The Jim Acosta Show — Episode Summary

Episode: AFT's Randi Weingarten on Refusing to Fear Fascists, Adam Parkhomenko on New Epstein Documents plus Nick Valencia on ICE Gone Wild
Date: September 26, 2025
Host: Jim Acosta
Guests: Randi Weingarten (AFT President), Adam Parkhomenko (Democratic Strategist), Nick Valencia (Journalist)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into pressing issues impacting American democracy, the ongoing threat of authoritarianism, and the attacks on public education. Jim Acosta is joined by Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers and author of "Why Fascists Fear Teachers," to discuss her new book and the weaponization of fear by those in power. The episode also features Adam Parkhomenko breaking down the latest Epstein files revelations, and Nick Valencia reporting on a disturbing uptick in ICE raids and abuses.

Randi Weingarten: On Teachers as the Frontline Against Fascism

Segment starts at [00:00]

Key Discussion Points

• Trump's Indictment of James Comey & Authoritarianism

  • Randi Weingarten condemns the indictment of Comey, calling it a strategy of retaliation and intimidation.
    • "This is not about justice. This is about creating fear and being retaliatory to people you believe have not been on bended knee, and that's what Trump is doing." — Randi Weingarten [01:35]
  • Weingarten stresses the importance of public protest and solidarity, referencing "No Kings Day" and recent mass mobilizations.
    • "...America believes in freedom. And we believe in the rule of law. And we believe that people should have free speech as long as it's not violent and not insightful." — [03:30]

• The Symbolism of the Paperclip

  • Weingarten explains her book’s pivotal anecdote: Norwegian teachers’ resistance to the Nazis by wearing paperclips as a sign of unity.
    • "It was a symbol of being together, of opposing tyranny, of opposing fascism, of opposing that kind of government control..." — [08:39]
  • She connects this act to the present: how small symbols can embolden community resistance and why teachers, education, and collective action remain pivotal for democracy.

• Explicit Warning About Fascism

  • Weingarten explains her deliberate use of the term "fascist," asserting it's meant as a caution.
    • "I wrote it and used the term because it's a warning... if you don't actually understand what fascistic behavior is, then you don't understand what happens when there's this demonization to dehumanization of people..." — [10:00]
  • Discussion includes how American curriculum fails to teach comparative government and the warning signs of fascist movements. Acosta underscores how fascistic rhetoric has gone insufficiently challenged by both media and public.

• Attacks on Public Education & Federal Overreach

  • Weingarten details Trump administration’s efforts to defund and micromanage local school systems, reversing conservative calls for "local control."
    • "What the department, what she's really doing, what Trump is really doing, is they're taking away the funding and firing people that anchor opportunity." — [18:10]
  • She describes the undermining of student debt relief programs and civil rights protections for public schools, warning this jeopardizes opportunities for millions of students.

Notable Quotes

• "Kings don't like folks out there, you know, speaking out against the throne. And neither do fascists..." — Jim Acosta [04:44]
• "They are nation builders and they are hope agents." — Randi Weingarten on American teachers [23:59]

"Release the Kimmel Files": Free Speech, Disney, and Shareholder Power

Segment starts at [14:46]

Key Discussion Points

• Suspension of Jimmy Kimmel & Disney Shareholder Activism

  • Weingarten affirms AFT’s involvement in demanding transparency about Kimmel’s suspension.
    • "I give Disney a lot of credit for putting Jimmy Kimmel back on. I think that that was important and I give them credit." — [16:12]
  • The discussion ties corporate consolidation and political pressure to broader threats to free expression.

• Free Speech and Comedy Under Threat

  • Reference to comedian Stephen Colbert's suspension. Weingarten quotes Timothy Snyder:
    • "When you get rid of the comedians, when you stop being able to laugh at yourselves, that is a very dangerous...backsliding of democracy..." — [15:25]

Adam Parkhomenko: Epstein Files, Democratic Strategy, & the Media

Segment starts at [24:59]

Key Discussion Points

• New Epstein Files

  • Parkhomenko discusses House Oversight Democrats releasing previously unseen documents, implicating high-profile figures (Elon Musk, Prince Andrew, Steve Bannon, Peter Thiel, Bill Clinton, Larry Summers).
  • Acosta and Parkhomenko note the irony and hypocrisy of both parties’ affiliations and how Trump campaign rhetoric about "releasing the Epstein files" backfires as Trump's own connections are revealed.
    • "Turns out that those were both excuses for just hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein." — Adam Parkhomenko [27:16]

• Media Critique During "Trump 2.0"

  • Both express dismay at mainstream media's failure to cover Trump administration abuses robustly.
    • "Legacy media as a whole is failing from the top down...it's sad to see." — Adam Parkhomenko [31:10]
  • Emphasis on new, independent platforms (YouTube, Substack) as vital for information.

• Democratic Strategy Amidst Shutdown Threat

  • Acosta suggests Democrats demand a halt on ICE operations in exchange for keeping the government open, criticizing the surge in ICE abuses.
  • Parkhomenko calls for tougher Democratic tactics and new leadership, criticizing party elites for not embracing progressive voices:
    • "Democrats need new leadership...our party spends more time trying to minimize the voices of people like Jasmine Crockett than they do lifting them up." — [34:38]
  • Argues for addition, not subtraction, within party ranks:
    • "Winning is about addition, not subtraction." — Bill Clinton (as quoted by Parkhomenko) [35:59]

• Democratic Party & The Authenticity Deficit

  • Discusses Kamala Harris’s new book, which reveals intra-party tensions and a lack of authentic leadership communication.
    • "There's sort of an authenticity deficit in the Democratic Party right now. And whenever we see glimmers of it, I think the folks at home are saying, aha, that's it." — Jim Acosta [41:02]
  • Parkhomenko agrees, noting the party is "always too afraid of our base," advocating for riskier, base-energizing choices (e.g., Harris picking Buttigieg as VP) [43:27].

Nick Valencia: ICE Raids, Fear, and Violent Abuses

Segment starts at [44:01]

Key Discussion Points

• Escalation of ICE Violence

  • Acosta and Valencia react to disturbing videos of ICE agents tackling, body-slamming, and brandishing weapons against various people—including a congressional candidate—in cities nationwide.
  • Discussion highlights ICE’s hiring spree of unqualified personnel, eroding standards, and the spread of lawless, dangerous behavior.
    • "This is family separation 2.0...what we're all seeing now...is videos of these incidents...ICE agents who are responsible for keeping things safe...while they're doing their job...they're making things worse." — Nick Valencia [45:11]

• Lack of Federal Oversight and Accountability

  • Major cities like LA promise ID checks for agents but fail to deliver, spurring more chaos and fear.
    • "The fear is really what we're seeing now is this hiring spree of ICE agents under qualified people that are fanned out across the country and are ratcheting up these arrests and these detentions. Someone's going to get hurt. It's only a matter of time." — [47:27]

• Selective Compassion and the Erosion of Basic Rights

  • Critique of “selective compassion” in political rhetoric and the absence of empathy.
    • "We're seeing a lack of humanity, a lack of empathy and compassion, and we're seeing it becoming sort of one of the talking points in the Republicans in this Trump 2.0 era." — Nick Valencia [49:12]
  • Anyone—activist, candidate, or bystander—can be targeted by ICE, reflecting a broader assault on civil liberties.
    • "Anyone can get it in Trump’s America." — Nick Valencia [52:22]

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On Teachers as "Hope Agents":

  • "They are nation builders and they are hope agents." — Randi Weingarten [23:59]

• On ICE Raids:

  • "Anyone can get it in Trump's America." — Nick Valencia [52:22]

• On Democratic Party's Failures:

  • "Our party is always too afraid of our base. And I always say, Republicans don't win elections. Democrats lose them." — Adam Parkhomenko [43:27]

• On the Importance of Protest:

  • "The most important thing we do is to actually then be out on the streets in force on No Kings Day." — Randi Weingarten [03:10]

• On Selective Compassion:

  • "Be compassionate for Charlie Kirk. Be compassionate for the ICE agents who were targeted. No mention of the actual detainee who was shot and killed by our DHS secretary." — Nick Valencia [49:32]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] — Randi Weingarten: Authoritarianism, teachers as resistance, paperclip as symbol
• [14:46] — Free speech under threat, Disney/Kimmel controversy
• [24:59] — Adam Parkhomenko: Epstein files, double standards, Democratic strategy, media critique
• [44:01] — Nick Valencia: ICE agents' violence, lack of oversight, consequences for civil society

For listeners who missed the show:
This episode is a comprehensive tour of the current American crisis: from the weaponization of state power, attacks on public education and free speech, to the chilling abuses carried out in the name of immigration enforcement. The guests offer warnings—but also strategies for hope, solidarity, and democratic renewal.