The Jim Acosta Show

Episode: Sports Journalist Pablo Torre and Instagram Comedian and "PE Guy" Johnny Hilbrant
Date: December 5, 2025
Host: Jim Acosta
Guests: Pablo Torre, Johnny Hillbrandt ("PE Guy"), [briefly aired clips: Tom McMillan, Connie Chung]

Overview

In this episode, Jim Acosta hosts two unique figures at the intersection of culture, comedy, and media critique:

Pablo Torre, sports journalist and host of “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” discusses his investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files, the overlap of sports, politics, and power, the state of independent journalism, and recent changes to CBS News.
Johnny Hillbrandt, the Instagram comedian behind “The PE Guy,” skewers America’s private equity elite, performing his hilariously cringeworthy character live and discussing satire’s role in critiquing the wealthy.

The tone is candid, critical, and often wry—mixing investigative seriousness with sharp, comedic relief.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Pablo Torre's Investigation: Epstein Files and Accountability

[00:24–13:16, 20:12–28:31]

Journalism as Mystery-Solving:
- Pablo discusses transitioning from traditional sports journalism to broader investigative work, using sports as a “liberal arts education” and lens into systemic power (01:33–03:00).
“I use journalism to solve mysteries...For me, sports has always been a bit of a liberal arts education.”
—Pablo Torre (01:33)
Epstein Files and the Tom McMillan Interview:
- Torre explains why he covered the Epstein files despite being a sports journalist: pressure from his audience and the realization that sport figures are entwined with wider political and social scandals.
- Reveals former NBA player and Congressman Tom McMillan appearing in infamous Trump-Epstein footage and repeatedly turning up in Epstein’s black book and flight logs (02:51–04:18).
- Torre confronts McMillan with evidence on his podcast, McMillan struggles to explain the connections, continually resorting to “I don’t recall.”
“There are ways to answer these questions that are less suspicious, but unfortunately, Jim, we received none of those answers.”
—Pablo Torre (09:20)

“So can you just explain why you keep coming up here, why you’re documented? By the way, my favorite detail there is in the flight logs. It's not just Tom McMillan, it's Tom McMillan in parentheses—Congressman.”
—Pablo Torre (11:12)
Public Interest and Transparency:
- Both Acosta and Torre make a forceful call for the full release of the Epstein files, regardless of political affiliation (11:31–11:47).
“We don’t give a [damn] who’s in there and what party they’re from. But Donald Trump sure as hell is trying mightily to keep these documents and files and videos...from coming out.”
—Jim Acosta (11:32)

2. Power, Media, and the “Capture” of Newsrooms

[13:16–20:12]

Interview with Connie Chung:
- Torre and Acosta play a clip from Torre’s recent interview with Connie Chung, expressing alarm over CBS News’s new ownership by the Ellison family and Bari Weiss’s leadership (13:45–15:47).
- Chung laments the shift from fact-based journalism to opinion-driven content, blaming “greedy owners.”
“We have so much opinion that the truth doesn't hold value anymore...CBS has now been taken over thanks to greedy owners...”
—Connie Chung (13:46–14:44)
Why Media Still Matters:
- Torre argues that powerful people acquire media precisely to steer public narrative and avoid accountability (Bezos and the Washington Post, Musk and X/Twitter, Ellisons and CBS), underscoring the urgent need for real journalism (18:55–20:12).
“They want control...They want to control what the average person hears in terms of anything resembling oversight.”
—Pablo Torre (18:55)
Crucial Role of Independent and Adversarial Journalism:
- The episode turns into a spirited plea for more hard questions and adversarial reporting, not less, in an era where media is fragile and susceptible to capture and manipulation.

3. Sports as a Trojan Horse for Serious Conversation

[21:04–22:22]

Sports is described as the last “big tent” or monoculture in America—one of the few places where people of diverse backgrounds still come together.
Torre sees sports coverage as a vehicle for reaching wider (especially male) audiences and introducing serious cultural or political topics “with the cheese melted on the broccoli.”

“If I can melt the cheese of sports on the broccoli, on the nourishing substance of news...maybe that's how Tom McMillan shows up at my show.”
—Pablo Torre (21:55)

4. Sportswashing, the FIFA “Peace Prize,” and Trump

[22:22–27:59, 45:45–47:43]

FIFA Awarding Trump a “Peace Prize”:
- Acosta and Torre lampoon FIFA giving Donald Trump a so-called Peace Prize, calling out the transactional “gold offerings” given to world leaders for favorable treatment (22:22–24:11).
- Torre dissects Trump’s hollow cosplay as “America’s number one sports fan,” highlighting his superficial relationship to the sports he uses for political gain.
“If you're going to write this in the movie script, of course you have Donald Trump not even waiting...as if, of course, the entire thing was Trump awarding himself something.”
—Pablo Torre (23:20)
Broader Implications:
- Sports events have become vectors for authoritarian “sportswashing” and propaganda, and Trump’s embrace of these symbols is both obvious and depressingly effective (25:04–27:59).
“They're fracking sports...they are ruining sports and its ecosystem in the process...when all is going to be left, it will be this poisoned well that no one can enjoy anymore.”
—Pablo Torre (26:31)
- Acosta ties this to a wider trend: global elites finding it “so easy” to curry Trump’s favor with medals and other tokens, exposing vulnerabilities in American and global political culture (48:19–49:27).
“How cheap have we gotten as a country where the President...can be handed a fake medal and all of a sudden you're doing business with [him]?...If they can hand out a gold medal for shamelessness, it would obviously go to Donald Trump.”
—Jim Acosta (48:19–49:27)

5. Interview with Johnny Hillbrandt (“PE Guy”)

[29:01–44:39, 51:21–52:44]

Origin of the PE Guy and Satirizing American Elite:
- Johnny, from Chicago, explains the inspiration behind his viral character—the insufferable private equity guy you “get stuck talking to at a wedding.” Initially a broader “guy who brags,” he zeroed in on the PE Guy because private equity types were everywhere and “everyone seems to brag about it” (31:14–33:56).
- His character gleefully name-drops, humble-brags, and abuses financial lingo, satirizing not just the rich but the culture of relentless, tone-deaf self-promotion.
“He started as the guy you get stuck talking to at a wedding...just the guy who wants to brag about his life to you and doesn’t care what you do for a living...”
—Johnny Hillbrandt (33:10)
PE Guy: Live Performance & Behind-the-Scenes:
- Reveals that he uses a facial filter (not just contorting his face) and dives into character live, referencing “Chevy Chase,” “the wifey and kiddos” (with ridiculous names like Tarantino, Montauk, and Ebitda), and the privileged, disconnected world of the super-rich (37:49–39:44).
- Explains the deliberately cringeworthy hats as satire on foundations and finance buzzwords (e.g. “Due to My Role”).
Satire as Social Critique:
- PE Guy is not “eat the rich” per se, but a call for humility—drawing attention to the “evil money people at the top” and the way PE firms have quietly taken over everything, from dental offices to entire industries (44:05–44:39).
- Johnny also describes real-life stories of how PE buyouts disrupt regular working people’s lives.
“It’s not to be mistaken as anti-capitalist...It’s more just, like, go be successful, work your ass off...But when you get back from the vacation, we saw it on Instagram. We don’t need to know the stars for the hotel.”
—Johnny Hillbrandt (33:57)

“He comes across in a somewhat pleasant way, but in a horribly satanic way as well. Weirdly likable. And you also kind of feel bad for him because he—he doesn’t get it.”
—Jim Acosta & Johnny Hillbrandt (41:05–41:17)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On Accountability:

“There are questions that should be asked...lots of people...famous, notable figures are in these files and they should be asked questions like this—straight ahead questions.”
—Pablo Torre (10:07)
On Media Takeovers:

“The Ellisons want CBS, they get CBS. They want the ability to control who gets to hold them to account...Media has never been more important. They want to control the media because media still matters.”
—Pablo Torre (18:55–20:12)
On Sports as Trojan Horse:

“If I can melt the cheese of sports on the broccoli, on the nourishing substance of news...maybe that's how Tom McMillan shows up at my show.”
—Pablo Torre (21:55)
On Satire:

“They’re frightened. And I—I don’t want them to be frightened. So maybe we should just let [the Epstein files] go, right?”
—Johnny Hillbrandt as PE Guy (38:40)
On Trump and FIFA’s Peace Prize:

“If they can hand out a gold medal for shamelessness, it would obviously go to Donald Trump. Maybe we'll make one. The Shamelessness Gold Medal. And we will deliver it.”
—Jim Acosta (49:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

Pablo Torre on ESPN to Investigative Journalism: 01:33
The Tom McMillan/Epstein Investigation: 02:51–09:54
Connie Chung on CBS News Ownership (Clip): 13:46–15:47
Role of Billionaires in Controlling the Media: 18:55–20:12
Sports as “last big tent” in US culture: 21:04–22:22
FIFA “Peace Prize” for Trump and Sportswashing: 22:22–27:59, 45:45–49:27
Introduction of Johnny Hillbrandt, PE Guy: 29:01
Origin and Style of the PE Guy Character: 33:10–34:48
PE Guy Performance (Live and Clip): 38:02, 40:13–41:05, 51:21–52:44
Satirizing Private Equity culture: 33:56–44:39

Conclusion

This episode exemplifies The Jim Acosta Show’s unique blend of piercing journalism and irreverent humor. Acosta and Torre frame the “Epstein files” as a case study in the need for fearless media, while Torre’s sports expertise provides a bridge between disparate cultural worlds. The latter part of the episode with Johnny Hillbrandt’s “PE Guy” offers a sharp satirical mirror to today’s elite and their blind spots. Throughout, the speakers maintain a brisk, candid, and often darkly funny tone—emphasizing the value of truth, skepticism, and occasionally just having a much-needed laugh.

For more:

Pablo Torre’s podcast: "Pablo Torre Finds Out"
Johnny Hillbrandt’s Instagram: @JohnnyThePEGuy

The Jim Acosta Show

Overview

In this episode, Jim Acosta hosts two unique figures at the intersection of culture, comedy, and media critique:

Pablo Torre, sports journalist and host of “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” discusses his investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files, the overlap of sports, politics, and power, the state of independent journalism, and recent changes to CBS News.
Johnny Hillbrandt, the Instagram comedian behind “The PE Guy,” skewers America’s private equity elite, performing his hilariously cringeworthy character live and discussing satire’s role in critiquing the wealthy.

The tone is candid, critical, and often wry—mixing investigative seriousness with sharp, comedic relief.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Pablo Torre's Investigation: Epstein Files and Accountability

[00:24–13:16, 20:12–28:31]

Journalism as Mystery-Solving:
- Pablo discusses transitioning from traditional sports journalism to broader investigative work, using sports as a “liberal arts education” and lens into systemic power (01:33–03:00).
“I use journalism to solve mysteries...For me, sports has always been a bit of a liberal arts education.”
—Pablo Torre (01:33)
Epstein Files and the Tom McMillan Interview:
- Torre explains why he covered the Epstein files despite being a sports journalist: pressure from his audience and the realization that sport figures are entwined with wider political and social scandals.
- Reveals former NBA player and Congressman Tom McMillan appearing in infamous Trump-Epstein footage and repeatedly turning up in Epstein’s black book and flight logs (02:51–04:18).
- Torre confronts McMillan with evidence on his podcast, McMillan struggles to explain the connections, continually resorting to “I don’t recall.”
“There are ways to answer these questions that are less suspicious, but unfortunately, Jim, we received none of those answers.”
—Pablo Torre (09:20)

“So can you just explain why you keep coming up here, why you’re documented? By the way, my favorite detail there is in the flight logs. It's not just Tom McMillan, it's Tom McMillan in parentheses—Congressman.”
—Pablo Torre (11:12)
Public Interest and Transparency:
- Both Acosta and Torre make a forceful call for the full release of the Epstein files, regardless of political affiliation (11:31–11:47).
“We don’t give a [damn] who’s in there and what party they’re from. But Donald Trump sure as hell is trying mightily to keep these documents and files and videos...from coming out.”
—Jim Acosta (11:32)

2. Power, Media, and the “Capture” of Newsrooms

[13:16–20:12]

Interview with Connie Chung:
- Torre and Acosta play a clip from Torre’s recent interview with Connie Chung, expressing alarm over CBS News’s new ownership by the Ellison family and Bari Weiss’s leadership (13:45–15:47).
- Chung laments the shift from fact-based journalism to opinion-driven content, blaming “greedy owners.”
“We have so much opinion that the truth doesn't hold value anymore...CBS has now been taken over thanks to greedy owners...”
—Connie Chung (13:46–14:44)
Why Media Still Matters:
- Torre argues that powerful people acquire media precisely to steer public narrative and avoid accountability (Bezos and the Washington Post, Musk and X/Twitter, Ellisons and CBS), underscoring the urgent need for real journalism (18:55–20:12).
“They want control...They want to control what the average person hears in terms of anything resembling oversight.”
—Pablo Torre (18:55)
Crucial Role of Independent and Adversarial Journalism:
- The episode turns into a spirited plea for more hard questions and adversarial reporting, not less, in an era where media is fragile and susceptible to capture and manipulation.

3. Sports as a Trojan Horse for Serious Conversation

[21:04–22:22]

Sports is described as the last “big tent” or monoculture in America—one of the few places where people of diverse backgrounds still come together.
Torre sees sports coverage as a vehicle for reaching wider (especially male) audiences and introducing serious cultural or political topics “with the cheese melted on the broccoli.”

“If I can melt the cheese of sports on the broccoli, on the nourishing substance of news...maybe that's how Tom McMillan shows up at my show.”
—Pablo Torre (21:55)

4. Sportswashing, the FIFA “Peace Prize,” and Trump

[22:22–27:59, 45:45–47:43]

FIFA Awarding Trump a “Peace Prize”:
- Acosta and Torre lampoon FIFA giving Donald Trump a so-called Peace Prize, calling out the transactional “gold offerings” given to world leaders for favorable treatment (22:22–24:11).
- Torre dissects Trump’s hollow cosplay as “America’s number one sports fan,” highlighting his superficial relationship to the sports he uses for political gain.
“If you're going to write this in the movie script, of course you have Donald Trump not even waiting...as if, of course, the entire thing was Trump awarding himself something.”
—Pablo Torre (23:20)
Broader Implications:
- Sports events have become vectors for authoritarian “sportswashing” and propaganda, and Trump’s embrace of these symbols is both obvious and depressingly effective (25:04–27:59).
“They're fracking sports...they are ruining sports and its ecosystem in the process...when all is going to be left, it will be this poisoned well that no one can enjoy anymore.”
—Pablo Torre (26:31)
- Acosta ties this to a wider trend: global elites finding it “so easy” to curry Trump’s favor with medals and other tokens, exposing vulnerabilities in American and global political culture (48:19–49:27).
“How cheap have we gotten as a country where the President...can be handed a fake medal and all of a sudden you're doing business with [him]?...If they can hand out a gold medal for shamelessness, it would obviously go to Donald Trump.”
—Jim Acosta (48:19–49:27)

5. Interview with Johnny Hillbrandt (“PE Guy”)

[29:01–44:39, 51:21–52:44]

Origin of the PE Guy and Satirizing American Elite:
- Johnny, from Chicago, explains the inspiration behind his viral character—the insufferable private equity guy you “get stuck talking to at a wedding.” Initially a broader “guy who brags,” he zeroed in on the PE Guy because private equity types were everywhere and “everyone seems to brag about it” (31:14–33:56).
- His character gleefully name-drops, humble-brags, and abuses financial lingo, satirizing not just the rich but the culture of relentless, tone-deaf self-promotion.
“He started as the guy you get stuck talking to at a wedding...just the guy who wants to brag about his life to you and doesn’t care what you do for a living...”
—Johnny Hillbrandt (33:10)
PE Guy: Live Performance & Behind-the-Scenes:
- Reveals that he uses a facial filter (not just contorting his face) and dives into character live, referencing “Chevy Chase,” “the wifey and kiddos” (with ridiculous names like Tarantino, Montauk, and Ebitda), and the privileged, disconnected world of the super-rich (37:49–39:44).
- Explains the deliberately cringeworthy hats as satire on foundations and finance buzzwords (e.g. “Due to My Role”).
Satire as Social Critique:
- PE Guy is not “eat the rich” per se, but a call for humility—drawing attention to the “evil money people at the top” and the way PE firms have quietly taken over everything, from dental offices to entire industries (44:05–44:39).
- Johnny also describes real-life stories of how PE buyouts disrupt regular working people’s lives.
“It’s not to be mistaken as anti-capitalist...It’s more just, like, go be successful, work your ass off...But when you get back from the vacation, we saw it on Instagram. We don’t need to know the stars for the hotel.”
—Johnny Hillbrandt (33:57)

“He comes across in a somewhat pleasant way, but in a horribly satanic way as well. Weirdly likable. And you also kind of feel bad for him because he—he doesn’t get it.”
—Jim Acosta & Johnny Hillbrandt (41:05–41:17)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On Accountability:

“There are questions that should be asked...lots of people...famous, notable figures are in these files and they should be asked questions like this—straight ahead questions.”
—Pablo Torre (10:07)
On Media Takeovers:

“The Ellisons want CBS, they get CBS. They want the ability to control who gets to hold them to account...Media has never been more important. They want to control the media because media still matters.”
—Pablo Torre (18:55–20:12)
On Sports as Trojan Horse:

“If I can melt the cheese of sports on the broccoli, on the nourishing substance of news...maybe that's how Tom McMillan shows up at my show.”
—Pablo Torre (21:55)
On Satire:

“They’re frightened. And I—I don’t want them to be frightened. So maybe we should just let [the Epstein files] go, right?”
—Johnny Hillbrandt as PE Guy (38:40)
On Trump and FIFA’s Peace Prize:

“If they can hand out a gold medal for shamelessness, it would obviously go to Donald Trump. Maybe we'll make one. The Shamelessness Gold Medal. And we will deliver it.”
—Jim Acosta (49:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

Pablo Torre on ESPN to Investigative Journalism: 01:33
The Tom McMillan/Epstein Investigation: 02:51–09:54
Connie Chung on CBS News Ownership (Clip): 13:46–15:47
Role of Billionaires in Controlling the Media: 18:55–20:12
Sports as “last big tent” in US culture: 21:04–22:22
FIFA “Peace Prize” for Trump and Sportswashing: 22:22–27:59, 45:45–49:27
Introduction of Johnny Hillbrandt, PE Guy: 29:01
Origin and Style of the PE Guy Character: 33:10–34:48
PE Guy Performance (Live and Clip): 38:02, 40:13–41:05, 51:21–52:44
Satirizing Private Equity culture: 33:56–44:39

Conclusion

For more:

Pablo Torre’s podcast: "Pablo Torre Finds Out"
Johnny Hillbrandt’s Instagram: @JohnnyThePEGuy

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Sports Journalist Pablo Torre and Instagram Comedian and "PE Guy" Johnny Hilbrant

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Summary

The Jim Acosta Show

Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Pablo Torre's Investigation: Epstein Files and Accountability

2. Power, Media, and the “Capture” of Newsrooms

3. Sports as a Trojan Horse for Serious Conversation

4. Sportswashing, the FIFA “Peace Prize,” and Trump

5. Interview with Johnny Hillbrandt (“PE Guy”)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Conclusion

Summary

The Jim Acosta Show

Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Pablo Torre's Investigation: Epstein Files and Accountability

2. Power, Media, and the “Capture” of Newsrooms

3. Sports as a Trojan Horse for Serious Conversation

4. Sportswashing, the FIFA “Peace Prize,” and Trump

5. Interview with Johnny Hillbrandt (“PE Guy”)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Conclusion