What A Day – “Trump Can't Stop Saying Biden”

Podcast: What A Day (Crooked Media)
Host: Jane Coaston
Date: December 16, 2025
Theme: Examining President Trump’s ongoing obsession with Joe Biden, his controversial behavior and statements—including his response to a celebrity tragedy—and a look at major executive actions and new initiatives in his administration.

Episode Overview

Host Jane Coaston tackles President Trump’s persistent focus on Joe Biden, even nearly a year into his new term, and explores what this fixation says about Trump’s leadership, political strategy, and personality. Jane is joined by New York Times White House correspondent Sean McCreesh, who recently reported on Trump’s relationship with Biden. The episode also discusses Trump’s inflammatory reaction to the deaths of Rob and Michelle Reiner and reviews two major White House initiatives: classifying fentanyl as a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ and the launch of the U.S. Tech Force.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Biden Obsession: Fact or Political Strategy?

(02:46–06:46)

• Trump repeatedly mentions Biden, often blaming him for ongoing problems, despite Biden’s departure from the public eye.
  • Sean McCreesh: “He used the word Biden more than he used the word America in many speeches… more than Israel or Ukraine.” (03:24)
• Compared to his first term, Trump’s rhetoric about his predecessor is more aggressive and frequent.
  • McCreesh: “The way Trump spoke about Obama during his first term was completely different. ...Compare that to the way Trump talked about Biden during the first 50 days of Trump’s second term—he mentioned him 316 times. And it was all completely in the negative.” (07:11)
• The obsession isn’t a new tactic—Trump has always been preoccupied with perceived adversaries, but the intensity is heightened with Biden.
• Jane Coaston raises the question: Is this strategic “five dimensional chess,” or is Trump personally fixated on the man who beat him?
  • Jane Coaston: “One of those [theories] seems more obvious.” (04:36)

Quote:

"It sort of depends on who you ask. Some people think it's a political strategy by Trump... But other people think that Trump is just deeply fixated and there's something about his psychology that won't let this go."
— Sean McCreesh (04:11)

2. Trump's Attack Lines: Projection and Parallels

(05:38–06:46)

• Trump’s attacks on Biden often mirror his own vulnerabilities: age, fatigue, economic issues.
  • Jane Coaston: “A lot of the things he's attacking Biden for right now are the things Trump himself seems to be facing right now, even down to... being old.” (05:38)
  • McCreesh: “The more that Trump's troubles resemble Biden's troubles, the more Trump keeps attacking Biden for those troubles.” (06:28)
• The hosts note the irony, with Trump repeating lines once used against him.

3. A Unique Rivalry: Trump & Biden’s Historical Link

(07:55–08:42)

• McCreesh notes Biden holds a unique place in Trump’s psyche, fueled by Trump’s defeat, the January 6th events, and subsequent indictments.
• Visual symbolism: Biden literally “in between two Trumps” on the National Portrait Gallery wall.
  • McCreesh: "Biden will always be in between two Trumps. And that's how it is even in the... Rose Garden, Presidential Walk of Fame or whatever Trump's calling it now." (08:18)

4. The Rob and Michelle Reiner Tragedy: Trump’s Depravity on Display

(08:42–11:49)

• Trump turns a celebrity murder tragedy into a dig, blaming ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ in a Truth Social post and then doubling down at the White House.
  • Jane Coaston: “He posted on Truth Social… Rob passed away… reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive… affliction with a mind crippling disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome.” (01:25)
  • McCreesh: “It's horrifying and crazy... Real MAGA people were shocked by this… It's a usual [Trump] format applied to something uniquely ghastly.” (09:19)
• Even Trump's supporters express shock at the inappropriateness.
• McCreesh draws a parallel to a UK state dinner, observing Trump’s inability to let go of petty grievances even after moments of triumph.
  • McCreesh: “...the second the dinner's over, he goes upstairs... and he picks up the phone and starts tweeting that Jimmy Kimmel is guilty of treason… Even for one night, he can't just give it a rest.” (10:12)

Quote:

“His capacity to still be able to shock 10 years in is in and of itself shocking.”
— Jane Coaston (11:49)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:46] Beginning of main interview with Sean McCreesh
• [03:24] Trump mentions Biden more than America, Israel, or Ukraine
• [04:11] Biden as a fixation vs. political strategy
• [05:38] Trump’s attacks on Biden mirror his own issues
• [07:11] Statistical contrast between Trump on Obama vs Biden
• [08:18] Biden and Trump are “forever linked in history”
• [09:19] Trump’s reaction to Rob & Michelle Reiner’s death
• [10:12] Trump’s Windsor Castle anecdote; can’t let go of petty feuds
• [11:49] Trump’s persistent ability to shock

Additional Headlines & Trump Administration Updates

Fentanyl Order: Weapon of Mass Destruction

[14:21–15:37]

• Trump signed an executive order classifying illicit fentanyl as “a weapon of mass destruction,” claiming it poses a national security threat on par with chemical weapons.
  • Trump: “We’re formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is. No bomb does what this is doing.” (14:21)
• DEA says fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18–45.
• Jane notes the order may be more about political optics: “...to help the administration justify its ongoing campaign against alleged drug smuggling boats that probably don't contain fentanyl. Just a thought.” (15:17)

Launch of U.S. Tech Force

[15:37–17:45]

• New initiative to staff government agencies with ~1,000 tech professionals in AI, software, and cybersecurity, in partnership with major tech companies.
• Jane’s sardonic take: “Because everyone has always said, hey, I wonder what it would be like if that Grokbot that glazed Elon Musk ran the IRS website.” (15:54)

Policing Controversy in Washington D.C.

[17:45–18:44]

• House Oversight Committee alleges D.C. police manipulated crime data.
• D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser accuses the committee of cherry-picking testimony; Police Chief Pamela Smith set to step down.

Trump on the Campaign Trail

[18:44–18:53]

• Trump to campaign for Michael Whatley in North Carolina.
• Fresh examples of Trump’s odd campaign focus (“White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt’s machine gun lips, whether to call Joe Biden sleepy or crooked, and how, quote, wind is the worst”) (18:41)

Notable Quotes

• “He used the word Biden more than he used the word America in many speeches.”
  — Sean McCreesh (03:24)
• “It's a usual [Trump] format applied to something uniquely ghastly.”
  — Sean McCreesh (09:36)
• “His capacity to still be able to shock 10 years in is in and of itself shocking.”
  — Jane Coaston (11:49)
• “Being a Trump speechwriter is a little like writing to Santa. You're hopeful that the fat man will read what you wrote, but there's no proof that he ever has.”
  — Jane Coaston (18:53)

Memorable/Standout Moments

• Trump using a tragic celebrity death to mock “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
• Jane’s direct, dry reaction to the Reiner incident: “I am not used to this. This is very strange.” (11:44)
• The data analysis revealing Trump mentions Biden far more than any other predecessor.
• The Windsor Castle anecdote illustrating Trump’s inability to enjoy his own successes without seeking new targets for complaint.
• Satirical take on the U.S. Tech Force: “Tech bros and bro-ettes...to bring the government out of the 1980s and into Trump's AI First America.” (15:46)

Summary Takeaways

Jane Coaston and guest Sean McCreesh paint a portrait of a presidency dominated by personal vendettas, especially Trump’s relentless focus on his former rival, Joe Biden. Despite Biden’s low profile, Trump uses him as a scapegoat and constant rhetorical foil. The episode also exposes the President’s shockingly callous public statements, reveals new administration priorities with heavy political and PR overtones, and highlights how Trump’s personal fixations are spilling over into national governance and public discourse—still capable of surprising the public a decade in.

This episode is essential for understanding not just the latest Trump news, but the psychic and strategic dynamics at play in America’s politics as 2025 winds down.