Podcast Summary: The Next Level – "Trump Acts Like a Commenter—With Nukes"

Date: September 12, 2025
Hosts: Sarah Longwell, Jonathan V. Last (JVL)
Main Theme:
This episode centers on the reckless and dangerous behavior of President Donald Trump in the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk, specifically his baseless and inflammatory accusations against political opponents. The hosts examine the long-standing American legacy of political violence, the unique responsibility of national leaders in moments of national crisis, and the challenges of maintaining both truth and civility in such turbulent times.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Trump’s Irresponsible Response to the Charlie Kirk Murder

• JVL’s Critique ([01:07]):
  JVL launches the discussion by denouncing President Trump’s immediate reaction to the murder, in which Trump, without evidence, blamed the “radical left” and called for violent retribution.

  • Quote: "For the President to say, we gotta go and beat the hell out of the groups who he holds responsible for this before he knew at all who was responsible for it... it's so dangerous."
    – JVL, [02:05]
  • JVL contrasts Trump’s response to those of past presidents—Barack Obama after the Dylann Roof shooting and George W. Bush post-9/11—who sought to de-escalate and promote unity.

• Sarah’s Extension ([04:15]):
  Sarah stresses that Trump, alongside other GOP figures like Nancy Mace, blamed political opponents with zero evidence, holding an Oval Office briefing to do so.

  • Quote: “Donald Trump didn’t just rush to find a camera. He held an Oval Office briefing in which he condemned a political group, not a niche political group—his opposition party—of causing this and saying that we needed to do something about it. And they did this with no information.”
    – Sarah, [04:44]
  • She underscores how early reports about the perpetrator (claims about transgender or antifascist identity) were debunked, showing how the GOP narrative was based on falsehoods.

• The Pattern of Incitement
  Sarah draws a direct line from Trump’s role in January 6th to his current behavior, accusing him of condoning and even encouraging political violence if it suits his aims.

  • Quote: “He doesn’t care about the truth right now when we don't know anything and it literally doesn’t matter how it turns out.”
    – Sarah, [07:16]

2. Rhetorical Overreach and the Language of Division

• JVL explains how Trump paints all political opponents with the same broad brush, using terms like “radical left lunatics” for anyone outside the MAGA movement.
  • Quote: "For him, radical left lunatics... that is just the language he uses to talk about everybody who’s not, or who isn’t MAGA."
    – JVL, [09:06]

3. Political Violence and American History

• Rebuttal to “This Isn’t Who We Are” ([09:30]):
  JVL pushes back on platitudes that political violence is “not who we are,” pointing out that it’s deeply woven into American history:

  • Founding violence, Civil War, Reconstruction
  • Gangs of New York, labor violence, political assassinations
  • Modern examples: Oklahoma City, shooting of public officials
  • Quote: “American history is...just riddled with political violence from stem to stern. It is a deeply embedded part of our history and our culture.”
    – JVL, [09:30]
  • Tells the little-known story of the 1970s B’nai B’rith headquarters hostage situation near the White House ([11:38]).

• Sarah’s Nuance:
  Sarah agrees but distinguishes the post-1980 era as a kind of golden age of relative domestic peace, punctuated but not consistently defined by violence.

  • Quote: "Each of those things...felt like punctuations in an otherwise relatively safe time, which is why they sort of hit so hard versus living in an ongoing tinderbox..."
    – Sarah, [16:08]

4. The Unique Responsibility of Leadership

• JVL and Sarah agree: normal citizens deserve grace for emotional responses, but elected officials have a duty to tamp down rhetoric and avoid speculation.
  • Quote: “For the people who have asked to have positions of leadership, you don’t get a sort of like, well, they have their feelings. No, you have to do better.”
    – JVL, [14:13]

5. The Dilemma of Confronting Dangerous Leadership without Fueling More Division

• Sarah wrestles with the balance between lowering the temperature and telling the truth about Trump’s malignancy.
  • Quote: “What do you do when you both want to...when the temperature needs to come down, but you also need to tell the truth about who someone is? It’s a complicated thing.”
    – Sarah, [17:58]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Trump’s unique danger:
  “Trump just acts like he’s an Internet commenter and it’s so dangerous because it is a category difference between his power to shape public sentiment and the power of just random people on Twitter.”
  – JVL, [03:58]

• On the worst political rhetoric:
  “What Donald Trump is doing is one of the most shameful things I’ve ever seen.”
  – Sarah, [08:44]

• On historic perspective:
  “We’ve had four presidents assassinated in 150 years. There is no other first world nation in which that’s true.”
  – JVL, [10:56]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:07]: JVL introduces Trump’s reckless reaction to the Charlie Kirk murder.
• [04:15]: Sarah details the GOP’s unfounded public accusations and Trump’s specific statements.
• [09:30]: JVL’s historical recap of political violence in America.
• [11:38]: Story of B’nai B’rith headquarters hostage crisis.
• [14:13]: The unique responsibilities of leaders in times of crisis.
• [16:08]: Sarah’s take on post-1980 political violence “remission.”
• [17:58]: Sarah articulates the tension between de-escalating rhetoric and speaking truth about Trump.

Conclusion

The hosts passionately critique the President’s reckless rhetoric, warning it amplifies America’s dangerous undercurrents of political violence. Drawing on history and personal conviction, they urge leaders to rise above partisanship and model restraint, even as the facts remain unclear. The episode closes with Sarah pondering how to confront Trump’s malice without stoking further division—an unresolved, but essential, dilemma for the country.