Ep. 1110 - Remember Who Becomes President If Trump Loses

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode argues that the 2020 election is being distorted by media fixation on Trump, obscuring the stakes of a potential Biden-Harris victory: a strengthened radical left, emboldened media, and revived Obama-era power centers. It also critiques Biden’s debate/health optics, predicts Pence can expose Harris’s record, and highlights Trump’s self-inflicted errors on stimulus negotiations and COVID messaging.

Main Topics: Election stakes beyond Trump (Priority: 5/5): The host argues voters are so focused on Trump that they are ignoring the policy and institutional consequences of electing Biden/Harris, including radical Democratic priorities and bureaucratic empowerment. Kamala Harris’s debate and political record (Priority: 5/5): Harris is portrayed as an opportunistic, dishonest politician with a left-wing record who avoids clear answers on packing the Supreme Court, Medicare for All, and the filibuster. Media bias and narrative control (Priority: 5/5): The transcript repeatedly claims mainstream outlets protect Democrats, pre-decide outcomes, and frame any criticism of Harris as racist or sexist while relentlessly attacking Trump. Trump’s missteps on stimulus and messaging (Priority: 4/5): The host criticizes Trump for abruptly ending COVID relief talks and creating avoidable market and political backlash, while arguing he needs to change strategy to win. Russiagate declassification and intelligence scandal (Priority: 4/5): The episode emphasizes newly declassified documents suggesting Obama-era officials knew of a Clinton plan to link Trump to Russia and may have helped activate the intelligence apparatus against him. COVID double standards and selective enforcement (Priority: 3/5): The host contrasts strict enforcement against Orthodox Jewish gatherings with tolerance for Black Lives Matter protests, arguing Democratic leaders apply rules selectively.

Key Arguments: Trump’s loss would not merely mean defeat of a Republican; it would strengthen radical left forces, media institutions, and bureaucratic power centers. Kamala Harris is presented as a radical-left politician in moderate packaging, with a record that includes Medicare for All, Green New Deal support, and evasiveness on court-packing. The media are accused of shielding Democrats from scrutiny and pre-emptively declaring Harris the winner of the vice presidential debate. Pence is expected to do well because Harris has a pattern of making aggressive accusations and then retreating when challenged. Trump’s announcement that he was ending stimulus talks was a major unforced error that handed Nancy Pelosi a political opening and rattled markets. Declassified Russiagate-related material is framed as potentially exposing deep institutional corruption involving Brennan, Obama, and Clinton-linked efforts to weaponize intelligence agencies. Selective COVID enforcement in New York is portrayed as evidence of political and ideological bias rather than neutral public health policy.

Data Points: RealClearPolitics national poll average: Biden +9 - Used to argue the race has opened significantly in Biden’s favor nationally. Recent RCP polls cited: Biden +16, +10, +8, +10 - Four most recent polls referenced as showing large Biden leads. Access Hollywood comparison: Hillary Clinton never led by more than about 7 points after the tape - Used to argue Biden’s lead is unusually large. Senate control threshold: Republicans need to hold at least 5 seats - Explains how a Biden win could flip the Senate if Democrats capture enough races. Contested Senate seats mentioned: 8 seats - The host says Republicans could lose 5 of the 8 most contested seats. North Carolina race: Cal Cunningham admitted to romantic texts and intimacy in July - Used as an example of a potentially decisive Senate scandal. Green New Deal cost estimate: $93 trillion - Cited while criticizing Harris’s support for the plan. Medicare for All cost estimate: $3 trillion a year - Used in discussing Harris’s evasiveness and left-wing policy posture. Trump relief package figure: $1.4 trillion - Describes the Republican COVID relief proposal Democrats rejected. PPP and airline aid: $25 billion airline payroll support; $135 billion PPP - Trump later tweeted support for these measures after initially halting talks. March 2020 spending: Nearly $3 trillion - Referenced as the amount allocated since March for pandemic response. Political coverage claim: Over 90% negative - The host states that over 90% of media coverage of Trump since inauguration has been negative. Debate spacing: More than a dozen feet / 12 feet 3 inches - The Pence-Harris debate setup included distance and plexiglass barriers.

Pivotal Quotes: "If the focus is on Trump when people walk into the ballot box, then Trump is going to lose. If the focus is on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, then Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are going to lose." — Ben Shapiro: Core strategic argument about how the election should be framed. "Kamala Harris is not Michelle Obama. She's not uniquely talented. She's actually kind of bad at this." — Ben Shapiro: Characterization of Harris’s political skills and media treatment. "I have fully authorized the total declassification of any and all documents pertaining to the single greatest political crime in American history, the Russia hoax." — Donald Trump: Quoted to illustrate Trump’s push for declassifying Russiagate materials.

Implications: Listeners are pushed to view the election as a choice between preserving institutions and empowering a coalition of media, bureaucratic, and progressive actors. The episode argues Trump must change course quickly or risk not only losing, but reshaping the Senate and future governance.