Podcast Summary

Podcast: VINCE

Host: Vince Coglianese

Episode: The Shutdown Is Even Worse Than You Thought (Ep. 146)

Release Date: October 14, 2025

1. Episode Overview

In this episode, Vince Coglianese dissects current headline events with his signature political insight and humor. The show focuses on three major stories: President Trump's achievements in the Middle East (including a historic peace deal and hostage releases), the posthumous honoring of Charlie Kirk, and the ongoing federal government shutdown. Vince is joined by Mary Margaret Olahan, Chief White House Correspondent for the Daily Wire, for an in-depth discussion about White House press dynamics, media partisanship, and disturbing new revelations about political violence and extremism.

2. Key Discussion Points and Insights

A. Trump’s Middle East Triumphs

• Vince emphasizes President Trump’s “extraordinary” diplomatic achievements in the Middle East, specifically highlighting:
  • The release of all living hostages.
  • A signed peace deal in Egypt with multiple Arab leaders (04:50-05:20).
  • Unanticipated optimism about a lasting peace, which both Vince and Trump remark as "3,000 years in the making."
• Vince warns the media will quickly pivot to blaming Trump for any setbacks in the peace process, framing expectations and cautioning listeners to note the double standards (03:30-04:40).

Notable Quote:

"It took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it's going to hold up, too. It's going to hold up."
— Donald Trump, (05:00-05:10)

Personal Touches and Light Moments

• Trump’s humorous exchange with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney: mistakenly addressing Carney as “President” instead of “Governor,” playing into Trump’s running joke about Canada joining the U.S. (05:20-06:30).

B. Honoring Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom

• Vince details the President’s rushed return to D.C. to posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday (07:00-08:40).
• Trump, in a past statement, underscores the significance of the honor and his friendship with Kirk (07:54-08:39).
• Vince and others in the conservative movement express deep gratitude for the effort Trump put toward the ceremony.

Notable Quote:

"I'm coming back... for Charlie Kirk, a friend of mine, a friend of all of ours... We're giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom... it's the greatest honor. And Erica, his beautiful wife, is going to be here..."
— Donald Trump, (07:54-08:39)

• Ceremony scheduled for 4:00pm, coinciding with national radio coverage.

C. The Federal Government Shutdown—Politics and Implications

• The shutdown enters its 14th day, with Vince blaming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats (09:30-10:30).
• Vince lauds Russ Vought for firing “inefficient” federal workers—a silver lining in his view.
• Key mitigation steps during the shutdown:
  • Trump ensures troops are paid on the 15th (11:15).
  • Food stamps for poor children funded via tariff revenues (11:30).
• Vince denounces Democrats for allegedly prolonging the shutdown to energize anti-Trump protests ("No Kings March", Oct 18th).
  • Maria Bartiromo reports, based on sources, the shutdown is being leveraged to boost weekend protests (13:28-14:00).
  • Speaker Mike Johnson corroborates: Dems unable to “reopen government until after that rally” (14:35-15:12).

Notable Quotes:

"They're playing games with real people's lives. The theory we have right now, they have a Hate America rally... and it's being told to us that they won't be able to reopen the government until after that rally."
— Mike Johnson, (14:35-15:12)

D. The Matrix Analogy—Media, Protest, and Left-Right Worldviews

• Vince compares progressive resistance to life in "the Matrix"—a manufactured fantasy—contrasting it with the “red pill” reality Trump supporters see (15:12-16:40).
• Critique of George Conway’s ad framing Trump as an authoritarian, countering that “restoring law and order” is the opposite of tyranny (17:29–18:27).
• Vince stresses that the media and liberal establishment invert reality, casting Trump as a tyrant and protests as heroic.

Notable Quote:

“There are resistance libs who are desperate to take the blue pill... They want the reality... to disappear. They want Trump to go away.”
— Vince, (16:00-16:50)

E. Media Resistance & Celebrity Insults

• Vince plays and mocks a clip of Martin Sheen (of West Wing fame) attempting to insult Trump at an MSNBC event, describing the remarks as “brain dead” and emblematic of a left that confuses fiction with reality (23:47–24:35).
• Vince presents survey data showing over half of center-left respondents justified Trump's assassination, calling it deeply disturbing (25:00-25:40).

F. Mary Margaret Olahan Interview – White House Press, Media Bias, and Violent Extremism

i. Press Dynamics and Media Narrative

• Olahan describes how legacy media defines “newsworthy” as only negative stories about Trump (32:01-32:19)
• She notes a rise in White House correspondents asking more substantive questions, reflecting what “normal people are interested in” (30:56-31:23).

ii. Trump's Middle East Win—Media and World Reaction

• They discuss the scale of Trump’s achievement: peace and hostages secured, trumping expectations and leaving even mainstream media unable to ignore the good news (33:05–34:10).

• Trump awarded Egypt’s highest honor (Order of the Nile), nominated for Israel’s highest award, and suggested for the Nobel Peace Prize (36:12–37:15).

  “...watching him speak in Israel at the Knesset, ...to see him go to Egypt and also have the support of all these Middle Eastern leaders... world leaders... respect him as a world leader that can save our country, save the Middle East, maybe end the war in Ukraine.”
  — Mary Margaret Olahan (35:15–36:12)

iii. Lasting Peace—What Next?

• Vince and Olahan agree that while the peace is historic, the real test will be whether radical groups (Hamas) are truly neutralized or merely disarmed (44:29–46:17).
• Olahan expresses a desire for more info on counterterrorism efforts post-conflict.

iv. Political Violence and the Transgender Movement

• Olahan exposes a trend of violent incidents perpetrated or attempted by individuals identifying as transgender, including:

  • Kavanaugh’s would-be assassin, referenced in newly revealed court documents as a “transgender woman” (47:15–49:14).
  • School and political shootings with trans-identified assailants.
  • The family of Kavanaugh’s would-be killer successfully argued for a lighter sentence by emphasizing the defendant’s transgender identity (53:41–55:16).

  “The judge gave him a lighter sentence because he identifies as transgender... [the family] knew the judge would be lenient.”
  — Mary Margaret Olahan (53:41–54:49)

• Vince ties the prevalence of violence among individuals with gender delusions to a “Matrix” syndrome of losing touch with reality (50:34–51:47; 51:47–52:30).

• Disturbing data point: 15% of U.S. women’s federal prison populations are reportedly biologically male (55:16–55:43).

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up, too.” — Donald Trump (05:00)
• “I'm coming back...giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor you get outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor.” — Donald Trump (07:54)
• “They're playing games with real people's lives...they won't reopen the government until after that rally...” — Speaker Mike Johnson (14:35)
• "There are resistance libs who are desperate to take the blue pill...They want Trump to go away." — Vince (16:40)
• “You are a nothing. You sound like an emotionally incontinent idiot.” — Vince on Martin Sheen (24:35)
• "The judge gave him a lighter sentence because he identifies as transgender." — Mary Margaret Olahan (53:41)

4. Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:00 — Episode intro, Columbus Day, show overview (skip ads)
• 03:30–06:30 — Trump’s Middle East victories, peace deal signing
• 07:00–09:00 — Trump honors Charlie Kirk, rushes home for Medal of Freedom
• 09:30–11:30 — Shutdown status, layoffs, debate over priorities
• 13:28–15:12 — Shutdown prolongation tied to protest schedule (Bartiromo, Johnson)
• 16:00–18:27 — Matrix analogy, George Conway protest ad critique
• 23:47–25:40 — Martin Sheen’s failed Trump insults, leftist culture commentary
• 29:58–39:02 — Mary Margaret Olahan interview: White House coverage, press bias, Trump’s world standing
• 47:15–55:43 — Trans-identified violence, Kavanaugh assassin sentencing, U.S. prison system gender abuse

5. Original Tone and Language

Vince’s tone is sharp, sarcastic, and defiantly pro-Trump, with continual references to “the resistance,” “libs,” and “media narrative.” Mary Margaret Olahan’s contributions are detail-rich, earnest, and investigative, bringing firsthand reporting insight to White House and judicial stories.

6. Summary Table of Topics with Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | Key Details | |------------------------------------------|--------------|-------------| | Trump’s Middle East Triumphs | 03:30–06:30 | Historic peace, hostage release, media games | | Charlie Kirk Medal of Freedom | 07:00–09:00 | Ceremony, Trump's personal dedication | | Shutdown Discussion | 09:30–11:30 | Cause, layoffs, priorities for payments | | Left’s ‘Resistance’ Tactics & Protests | 13:28–15:12 | Planned rallies, shutdown linked to activism | | Matrix Metaphor, Protest Ads | 16:00–18:27 | Red pill/blue pill, George Conway ad critique | | Media/Celebrity Resistance Mocked | 23:47–25:40 | Martin Sheen’s failed insults | | Mary Margaret Olahan Interview | 29:58–55:43 | Press bias, Trump’s acclaim, trans violence |

7. Final Thoughts

This episode is a whirlwind of headline-grabbing news and vigorous conservative commentary, combining pointed analysis with on-the-ground reporting. Vince and Olahan both challenge conventional media framings, offer inside-the-room details about Trump’s triumphs and national controversies, and sound alarms about the tangled intersection of mental health, violence, and identity politics in today’s America.

For listeners seeking a no-holds-barred conservative take on the week’s biggest stories—especially the shutdown, Trump’s historic foreign policy moves, and the state of the American press—Episode 146 delivers depth, attitude, and expert insider perspectives.