VINCE Podcast | Episode 151

"Here's What REALLY Happened During This Weekend's Chaos"
Host: Vince Coglianese | Cumulus Podcast Network
Date: October 21, 2025

Overview:

In this episode, Vince Coglianese unpacks the political storm around the White House’s new privately funded ballroom project, analyzing the uproar from the left and reviewing the tradition of private philanthropy in American civic buildings. He also dives into the ongoing government shutdown, its political calculus, and public perception, and interviews Miranda Devine of the New York Post, gaining her insights on the current Trump administration, media narratives, and ongoing legal efforts targeting prominent Democrats. Throughout, Vince maintains his trademark sardonic and combative tone.

Key Discussion Points

1. The White House Ballroom Controversy

• Description: Vince opens by highlighting the demolition and construction for a grand new 90,000 sq. ft. White House ballroom, championed and partially funded by President Trump and private donors ([02:05]–[10:10]). He characterizes left-wing outrage as performative and ahistoric, spotlighting the negative reactions of Rick Wilson and Senator Tina Smith.
• Notable Quote:
  • Vince: “Rick Wilson puts the picture up...and he writes, ‘I hate him with the fire of a billion’s sons.’ Yes, you heard me correctly. A billion’s sons. He’s so angry, he can’t even get the typos out of his tweet.” ([04:50])
• Project Details:
  • Privately funded, not a burden on taxpayers; classical architecture by McCreary Architects (James McCreary).
  • Designed to address the lack of event space at the White House, replacing the East Wing’s less-historic addition.

2. Historical Context of White House Renovations

• Description: Vince emphasizes that altering and expanding the White House is a longstanding presidential prerogative, countering left-wing claims of unprecedented overreach ([11:35]–[17:30]).
• Notable Quote:
  • “Presidents have been renovating and expanding the White House for more than a century...In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt built the West Wing...In 1948, Harry Truman completely gutted the White House interior.” ([11:50])
• Comparison with Other Privately Funded Memorials:
  • Cites MLK Jr. Memorial and other monuments funded by donors, countering the charge that private money is inappropriate.

3. The Left’s Reaction: Framing & Critique

• Description:
  • Vince argues the left’s real issue is “building versus destruction,” claiming the left is focused on erasing rather than uplifting American heritage ([19:00]–[22:30]).
  • Draws a stark contrast with the Obama Presidential Library (“It looks like some sort of trash can...meant to diminish you”) ([22:20]).
• Notable Quote:
  • “President Trump is building something wonderful. He should be celebrated for it...Meanwhile, what does the left build? Very little.” ([21:50])

4. The Government Shutdown: Political Calculus

• Description: Vince transitions to the ongoing government shutdown, blaming Democrats for holding out to appease their activist base and rake in fundraising dollars ([28:47]–[33:50]).
• Key Points:
  • Democratic senators like Jon Ossoff avoid reopening the government to maintain donor support from the progressive base.
  • Troops and federal employees suffer, while campaign coffers swell.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Jon Ossoff and every other Democrat senator who’s like him are more interested in getting their paycheck, and filling their campaign coffers with the sheep of low dollar voters on the left...So Ossoff’s campaign gets enriched off of Democrats that they’re fleecing, and then the troops don’t get paid.” ([32:30])
• Public Sentiment:
  • Cites CNN’s Harry Enten, noting Trump’s approval is actually rising during the shutdown—an opposite effect from 2018 ([34:40]).

Featured Interview: Miranda Devine ([30:33]–[49:48])

1. Trump’s Second Term Team: Focus and Coherence

• Miranda on White House Staff:
  • The current Trump team is “rowing in the same direction...much more of a coherent mission now in Trump 2,” fueled by Susie Wiles’ effective chief-of-staffing ([31:29]).
  • Contrasts with sabotaged and fractured first term.
• Personal Touch:
  • Discussion of Susie Wiles’ background as Pat Summerall’s daughter and Trump’s teetotaling influenced by family tragedy ([33:10]).
  • “He works his ass off...I don’t think anyone could ever work harder than he does.” ([33:55])

2. Immigration, Policy, and Leadership Maturity

• Trump 2.0:
  • Noted focus and urgency: over 600,000 deportations projected for the year; prioritizing peace negotiations and domestic reforms ([34:36]).
  • Devine attributes improved leadership to lessons learned watching Biden “unwind every one of [Trump’s] achievements” ([35:16]).
• On Democratic Protests:
  • Both observe that recent “no kings” protests are incoherent and largely composed of older, out-of-touch activists ([36:56]).
  • “These are obviously, they look like retirees. Someone described them as Q-tips. They all have white hair.” ([37:27])

3. White House Ballroom: Critique of the Uproar

• Miranda’s Take:
  • Dismisses concerns over the ballroom’s aesthetics or historical impact: “No one can argue that it doesn’t need a ballroom...it’s not costing the taxpayer a penny.” ([38:57])
  • Notes the East Wing itself was a later ‘tack-on’, with Trump’s project set to improve it substantially.
  • “A dozen presidents have modernized from Jefferson on...this ridiculous carry on...that’s not historically accurate.” ([41:00])
  • Recalls that Antifa actually attacked the White House and St. John’s Church, contrasting with today’s outrage over renovations ([42:26]).

4. Ongoing Investigations and Accountability

• Charge of Political Prosecution:
  • With the Trump DOJ pursuing high-profile Democrats (Letitia James, James Comey, John Bolton), Devine observes the shoe is now “on the other foot,” emphasizing that credible evidence underpins the indictments ([44:20]).
  • Suggests the current moment is about “cauterizing this terrible wound in America’s democracy” and serving as a deterrent ([47:04]).
  • “Projection is just, I think, something that we see all these people have done…It’s this arrogance, this feeling that you are untouchable.” ([47:04])
• Whether the Pursuit Will Go ‘All the Way’:
  • Speculation on the prospect of indicting Obama or Clinton, but focuses on underlings facing consequences ([49:12]).

Notable & Memorable Moments | Timestamps

• [04:50] Rick Wilson’s “billion’s sons” tweet ridiculed.
• [11:50] Chronological rundown of White House renovations.
• [22:20] Comparison of Obama Library to “something that George Lucas would have devised for the Empire.”
• [32:30] On Democrats’ fundraising vs. government function: “So Ossoff’s campaign gets enriched...and then the troops don’t get paid.”
• [34:40] CNN’s Harry Enten “numbers guy” bit, delivered in Vince’s horse-race announcer voice.
• [37:27] Miranda Devine likens left-wing protesters to “Q-tips” with white hair.
• [41:00] Miranda recounts history of White House modifications, dismissing left’s historical claims.
• [47:04] On projection and Trump derangement: “Projection is just...something all these people have done...this feeling that you are untouchable.”
• [53:40] Vince satirizes Hakeem Jeffries’ outrage about Trump’s meme video: “I just love it...CNN segment where a lady with resting Democrat face asks Hakeem Jeffries about a poop video...”
• [56:30] Federal judge rules Trump can deploy National Guard to Portland—Vince celebrates legal ‘victory.’

Tone & Delivery

• Vince’s tone is sharp, humorous, and combative—he blends ridicule and earnestness, targeting Democrats’ reactions as irrational or hypocritical.
• Both Vince and Miranda provide context with historical reference, while simultaneously mocking the opposition’s emotional responses and supposed lack of substance.

Major Takeaways

• White House Construction: Privately funded ballroom is rooted in American tradition; the backlash is mostly cultural animus and political theater.
• Political Divide: Episode frames current events as a clash between those who build (Trump/Republicans) and those who “tear down” (Democrats/the left).
• Government Shutdown: Driven by Democratic fundraising needs and fear of their base, not by a desire to resolve issues or fund critical services.
• Media & Accountability: Trump’s administration is more focused and disciplined; his critics are portrayed as hypocritical, now facing investigations themselves.
• Miranda Devine’s Perspective: Trump’s experience has refined his leadership, and elite opposition protesters are out-of-touch; accountability is overdue, and deterrence is needed to prevent future “lawfare.”

Memorable Quotes | Speaker & Timestamp

• “Rick Wilson puts the picture up...and he writes, ‘I hate him with the fire of a billion’s sons.’ Yes, you heard me correctly. A billion’s sons.” — Vince ([04:50])
• “Presidents have been renovating and expanding the White House for more than a century...” — Vince ([11:50])
• “That statue was dedicated, by the way, with Frederick Douglass in attendance in Washington, D.C. and the left wants to tear it down...They don’t build, they destroy.” — Vince ([22:00])
• “The current Trump team is ‘rowing in the same direction...much more of a coherent mission now in Trump 2.’” — Miranda ([31:29])
• “These are obviously...retirees. Someone described them as Q-tips. They all have white hair.” — Miranda ([37:27])
• “No one can argue that it doesn’t need a ballroom...and it’s not costing the taxpayer a penny.” — Miranda ([38:57])
• “Projection is just...something all these people have done...this feeling that you are untouchable.” — Miranda ([47:04])
• “Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. President Trump can do the job that you and I elected him to do, which is to safeguard America’s cities.” — Vince ([56:45])

Listen For:

• [04:50] — Mockery of left-wing outrage, setting the show’s confrontational tone.
• [30:33–49:48] — In-depth Miranda Devine interview with practical, inside-the-room insights.
• [53:40] — Comic relief as Vince lampoons Democrat responses to Trump meme videos.
• [56:30] — Vince’s celebration of a legal victory for Trump’s executive authority.

This episode is an unfiltered, unabashed defense of President Trump’s approach to leadership, White House renovations, and the broader clash of American political visions, punctuated by pointed satire and authoritative guests.