The Jim Acosta Show: September 5, 2025
Guests: Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Ezra Levin (Indivisible)
Main Themes: GOP complicity in RFK Jr. controversies, Trump's economic and social policies, digital addiction, and grassroots anti-authoritarian activism (No Kings)
Episode Overview
Jim Acosta hosts a wide-ranging episode focused on the current state of American democracy under the Trump administration. Key topics include the poor August jobs report, the consequences of Trump's trade and healthcare policies, GOP support for RFK Jr. and the public health fallout, corruption and complicity within the Republican Party, the danger of digital addiction to American youth, and the ongoing grassroots protest movement against authoritarianism, highlighted by Indivisible’s “No Kings Day” (and the announcement of its sequel).
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Economy, Jobs Report & Trade Policies
[00:06–04:36]
- Acosta introduces Rep. Jake Auchincloss, setting the tone with the alarming new jobs report (22,000 jobs created).
- Auchincloss criticizes Trump's economic policies, attributing sluggish job growth to damaging tariffs:
"It's the largest tax increase in modern American history done unilaterally by one person." — Auchincloss [03:20]
- Auchincloss lays out a proactive Democratic agenda:
- Building 1,000 trade schools nationwide.
- Enlisting workers to construct 5 million homes for affordable housing.
- Building 100 nuclear power plants for energy dominance.
- Expanding the US Navy to counter China.
- Emphasizes the need for Democrats to address "cost disease" in housing, healthcare, utilities, and taxes via regulatory cuts, technology adoption (including AI), and confronting special interests.
2. RFK Jr., GOP Complicity, and Public Health
[04:36–09:52]
- Acosta highlights the controversial Senate hearing for RFK Jr., now Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.
- Auchincloss denounces both RFK Jr. and the GOP for knowingly empowering him despite dangerous views:
"This man is transparently awful... And now they put on their frowny faces when he does exactly what he said he was going to do. Shame on them." — Auchincloss [06:29]
- The pair discusses the chaos around COVID vaccine availability.
- Auchincloss calls for a Democratic public health vision:
- Own and apologize for school closures during COVID:
"Closing the schools was a catastrophe... It was wrong. Here's how we're going to fix it." — Auchincloss [08:14]
- Proposes surging one-on-one tutoring, and school reopening protocols for future epidemics.
- Vows to take on chronic disease, big food, and soda taxes.
- Own and apologize for school closures during COVID:
3. Authoritarianism, The “War Department,” and the GOP’s Moral Decline
[10:27–17:06]
- Acosta and Auchincloss discuss Trump’s plan to rename the Defense Department as the “War Department," viewing it as a petty distraction from scandals like the Epstein files, but also as symbolic of deeper issues.
"He likes to talk alpha, but then he acts beta. He is a very insecure man." — Auchincloss [11:08]
- Auchincloss draws attention to a pattern of posturing versus weak global actions (e.g., with Putin, Radio Free Asia, tariffs on India).
- On the Epstein scandal:
"If indeed Donald Trump were spread across the Epstein files... do you think it would actually Rattle his position with maga?... They wouldn’t. That tells you everything you need to know about the GOP today." — Auchincloss [13:49]
- Urges a Democratic party focus on banning congressional stock trading, expediting justice reform, ending partisan primaries and dark money.
4. Corruption & The Trump “Meme Coin”
[15:33–18:00]
- Acosta points to Trump family profiteering; Auchincloss slams the Trump meme coin:
“It allows any actor, domestic or foreign, to buy a share in Donald Trump... It’s a violation of the emoluments clause. It’s illegal. Nobody should be able to do that.” — Auchincloss [16:23]
- Warns of dangerous foreign influence.
5. Digital Addiction, Social Media, & AI Regulation
[18:00–23:05]
- Auchincloss discusses his NYT essay on “digital dopamine”:
“Young men right now are being routed towards digital dopamine, basically towards just quick hits of dopamine delivered through software...” — Auchincloss [18:27]
- Predicts worsening addiction as AI bots become more widespread.
- Warns against a legislative repeat of Section 230 for AI companies; urges Democrats to prioritize American families' interests and regulate tech to serve the public good.
6. Congressional Stock Trading & Political Reform
[21:46–24:11]
- Acosta and Auchincloss agree on a Congressional stock trading ban.
"...the perception of corruption that that creates is totally unacceptable... of course we should have a stock ban..." — Auchincloss [22:11]
7. The 2026 Midterms, Gerrymandering & Democratic Strategy
[24:11–27:51]
- Auchincloss outlines the GOP’s three-part strategy:
- Unpopular economic and healthcare legislation.
- Realizing those policies are toxic.
- Attempting to “steal” the midterms through redistricting.
- Advocates for aggressive Democratic countermeasures in states like California and Maryland.
- Acknowledges the need for internal Democratic reform on law and order and national security for the party to seize credibility on these issues.
8. No Kings Day: Sustaining Pro-Democracy Activism (with Ezra Levin)
[34:31–45:47]
- Ezra Levin joins to celebrate the ongoing impact of “No Kings Day” and announce “No Kings Day 2” for October 18th.
“No Kings Day wasn’t June 14th. No Kings Day is every day in this country.” — Levin [34:58]
- Recaps the massive June event and emphasizes the need for constant vigilance and activism.
- Links grassroots mobilization to current threats (federal “occupation” of cities, anti-democratic redistricting).
“These are not the actions of somebody secure in their power who understands they have popular support. They're the actions of someone who knows the public is pissed off...” — Levin [37:52]
- Underscores importance of peaceful, joyful protest as a weapon against authoritarian overreach:
“Donald Trump loves to be feared... What he doesn’t want is to be ridiculed. He doesn’t want the sense that the people are joyfully opposing him in huge numbers everywhere.” — Levin [44:24]
- Calls for continued action and organizing at nokings.org.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On GOP enabling RFK Jr.:
"Every single child who dies of measles in this country going forward is on the conscience of those GOP senators who voted for RFK, knowing exactly what he was going to do." — Rep. Jake Auchincloss [06:41]
-
On school closures:
"Closing the schools was a catastrophe... It happened too much in the blue states and the blue cities. We own some of that. It was wrong. Here's how we're going to fix it." — Auchincloss [08:14]
-
On the meme coin scandal:
"It allows any actor, domestic or foreign, to buy a share in Donald Trump... It’s a violation of the emoluments clause. It’s illegal." — Auchincloss [16:23]
-
On the resonance of No Kings:
“No Kings Day wasn’t June 14th. No Kings Day is every day in this country...we were creating a no Kings era.” — Ezra Levin [34:58]
Important Timestamps
- Jobs Report & Economic Critique: [00:06–04:36]
- RFK Jr., Vaccine Policy & GOP Complicity: [04:36–09:52]
- Department of War, Authoritarian Distractions: [10:27–13:35]
- Epstein Files & Republican Complicity: [13:35–15:24]
- Trump Family Corruption & Meme Coin: [15:33–18:00]
- Digital Addiction/Dopamine, Section 230/AI: [18:00–21:46]
- Congressional Stock Trading Ban: [21:46–24:11]
- Midterms & Democratic Countermeasures: [24:11–27:51]
- No Kings Movement, Grassroots’ Future: [34:31–45:47]
Conclusion
This episode blends sharp policy critique with a hopeful, mobilizing message for pro-democracy activism. With Auchincloss, Acosta dissects Trump-era economic, healthcare, and ethical crises, urges Democratic solutions, and doesn’t shy from self-critique (notably on COVID-era school closures). In the second half, Ezra Levin captures the defiant, optimistic spirit of grassroots protest in the face of growing authoritarianism. The call to keep fighting—at the ballot box, in the streets, and on digital fronts—is clear: “No Kings Day is every day.”