12/15/25: A dark weekend as reality collides with denial

The David Pakman Show

David Pakman

News, Politics

4.8 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2025

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

-- On the Show -- A weekend of mass violence spans a Brown University shooting, an antisemitic terror attack in Sydney, and the killing of Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner -- Sloppy circulation of misleading Jeffrey Epstein related images weakens real accountability by allowing Donald Trump and allies to dismiss verified evidence -- The Federal Reserve unanimously reappoints regional bank presidents early to protect institutional independence and blunt Donald Trump's influence over interest rates -- New NBC News polling shows Republican identification with MAGA slipping as economic frustration drives quiet disengagement ahead of the 2026 midterms -- Kevin Hassett reveals Donald Trump is shielded from bad economic data, leaving him detached from voter reality and worsening Republican electoral losses -- Donald Trump delivers a rambling Christmas event speech filled with delusions, distractions, and broken promises that leaves the audience visibly uncomfortable -- Donald Trump repeatedly falling asleep during official meetings raises unavoidable questions about stamina and fitness for future office -- Erika Kirk refuses to condemn Donald Trump's violent rhetoric during a heavily promoted town hall that collapses into incoherence and low viewership -- On the Bonus Show: Australia moves to strengthen gun laws after the Bondi Beach shooting, The Washington Post launches an AI-personalized podcast, a JetBlue flight narrowly avoids a collision with a US military aircraft near Venezuela, and much more... 🖼️ Aura Frames: Use code PAKMAN for $35 off Carver Mat frames at https://auraframes.com/pakman 🥐 Wildgrain: Use code DAVID for $30 off & free croissants FOR LIFE at https://wildgrain.com/david -- Become a Member: https://davidpakman.com/membership -- Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://davidpakman.substack.com -- Get David's Books: https://davidpakman.com/echo -- TDPS Subreddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/thedavidpakmanshow -- David on Bluesky: https://davidpakman.com/bluesky -- David on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/davidpakmanshow (00:00) Start (02:02) Weekend of mass violence (09:03) Misleading Epstein images circulate (17:56) Fed protects independence (23:28) GOP support slipping (29:56) Trump shielded from economic reality (37:21) Trump's rambling Christmas speech (46:40) Trump falling asleep in meetings (52:27) Erika Kirk avoids condemning rhetoric Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It was a genuinely disturbing weekend on planet Earth.
0:04.0	And today's show does reflect that.
0:06.0	We are going to talk about mass violence in the United States, anti-Semitic terrorism abroad,
0:12.0	and really what it all says about where humanity is right now.
0:17.0	We are also going to talk about moments that can cut through that darkness.
0:21.7	And you'll see what I mean very quickly on today's program.
0:25.4	And then we do have to talk about the Epstein photos that are now circulating after another
0:30.2	dump of pictures last week because I think that some are playing their hand in a way that is not going to go well, including
0:40.8	misleading images, very sloppy claims, and a lot of lack of verification.
0:47.7	And this may hand MAGA and Trump an easy escape hatch, which I don't think we want to give
0:53.5	them. And I'll talk about that.
0:55.6	We're also going to get into an interesting move from the Federal Reserve, which has quietly
1:01.3	trump proofed itself, even as we know Donald Trump is seeking the replacement for Fed
1:06.8	Chairman Jerome Powell.
1:08.7	And it is a really interesting move.
1:11.3	And we also learned that the people around President Trump are regularly hiding bad economic
1:18.8	news from him.
1:20.7	We'll talk about how that happens.
1:22.3	And then soon I will speak to Sarah Matthews about it.
1:25.3	He used to work in the first Trump White House, plus
1:27.8	a holiday party at the White House during which Trump rambles incoherently.
1:35.3	And the Erica Kirk Town Hall that CBS hyped for a week, barely anyone watched and is really
	...

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