rubio’s Compromise:
  “He’s had to swallow a lot of shit.” – New Yorker profile, via former diplomat (03:27)

• Notice's Philosophy on Reporting:
  “Just go into it with an open mind, regardless of who it is, whether it's a Democrat, whether it's a Republican. Just go in [...] let's talk.” – Reese Gorman (14:03)

• On Congressional Weakness:
  “Congress almost just given up, throwing their hands in the air like, ‘Oh, yes, sir, Trump, like you can take and do whatever you want and we will not fight you.’” – Reese Gorman (19:58)

• On Symbolic Resistance:
  “There’s no real effort to do that.” – Reese Gorman on efforts to reclaim Congressional power (23:46)

• On Trump’s Skill With Congress:
  “He remembers their names, he calls them out at events, and they do have this kind of liking towards him.” – Gorman (26:01)

• Pesca on Radical Ideas:
  “I’m just calling the ideas that are actually socialist. [...] These ideas are animating.” – Mike Pesca (38:54)

• Final Reflection:
  “And that’s what I do. I’m the person who’s observing all of this and pointing this out. I don’t play sides. I don’t root for a team. Just seeing a phenomenon that’s increasing and I’d like to point it out.” – Mike Pesca (38:56)

Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–12:03: Introduction, Filkins' Rubio profile, Trump administration's power dynamics.
• 12:03–14:45: The mission and ethos of Notice, training for objectivity.
• 14:45–23:46: Congressional Republicans’ powerlessness, internal cultures, and the reality of institutional decay.
• 23:46–31:58: Fecklessness and malaise in Congress; regret about lost prerogatives; examination of how and why they acquiesced.
• 33:20–End: Spiel on the rise of radical ideas at the fringes, dangers in coalition-building, and the pitfalls of ambiguity in political definitions.

Tone and Language

The discussion is candid, skeptical, and slightly satirical, especially as Pesca critiques both parties and the nature of modern U.S. politics. Gorman is similarly forthright, using direct language to characterize the mood in Congress as “demoralized,” “miserable,” and lacking institutional pride or will. Both speakers use humor and dry wit to soften hard truths about political cynicism and backsliding.

Summary prepared for those seeking a full, nuanced walkthrough of The Gist's January 13, 2026 episode, highlighting its unique blend of deep reporting, tough analysis, and caustic honesty.