UNCOVERED - Episode Summary

Title: MAGA gets UNCOVERED as Trump TURNS Military AGAINST US

Podcast: Uncovered (MeidasTouch Network)
Hosts: Ron Filipkowski (former federal prosecutor), Anthony Davis (British journalist)
Date: June 12, 2025

Overview

Anthony Davis and Ron Filipkowski break down the escalation of authoritarianism under Donald Trump's second term, focusing on his unprecedented use of military force in domestic affairs—most notably deploying the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests and immigration raids. The hosts argue these actions serve a propaganda purpose, consolidating Trump’s power at the expense of constitutional norms, democratic processes, and basic civil liberties. They analyze mainstream media (and Republican) failings in confronting the shifting landscape and point to new leaders like Gavin Newsom as rising opposition voices.

Detailed Breakdown

1. Manufactured Crisis in Los Angeles (00:14–03:15)

• Anthony describes the perception of chaos in LA as “created out of nothing”: “It is simply not the case…this is a propaganda move that has been very successful because people around the world genuinely think that LA is burning.” [00:54]
• Ron warns the true guardrail—an apolitical military—is eroding: “He has installed the civilian leadership that is going to politicize the military and do whatever he wants them to do, without question… None of [the Republican veterans in Congress] have spoken up about the politicization of the military.” [02:06]

2. Authoritarian Shift & State Response (03:15–07:38)

• Anthony: Newsom is forced to “step up over the authoritarian behavior”—highlighting ICE disappearances and National Guard deployment without the Governor’s permission.
• Money for natural disasters is politicized: “This is the problem when you have an authoritarian leader, a dictator, somebody who is also a TV host, painfully insecure. Power play and all of these things. Is that the important stuff, like getting funding to rebuild a city after a natural disaster, it all… is gone.” [04:20]
• Trump intends to personally distribute FEMA funds, dismissing impartial processes: “Trump said yesterday that he intends to disband FEMA and personally decide how funds are dispersed.” [04:54]

3. Newsom’s Direct Challenge (07:38–08:40)

• Audio clip of Gavin Newsom, calling Trump’s moves “about authoritarian tendencies…power…ego…command and control,” and warning of a “consistent pattern of practice, of recklessness. This guy has abandoned the core principles of this great democracy…” [07:45]

4. Immigration Raids & Policy (08:40–12:54)

• Protests in LA were sparked by indiscriminate ICE raids, following an edict from Stephen Miller to vastly ramp up arrests—regardless of criminal record: “He summoned all 50 regional ICE directors…read him the riot act…no, I want you arresting everybody. And that’s when he said, ‘go to Home Depots. Go to Seven Elevens… go to schools.’” [09:44]
• Ron: “What they're telling the public that they're doing is not matching up now with what they're telling their people behind the scenes. And that's what really sparked this whole thing…” [10:07]
• National Guard & Marines deployed, bypassing gubernatorial authority; Newsom plans lawsuits but legal outcome uncertain.

5. Media Narratives, Protest Optics & Democratic Leadership Vacuum (13:07–19:14)

• Trump wants violent images for propaganda: “Nothing makes Trump happier than these protests…The images of the cars burning, I mean, that’s like candy to Don.” [12:54]
• Ron: “Newsom is talking about the big picture stuff…the only one doing that.”
• Lack of rapid Democratic response: “Hakeem…speaks in slogans and platitudes from his studio, which is rather dark, poor lighting, you know, and it’s like, that’s our leadership.” [16:48]
• Newsom emerging as opposition leader by calling out authoritarianism directly.

6. Historical Echoes & Authoritarian Precedent (19:13–21:59)

• Anthony draws parallels to the rise of Nazi Germany, warning “the trajectory of authoritarianism…didn’t even happen in Nazi Germany”—the pace is alarming. [19:13]
• Newsom’s willingness to openly confront threat lauded vs. cautious responses from others.

7. Calls for Newsom’s Arrest & Military Politicization (21:06–25:39)

• Trump and Bannon float arresting Newsom; Newsom unbowed: “He just, you know, see how that plays out…” [21:22]
• First-ever incident of a president attacking a political opponent in front of active duty troops: “That is the first time any United States president...has stood in front of active duty troops and attacked his political opponent. It has never happened before.” – Ron [23:51]
• Ron invokes Washington’s and Eisenhower’s warnings against militarized politics.

8. Marines, National Guard Call-ups & Lack of Preparation (26:10–48:49)

• Marines hurriedly trained for crowd control (a skillset they lack): “We have no training in that. Zero. None. We don’t train for that.” [46:01]
• Hegseth, Trump’s Defense Secretary, unqualified and media-obsessed: “All of Trump’s cabinet are just TV people…It’s like the whole thing is a production.” – Anthony [48:17]
• Budgetary chaos: Defense increases despite no war, with little accountability. [48:49]

9. Fox Newsization of Government & Project 2025 (48:49–52:11)

• Right-wing think-tank policies (Project 2025) now official doctrine: “This is the first time that we’ve taken like the far right fever dreams…have actually been put into practice…” – Ron [51:51]
• Trump’s true policy: “His only policy was deportations.” [52:02]

10. (Skipped Ad segment)

11. Tulsi Gabbard’s “Tokyo Rose” Moment (55:17–61:11)

• Newly appointed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard releases a video echoing Putin nuclear war propaganda: “This isn’t some made up science fiction story. This is the reality of what’s at stake…perhaps it’s because [elites] are confident they’ll have access to nuclear shelters…” [58:39]
• Ron: “She is Putin's spokesperson...produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. A Putin propaganda video. Any other president would have fired her the same day.” [60:14]
• Silence from Republicans; normalization of disinformation at the highest level.

12. RFK Jr. at HHS: Institutional Sabotage (61:11–65:35)

• RFK Jr. fires the CDC’s vaccine committee; lies during confirmation exposed.
• Bill Cassidy, whose vote confirmed RFK, sidesteps press: “He chose his position in the Senate over his oath as a physician…” – Ron [63:29]
• Anthony: “If there’s another pandemic, we are screwed.” [65:26]

13. Media Censorship, Terry Moran’s Exit, and the Collapse of Corporate News (65:35–70:17)

• ABC’s Terry Moran fired for truthful criticism of Stephen Miller: “It’s not brains, it’s bile. Miller is a man who is so richly endowed with the capacity for hatred… he eats his hate.” – Moran, quoted by Anthony [65:55]
• Ron: “Nothing in there is inaccurate…mainstream media ultimately is bowing down to the Trump regime…” [67:35]

14. The Symbolism of the Military Parade (70:17–74:58)

• Tanks, troops, and weaponry in DC for Trump’s birthday/military parade—a first: “We've never done this before…The Soviet Union has done it. Putin does it. Kim Jong Un does it. But we…never done that…” – Ron [72:24]
• Anthony: “At what point do we start using the language of a civil war? Because that's really what he's gunning for…” [74:58]

15. Trump’s Unfitness, Cognitive Slipups & Propagandist Parity (75:46–79:39)

• Anthony and Ron highlight the double standard in coverage of Trump’s vs. Biden’s stumbles.
• Ron: “He’s a constant non stop gaff machine. And I watched Joe Biden, who made far fewer of these kinds of mistakes…getting called senile because of it.” [77:02]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Authoritarian Creep:
  “[Trump] intends to disband FEMA and personally decide how funds are dispersed.” – Ron [04:54]

• On the Military's Role:
  “That is the first time any United States president… has stood in front of active duty troops and attacked his political opponent. It has never happened before.” – Ron [23:51]

• On ICE Raids:
  “‘Go to Home Depots. Go to Seven Elevens…Go to schools. We want you arresting everybody, not just criminals.’” – Ron, quoting Stephen Miller [09:44]

• On Democratic Leadership:
  “Hakeem…speaks in slogans and platitudes from his studio, which is rather dark, poor lighting…that’s our leadership.” – Ron [16:48]

• On Newsom’s Defiance:
  “If you want to arrest me, you arrest me. And just, you know, see how that plays out.” – Anthony on Newsom’s stance [21:22]

• On Tulsi Gabbard:
  “She is Putin's spokesperson...That was produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the United States. A Putin propaganda video.” – Ron [60:14]

• On Trump’s Motives:
  “His only policy was deportations.” – Ron [52:02]

• On the Demise of Normalcy:
  “The pendulum is not going to swing back anytime soon to the normalcy that we experienced during Joe Biden’s administration. There is no mechanism in place.” – Anthony [30:25]

• On Civil-Military Relations:
  “Washington… talked specifically about keeping politics away from the military… Republicans like to talk about the founders, and they revere Washington like he’s a God. Well, this is exactly what he warned about.” – Ron [22:50]

• On the New Era:
  “This is the most extraordinary period in American political history, bar none.” – Anthony [70:16]

Key Timestamps For Further Listening

• [00:54] — LA crisis as propaganda
• [02:06] — Politicization of military structure
• [07:45] — Gavin Newsom’s fiery critique
• [09:44] — Stephen Miller’s ICE directive
• [12:54] — Trump’s propaganda strategy with protests
• [16:48] — Democratic leadership vacuum
• [21:22] — Newsom on arrest threats
• [23:51] — Trump attacks Newsom before troops
• [46:01] — Marines unprepared for crowd control
• [51:51] — Project 2025 policies implemented
• [58:39] — Tulsi Gabbard nuclear war propaganda
• [65:55] — Moran’s critique of Stephen Miller
• [72:24] — First US military parade with tanks, etc.
• [77:02] — Trump’s cognitive miscues and coverage

Tone & Style

• Empathetic, urgent, sometimes incredulous—reflecting the nature of the subject matter.
• Direct, at times irreverent, with an underpinning of expert legal and historical references.
• Both hosts blend analysis with caustic humor, British wit (Anthony), and prosecutorial candor (Ron).

Conclusion

This episode of UNCOVERED dissects the Trump administration’s turn toward unabashed authoritarianism, highlighting the normalization of federalized force against civilians, the media’s impotence, and the dangers of propaganda. The conversation underscores the need for rapid, unflinching opposition—and that, in a moment of democratic breakdown, the ability to respond with clarity, speed, and courage is everything.