What A Day – Episode Summary

Podcast: What A Day
Host: Jane Coaston
Date: October 9, 2025
Episode Title: Trump's War And Peace Plans

Overview

In this episode, host Jane Coaston delivers an in-depth analysis of the latest moves by President Donald Trump, focusing first on national security with the controversial National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM 7) and its implications for civil liberties, before reviewing the new Trump-backed Israel-Hamas peace plan. Coaston is joined by veteran national security journalist Ken Klippenstein, who helps break down the real-world effects of Trump's rhetoric and administration actions targeting domestic political groups and the chilling effect on free speech and political dissent. The episode also covers other top news stories of the day, from the government shutdown to record-high gold prices.

Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. Trump, Free Speech, and NSPM 7: The War on “Left-Wing Terrorism”

[00:02 – 15:20]

• Setting the Stage:

  • Coaston starts with a satirical take on Rep. Lauren Boebert’s alien-centric campaign, segueing quickly to more serious threats to free speech, referencing recent Trump comments:

    “We took the freedom of speech away.” — Donald Trump (paraphrased by Jane Coaston, [01:34])

  • Coaston clarifies, “Any president saying we took the freedom of speech away is bad. Yes, Trump says a lot of things that are untrue, stupid, or both.”

• The New Directive:

  • Trump signs NSPM 7, which aims to direct national security agencies against what the White House calls “left-wing terrorism.”
  • Stephen Miller on Newsmax claims the administration is moving to "dismantle, disrupt, defeat, and destroy these domestic terror networks.” ([02:43])
  • Coaston and Klippenstein note this marks a sharp expansion of federal law enforcement’s focus to include vague ideologies such as “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity.” ([03:01])

• What’s Really Happening:

  • Klippenstein explains NSPM 7 is rare (just the 7th such memorandum under Trump) and far-reaching, setting agency priorities for years:

    “Presidential memorandum tells agencies this is our priority, set focus on this for the next three years, for the remainder of the administration.” ([06:16])

  • He emphasizes NSPM 7 allows aggressive surveillance and preemptive law enforcement against U.S. citizens for holding political views outside mainstream MAGA ideology.
  • Particularly concerning: it lets authorities target donations to nonprofits, monitor money flows, and create broad new pretexts for investigations ([09:06]).

• Free Speech and Targeting Political Dissent:

  • Coaston and Klippenstein both stress U.S. law allows people to belong to radical movements so long as they don’t commit crimes ([08:50]).
  • “That’s the most important point here. What distinguishes it from the counterterror approach in the past is it is explicitly focused on domestic actors, not just looking at speech, but looking at money donations to nonprofits.” — Ken Klippenstein ([09:06])

• Impact on Civil Liberties:

  • Already, nonprofits nationwide are changing language and actions to avoid investigation; law firms advise caution amid the threat of tax status being revoked or criminal charges.
  • Klippenstein notes the real effect is a chilling of speech:

    “There’s already a chilling effect on speech. … It’s the middle of that continuum I want people to think about and not just throw it out because, oh well, he says stuff and it doesn’t happen.” ([13:43])

• Can It Work?

  • There's scant evidence left-wing individuals or groups are organized for large-scale violence (and most incidents like Charlie Kirk’s murder or the Mangione case are the acts of individuals, not networks):

    “To cast these as partisan crimes, representative of the Democratic Party or of the left generally, there’s just no evidence for that.” — Ken Klippenstein ([11:04])

2. Israel/Hamas: Announcing a Peace Plan

[18:22 – 19:46]

• Breaking News: Trump-Brokered Peace
  • CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reads Trump’s announcement on the Israel-Hamas war:

    “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peaceful plan. That means all hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed upon line …” ([18:37])

  • Coaston summarizes conflict origins (Hamas 2023 attack, Israeli response) and affirms the story is fluid, with all sides confirming the agreement.

3. Trump’s Domestic “War” and Antifa

[19:46 – 21:50]

• Antifa as a Political Tool

  • Attorney General Pam Bondi and others repeat Trump's lines on dismantling Antifa, with Coaston noting the group is more specter than organized threat.
    • “Antifa, for the uninitiated, is short for anti-fascists and is used to describe far left leaning militant groups the government is blaming for protests… The only problem is that Antifa doesn’t really exist as a group …” ([19:54])
  • Coaston skewers wild claims from officials (like the “girlfriend of one of the founders of Antifa” being arrested) and the press release “quoting numerous anonymous Portlanders.”

• Authoritarian Overreach:

  • The Trump administration designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization, though none exists on federal statutes and Antifa lacks organizational structure.

4. Government Shutdown, Political Drama, and Gold Prices

[22:01 – 25:06]

• Government Paralysis

  • The government shutdown continues as both parties posture; House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer each blame the other.

    “Don’t let the Democrats distract you and try to convince you of things that are not true.” — Speaker Mike Johnson ([22:37]) “Donald Trump and the Republican Party are hell bent on taking health care away from 60 million people, closing community clinics, rural hospitals, nursing homes, all so they can keep giving tax breaks to their billionaire friends. It’s a disgrace. So Democrats have three words for this. No way.” — Sen. Chuck Schumer ([22:55])

• Health Care as Bargaining Chip:

  • A rare agreement between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sen. Josh Hawley to support maintaining health care subsidies.

• Shutdown Fallout:

  • Troops near missed paychecks, airport delays, and vital federal programs stall as Trump threatens federal worker firings and withholding pay.

• Market Anxiety:

  • Gold prices reach record highs amid instability; Rebecca Jarvis (ABC) explains:

    “Gold has doubled in the last two years, reflecting the scale of unknowns that continue to hang over major economies, including ours … You can really think of gold like a financial security blanket for investors.” ([24:44])

5. Other Noteworthy Moments

• Coaston's sarcastic reflections on official quotes and administration bluster punctuate the episode, e.g.:

  “The founder of Antifa’s girlfriend really has that Canadian boyfriend you’ll never meet feel to it.” ([20:00])

• Listeners are invited to care about California's Prop 50, with Vote Save America’s get-out-the-vote efforts ([25:06])

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On the purpose of NSPM 7:

  “In the aggregate it’s basically everyone who isn’t MAGA, right?” — Ken Klippenstein ([08:03])

• On the chilling impact even before prosecutions begin:

  “So there’s already a chilling effect on speech. … any one of these things could be brought up. And this administration has evinced no reason to think that they’re not going to take full advantage and pursue these tiny, vindictive things that might not even work.” — Ken Klippenstein ([13:43])

• On official rhetoric vs. reality:

  “Trump says a lot of things that are untrue, stupid, or both.” — Jane Coaston ([01:45])

• Satirical skewering of Antifa claims:

  “The founder of Antifa’s girlfriend really has that Canadian boyfriend you’ll never meet feel to it.” — Jane Coaston ([20:00])

Timestamps of Major Segments

• [00:02] – [03:01]: Trump rhetoric on free speech, initial discussion of NSPM 7
• [04:01] – [09:06]: Interview with Ken Klippenstein: effect, scope, and intent of NSPM 7
• [10:25] – [15:20]: Chilling effect, likelihood of policy implementation, targeting of nonprofits
• [18:22] – [19:46]: Trump announces Israel-Hamas peace plan, significance
• [19:46] – [21:50]: Administration’s campaign against Antifa
• [22:01] – [25:06]: Shutdown standoff, healthcare, and economic fallout

Conclusion

This episode delivers a critical, engaging breakdown of Trump’s latest moves on national security and domestic politics—from NSPM 7’s threat to free speech and the broad, vague new targets of the administration’s war on “terror,” to the reality behind headlines on Antifa and the Israel-Hamas peace plan. Coaston and Klippenstein’s conversation raises urgent questions about civil liberties, the reach of executive power, and the often surreal rhetoric driving high-stakes policy. As always, the show blends sharp reporting with wry, incisive humor—making complex, consequential topics accessible and urgent.