What A Day – “Trump's Shutdown, Your Problem”

Podcast: What A Day (Crooked Media)
Host: Jane Coaston
Date: October 2, 2025
Length: ~20 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the second day of a U.S. federal government shutdown under President Trump, with host Jane Coaston providing sharp, in-depth analysis of who’s responsible, what’s at stake, and how government gridlock is impacting everyday Americans. The episode features a substantial interview with Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), plus brief updates on the Gaza flotilla interception, the Supreme Court halting Trump’s push to fire a Federal Reserve governor, an economic data drop, and the reopening of DACA.

Main Theme

A breakdown of the escalating government shutdown, partisan narratives around its cause, the lived impact on federal workers and Americans, and wider cracks in U.S. democracy.

Key Discussion Points

1. Remembering Jane Goodall

• [00:02] Jane opens by honoring Jane Goodall’s legacy, linking her curiosity and compassion to the show’s journalistic mission.

2. Setting the Shutdown Stage

• [00:40] Despite the shutdown, House Republicans are on vacation, while Democrats are in D.C. and working.
• [01:20] Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) admonishes absent GOP lawmakers, questioning their responsibility and policies.

3. Blame Game: Who’s Responsible for the Shutdown?

Republican Talking Points

• [01:47] Vice President J.D. Vance blames Democrats—especially Sen. Chuck Schumer—for “standing in the way” of low-income Americans’ healthcare, arguing that Republicans want to “ensure that people get the essential services they need” ([02:02]).

Democratic Response with Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ)

Interview begins [02:52]

• Republicans claim Democrats shut down the government to fund healthcare for “illegal immigrants.”
  • Kim: “They're just lying to the American people…it's already against federal law to have undocumented immigrants getting healthcare through federal dollars. That is not something that's allowed right now.” ([03:13])
  • Speaker Johnson is “blatantly lying … because he doesn’t have really anything to stand on here.”
• Who holds power?
  • Kim: “They have the White House, they have the majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and so they are the ones that are in charge, and they have let this happen.” ([04:00])
  • Speaker Johnson gave the GOP a vacation while federal workers go unpaid.

4. Stakes of the Shutdown — Not Just Political Theater

• The Trump administration signals it may fire (not furlough) federal workers deemed “inconsistent” with the president’s agenda ([04:33]).
• Kim: “What Trump’s trying to do in terms of firing Democrats … that's not just bad, it’s illegal … they so clearly have an agenda that they’re pushing to … take our democracy away from the Constitution.” ([05:16])
• Kim singles out Russell Vought and Stephen Miller as the administration’s most dangerous actors, with a plan to “reorient and take our democracy away.”

5. Are Shutdowns Now a Democratic Tactic?

• [06:09] Jane asks whether this is “fighting fire with fire.”
• Kim: The situation is “definitely not normal … we’re in a constitutional crisis.”
  • “We have one branch of government that’s trying to consume the other two…that is something we should all be furious about.” ([07:27])
  • “This is about responding to people’s concerns, their worries, their fears, their anxieties. It always has to go back to the people…” ([07:56])
  • Critique: Lawmakers still receive pay, while workers and troops go without.

6. Senator Kim Rejects His Paycheck

• Kim: “I refuse. I cannot do this, because it’s wrong. It is the opposite of leadership.” ([08:58])
  • Emphasizes personal experience as a former GS employee during previous shutdowns.
  • “Even House Republicans … don’t even bother to show up to work and they’re still getting paid today. Like that is offensive.”
• Jane echoes the hardship for D.C. workers: “First couple of days … it’s fine, there are bar specials. And then it stops being fun because you’re basically employed, but without the benefits of being employed. It’s a really ridiculous situation.” ([10:40])

7. How Long Will This Shutdown Last?

• [11:28] With open enrollment for healthcare starting Nov 1, the deadline is urgent.
• Kim: “This is not something where we can kick the can down the road … People are making up their minds right now, this month.”
• Some Senate Republicans are also uncomfortable with the situation; open to compromise, but uncertain on specific timing.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Katherine Clark (D-MA) [01:10]:
  “I’ve had one question from my Republican House colleagues this week. Where the heck are you?”
• Sen. Andy Kim [03:13]:
  "They're just lying to the American people because it's already against federal law to have undocumented immigrants getting healthcare through federal dollars. That is not something that's allowed right now."
• Sen. Andy Kim [05:34]:
  “Russell Vought and Stephen Miller are the two most dangerous people in this administration.”
• Jane Coaston [10:40]:
  "As someone who lived in D.C. for a long time ... it stops being fun because you’re basically employed, but without the benefits of being employed. It’s a really ridiculous situation."
• Sen. Andy Kim [08:58]:
  “I refuse. I cannot do this, because it’s wrong. It is the opposite of leadership. It is something that is offensive to think about how we're asking people to do something that we ourselves are not willing to do ... Even the House Republicans, they don't even bother to show up to work and they're still getting paid today. Like that is offensive."
• Sen. Andy Kim [07:27]:
  “We’re in a constitutional crisis … we have one branch of government that’s trying to consume the other two branches and be able to have them do whatever he wants them to do.”
• Jane Coaston [11:04]:
  "I just remember ... it all seems so performative and it really felt like that the negotiations, they were happening without real sincere consideration of what other Americans are going through."

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | [00:02] | Show intro & tribute to Jane Goodall | | [01:00] | Congressional absence during the shutdown | | [01:20] | Rep. Katherine Clark’s sharp critique of GOP absence | | [01:47] | VP J.D. Vance blames Democrats for shutdown | | [02:52] | Interview with Sen. Andy Kim (full segment) | | [03:13] | Kim debunks healthcare for undocumented immigrants myth | | [05:16] | Kim calls Trump admin’s plans to fire federal workers “illegal” | | [07:27] | Kim: “We’re in a constitutional crisis …” | | [08:58] | Kim explains why he’s rejecting his own paycheck | | [10:40] | Jane on personal impact of shutdowns on D.C. workers | | [11:28] | Senator Kim on urgency around healthcare & forecasts |

Quick Headlines ([15:40–18:30])

• Gaza Flotilla Intercept ([15:46])

  • Israeli navy intercepts humanitarian flotilla to Gaza; activists claim intimidation in international waters.
  • David Adler (onboard): “Their claim is that we were entering into a war zone ... totally fictitious rogue imposition ...”
  • Israel offers little evidence for claims of Hamas links.

• Trump Tries to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook ([17:05])

  • Supreme Court blocks Trump’s move, keeping Cook in place as legal fight ensues.
  • White House: “We look forward to that case being fully played out at the Supreme Court.”

• Private Sector Jobs Report ([17:58])

  • ADP reports a loss of 32,000 private sector jobs; economists had predicted gains.
  • With the government shutdown, monthly jobs data is suspended.

• DACA Reopening for Applications ([18:41])

  • After four years, DACA will reopen nationwide except Texas, where work permits for dreamers are blocked.
  • Confusion and misinformation are widespread; advocates worry about chilling effects on Texas families.

Tone & Language

• Jane Coaston blends sharp skepticism, empathy, and journalistic curiosity (“Let's be real, there are like two good songs about Janes and there's one very bad album about a Jane.”)
• The Sen. Andy Kim interview is earnest, direct, and emphasizes lived public service experience and constitutional principle.
• Memorable moments include blunt call-outs of political “lying,” the realities facing unpaid civil servants, and a strong sense of personal and institutional accountability.

Summary Table

| Main Focus | Highlights & Takeaways | |------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Congressional Blame Game | Both parties point fingers, but power—and thus responsibility—rests with GOP/Trump. | | Shutdown’s Lived Impact | Federal workers are hurting; those causing the shutdown still get paychecks. | | Partisan Narratives, Disinformation | Republicans stoke fears about immigrant healthcare; Kim debunks myths. | | Broader Constitutional Crisis | Kim warns the U.S. is facing a “not normal” moment with one branch overriding others. | | Individual Accountability | Kim refuses paycheck, wants to model solidarity with unpaid workers. | | Global & Economic Updates | Gaza flotilla, Fed governor firing blocked, jobs report misses, DACA partial reopening. |

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode provides a clear-eyed explainer of the current government shutdown’s real mechanics, exposes the partisan talking points muddying the issue, and spotlights personal and national stakes. The interview with Sen. Andy Kim offers a candid, insider’s perspective on political pressure, threats to democracy, and what real public service should look like.

Further Listening

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