What A Day – Episode Summary for October 20, 2025

Podcast: What A Day (Crooked Media)
Host: Todd Zwillick (in for Jane Coaston)
Episode Title: Over 7 Million Americans Protested Against Trump
Date: October 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the massive nationwide protests—dubbed the "No Kings" rallies—against President Donald Trump's increasingly authoritarian policies and rhetoric. Host Todd Zwillick breaks down the surprising scale and overwhelmingly peaceful nature of these demonstrations, unpacks political and media reactions, and leads a detailed interview with Chicago reporter Monica Eng exploring on-the-ground realities about ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operations and federal responses in Chicago. Additional segments touch on the government shutdown, foreign policy crises, and escalating tensions in immigration enforcement.

Main Discussion Points & Key Insights

1. Nationwide "No Kings" Protests — Peaceful and Massive

• [00:03–03:45]
  • Over 7 million Americans participated in more than 2,700 "No Kings" pro-democracy protests across the U.S.
  • The rallies—organized by a progressive coalition—were notable for their size and peacefulness.
  • Contrary to GOP warnings of "hate America demonstrations," there were zero arrests at NYC’s 100,000-person protest.
  • Republican framing (including House Speaker Mike Johnson) painted the events as radical and threatening, citing isolated hostile rhetoric:

    “We have video and photos of pretty violent rhetoric calling out the president, saying fascists must die and all the rest. … I don't think that’s pro American.” — House Speaker Mike Johnson [01:59]

  • Trump’s White House leaned into the ‘King’ accusations, circulating images of himself and VP J.D. Vance wearing crowns, and posting an AI-generated video bombing protesters—from a jet—“with torrents of shit.”

    “Take it as a metaphor. Take it as a threat.” — Todd Zwillick [02:49]

2. Chicago and ICE: Facts vs. Federal Narrative

• Interview: Monica Eng of Axios Chicago
  [03:46–16:01; timestamps below per response]
  • On ICE Activity and Its Reality vs. Social Media:
    • “You can live your life and not know anything about it..., but if you go on your social media feed and watch the news, you are seeing some really disturbing images.” — Monica Eng [04:09]
    • The dramatic ICE-related footage online (“sporadic and terrible”) doesn’t match most Chicagoans' day-to-day reality.
  • Broadview ICE Facility:
    • Broadview, an ICE processing center, has become a flashpoint for protests—some long-standing, mostly decentralized and peaceful. Federal claims that protesters are bused in or well-organized are refuted.
    • “There's a very ragtag, disorganized group that shows up. They can't even agree on what chants they're going to do.” — Monica Eng [05:12]
  • Protest Policing:
    • Previous ICE/federal tactics (rubber bullets, pepper spray, indiscriminate tear gas). Recent Illinois State Police involvement (post-judge order) was notably less violent: clear warnings and minimal force.
    • “Illinois State Police did this in about two minutes, no problem. Everybody stood on the side and then they sang Bible songs.” — Monica Eng [07:48]
  • ICE vs. Customs and Border Protection (CBP):
    • Ongoing confusion and legal maneuvering about deploying CBP (with broader powers, including warrantless seizures) within Chicago, citing the “hundred mile” border zone due to Lake Michigan—questioned even by the governor.
    • “Governor JB Pritzker said, wait a minute. Why is Customs and Border Protection here in Chicago? We’re not on a border.... Chicago is in the hundred mile zone and so fair game.” — Monica Eng [10:28]
  • Impact on American Citizens:
    • Reports (ProPublica) of at least 170 Americans detained without probable cause. Normal citizens risk arrest for lack of documentation.
    • “I wouldn't tell anyone that they were 100% immune to arrest if they didn't have papers proving they are an American citizen when they're standing in Chicago.” — Monica Eng [12:38]
  • Legal Wrangling & Unprecedented Federal Actions:
    • Trump is seeking Supreme Court backing to deploy National Guard in Chicago.
    • Multiple judges have found DHS claims unreliable, condemning federal exaggerations of protest violence.
    • “I have never seen any government press releases that were so far off from the truth I’ve seen on the ground as the ones that I've gotten from DHS.” — Monica Eng quoting Judge April Perry [13:37]
    • “Protest is not rebellion.” — Cited as a judge’s ruling [15:54]
  • Historical Reflection:
    • "The federal response is nothing like I’ve ever seen.... What I have seen is completely peaceful. And this characterization... is just not compatible with what I see with my own eyes." — Monica Eng [14:36]

3. Government Shutdown and Power Plays

• [19:19–20:37]
  • Third week of federal government shutdown, driven by stalemate over funding and insurance subsidies.
  • Trump boasts about using the shutdown to permanently cut social programs, despite previous deals signed with Democrats.

    “Now what we’re doing is we're cutting Democrat programs that we didn't want ... and we're cutting them permanently.” — Donald Trump [20:19]

4. Foreign Policy—Escalating Turmoil

• Israel-Gaza:
  • Israeli strikes escalate despite a fragile ceasefire; continued violence and political blame trading.
• Ukraine-Russia:
  • Ukrainian drones hit Russian energy facilities; Trump shifts stance on arming Ukraine after Putin call.

    “Well, he's going to take something. ... He’s won certain property. If you say that, he's won certain property. We're the only nation that goes in and wins a war and then leaves.” — Donald Trump [23:36]

• U.S.–Colombia:
  • Trump halts aid and calls Colombian President Gustavo Petro a "drug dealer" after Petro decries U.S. airstrikes in the Caribbean as murder. Petro responds, accusing the U.S. of wanting oil more than justice.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Political Theater:
  • “Only a king has the power to make George Santos a queen for a day.” — Todd Zwillick (opening joke) [00:03]
• On White House Propaganda:
  • “The official White House social media accounts posted pictures of both Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance wearing golden crowns and sitting on thrones. And if that's not gross enough for your civic sensibilities, let's try your stomach. Trump also posted an AI video… bombing No Kings protests ... with, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, torrents of shit.” — Todd Zwillick [02:40]
• On Federal Claims vs. Reality:
  • “What I have seen is completely peaceful. And this characterization … is just not compatible with what I see with my own eyes.” — Monica Eng [14:36]
  • “Protest is not rebellion.” — Quoted phrase from a federal judge [15:54]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:03] Opening headlines / protest overview
• [01:59] House Speaker Mike Johnson’s protest commentary
• [02:26–02:49] Trump’s reaction to “king” accusations, AI video details
• [03:46–16:01] Monica Eng interview: ICE, Chicago, and Broadview facility
• [19:19–20:37] Government shutdown, Trump’s use of crisis
• [21:37–25:10] Foreign updates: Israel/Hamas violence, Ukraine/Russia, U.S./Colombia tensions
• [14:36] Monica Eng on unprecedented federal response
• [15:54] “Protest is not rebellion.” judge quote

Takeaways

• The anti-Trump "No Kings" protests are historically large and overwhelmingly peaceful—contrary to federal and right-wing portrayals.
• The interview with Monica Eng sharply details the contradictions between DHS/federal claims and lived local experience, especially regarding immigration enforcement in Chicago.
• Trump’s administration is engaged in unprecedented domestic and foreign power plays, using the government shutdown and foreign crises to consolidate power and test legal limits—even risking active deployment of federal forces against American citizens.
• Judges and independent reporting challenge the administration’s claims about public disorder and hostility—exposing a gap between spin and fact.
• The tone of the episode is direct, witty, and forthrightly skeptical of propaganda—imitating the show’s goal of clear-eyed, substantive news coverage that cuts through hype and outrage.

For listeners seeking a clear-eyed snapshot of America’s political landscape in late 2025, this episode provides essential context, vivid street-level reporting, and an unvarnished look at the gap between official narratives and ground realities.