Political Violence Shocks Washington

Episode of Pod Save America · April 28, 2026 · 1 h 25 min

Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor discuss the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting and Iran talks; Lovett interviews California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter.

Summary

The hosts discussed the gunman who charged the entrance of the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton and was charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump. They condemned political violence, and Vietor predicted Trump would get a modest rally-around-the-flag effect. They debated Secret Service performance: Vietor argued the protective system largely worked but that the agency is generally a mess, Favreau called the Hilton a bad venue, and Lovett warned against reflexively expanding security perimeters.

They criticized Republican responses, including the administration's use of the shooting to seek dismissal of a lawsuit against Trump's White House ballroom, blaming Democrats for DHS funding lapses despite unanimous Senate passage of a funding bill, and the Trumps' demand that Jimmy Kimmel be fired over a joke. Favreau and Lovett argued that Republican calls to cool rhetoric were hypocritical given Trump's own statements. They also discussed the surge of staged-shooting conspiracy theories, which Vietor traced to longstanding American distrust of government, and a dispute between Michael Tracy and Jim Acosta at a Substack party.

On Iran, Vietor argued the stalled talks were humiliating for the U.S. because Trump started a war he could not end, and Favreau speculated Trump might accept a deal reopening the Strait of Hormuz while deferring nuclear issues.

In the interview, Porter said apathy was her biggest opponent, defended her proposal to eliminate state income tax for earners under $100,000 (an idea she credited to Republican Steve Hilton) with a more progressive corporate tax, and pushed back when Lovett argued California has a structural spending problem rather than a revenue problem. She supported consolidating education authority under the governor, urged debate hosts not to platform low-polling candidates, contrasted herself with Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer, and discussed gender and her reputation for toughness.

Chapters

1:44
Introduction and announcements
The hosts preview the episode and announce Lovett or Leave It's expansion and CrookedCon.
2:41
The correspondents' dinner shooting
The hosts react to the attempted attack and Trump's contentious 60 Minutes interview.
10:56
Secret Service and event security
The hosts debate whether security worked, the suitability of the Hilton, and the risk of overreaction.
18:42
Ballroom and DHS funding arguments
The hosts criticize using the shooting to justify Trump's ballroom and to blame Democrats for DHS funding.
24:02
Kimmel and the rhetoric blame game
The hosts discuss the Trumps' demand to fire Jimmy Kimmel and argue Republican complaints about rhetoric are hypocritical.
35:57
Conspiracy theories about the shooting
The hosts discuss why staged-shooting theories spread so quickly.
40:15
Michael Tracy vs. Jim Acosta
The hosts recount an online and in-person confrontation at a Substack after-party.
44:59
Iran talks stalemate
The hosts discuss collapsed negotiations, the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear stockpile.
51:00
Katie Porter on the campaign and Trump
Porter describes voter apathy and how she would approach Trump and California's congressional delegation.
55:44
Taxes, spending and affordability
Porter defends her income tax cut and corporate tax plan while Lovett argues California has a spending problem.
1:08:01
Education reform and the jungle primary
Porter discusses education governance and whether Democrats should consolidate in the primary.
1:13:10
Opponents, toughness and recommendations
Porter contrasts herself with Becerra and Steyer, discusses gender and toughness, and recommends the novel Woodworking.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Tommy Vietor
Vietor predicted the most likely political outcome of the shooting would be a small rally-around-the-flag effect for Trump.
“It does seem like the most likely outcome from this incident is Donald Trump gets a little rally around the flag effect”
Listen from 5:19 · 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting
Jon Lovett
Lovett argued that what unites attackers is a contagious online desire for control and a blaze of glory rather than particular beliefs.
“what unites them is this desire to take control, go out in a blaze of glory. It is a contagious idea online”
Listen from 7:04 · Political violence in the United States
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argued that the Secret Service is in worse shape than its public image, even though the protective system largely worked at the dinner.
“In general, I think the Secret Service is far more of a mess and a disaster than its public image would suggest”
Listen from 11:27 · United States Secret Service
Jon Favreau
Favreau argued the Washington Hilton is a poor venue because hotel guests can get close to the ballroom.
“in general, I think the Hilton is a bad location for this”
Listen from 13:16 · 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting
Jon Lovett
Lovett warned against responding to isolated security breaches by continually expanding perimeters and militarizing government.
“the answer to some security breach by one random person can't constantly be that the perimeter gets bigger, the security gets more, our government becomes more militarized”
Listen from 14:43 · United States Secret Service
Jon Favreau
Favreau cited reporting that the administration is building the ballroom through a secret no-bid contract after inflating its value.
“The Trump administration basically is building this thing with a secret no-bid contract after inflating its value by three times”
Listen from 21:50 · White House ballroom project
Jon Favreau
Favreau argued that blaming Democrats for DHS funding is wrong because the Senate already unanimously passed a funding bill and the House has not acted.
“Democrats and Republicans in the Senate did already unanimously pass a bill to fund DHS a few weeks ago”
Listen from 22:34 · Department of Homeland Security shutdown
Jon Lovett
Lovett argued political violence is an authoritarian act that silences society as a whole, not just its target.
“political violence is wrong. And it's wrong because it doesn't just silence the person that they're trying to kill. It silences the entire society”
Listen from 30:51 · Political violence in the United States
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argued that the U.S. government's history of deception has given Americans reasons to doubt official narratives.
“The US government has given people ample reason to question official narratives from the JFK assassination to the lies about Vietnam to COINTELPRO to the Iraq War”
Listen from 36:54 · Conspiracy theories in the United States
Jon Lovett
Lovett argued that social media is inherently conspiratorial and therefore benefits the right more than the left.
“the internet is conspiratorial social media is fundamentally conspiratorial it's why it rewards the right more than it does the left”
Listen from 39:11 · Conspiracy theories in the United States
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argued the Iran stalemate is humiliating for the U.S. because Trump started a war he cannot end.
“Not just, though, because J.D. Vance is sitting on a tarmac in Islamabad, but because Trump has started a war and he has no ability to end it”
Listen from 46:30 · United States war with Iran
Katie Porter
Porter said voter apathy has been the biggest obstacle in the governor's race.
“Actually, the biggest opponent in this race has been apathy”
Listen from 51:31 · 2026 California gubernatorial election
Katie Porter
Porter argued California's flat corporate tax rate should be made more progressive to fund tax relief.
“If you're a corporation in California and you make a dollar in hard-earned profit, you pay 8.84% on that dollar”
Listen from 56:44 · Taxation in California
Jon Lovett
Lovett argued California does not have a revenue problem but a structural problem with how government is run and money spent.
“the reality is what we have is a deeper structural issue with how our government is run and where the money is going”
Listen from 1:03:42 · Taxation in California
Katie Porter
Porter acknowledged her income tax cut proposal came from Republican Steve Hilton, saying she is open to good ideas from anyone.
“I think Steve's got crazy pants ideas coming out of his mouth most of the time. But I'm looking for good ideas”
Listen from 1:04:16 · Taxation in California
Katie Porter
Porter argued for shifting homelessness spending toward prevention, which she said is far cheaper than permanent supportive housing.
“homelessness prevention programs take about $6,000 to prevent someone from losing a home”
Listen from 1:05:19 · 2026 California gubernatorial election
Linked moment · 1:06:44Skip to 1:06:44 using a listen link in the info box.
Katie Porter
Porter said she opposed California's 2018 gas tax increase because it is regressive.
“the reason I didn't support it back in 2018, that extra 12 cents, was it's deeply regressive”
Listen from 1:06:44 · Taxation in California
Katie Porter
Porter said she supports consolidating state education authority under the governor, while noting local boards retain power.
“You can and I think probably should consolidate it all at the state level with the governor”
Listen from 1:10:58 · California education governance
Katie Porter
Porter urged debate and forum hosts not to platform low-polling candidates to avoid a Democratic lockout in the top-two primary.
“don't put the candidate with 1% on stage. Like, let's act like grownups about this”
Listen from 1:12:15 · 2026 California gubernatorial election
Katie Porter
Porter argued that billionaire Tom Steyer cannot be as attuned to California families' economic struggles as she is.
“are you really awake and attuned to what it's like for California families in a way that I just don't think a billionaire can be”
Listen from 1:15:55 · 2026 California gubernatorial election
Katie Porter
Porter said Xavier Becerra should be held accountable for losing track of 80,000 unaccompanied children while at HHS.
“that doesn't mean that Javier Becerra shouldn't have to take accountability for losing 80,000 unaccompanied children”
Listen from 1:20:31 · 2026 California gubernatorial election
Katie Porter
Porter recommended Emily St. James's novel Woodworking for understanding trans people's experiences.
“Everybody who is interested in understanding what it's like to be a trans person and where different trans people can be in their journey”
Listen from 1:23:42 · Woodworking (novel)

People

In the conversation

Jon FavreauCo-host of Pod Save America and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama
Jon LovettCo-host of Pod Save America; diarization split of the same speaker during the economics segment
Tommy VietorCo-host of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World who conducted the Josh Turek interview
Katie PorterDemocratic candidate for governor of California

Discussed

Melania TrumpFirst Lady of the United States who condemned Kimmel's joke
Rick ScottRepublican U.S. senator from Florida
Mike JohnsonSpeaker of the House, blamed by the hosts for not bringing the Senate DHS bill to the floor
Michael TracyIndependent journalist
Jim AcostaIndependent journalist and former CNN correspondent
Julie K. BrownMiami Herald reporter whose reporting broke open the Epstein scandal
Marco RubioU.S. Secretary of State who defended the Iran campaign at a cabinet meeting
Friedrich MerzChancellor of Germany
Steve WitkoffU.S. envoy conducting negotiations with Iran
Jared KushnerBusinessman and Trump's son-in-law, adviser in the first Trump administration
Gavin NewsomGovernor of California, cited for his 2018 primary strategy
Tom SteyerDemocratic candidate for governor of California and billionaire investor
Xavier BecerraFormer U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and California attorney general running for governor
Steve HiltonRepublican candidate for governor of California and former Fox News host
Chad BiancoRiverside County sheriff and Republican candidate for governor of California
Charlie KirkAmerican conservative activist and podcast host assassinated in September 2025
Emily St. JamesAuthor of the novel Woodworking
Kathleen Brown1994 Democratic nominee for California governor

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From the publisher

As more details emerge about the gunman who tried to rush the White House Correspondents Dinner, one thing is clear: it must be Democrats' fault. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the reaction to the violence in Washington and on social media, whether Trump will be able to use it to get his ballroom project un-stuck, and the latest with the stalemate with Iran. Then, Lovett talks with Katie Porter, one of the leading Democrats in the race for governor of California. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here . For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·News Commentary