Podcast Summary: The Next Level – Ep. 1054: Secret Podcast: Divorced Guy Energy Is Ruining America

Date: February 7, 2026
Hosts: Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller (absent), Jonathan V. Last (JVL)
Podcast: The Bulwark – The Next Level

Episode Overview

This episode explores ongoing political developments, centering on a shocking racist video posted by President Trump featuring Barack and Michelle Obama, critiques of Republican responses, especially Tim Scott's, and a discussion on Trump's obsession with personal vanity projects (renaming public institutions). The hosts analyze what these incidents reveal about the GOP, voter attitudes, and the Democratic Party’s strategic choices ahead of the 2026 elections. Throughout, the conversation is laden with the trio's trademark mix of biting humor, exasperated disbelief, and moments of earnest political analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Racist Truth Social Video

[03:04–07:44]

• Incident Details: President Trump posted a conspiracy video on Truth Social with Barack and Michelle Obama’s faces photoshopped onto ape bodies, complete with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” as background music.

• Reaction: Universal agreement on the grotesqueness and overt racism of the act.

• JVL’s Recap:

  “But what this is, is this is a ... minute long conspiracy theory video showing how these secret WI FI chips were embedded in voting machines ... And then all of a sudden at like minute one ... you get this freeze frame picture of Barack and Michelle Obama and a needle drop of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” (05:48)

• Sarah’s Critique:

  “It’s meant to be racist ... specifically meant to be like, here’s the racism, guys, take a look at it.” (06:34)

• The hosts agree—there’s no “context” or subtlety: “It’s not like you’re reading too much into it ... they just do it.” (JVL, 06:44)

2. Tim Scott’s Response and GOP Tolerance for Racism

[04:14–13:31]

• Tim Scott’s Quote: As a Trump supporter, he lamented the video and called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” (03:56)

• JVL’s Irony: Questions why Scott continues to support Trump if this is merely the latest “most racist” incident.

• Sarah’s Take:

  “He gives the game away in his own quotation … there are gradations of racism.” (04:26)
  “Trump is racist all the time. Not ... in a dog whistle way—in like a bullhorn way.” (04:46)

• Discussion of GOP figures who “tolerate” Trump’s racism for political expediency.

• Notable Quote:

  “It is so overt and grotesque.” (Sarah, 10:14)

• They ridicule hypothetical scenarios, e.g., what would it take for Tim Scott to actually quit—and would Trump then post a racist meme about Scott himself?

  “Do you think the odds are … impossible to one or more like 50%? ... That Trump would do that about him?” (JVL, 11:19)

3. Trump’s Vanity & Institutional Renaming

[13:37–16:13]

• Trump is attempting to withhold infrastructure funds until Penn Station and Dulles Airport are renamed after him.
• Sarah’s Serious Point: She expresses concern about Trump’s disregard for the dignity of public institutions (like the Kennedy Center, which is a memorial funded by a murdered president’s family).
• JVL’s Sarcasm:

  “Okay, sure. Why not, right? Why not do it that way?” (14:33)

4. Polling, Public Fatigue, and Economic Discontent

[14:33–20:44]

• Discussion of Trump’s slipping approval numbers and what drives voter discontent.

• Sarah:

  “For all the things he does ... it’s that he’s doing that instead of doing things on the economy. ... This is where the frustration is really growing from voters.” (18:27)

• JVL Relates: Many voters are still willing to “live with the mean tweets if” the economy is good (20:44). But as the economy falters, Trump's “bad parts grade quite a bit more.”

• Anecdote about a churchgoer’s “Mean Tweets 2024” bumper sticker illustrates MAGA nostalgia.

5. Should Democrats Normalize Trump’s Behavior for Policy Wins?

[21:07–25:46]

• JVL’s Provocation: “Should Democrats go along with the renaming? ... All he wants you to do is put his name on it. Doesn’t cost you anything.”

• Sarah:

  “Absolutely not ... Democrats have their own constituency that they need to attend to ... The cosmetic stuff can be dealt with in a post-Trump world. ... We will not normalize what he’s doing.” (21:31–22:28)

• Discussion of whether voters care about these issues (e.g., infrastructure renaming or the East Wing). Both agree: voters care about the economy and basics, not symbolic name changes.

• Sarah:

  “Anything he’s doing that is not focused on that [prices, affordability] is also aggravating to voters.” (25:04–25:46)

6. Media & The Washington Post

[26:01–27:37] (Lead-in to Subscriber Segment)

• JVL wants to vent about threats to major media institutions like the Washington Post, which he argues is being “killed” for standing up to Trump.
• Sarah appeals to listeners who are concerned about press freedom, suggesting they support The Bulwark if they’re abandoning legacy subscriptions:

  “If you had a post subscription and you don’t want it anymore, like transfer that to us. Come hang with us.” (26:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the video: “It is so racist. It might be one of the more racist things I’ve seen on the internet.”
  — Sarah Longwell (04:46)

• On defense of Trump: “There are people who may have voted for Trump, have nothing to do with race ... They are all willing to tolerate this racism.”
  — Sarah Longwell (08:30)

• On economic priorities: “For better or for worse, the truth is, people will tolerate a lot of Trump’s garbage ... for a good economy.”
  — Sarah Longwell (19:56)

• On not going along with Trump’s vanity projects: “We will not normalize what he’s doing. We will not roll over for his vanity. We will not let him ... embed himself in America’s.”
  — Sarah Longwell (22:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:04] – Trump’s Racist Social Media Post Unpacked
• [04:14] – Tim Scott’s Response and Commentary on GOP Racism
• [13:37] – Trump Attempts to Rename Penn Station & Dulles Airport
• [18:27] – Voter Fatigue: Economics vs. Trump’s Distractions
• [21:07] – Strategic Dilemma: Should Dems Just Let Trump Rename Things?
• [26:01] – Washington Post, Free Press & Bulwark Appeal

Tone & Style

The conversation is irreverent, earnest, and often exasperated, balancing sharp political critique with in-group banter and personal asides. Sarah’s “moments” combine principled seriousness with a gift for distilling complex political pathology into pointed, relatable examples. JVL’s wisecracking tone anchors exchanges in dark humor even as topics get heavy. The show is informal, but grounded in insider insights and ethical concerns about the country’s direction.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The episode is a sharp, sometimes scathing, but ultimately grounded look at how the Trump era’s culture wars, overt racism, and political vanity are both tolerated by much of the GOP and increasingly wearing thin on the public, especially as economic anxieties persist.
• The hosts reject normalizing Trump’s corrosive antics, emphasizing the need for both parties—and all citizens—to hold the line on basic decency in public life.
• If you care about institutions, press freedom, or democratic resilience in ugly times, the second half promises a deep-dive on media battles, starting with the future of The Washington Post.

(End of summary)