Podcast Summary – The Jim Acosta Show

Episode: Trump Threatens Crackdown on "Hate Speech" plus New Developments in Epstein Files with The Good Liars and Rep. Jim McGovern
Host: Jim Acosta
Guests: Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), The Good Liars (Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler)
Date: September 16, 2025

Overview

This episode of The Jim Acosta Show grapples with two key issues gripping U.S. politics:

1. The Trump administration’s open threats to crack down on what it determines as “hate speech” and the alarming implications for free speech in America.
2. New developments in the Jeffrey Epstein files, the lack of full transparency, and bipartisan calls for their release.

Jim Acosta speaks with Congressman Jim McGovern, a leading Democratic voice, about the threats to civil liberties, the battle over the Epstein files, and looming government funding issues. Later, satirical activists The Good Liars join to discuss extremism, hypocrisy, and right-wing rhetoric in American discourse, sharing recent encounters at Trump rallies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Threats Against Free Speech

• Trump, VP JD Vance, and AG Pam Bondi are promoting a “crackdown” on free speech, promising action against what they call “hate speech”—terms they leave undefined, raising fears of authoritarian overreach. [00:06]
• Specific incidents include Trump targeting journalist Jonathan Karl (ABC News) and vague threats to “go after” those deemed to have “hate in their heart.” [14:08]

Jim McGovern (01:38):

“Free speech is a hallmark of our democracy. It’s enshrined in the Constitution. That Donald Trump or Pam Bondi or JD Vance are going to somehow tell us what acceptable speech is... I mean, that really is chilling.”

• Hypocrisy noted: The same right-wing figures decrying “hate speech” have, for years, trafficked in it themselves, especially against Democratic figures.

Notable Quote:
Jim Acosta (14:54):

“Except for the bullshit at the very end there. Your thoughts? ... I think that it should concern everybody.”

McGovern (15:07):

“We can’t let political violence be an excuse to go after free speech. He’s exploiting a tragedy, and that’s what he does all the time... This is a moment for courage.”

2. The Epstein Files & Calls for Transparency

• New documents released by the House Oversight Committee are partial; Trump and allies (including Pam Bondi) are accused of stonewalling full release. [02:54]
• There’s bipartisan support (including from MAGA base and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene) for releasing all files, but GOP leadership resists.

Jim McGovern (03:28):

“There has to be a reason why Trump doesn’t want them released. Because if there’s nothing there, then just release them. I met with some of the survivors who came here. They want them released.”

• FBI Director Kash Patel testified at Senate Judiciary that there is “no credible information” connecting Epstein’s trafficking to others outside Epstein/Maxwell—a statement dismissed as not credible by both Acosta and McGovern. [05:13]

Jim McGovern (06:13):

“That sounds like Kash Patel, first of all. I wouldn’t trust him to tell me the correct time… It sounds like he’s covering up with Donald Trump.”

• The files’ release is being leveraged in ongoing Rules Committee debates.

3. Looming Government Shutdown & Healthcare Crisis

• The government faces a shutdown unless a continuing resolution is passed. Democrats insist any deal should address the imminent “healthcare cliff” as insurance premiums for working families skyrocket due to expiring tax credits. [09:20]
• Partisan bill introduced by Republicans is labeled “dirty” by McGovern, given the lack of negotiation and its impact on healthcare access for millions. [11:58]

Jim McGovern (12:35):

“If this were a tax cut for billionaires, you bet your life the Republicans would vote to extend it… But because it’s healthcare for working families, they don’t give a shit.”

• Democrats are divided on whether to cooperate in funding the government without healthcare protections.

4. The Good Liars: Firsthand Accounts of Right-Wing Extremism

• Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler (The Good Liars) recount their confrontational interviews with politicians and Trump supporters who frequently parrot violent, extremist rhetoric—including calls for public executions of Democrats—often in the language and gestures of Trump. [18:54–28:36]

Key Moment (20:28):
Jason confronts Michelle Morrow, NC political candidate, about her tweet calling for Obama’s execution on pay-per-view. She refuses to sign her own tweet when asked.

“She tweeted it that she wanted Obama to be killed by a firing squad on pay per view, but she wouldn’t sign the tweet.”

• The Good Liars’ interviews reveal MAGA supporters frequently express authoritarian or violent fantasies—ideas stoked by Trump and right-wing media. [24:05, 29:51]

Jason (26:28):

“You’ll hear people… have the same gestures as Trump when they’re talking… we hear a lot of violent fantasies sometimes… we asked people point blank if they’d be happy if he was [a] dictator… they answered yes.”

Davram’s Experience (28:36):

“Donald Trump directed some violence at me personally once… he was able to direct the mob in that moment.”

5. Hypocrisy in Policing “Hate Speech”

• While crying foul about hate speech following the murder of Charlie Kirk, the right has a long history of engaging in and amplifying it.
• Acosta notes that even Charlie Kirk has tweeted that “hate speech does not exist legally in America... all of it is protected by the First Amendment.” [42:18]
• Trump himself is described as “the king of hate speech,” with years of incendiary comments directed at immigrants, the press, Democrats, and more. [44:39]

Jim Acosta (44:39):

“He is the king of hate speech. Donald Trump is the king of hate speech. How in the world can Pam Bondi police the speech of Americans in this country when her boss pedals it almost every day?”

McGovern (15:07):

“When we start saying that people like Donald Trump or Pam Bondi or Stephen Miller should define what is acceptable speech in this country, boy, that’s scary.”

6. The Media & Press Freedom

• Acosta praises Jonathan Karl for directly questioning Trump about speech and condemns attempts to restrict press access (“chopper talk” etc.).
• All guests express concern that the chilling effect is not limited to journalists but threatens all Americans.

7. Satirical Activism as Journalism

• The Good Liars’ approach—pressing politicians to “sign” their inflammatory tweets, exposing the double standards, and revealing grassroots extremism—is hailed by Acosta as a legitimate form of journalism.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:38] McGovern: “That Donald Trump or Pam Bondi or JD Vance are going to somehow tell us what is acceptable speech... that really is chilling.”
• [03:28] McGovern: “There has to be a reason why Trump doesn’t want [the Epstein files] released. Because if there’s nothing there, then just release them.”
• [12:35] McGovern: “If this were a tax cut for billionaires, you bet your life the Republicans would vote to extend it… But because it's healthcare for working families, they don't give a shit.”
• [14:09] Trump (via ABC): “Go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly and say you have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe they’ll come after ABC… we want everything to be fair… the radical left has done tremendous damage to the country. But we're fixing it.”
• [15:07] McGovern: “We can't let political violence be an excuse to go after free speech… It’s a moment for courage... when we start saying people like Donald Trump or Pam Bondi should define what’s acceptable speech… that's scary.”
• [20:28] Jason (to Michelle Morrow): “Will you sign this tweet where you said a firing squad for Obama, a pay-per-view death?... she wouldn’t sign the tweet.”
• [26:28] Jason: “You'll hear people respond, and sometimes they'll even have the same, like, gestures as Trump... a lot of violent fantasies sometimes. On January 5, 2021... people talking about storming the Capitol.”
• [44:39] Acosta: “Donald Trump is the king of hate speech... This is one of the oldest tricks in Trump’s book: Get people fired for things he doesn't like that you say... but it's protected speech.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:06–01:38 — Acosta and McGovern: Trump’s speech crackdown threats.
• 02:54–05:13 — Epstein files; pressure for transparency; committee politics.
• 05:13–07:01 — FBI Director Kash Patel testimony challenged.
• 09:20–13:21 — Looming government shutdown; health care debate.
• 14:08–15:07 — Trump’s remarks on hate speech; McGovern on the chilling effect.
• 18:54–28:36 — The Good Liars: Confrontations over right-wing hate speech, QAnon, and extremism at rallies.
• 29:51–31:32 — Supporters express outright authoritarian views; Gallows rhetoric.
• 32:08–35:43 — The Good Liars at Trump Tower; Epstein files hypocrisy.
• 42:18–44:39 — Acosta on the legal status of hate speech; Charlie Kirk’s own words.

Conclusion: Takeaways & Warnings

• The episode underscores the authoritarian danger in current right-wing efforts to police speech, highlighting hypocrisy as the right invokes “hate speech” while having trafficked in it for years.
• There is broad, bipartisan public demand—but little official action—for transparency on the Epstein files, with Trump’s administration stonewalling despite promises.
• Acosta and his guests warn that attacks on press freedom and political “othering” are not only undemocratic but a prelude to broader civil liberties abuses.
• Activists/journalists like The Good Liars expose extremism bubbling just below the surface within MAGA circles, fueled by high-level rhetoric and unaddressed conspiracy theories.
• The show calls for continued vigilance against fear-mongering and distraction tactics, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and the Constitution’s speech protections.

Next episode preview:
Jim Acosta will return at 7pm with Rep. Ro Khanna, continuing coverage of the Epstein files investigation.