Podcast Episode Summary: The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode Overview

Title: Episode 3580 – DHS Shutdown; Trump’s Climate Catastrophe w/ David Dayen
Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Sam Seder
Guest: David Dayen (Executive Editor, The American Prospect; Co-host, Organized Money Podcast)

In this episode, Sam Seder and guests provide sharp, entertaining, and deeply informed analysis of recent political news. Topics focus on the looming shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Trump Administration’s rollback of climate protections, fallout from the Epstein files, dark money’s influence in Democratic primaries, and the intersections of antitrust issues and the economics of American sports.

Main Topics and Key Insights

1. DHS Shutdown and ICE/CBP Funding

Discussion Highlights

• Shutdown Imminent: DHS faces a near-certain shutdown; over 240,000 employees affected.
• Selective Functioning: ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) continue to operate due to massive supplemental “slush fund” allocations.
• Democratic Strategy: Democrats offered to fund all of DHS except ICE and CBP, but Republicans refused, signaling priorities focused on enforcement and border control.
• Political Framing: Republican claims that Democrats are responsible for “shutting down the Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA” are misleading given the Democratic offer.

Notable Quotes

• David Dayen [25:58]:
  “Democrats actually made an offer to Republicans to cleave off ICE and CBP and fund the rest of DHS. And Republicans said no.”
• Sam Seder [30:38]:
  “Democrats could just at this point come out and say, ‘We’re willing to fund all of DHS, but there’s been no need for additional funding for ICE, and it’s that simple a message.’”

Timestamps

• 25:58–34:51: In-depth discussion with David Dayen about the mechanics and politics of DHS funding and why the Democrats’ message has remained muted.

2. Trump’s Rollback of Climate Change Protections

Discussion Highlights

• EPA Endangerment Finding Repealed: Trump administration officially nullifies prior EPA declaration that greenhouse gases are pollutants, slashing government authority to regulate emissions.
• Impacts: Immediate boon for fossil fuel industries and corporate polluters; long-term consequences for public health, environment, and U.S. global competitiveness.
• Political Theater: Trump awarded “undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal” trophy by energy interests.
• Right-Wing Denialism: Guests and drop-ins (e.g., Lee Zeldin, Doug Burgum) aggressively downplaying climate risks and ridiculing environmental justice efforts.

Notable Quotes

• Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary [11:26]:
  “This is going to be the largest cutting of red tape ever by an administration…This is a huge, huge break for every American.”
• Sam Seder [12:42]:
  “What we also will lose is the capacity to assess the cost of these things. The cost of wildfires, the cost of flooding, the cost associated with extreme weather events, the cost associated with cancers and asthma and health. None of that is on the ledger…This is the ultimate in borrowing against the future.”

Timestamps

• 8:41–18:09: Trump’s climate rollbacks, media reactions, and detailed breakdown of regulatory consequences.

3. Epstein Files Fallout

Discussion Highlights

• Elite Accountability: Significant resignations, including Obama’s former White House lawyer and current top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, linked to Epstein.
• Partisan Divide in Consequences: More resignations or shame among Democratic figures than among prominent Republicans.
• Broader Issue: The scandal exemplifies “elite impunity”—a rot undermining public confidence in institutions, with a call for greater transparency and justice.

Notable Quotes

• David Dayen [38:04]:
  “The Epstein scandal is a policy issue…The policy issue is elite impunity. That’s the policy issue that has really engulfed this country for the last 25 years, if not longer. The fact that nobody went to jail for torture under the Bush administration or lying the country in the war, the fact that nobody went to jail for the financial crisis…These things have sapped faith in institutions to a level that is really debilitating for progressive politics.”

Timestamps

• 35:14–41:06: Epstein fallout discussion; accountability, policy implications, and political culture.

4. AIPAC and Money in Democratic Primaries

Discussion Highlights

• Dark Money Pathways: Detailed reporting on how AIPAC and aligned super PACs with neutral names (“Elect Chicago Women”, “Affordability Chicago Now”) are pouring millions into open Democratic primaries, particularly in Illinois.
• Bundling and Influence: AIPAC leverages donor lists and hidden donation sites to discreetly funnel massive support to centrist candidates.
• Cross-Partisan Donor Influence: Significant contributions from typical Republican donors to “Democratic” races, blurring party lines.
• Party Indifference: The Democratic Party lacks effective strategies for policing or countering the influence of AIPAC and other big money groups in primaries.

Notable Quotes

• David Dayen [45:43]:
  “They are basically saying, ‘You go give money to these candidates. And unless you dig through the campaign finance data, you don’t notice the pattern.’”
• [53:00]:
  “This is a cancer. I mean, this is the real issue in Democratic politics right now…There are hundreds of millions of dollars being put forward to elect candidates.”

Timestamps

• 41:06–56:54: Deep dive into AIPAC’s campaign finance strategies and the challenge of combating big money in politics.

5. Antitrust: DOJ, Ticketmaster, and Sports Monopolies

Discussion Highlights

• DOJ Antitrust Chief Ousted: Trump administration, under lobbyist and MAGA influence, ousts Gail Slater, the assistant AG for antitrust.
• Lobbyist Influence: Key Trump-era lobbyists (Mike Davis, Kellyanne Conway, Rick Grinnell) now shape merger and monopolization policy, undermining antitrust enforcement.
• Ticketmaster/LiveNation Case: Threat of monopoly in live event ticketing remains as DOJ retreats from hard enforcement; states may step in to continue the fight.
• Call for Reversal: If Democrats regain federal power, reversal and nullification of Trump-era antitrust settlements should be a top priority.

Notable Quotes

• David Dayen [61:25]:
  “Functionally, there is no antitrust division at the Justice Department anymore…because they’re just a bunch of sock puppets. That’s what’s going on now.”
• [64:54]:
  “It’s a law called the Tunney Act. And the Tunney act says that a federal judge can look at a settlement that was made in a case and decide whether or not it was in the public interest.”

Timestamps

• 58:13–67:22: Antitrust collapse under Trump, Ticketmaster, and the future of DOJ enforcement.

6. The Political Economy of American Sports

Discussion Highlights

• Inequality in Sports: Sports are now dominated by the ultra-wealthy; stadiums have reduced general seating in favor of luxury boxes; affordability dwindles for the average fan.
• Labor Struggles: WNBA players, for example, receive just 9% of league revenues; exploitation mirrors broader trends of inequality and labor suppression.
• Predatory “Athlete Finance”: Emerging financial schemes target young athletes for exploitative “payday” style loans.
• Sports Betting and Prediction Markets: Online betting has exploded, now impacting even high schoolers; new “prediction markets” create additional loopholes for gambling regulation.
• Social Utility: Sports serve as a universal cultural lens, illustrating and clarifying broader economic injustices in an accessible way.

Notable Quotes

• David Dayen [68:06]:
  “20% of all billionaires own a share, at least, of a sports franchise…We’ve turned sports into kind of a gated community where if you’re rich and powerful, you can get in to see, and if not, you can sort of poke through the fence.”
• [75:42]:
  “They’re manipulating the first market so to cash in on the second market.”

Timestamps

• 68:06–80:27: Deep dive into sports, antitrust, gambling, and their relevance for understanding broader American inequality.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Sam Seder [12:42]:
  “This is the ultimate in borrowing against the future and looking at one side of the ledger now.”
• David Dayen [38:04]:
  “The Epstein scandal is a policy issue…The policy issue is elite impunity.”
• [53:00]:
  “There are hundreds of millions of dollars being put forward to elect candidates. And the question is, why are these candidates accepting it?”
• David Dayen [68:06]:
  “We’ve turned sports into kind of a gated community…”
• [75:42]:
  “They’re manipulating the first market so to cash in on the second market.”

Structure & Flow

• 00:00–08:41: Opening banter, brief news rundown, advertisement.
• 08:41–18:09: Trump’s rollback of climate protections, featuring right-wing talking points, analysis, and consequences.
• 25:58–34:51: DHS shutdown politics, ICE/CBP funding, Democratic tactics.
• 35:14–41:06: Epstein files, lack of elite accountability, implications for public trust.
• 41:06–56:54: AIPAC, campaign finance, money in Democratic primaries, and the party’s challenges.
• 58:13–67:22: DOJ antitrust shakeup, monopoly challenges, upcoming legal battles.
• 68:06–80:27: Sports as an economic microcosm: ownership, access, labor, gambling, and the general state of the games.

Tone & Style

True to The Majority Report’s reputation, the tone is irreverent, intellectually sharp, and unapologetically progressive. Political satire and skepticism of entrenched power run throughout. The discussion is rapid-fire, rich in details, and unafraid to name names and assign blame.

Useful for Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in how current events interlock—executive malfeasance, regulatory abdication, the rot of elite impunity, the mechanics of dark money in politics, and the ways America’s pastime (sports) mirrors its economic injustices. The guest, David Dayen, brings investigative reporting and deep policy knowledge, making complex issues accessible and urgent.

For Further Reference

• The American Prospect Sports Issue: prospect.org/sports
• Podcast Guest: David Dayen on Twitter @ddayen
• Select Quotable Segments:
  • DHS Shutdown/ICE Funding: 25:58–34:51
  • Trump Climate Policy Reversal: 08:41–18:09
  • AIPAC in Dem Primaries: 41:06–56:54
  • Antitrust and Ticketmaster: 58:13–67:22
  • Sports as Economics 101: 68:06–80:27

End of Summary