VINCE Episode 149: "Bolton Busted In Poetic Fashion"

Podcast: VINCE
Host: Vince Coglianese, with guest Steve Hilton
Date: October 17, 2025

Episode Overview

On this hard-hitting Friday episode of VINCE, host Vince Coglianese zeroes in on the stunning indictment of former National Security Advisor John Bolton. With his signature wit and sharp political instinct, Vince dissects the details of the charges, the hypocrisy surrounding the handling of classified information, and the broader theme of long-awaited accountability in Washington. The episode shifts to explosive election news and heated political races in both Virginia and California, featuring an insightful interview with California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton. The thread throughout: political double standards, the battle for election integrity, and the shifting sands of power in America's most watched states.

Key Segments and Insights

1. The Indictment of John Bolton — A Breakdown

[02:08–12:46]

• Announcement of the Indictment

  • John Bolton turns himself into authorities in Maryland, indicted on 18 counts (8 of transmission, 10 of retention of national defense information).
  • Sensitive materials included details on future attacks, missile launches, and human intel sources.

• Vince’s Reaction

  • Expresses astonishment at the scale:

    "Foreign attacks, missile launches, and human intel sources. 18 different counts. Holy crap."
    – Vince, [02:47]

  • Reads from the detailed indictment, highlighting that Bolton is accused of sharing over 1,000 classified pages—including Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)—with two unauthorized individuals (family members).

• Analysis of Presidential Authority vs. Bolton’s Actions

  • Vince underlines: Only the sitting President has declassification authority—Bolton did not.
  • Chatroom invoked for feedback; consensus is overwhelming: sharing classified info with relatives is strictly forbidden.

• Indictment Specifics

  • Bolton used unclassified means (AOL, Google, encrypted apps) to send highly sensitive info.
  • Examples include intelligence on projected foreign attacks, adversarial missile launches, details from liaison partners, and covert U.S. actions.

• The Irony and Hypocrisy

  • Vince:

    “Don’t you love how these guys … call them their personal memos... Like, it’s your diary. James Comey did the same thing.”
    – Vince, [05:03]

2. Bolton Responds: Playing the Martyr

[03:57–05:00]

• Vince reads Bolton’s official statement, in which Bolton claims he’s a victim of a politicized justice system, drawing a comparison between Trump and Stalin:

  “Then came Trump, too, he says, who embodies what Joseph Stalin's head of police … once said. 'You show me the man, and I'll show you the crime.'”
  – Bolton, [04:34]

• Vince mocks the justification of "diary" defense and underlines the legal—and moral—difference between personal notes and classified government records.

3. Pointed Hypocrisy: Bolton’s Comments on Trump

[14:55–18:51]

• Clips are played demonstrating Bolton’s past criticism of Trump for alleged mishandling of classified information.

  • Irony: Bolton is now facing charges for the same conduct he accused others of.

• Vince:

  “What they accuse you of is precisely what they're doing.”
  – Vince, [18:51]

• A similar criticism is pointed at Bolton’s attacks on Pete Hegseth for using encrypted messaging, when the very behavior mirrors Bolton’s own alleged mishandling of classified data.

4. Trump’s Reaction and Broader DOJ Commentary

[12:31–13:33]

• President Trump responds to news of the indictment:

  “I think he's, you know, bad person. I think he's a bad guy. Yeah, he's a bad guy. It's too bad.”
  – Donald Trump, [12:34]

• Vince argues the DOJ under Biden “had a treasure trove of criminal evidence against [Bolton]” but refused to prosecute him for political reasons.

5. Accountability Roll Call & Political Shifts

[20:48–22:01]

• Vince notes the recent indictments of other prominent figures:

  • James Comey, Letitia James, and now John Bolton.

  • Cites Cash Patel’s comments that more significant accountability is coming.

    “I like seeing these guys put into the hopper … these are some of the big kahunas that are going down now. And this, as far as we can tell, it's only just the beginning.”
    – Vince, [22:01]

6. Virginia Attorney General Debate Recap

[26:05–30:48]

• Controversial Candidate Jay Jones

  • Jay Jones, Democratic nominee, previously texted that political opponents “deserve two bullets to the head.”
  • Jason Miares, Republican incumbent, forcibly calls out Jones during the debate:

    “Were you protecting Jennifer's children when you said you wanted to see them die in their mother's arms?”
    – Jason Miyares, [26:05]

• Jones's apology is ridiculed by Vince as performative and insincere:

  “I am desperate for power, and I will say literally anything I need to say at this moment to survive this race. Please put me into office...”
  – Vince, [28:00]

• Vince urges Virginia listeners to vote, reminding them of the stakes and potential for real change.

7. California Election Integrity Crisis & Steve Hilton Interview

[34:15–54:09]

The "Jungle Primary" and Prop 50 — Election Rigging Explained

• California’s Primary System

  • Steve Hilton explains the dystopian “jungle primary”: only the top two vote-getters advance, regardless of party ([34:25–35:51]).

• Prop 50 (Election Redistricting)

  • Prop 50 is described as an attempt by Democrats to redraw districts, likely costing Republicans up to five congressional seats.
  • Hilton’s analysis:

    “It would take 193,000 votes to elect a Democrat to Congress, 1.52 million votes to elect a Republican.”
    – Steve Hilton, [37:42]

• Legal Battle

  • Hilton has filed a federal lawsuit on constitutional grounds but faces deliberate legal delays; urges listeners:

    “Vote no on 50, because it's not just about California. It's the whole country. This would give Democrats five seats, and that is what they want to do. Use it to flip the House and impeach President Trump.”
    – Steve Hilton, [41:38]

• Hilton’s Motivation

  • Shares his love of California and belief in bipartisan solutions.

    “There's a majority for change in California. Over 65% said the state's going in the wrong direction.”
    – Steve Hilton, [42:32]

Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Under Fire

• Katie Porter’s Interview Meltdown

  • Porter abruptly ends a local TV interview after repeated questions about appealing to Trump voters:

    “I don't want to keep doing this. I'm going to call it. Thank you.”
    – Katie Porter, [44:30]

• Hilton’s take:

  "The attitude that's revealed there: the contempt for any kind of accountability, the arrogance, the entitlement, that is the attitude of all of them… It's so insane.”
  – Steve Hilton, [45:38]

• Betty Yee’s "Gender-Neutral Olympics" Position

  • Another candidate, Betty Yee, advocates for biological men competing in women’s sports—even in track and field ([48:02]).

8. Don Lemon’s Second Amendment Outburst

[54:34+]

• Don Lemon advocates for minority Americans to arm themselves against ICE agents, suggesting violence.

  “When you have people knocking on your door and taking you away without due process as a citizen, isn't that what the Second Amendment was written for?”
  – Don Lemon, [54:34]

• Vince highlights both the hypocrisy and irresponsibility of such a stance, noting Lemon’s previous calls for gun control.

9. Closing Themes and Takeaways

• Vince ends with a call for continued listener engagement, humorously remarking on California’s political climate:

  “I don't want the San Andreas Fault to go off and separate California from us. I'd like to keep it if people like you are there.”
  – Vince, [54:09]

• Final reminders:

  • Vote NO on Prop 50 (CA); vote for accountability everywhere.
  • Stay tuned for the next episode (“Hopefully someone else gets indicted and we'll talk about it then!”).

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Foreign attacks, missile launches, and human intel sources. 18 different counts. Holy crap.”
  – Vince Coglianese, [02:47]

• “You show me the man, and I'll show you the crime.”
  – John Bolton, reading from his statement, [04:34]

• “What they accuse you of is precisely what they're doing.”
  – Vince Coglianese, [18:51]

• “It would take 193,000 votes to elect a Democrat to Congress, 1.52 million votes to elect a Republican.”
  – Steve Hilton, [37:42]

• “I don't want to keep doing this. I'm going to call it. Thank you.”
  – Katie Porter, [44:30]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment / Topic | |----------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 02:08 | Bolton indictment details and charges | | 03:57 | Bolton’s statement, claims of political persecution | | 05:03 | Vince on Bolton’s “diary” defense, comparison to Comey | | 12:31 | Trump reacts to Bolton indictment | | 14:55 | Bolton’s past claims: Trump “mishandled” classified info| | 18:12 | Bolton criticizes others for encrypted chats | | 20:48 | Vince: accountability and more indictments ahead | | 26:05 | Virginia AG debate: Jones vs. Miares | | 34:15 | Steve Hilton interview: California’s jungle primary | | 36:07 | Prop 50 and the fight against election rigging | | 44:16 | Katie Porter interview meltdown | | 48:02 | Betty Yee’s “gender-neutral Olympics” support | | 54:34 | Don Lemon on arming against ICE agents |

Summary

This episode stands as a scathing takedown of D.C. hypocrisy, particularly with the high-profile indictment of John Bolton and the web of double standards surrounding classified information. Vince pushes the theme of overdue accountability, with a sharp comic edge. Significant time is devoted to seismic political battles in Virginia and California, where everything from candidate scandals to ballot initiatives is dissected for its real-world consequences. The Steve Hilton segment offers a rare, hopeful vision for California, counterbalancing the chaos with concrete plans for reform.

If you missed this whirlwind episode, you’ll walk away not only caught up, but equipped with the exact political dynamics, zingers, and outrageous moments that defined the broadcast.