Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3589 – FBI’s War on Trans People; Trump’s Pro-Israel Enforcer

Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Emma Vigeland (in for Sam Seder)
Guests: Ken Klippenstein (investigative journalist), Connor Echols (Responsible Statecraft)

Episode Overview

The Majority Report dives deep into two uniquely pressing stories: the Trump administration and FBI’s crackdown on trans people and leftists under the banner of “nihilistic violent extremism” (with insights from journalist Ken Klippenstein), and the behind-the-scenes role of David Milstein, an obscure State Department adviser shaping Trump’s Israel policy (covered by Connor Echols).

The show also unpacks recent headlines (from Trump’s dramatic “triple sabotage” claims at the United Nations, to labor news, international crises, and tech developments), laced with the panel’s characteristic humor and irreverent political skepticism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Satirical Rundown of the News Cycle & Trump’s UN “Triple Sabotage”

• Panel riffs on Trump’s claim that the UN escalator “sabotage” incident was a targeted attack, mocking right-wing media’s breathless coverage.
• Vigeland, Binder, and the crew lampoon the idea of Melania’s alleged heroism and the outsized reaction from Fox’s Maria Bartiromo.
  • “He descended down the escalator to announce his candidacy, and now he cannot ascend. Is there a metaphor there?” (Emma, 08:40)
  • “Imagine if Trump got sucked into the gears of an escalator?” (Matt Binder, 14:38)
• Repeated jabs at Trump’s paranoia: “Trump declares he’s been triple sabotaged after an escalator broke at the UN and demands an investigation into that darned antifa escalator.” (Emma, 03:54)
• Discussion of how the right uses low-information moments as “low-hanging fruit for hogs to feed on,” distracting from substantive issues (Matt Binder, 17:26).

Notable Quote

“Trump embarrasses America in front of the entire world, but there’s a low common denominator thing people can, like, engage with in this discussion…”
– Matt Binder (17:26)

2. FBI’s Targeting of Trans People and the “Nihilistic Violent Extremist” Category

Guest: Ken Klippenstein
Segment Begins: [26:07]

The New Threat Category

• Klippenstein reports the Trump administration and FBI are labeling trans people and leftists as “nihilistic violent extremists”, especially after the “Charlie Kirk shooting.”
  • “What you’re doing is trying to obscure the data produced at the end of each year, because you have to testify before Congress and say: here’s the breakdown…” (Ken, 28:54)
• Manipulation of crime data: By tucking “trans-motivated” incidents into a vague threat category, administration can overstate the threat and justify surveillance or suppression.

How the Kirk Shooting Became a Pretext

• Media/DOJ falsely linked the shooting to “trans ideology” – even when gun casings marked “TRN” were simply the manufacturer mark.
• Attempts to draw links between the shooter and trans people based on thin relationship evidence, painting the broader trans community as a terrorist threat.

Ideological Confusion & Weaponized Rhetoric

• Klippenstein describes the administration’s merging of anti-terror and war-on-drugs frameworks for internal political gain:
  • “The global war on terror has been declared over…these agencies are in need of a purpose and Trump comes along and says: ‘actually, maybe cartels are terrorists, maybe antifa terrorists’…” (Ken, 35:31)
• Executive designations like labeling Antifa a domestic terror organization are more about bureaucracy and “incentivizing” agencies to prioritize certain cases than they are about actual legal changes.
  • “Administratively… they can still treat things as terrorism. That just means you can’t bring up terrorism charges against them under that law.” (Ken, 38:35)

Concerns Over Priorities and Manufactured Evidence

• Resources are shifted away from genuine threats (e.g., human trafficking) towards political boogeymen (Emma, 39:26).
• Skepticism over “anti-ICE” shell casings and evidence publicized by Trump allies (Kash Patel).
  • “If it was somebody on the left, I would guess it would be saying f- ICE or whatever; anti-ICE sounds like you’re trying to connect it to antifa.” (Emma, 41:59)
  • Klippenstein relays interviews with shooter’s friends, revealing a nihilistic, trollish mentality disconnected from traditional left/right politics: “This guy was a troll. This guy was an ironist… a huge 4chan guy.” (Ken, 43:05)
• Broader discussion about the rootlessness and online radicalization underlying recent violence, with panelists urging caution against simplistic moral panics (video games, etc.).

Memorable Quotes

“They even have a word for it—they call it ‘Trantifa.’ They are convinced… I thought it was rhetoric at first, but…they actually believe these guys are working together.”
– Ken Klippenstein (33:20)

“You can be trans—like Caitlyn Jenner is infamously a trans woman who is a die-hard Republican. The idea that they’re drawing this link says a lot about what they’re trying to manufacture…”
– Emma Vigeland (31:55)

“The violence… is committed against them. Overwhelmingly, they’re the recipients of acts of violence and even politically motivated violence…”
– Ken Klippenstein (32:45)

3. The Trump State Department’s Shadowy Israel Policy Enforcer

Guest: Connor Echols (Responsible Statecraft) Segment Begins: [51:23]

Who is David Milstein?

• Senior adviser to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee; stepson of right wing commentator Mark Levin.
• Formerly affiliated with prominent GOP/Pro-Israel circles (Ted Cruz, Ron DeSantis).
• Functions as a “pro-Israel enforcer,” filtering and editing diplomatic cables, scrubbing critical content, inserting right-wing talking points, and shaping press statements.
  • “Since there’s no separate embassy to the Palestinians, all of the cables… have to go through the US Embassy to Israel,” allowing Milstein to intercept or rewrite reporting (51:48–53:26).

Concrete Examples of Influence

• Blocked and replaced cables on famine in Gaza with pro-Israel “ads” for aid groups linked to Israeli/US control (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation).
• Heavily edited the State Department’s human rights report on Israel/Palestine: “It went from 103 pages down to nine, and basically entirely emptied of criticism of Israel.” (Connor, 60:31)
• Pushed to officially use settlement language (“Judea and Samaria”) and advocated policies aligning with the far right settler movement.
• Allegedly engineered the firing of staff, including over disagreement on whether to oppose forced displacement of Gazans.

Comparison to Biden Administration & Institutional Dynamics

• Whereas under Biden at least limited independence returned to Palestinian Affairs Unit (allowing limited cables), Milstein's culling of criticism represents a step further.
• Both Trump and Biden administrations frequently sidelined career State officials in favor of maximalist public relations or political considerations (Connor, 66:59).

Standout Quotes

“He’s trying to insert controversial terms, remove criticism of Israel—and on one occasion even appears to have gotten someone fired.”
– Connor Echols (52:05)

“Milstein… sees [isolating the Palestinian Authority] as a goal… He’s not someone that’s interested in a two-state solution—that’s totally clear.”
– Connor Echols (62:20)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:22] – News overview, Trump “triple sabotage,” national/international updates
• [26:07] – Ken Klippenstein on FBI, "nihilistic violent extremists," and Trump admin's new threat categories
• [51:23] – Connor Echols on David Milstein, the Trump State Dept., and US Israel policy

Memorable Moments & Running Gags

• Escalator “Metaphor” – Panel jokes about Trump’s loss of dignity/stature, riffing on his famous escalator moment vs. “can’t ascend.”
• “Triple Sabotage” – Repeatedly mocked as absurd paranoia (“antifa escalator”).
• Disbelief at Boomer Propaganda – Comparisons of clumsy evidence planting to “bumper sticker propaganda” and clumsy Russian disinfo (Ken, 42:38).
• “Low-Info Pranks” & Media Critique – The right’s ability to feed their base simple narratives, ignoring policy substance.

Tone & Panel Dynamic

• Irreverent, deeply skeptical of authority and mainstream narratives
• Blends humor with incisive critique
• Encourages nuanced, evidence-driven understanding of radicalization and government overreach
• Guest segments provide grounded, original reportage that illuminates behind-the-scenes trends missed by most media outlets

Final Takeaways

• The FBI and Trump administration are using vague, manipulative classifications to justify expanded surveillance and crackdowns against marginalized groups, notably trans people, with little actual evidence.
• Right-wing media and administration figures distract from embarrassing or dangerous policy moves by stoking sensational, easy-to-digest outrage stories (“triple sabotage,” leftist terrorism).
• US foreign policy, especially regarding Israel/Palestine, is being increasingly shaped by little-known ideologues capable of scrubbing dissent and steering the machinery of state to fit a maximalist, hard-right agenda.
• Panelists and guests urge vigilance, skepticism, and solidarity, particularly with communities under threat—as well as an awareness of the role of atomization and propaganda in radicalizing actors on all sides.

This summary covers all major content, analysis, and humor of Majority Report #3589. For further reporting, see Ken Klippenstein at Clip News (Substack) and Connor Echols at Responsible Statecraft.