The Jim Acosta Show – October 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jim Acosta brings together April Ryan and Brian Karem to discuss Donald Trump’s controversial demolition of part of the White House for a new ballroom. The conversation transitions to the latest example of Trump’s antagonism toward the media and dissenters: an AI-generated video targeting young activist Harry Sisson. Sisson joins to talk about being singled out and the impact of Trump’s messaging. The episode closes with Tommy Christopher, who shares insights from his marathon interview with Hunter Biden, delving into Biden family dynamics, media critiques, and the aftermath of the 2024 election. Throughout, the theme is clear: a democracy "under assault" and the responsibilities of both journalists and citizens to hold power accountable.

Demolishing the White House: Trump’s Ballroom

The News Broken by The Washington Post

• [00:07] Jim Acosta kicks off, noting fresh reporting about the East Wing being demolished for Trump’s $250M ballroom — contradicting Trump’s past pledges not to alter the main structure.
• [01:23] April Ryan, visibly moved, laments the loss of historic White House spaces, noting, "I’ve been mourning this ... for several months now ... The optics have totally changed.”
  • She recalls the East Wing as the entry for visitors and a hub for the First Lady’s activities, “I can think back to the Obama years. ... Remember, the White House is an old building. ... The history is gone.” [02:28]
• [02:56] Ryan links the ballroom to Trump’s desire to imitate Mar-a-Lago: “He wants to mirror Mar-a-Lago, right? This is not Mar-a-Lago.”
• [03:35] Brian Karem drives home Trump’s motivations: “This is for Donald Trump’s ego. ... He’ll find a way to try and run in 2028. This is all a monument to his ego.”
• [04:25] Karem places this action in historical context, recalling that prior renovations required Congressional approval: “During the Truman restoration ... they just rebuilt it inside the facade. This guy doesn’t even care about the facade. He doesn’t care about Congress.”
• [05:56] Ryan highlights lack of oversight: “This ballroom has nothing to do with the White House Historical Association ... He has moved on his own ... no Congressional [approval]. He’s just doing this.”
• [06:44] Ryan, now teaching at USC, presents the situation as a warning: “An unchecked president doing things he says won’t happen is now happening. He is tearing down a historic site.”

Notable Quote

“He is tearing down the East Wing of the White House. ... This is symbolic of everything he’s done."
— April Ryan [07:20]

Democracy & Decay: The Symbolism

• [07:20–10:32] Roundtable discussion likens the demolition to broader attacks on democratic norms. Karem is especially blunt:
  • “I go, no, [democracy is] not in peril. It’s already gone. This is a dictator state, and you better stand up while you got a chance.” [09:58]
• Ryan hammers the kitchen-table implications: “It’s like Marie Antoinette. Let them eat cake. ... The peasants are having a hard time paying their mortgage ... government shutdown.” [11:15]

Notable Quote

“At the end of the day, Donald Trump will not care about any democratic norms. He doesn’t care about you, April. Doesn’t care about Jim. Doesn’t care about me. All he cares about is himself.”
— Brian Karem [09:40]

• The segment ends with input from Ryan’s students about why the White House’s symbolism matters:
  • “[The White House] symbolizes our democracy. The President of the United States must be answerable to the people. It is the people’s house.” [12:34–12:40]

Trump’s AI Attack on Protesters: Harry Sisson’s Story

• [13:00] Jim transitions to the viral AI video of Trump piloting a jet and dumping feces on peaceful protesters — with activist Harry Sisson a primary target.

  • April Ryan reframes the incident as a backhanded compliment: “That feces is a badge of honor, honey.” [13:01]
  • Karem deadpans: “It reminded me of this demon in Jay and Silent Bob’s Dogma. Excrement.” [13:38]

• [15:08] Sisson describes feeling "just disbelief" at being targeted by the President in such a manner:

  • “I could never imagine coming from a President of the United States or any elected official ... stunning, immature, and disgusting. ... I’m still in disbelief that this is the reality we exist in right now.” [15:08–15:59]

• [16:54] Sisson contextualizes the deeper meaning: “He’s taking a dump ... on all of us, on 50 percent of the country ... It affects everybody and will affect everybody as it continues. While everybody else's health care is going up ... Donald Trump is posting AI videos on social media. That really shows you what he thinks about the presidency.”

Notable Quote

“They are more interested in beef—Internet beef—with a 23-year-old than ... opening back up the government. ... It’s also the reality of the world we live in right now.”
— Harry Sisson [20:36]

• [20:27] Sisson shares his age (23) and disbelief at the personal attention from both Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance: “President and Vice President wasting their time going after you. Totally nuts.”
• [21:40] Sisson responds to Vance’s online trolling: “I said to Vance ... just add me to the signal group chat. I’ll ask him myself. And so far, he’s not taken me up on that offer.”

Protest Dynamics & Youth Engagement

• Both Acosta and Sisson push back on allegations that the "no Kings" protests were fringe:
  • “Seven million people estimated in those crowds scattered across the country. ... This was way bigger than any inauguration crowd size.” [19:39]
  • Sisson: “What I saw in Manhattan was overwhelming. I had so many young people come up to me and talk about my work on social media ... seeing the repercussions of that election has really awakened a lot of young people.” [22:32]

Notable Quote

"If their goal was to silence me or get me to stop or get my peers to stop, then they were sorely mistaken. This has only empowered us more to hold this administration accountable."
— Harry Sisson [24:38]

Trump’s Vulnerability & Gen Z

• Sisson and Acosta note Trump's declining appeal among younger voters:
  • “They are seeing Gen Z swing back from him ... over 20-point swing back toward the Democrats ... If Trump's goal ... was to silence me ... sorely mistaken.” [24:38–25:42]
  • “Trump is vulnerable right now, very vulnerable. ... When Marjorie Taylor Greene is starting to distance herself from Donald Trump, they have a problem.” [25:42]

Notable Quote

"I welcome Donald Trump’s attacks. ... If he wants to attack me in this way and give my message, your message, our message more attention, have at it ... I want to beat the hell out of Donald Trump in these elections."
— Harry Sisson [27:58]

Deep-Dive: Tommy Christopher’s Interview with Hunter Biden

Overview

• [29:39–44:08] Acosta is joined by journalist Tommy Christopher to discuss his exclusive 3+ hour interview with Hunter Biden, touching on:
  • The Biden family’s headline-dominating year
  • Loyalty and intra-party fractures
  • Hunter’s reaction to celebrity and political betrayals

Interview Highlights

• Hunter’s Response to Political Betrayals

  • On George Clooney’s NYT op-ed: “I asked him if he’s forgiven Clooney. He was like, 'No, not yet. I have not forgiven him.'” [33:57]
  • On Kamala Harris’s perceived disloyalty: “I could see the hurt in his face ... Some of the comments she’s made have been massaged by the press into being worse, but she’s definitely ... surprising me with the stuff she’s saying.” [37:00]

• Biden’s Age & Record

  • Hunter openly acknowledges his father’s age but is “adamant that this did not affect his performance as President.” He emphasizes Biden’s string of policy wins and record midterms.
    • “What does the guy have to do?” — Tommy Christopher [35:57]

• Loyalty as a Democratic Value

  • Tommy: “I think loyalty is a quality that people like in Joe Biden ... That was, I think, what set him apart from a lot of other [Dems].” [39:02]
  • Both agree Democratic loyalty is distinct from Trump’s blind, transactional “loyalty-above-all” ethos.

• Media Critique & Personal Reflections

  • Hunter’s take on media coverage — frustration at the focus on age over accomplishments.
  • Acosta: “A lot of Americans can relate to what he’s gone through in his life ... not a lot of people can say that.” [43:16]

• Personal Notes

  • Acosta and Christopher reflect on Hunter’s improved health and public image.
  • Possible political ambitions: Tommy teases he asked Hunter about running for president.

Notable Quote

“I really hope that his recovery is going well ... he looks good, he sounds good ... His decency was what won me over.”
— Tommy Christopher [40:23–43:16]

Closing Thoughts: The State of Democracy & the White House

• Acosta circles back:
  • “White House begins demolishing East Wing facade to build Trump’s ballroom ... Are there any Republicans in Washington who are going to stop him?” [44:59]
  • “Is this how it works now in Washington, D.C.? Sounds like a king. Sounds like something a king would do.” [After 45:00]
  • He credits his panelists and expresses dread at the unchecked power he sees, aligning the literal destruction of the White House with a wider erosion of democratic norms.

Final Reflection

“It is not what the American people voted for in November of 2024—They did not vote for Donald Trump to act like a king and start ripping the shit out of the White House.”
— Jim Acosta [45:00+]

Key Timestamps

• 00:07–12:40: White House demolition & Trump’s disregard for process; symbolic threat to democracy.
• 13:00–29:18: Harry Sisson discusses Trump’s AI video attack, the protest movement, Gen Z, and digital activism.
• 29:39–44:08: Tommy Christopher on his Hunter Biden interview — Biden family upheavals, Democratic loyalty, Hunter’s health, and intra-party drama.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• "Lies, lies, lies." — April Ryan on Trump’s promises about the White House [01:12]
• "This is for Donald Trump’s ego ... a monument to his own failing, healthy ego." — Brian Karem [03:35–04:25]
• “At the end of the day, Donald Trump will not care about any democratic norms...” — Brian Karem [09:40]
• “I want to beat the hell out of Donald Trump in these elections.” — Harry Sisson [27:58]
• "If he messes with that White House proper, the residents that built that White House proper, no, I'm telling you, there's going to be a bigger issue." — April Ryan [10:32]
• “It’s like Marie Antoinette: Let them eat cake. ... The peasants are having a hard time paying their mortgage.” — April Ryan [11:15]
• “Democracy is teetering.” — April Ryan [08:54]
• "If Trump's goal was to silence me... they were sorely mistaken. This has only empowered us more." — Harry Sisson [24:38]

Summary

This episode is a three-act warning about accountability and democratic fragility:

• Trump's desire to reshape the White House is cast as both literal and metaphorical vandalism on America’s heritage.
• His digital attacks on protesters, exemplified by Harry Sisson’s experience, illustrate a new low in presidential conduct, generating public backlash and inadvertently strengthening opposition resolve.
• The Hunter Biden interview affords a look behind the scenes of the Democratic side, underscoring the human cost and private fallout of public power struggles.

Throughout, Jim Acosta, his colleagues, and guests highlight the need to "hold on to truth and hope," even as familiar institutions are, in their words, bulldozed and battered.