The Jim Acosta Show — Happy Halloween Special October 31, 2025

Episode Overview Jim Acosta hosts a timely Halloween episode focusing on the ongoing government shutdown, political dysfunction, federal worker struggles, and the state of independent and legacy media. He’s joined by guests: Everett Kelley (President, Federal Employees Union), Sawyer Hackett (Democrat strategist and influencer), and Olivia Troye (former Homeland Security advisor), offering a blend of urgent commentary and lighthearted moments, all set against the backdrop of a country dealing with political and economic crises.

Key Topics & Sections

1. The Federal Shutdown and Fallout

Guest: Everett Kelley, Federal Employees Union President
00:06–08:20

• Congress's Absence & Working Americans

  • Acosta questions why Congress isn't in session as the shutdown nears a record length.
  • Kelley sharply criticizes Congressional inaction:

    "Our Congress is being AWOL. They should be on the job... they're getting paid, while the people I represent are not." (01:08)

  • Highlights that essential federal workers continue to serve without pay.

• Admission of Government Failure

  • Acosta plays soundbite from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who says:

    "Your government is failing you right now... if you are relying on that $187 a month for an average family in the SNAP program, we have failed you." (02:40)

  • Both Acosta and Kelley praise the candor, noting such confessions are rare:

    "True confession is good for the soul." (Kelley, 03:26)

• People Over Politics

  • Kelley’s rallying call:

    "Politics doesn't feed a person that's hungry... Let's get this government open because the American people deserve the services." (03:39)

  • Personalizes impact: TSA workers, federal employees in food lines—not because they want to, but because they're forced to.

    "These are patriotic people... being forced to go to places where they give free food just to eat." (05:55)

• Trump’s White House Redecorating vs. Real Needs

  • Acosta highlights Trump’s social media post of a lavish White House bathroom renovation during the shutdown.

    "Wonder how many people could have been fed with the amount of money that was put into that bathroom." (Kelley, 05:06)

2. Digital Influencing in a Crisis

Guest: Sawyer Hackett, Dem Strategist & Influencer
08:23–21:19

• Shifting Role from Strategy to Content

  • Hackett shares his journey: formerly a political consultant, now a digital creator breaking down news and exposing the mechanics of Trump’s administration.

    "I decided... that I wanted to do something else and channel my communication skills... I've really enjoyed it." (09:25)

• Shutdown's Political Optics

  • Hackett describes Democratic disorganization but credits focus on popular issues:

    "We have been for some time... leaderless, rudderless. But we've picked this fight... health care... to show the American people we're fighting back against Trump." (09:58)

  • Slams Trump’s cruelty and the Republican strategy:

    "It's absurd—using the shutdown to lay off workers, cancel critical programs, stop paying SNAP benefits." (10:58)

• Brooke Rollins’ SNAP Admission as Political Ammo

  "That video should be in an ad before the end of the weekend." (Acosta, 11:24)

  • Hackett notes the self-own:

    "Now a judge is out there saying... you need to pay these benefits. People can see through that pretty clearly." (11:59)

• Expose: Gregory Bevino and Trump’s Border Police

  • Hackett shares a signature Instagram video about Gregory Bevino’s aggressive, theatrical immigration enforcement:

    "Behind all the propaganda, the trench coat, the hand signals, the produced videos are a bunch of small, insecure men auditioning for a role in Trump's regime. We shouldn't fear them, we should mock them." (Narrator, 13:07)

  • Acosta and Hackett riff on the absurdity and dangers of such performance authoritarianism, emphasizing the role of ridicule as resistance.

    "They’re putting on this performance for Trump... but we need to mock them." (Hackett, 17:01)

3. The State of the Democratic Party

18:13–19:17

• Hackett on the Dems' struggle for identity post-Biden:

  "We're left leaderless, essentially. We don't have a central figure... so you see a lot of people trying different things." (18:13)

• Notes attempts to "fight back" (Newsom, Pritzker, others) versus establishment tendencies.

4. Cooking, Content, and Political Edutainment

20:02–26:42

• Cooking Videos as Political Commentary

  • Acosta and Hackett discuss the blend of cooking and politics for digital outreach and viewer engagement.

    "I think as a way to help the medicine go down a little bit." (Hackett, 21:38) "It's just become a source of, you know... video essays. I get to kind of give my perspective on the news." (Hackett, 22:32)

  • Acosta connects with the idea, sharing his own affinity for cooking and food culture.
  • Hackett reveals upcoming cuban sandwich video, inspired by both culinary and political influences.

• Hackett’s New Direction

  "The content is really 100% what I'm dedicating my time to... Part of this is grabbing people's attention with something different." (Hackett, 25:35)

• Mocking Trump’s Aesthetics

  • Both riff on the tackiness of Trump’s renovations, comparing it to Gaddafi’s palaces and Las Vegas glitz.

    "When you have somebody who cares deeply about aesthetics, but also has no taste... it's the worst possible combination." (Hackett, 28:01)

5. On the Border: Humanity, War Fears, and Reporting

Guest: Olivia Troye, Fed. Homeland Security Advisor (former)
32:04–44:44

• Border Town Realities

  • Troye travels and broadcasts right from the U.S.-Mexico border, sharing stories from both sides.

    "I thought it was important to have context to what's happening here... before Stephen Miller decides to unilaterally start bombing random towns and cartels in Mexico, which I think is the plan." (Olivia, 32:14)

• Fears of Escalating U.S. Military Action

  • Troye and Acosta discuss U.S. build-up near Venezuela, noting parallels to earlier behind-the-scenes war planning Troye personally witnessed during Trump’s first term.

    "Given the meetings I was in, I know this has been part of Stephen Miller’s sort of plan..." (Troye, 40:58)

• Border Life & Humanity

  • Troye shares the everyday interconnection, cross-border culture, and emphasizes that most public discourse misses this essential humanity.

    "It was important for me to remind people of the humanity of the border, the culture..." (Troye, 40:00)

• On Trump’s Authoritarian Rhetoric

  • Both cite Trump’s social media posts about “jailing Biden” as evidence of unhinged, authoritarian impulses:

    "It's just Trump, his vindictive self... more Trump being Trump." (Troye, 44:04)

• Personal Reflection & Dias de los Muertos

  • Troye describes plans to attend border event, visit her father's grave, and celebrate Day of the Dead, connecting the local and the personal to current events.

6. The Media Environment: Corporate Capture vs. Independence

46:25–End

• Warning Signs of Authoritarian Media Capture

  • Acosta decries increasing corporate influence and compromised mainstream outlets:

    "All of our major TV networks, they're compromised in some fashion as the US evolves or mutates into having a state dominated TV system..." (46:25)

  • Criticizes Comcast, ABC, CBS, and Fox for “state-compromised” news.
  • Cites the New York Times' report on signs of democracy backsliding, particularly media capture.

• Case for Independent Journalism

  • Acosta emphasizes the necessity of independent voices, highlights digital creators like Hackett and Troye.

    "The way we have to fight back is... supporting independent media." (47:02)

  • Expresses gratitude toward subscribers and encourages supporting non-corporate press.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

On Government Dysfunction and Empathy

• Everett Kelley: "Congress is being AWOL... they're getting paid while the people I represent are not. But they're providing vital service to the American people." (01:08)
• Brooke Rollins (via Acosta): "The fact that your government is failing you right now... we have failed you." (02:40)
• Everett Kelley: "Politics doesn't feed a person that's hungry... Let's get this government open." (03:39)

On the Trump Administration’s Priorities

• Everett Kelley: "Wonder how many people could have been fed with the amount of money that was put into that bathroom." (05:06)
• Jim Acosta: "There’s Trump with his bathroom... this is the stuff he’s focused on. It's just unreal." (06:51)

On Political Communication and Resistance

• Sawyer Hackett: "It’s important to remember... behind all the propaganda, trench coat, hand signals, the produced videos—a bunch of small, insecure men auditioning for a role in Trump's regime. We shouldn't fear them, we should mock them." (13:07)
• Jim Acosta: "I'm a big fan of the don't give in to the fear approach." (17:31)

On the Democratic Party's Challenges

• Sawyer Hackett: "We're left leaderless essentially... what you're going to see over the next few years is... which is the best kind of strategy that wins out." (18:13)

On the Border Experience

• Olivia Troye: "It was important for me to remind people of the humanity of the border, the culture... and I'm very concerned because of all this bombing, cartel language." (40:00)
• Olivia Troye: "Given the meetings I was in... I know that this has been part of Stephen Miller’s plan..." (40:58)

On Independent Media

• Jim Acosta: "The way we have to fight back is... supporting independent media... the airwaves belong to us, not... the corporations, not to Donald Trump." (47:02)
• "News organizations... have to be free to be able to report the news. If they're working... for news organizations owned by giant corporations... then you just do the math..." (50:33)

Tone & Style

• Candid, urgent, occasionally irreverent.
• Mix of serious policy critique and personal humor (shots of tequila, cooking banter, Halloween/dog costumes).
• Frequent interplay between hard truths and attempts to avoid burnout/fear through camaraderie and levity.

Conclusion

The episode delivers a concentrated critique of the government shutdown’s real-life consequences for federal workers and everyday Americans, skewers political and media elites for callousness and disconnection, and champions independent, creative resistance—both through online activism and new media voices. Interlaced with moments of humanity, humor, and personal connection (including tequila shots and border town stories), it closes with a rallying call for audience engagement and vigilance to protect democracy.

Happy Halloween from The Jim Acosta Show – a blend of sharp watchdog journalism, digital activism, and a little bit of tequila-fueled camaraderie.