5/16/25: Soft civil wars and big pharma bribes

The David Pakman Show

David Pakman

News, Politics

4.8 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 May 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

-- On the Show: — Trump talks about suspending habeas corpus, a mayor is arrested for protesting, and much of the country shrugs. We explain how normalization is the point—and how authoritarianism doesn't need shock, just your resignation. — From judges being stalked to school boards under threat, we unpack what modern civil war actually looks like—and how the U.S. may already be in one. — Trump's team is openly considering prosecuting Democrats. — Trump's orange spray tan gets more protection from Republicans than the Constitution. A student asks why he's orange—and a GOP rep panics. — We ask the uncomfortable question: what if Trump doesn't even need to finish his term? We explain how Trump was always the vehicle, not the destination—and why J.D. Vance is the backup plan. — RFK Jr. casually admits Trump took $100 million from Big Pharma—and Trump nods. Then the pharma stocks go up. But sure, he "can't be bought." — MAGA civil war explodes as Trump names a new Surgeon General who's too moderate for the fringe. Anti-vaxxers turn on Trump. RFK Jr. branded controlled opposition. — Rand Paul goes rogue, saying Trump shouldn't accept Qatar's $400 million plane, and admitting tariffs hurt Americans. Somewhere, Jesse Watters faints. — Friday Feedback returns: We respond to questions about the MAGA economy, Trump's spiral, the illusion of civil discourse, and the future of this show. -- On the Bonus Show: Right-wing reactions to Trump getting gifted a $400 million plane from Qatar, and much more... 👍 Save 20% on LUCY nicotine gum by using code PAKMAN at https://lucy.co 🛡️ Incogni lets you control your personal data! Get 60% off their annual plan: http://incogni.com/pakman 🔊 Babbel language learning: Get up to 60% OFF at https://babbel.com/pakman -- Become a Member: https://davidpakman.com/membership -- Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/davidpakmanshow -- 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I want to talk to you today about normalization, hyper normalization, getting used to all of this.
0:14.8	You know, there is a point in every kind of slow motion collapse where people adapt. People stop reacting. Outrage at what's
0:24.1	going on around us starts to wear off and the shock fades. And things that were once unthinkable
0:30.1	kind of become normal. And then we get back on TikTok or we go bowling or we do whatever it is that we
0:37.4	do.
0:38.9	Presidential frontrunner says he wants to root out the vermin and it doesn't affect his campaign
0:45.1	and he becomes president.
0:46.8	A top aide to the president says, we are looking at suspending habeas corpus and doing
0:52.5	away with due process. A sitting mayor is arrested
0:56.1	for protesting at a nice facility. Trump gets a free private jet. And everybody just kind of goes,
1:02.8	oh, that's crazy. And then you keep scrolling and you shrug. And that's the way it is. And it's really
1:10.3	important every once in a while to be reminded
1:12.4	that this is not supposed to feel normal. But that's the strategy. Where are you down until you
1:20.2	stop blinking? And this is what I've referred to and others have referred to before as hyper
1:25.5	normalization. This is when the body and the mind enter a state
1:31.1	where the system around us is so obviously broken and so absurd and dysfunctional that people
1:39.1	know it, but you keep going anyway because nothing makes sense and everything sort of keeps functioning
1:46.7	and an absurd new baseline is established.
1:50.8	I struggle with this.
1:52.2	I maybe even more than you because I'm steeped in this stuff every day.
1:58.2	I read it.
1:59.3	I report about it.
	...

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