Something isn’t right in the inner circle

The David Pakman Show

David Pakman

News, Politics

4.8 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 April 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

-- On the Show -- Kamala Harris, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Gavin Newsom lead early Democratic polling for 2028, but none seem likely to unify the party -- Donald Trump builds support through identity and loyalty rather than policy, which allows contradictions, failed promises, and blame shifting to be accepted by supporters -- Trump allies increasingly reinterpret and manage his statements instead of repeating them, revealing a loss of internal confidence and a shift from loyalty to damage control -- Donald Trump's absence during key moments shifts real decision-making to figures like JD Vance and other officials, creating a fragmented leadership structure -- Trump's allies pursue rule changes and enforcement presence to tamper with the 2026 midterms, fueled by bogus claims of widespread voter fraud -- Donald Trump repeatedly announces aggressive policies that face immediate backlash and are then delayed, revised, or abandoned -- Donald Trump's policies like tariffs, war-driven energy spikes, and healthcare uncertainty, disproportionately raise costs and instability for his own voter base -- On the Bonus Show: Trump vows to send Iran back to the Stone Age in an unhinged speech to the nation, and much more... 🩳 Quince: Get free shipping & 365-day returns at https://quince.com/pakman 🩳 SHEATH Underwear: Code PAKMAN for 20% OFF at https://sheathunderwear.com/pakman 🩳 SHEATH Underwear: Code PAKMAN for 20% OFF at https://sheathunderwear.com/pakman 🧠 Try Brain.fm totally free for a month at https://brain.fm/pakman 💻 Sponsored by Private Internet Access: 83% OFF + 4 months free at https://www.piavpn.com/DavidP 🔊 Blinkist: Read a nonfiction book in just 15 minutes! Try it FREE at https://blinkist.com/pakman -- 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 (01:21) Divided Democrats lack consensus candidate (09:01) Trump support driven by identity loyalty (19:17) Allies shift to managing Trump messaging (25:36) Trump absence shifts real decision making (34:41) Efforts reshape rules for 2026 election (44:04) Trump policies face backlash and reversals (50:32) Trump policies hit his voters hardest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Springs blooming at Starbucks.
0:03.0	A new season calls for new discoveries,
0:06.0	like our iced Ube-Vinilla Machilate.
0:09.0	Smooth, creamy and nutty, balanced with notes of vanilla.
0:13.0	It's a treat for the ice too,
0:15.0	with vibrant lilac hues to brighten your spring mood.
0:19.0	Hot or iced, there are so many ways to love this stunning serve.
0:23.8	Uber vanilla, pouring now at Starbucks.
0:27.4	Subject to availability while stocks last.
0:30.1	The Democratic primary for 2028 is already taking shape.
0:34.2	The people leading are strong, but they are not universally liked even within
0:39.9	the Democratic Party. That matters a lot. We're going to talk about why. This is about a lot more
0:44.8	than who is polling well today. It's really about who can build the coalition that's big enough
0:50.6	to actually win. There is not an obvious consensus right now. At the same time,
0:56.1	there's something else going on that should concern you even more. The inner circle around
1:00.7	President Trump is behaving increasingly differently. They are not getting any more loyal.
1:05.9	They are getting less loyal. They're hesitating to throw their support behind whatever Donald Trump does. They are
1:12.9	reinterpreting what Trump says. And I believe that this is a sign that they are no longer following
1:19.9	him. They are managing him. And that raises a serious question. If Trump isn't running things when he's sundowning or at Mar-a-Lago, who is? We're going
1:32.0	to break that down. Later, I will tell you about the groundwork to try to rig the 2026 election.
1:39.0	Fortunately, there are things we can do to prevent that from happening. That's the good news.
1:45.0	Listen, I don't know what you care about heading into 2028.
	...

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