Podcast Summary: What A Day – "How Trump Wants To Wield The Shutdown"

Date: October 1, 2025
Host: Jane Coaston (Crooked Media)
Guest: Zack Beauchamp (Vox, Senior Correspondent)

Episode Overview

In this incisive episode, host Jane Coaston unpacks the latest government shutdown under President Trump’s second term, exploring how Trump seizes shutdowns and related crises as opportunities to expand executive power. The episode’s main focus is the administration’s authoritarian tendencies, drawing on international parallels, and the encroachment upon democratic norms via measures like media suppression and regulatory strong-arming. Jane’s guest, Zack Beauchamp, provides expert commentary on global patterns of democratic backsliding and what Americans can do to push back.

Key Discussion Points

1. Trump’s Approach to the Government Shutdown

• Trump appears unfazed by the cost of shutting down the government, instead framing it as a power move to eliminate “Democrat things” and push his policy priorities.
  • Quote:

    “A lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things…they want open borders, they want men playing in women’s sports, they want transgender for everybody…so we have no choice.” — Donald Trump, [00:57]

• Jane contextualizes that shutdowns are universally regarded as failures of governance, but Trump treats them as strategic tools to expand personal authority and scapegoat opponents.
  • Quote:

    “No one really ever wins a shutdown. But to Trump, it’s another opportunity to extend his power even further by potentially firing more government employees and pushing Congress out of the decision making process altogether again.” — Jane Coaston, [01:22]

2. Signs and Mechanics of Authoritarianism

• Zack Beauchamp distinguishes between general authoritarianism and competitive authoritarianism—systems that maintain democratic facades like elections, but tilt the playing field through media control and regulatory manipulation.
  • Quote:

    “What you do have are subtle tinkerings with the system that make it such that those elections are not under fair conditions. So it’s nearly impossible for the opposition to win.” — Zack Beauchamp, [03:57]

• Competitive authoritarianism is characterized by “corrupting regulatory tools like the FCC to use them for partisan political purposes” while avoiding outright, visible repression.
• The administration’s aggressive and public moves—such as efforts to silence TV hosts and stigmatizing protest movements—demonstrate a preference for overt displays of control, rather than subtlety.
  • Quote:

    “They don’t like the shadows. Like, they want you to know everything. Like Trump is going to live tweet himself attempting to take control of every entity available.” — Jane Coaston, [07:02]

3. Media Suppression — The Jimmy Kimmel Case Study

• Zack spotlights the recent attempt to push Jimmy Kimmel off the air via FCC pressure as quintessential “competitive authoritarianism.”
  • Quote:

    “It uses the power of the state to coerce private actors into doing their bidding, into doing the repression, so the state itself doesn’t have to do it.” — Zack Beauchamp, [06:13]

• While the Kimmel push ultimately failed due to public backlash, Zack notes this as a sign of democratic “antibodies” at work — resistance from civil society and the media.

4. The Orban Model and U.S. Right-Wing Admiration

• Victor Orban’s Hungary serves as a model for the American right, admired for:
  1. Framing itself as a “culture war” for Western civilization.
  2. Deploying state power against enemies while arguing it’s defending democracy against the left.
  • Quote:

    “What Orban represents for the American right is two things…He’s a culture warrior like they are…The second point is that he represents a way of attacking your enemies that can be plausibly defended as democratic.” — Zack Beauchamp, [09:06]

• Jane notes the American right’s fascination, which has even motivated figures like Tucker Carlson to highlight Hungarian governance.

5. How Close Is the U.S. to Broader Democratic Erosion?

• Zack draws direct historical parallels, cautioning that the U.S.in 2025 is at a tipping point similar to Hungary in 2010, Russia in 2000, and Germany in 1933.
  • Quote:

    “We are where Hungarians were in 2010, where Russians were in 2000, and where Germans were in 1933.” — Zack Beauchamp, [10:20]

• Urges active engagement: protest, activism, running for office—before mechanisms of control are firmly locked in.
  • Quote:

    “The answer is that you need to redouble your efforts to participate in democratic politics…You win elections and you engage in activism.” — Zack Beauchamp, [11:01]

6. On Trump's Ultimate Goal

• Zack believes Trump’s personal motivation is revenge and domination, not a well-articulated ideological aim. The broader authoritarian project is more ideologically driven by others in the administration.
  • Quote:

    “The quote from Conan the Barbarian, it’s to crush your enemies, to see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women. Like, I think that’s how Donald Trump thinks about the world. He wants revenge.” — Zack Beauchamp, [12:41]

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On the administration’s priorities:

  “He wants to post mean videos about Democrats, celebrities, and pretty much anyone else. And he wants to make it illegal to say mean things about him. It feels authoritarian, but it also feels incredibly, unbelievably stupid.” — Jane Coaston, [01:22]

• On the failure of media suppression:

  “I never thought that I would be saying Jimmy Kimmel...is the bellwether for American democracy. But that’s a sign that there’s still significant antibodies to this kind of authoritarianism in the U.S. right.” — Zack Beauchamp, [06:13]

• On historical lessons:

  “I heard a story from a Russian protester...we left a little bit after it because it was cold...and we thought we’d get to do this again and it would matter. And then we didn’t. We couldn’t.” — Zack Beauchamp, [12:07]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:57] Trump’s justification for the shutdown.
• [01:22] Jane’s warning on Trump’s view of presidential power.
• [03:44] Zack defines authoritarianism and competitive authoritarianism.
• [05:36] Analysis of the Jimmy Kimmel FCC incident and its democratic implications.
• [07:29] Orban’s manipulation of news and its lessons for the U.S.
• [09:06] Why Orban is admired by American conservatives.
• [10:20] Comparisons to historical moments of democratic decline.
• [11:01] How listeners can take meaningful action.
• [12:41] Trump’s motivation and the meaning for U.S. democracy.

Additional Headlines & Political Developments

1. Trump’s Drug Pricing Announcement & “Trump RX” [16:18]

• Trump touts a deal with Pfizer to lower Medicaid drug prices, framing it as a populist win—while Democrats criticize simultaneous Medicaid cuts.
• Launch of “Trump RX” website to buy drugs directly from manufacturers; laden with Trumpian branding.

2. Presidential Use of Deepfake AI Video [17:56]

• Trump posts a racist deepfake video mocking Democratic leaders, drawing outrage from Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer.
  • Hakeem Jeffries:

    “The next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video…say it to my face.” — [18:07]

  • Schumer:

    “It was childish, it was petty. It’s something that a five year old would do, not a President of the United States.” — [19:54]

3. U.S.-Iran Deportation Deal [20:04]

• Trump administration plans to deport hundreds of Iranians, reversing decades of precedent amid ongoing diplomatic tensions.

4. FBI’s Kash Patel Smuggles Gun Parts into New Zealand [21:45]

• FBI director gifts inoperable (but modifiable) 3D-printed pistols to New Zealand officials, violating strict local gun laws.
  • Jane:

    “America finally achieved gun control. The bad news? It was in the wrong country.”

Conclusion

This episode delivers a wide-ranging yet focused discussion on the erosion of U.S. democratic norms under Trump’s recent actions, connecting presidential overreach, media suppression, and competitive authoritarianism. Zack Beauchamp provides clarity on global parallels and actionable hope, encouraging listeners to engage in democracy before the window narrows further. The news round-up further demonstrates the administration’s brash disregard for both domestic convention and international norms.

If you’re concerned about America’s democratic future, or want to understand the big picture behind the latest headlines, this episode is essential listening.