Trump Admits He's for He/Him, Not You

Episode of Pod Save America · May 15, 2026 · 1 h 18 min

Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer discuss Trump's remark about not thinking of Americans' finances, his IRS lawsuit settlement, redistricting, and the DNC's missing 2024 autopsy.

Summary

Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer opened with President Trump's trip to China and his comment that he does not think about Americans' financial situations when negotiating with Iran. Pfeiffer argued it was politically the most damaging thing Trump had ever said because it confirmed swing voters' greatest fear, and the hosts mocked Republican efforts, including Speaker Mike Johnson's, to explain it away.

They then discussed reports that the Justice Department would settle Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, later reported by ABC News as a $1.7 billion "weaponization" compensation fund. Pfeiffer called it potentially the greatest presidential corruption in U.S. history and argued Democrats should frame corruption as the explanation for why the economy fails ordinary people, while Favreau called for ambitious reforms to constrain future presidents.

On redistricting, the hosts reviewed state-by-state developments after the Supreme Court's ruling, backed Hakeem Jeffries's maximalist approach, and responded to Kamala Harris's call for a "no bad ideas" brainstorm on structural reforms. Favreau stressed that national reforms depend on winning difficult Senate seats. Pfeiffer dismissed James Blair's "woke, weak and way too liberal" midterm strategy and advised candidates to inoculate themselves by separating from generic Democrats and showing they are fighters.

The episode closed with the DNC's unreleased 2024 autopsy, where both hosts criticized chair Ken Martin's lack of candor after Rob Flaherty wrote in The Bulwark that no real autopsy exists, a discussion of lessons from Flaherty's memo on digital campaigning and candidate brand, and mockery of a 22-foot golden Trump statue dedicated at his Doral golf club.

Chapters

1:29
Introduction
Favreau and Pfeiffer preview the episode and promote Crooked Con.
2:43
Trump in China and the financial-situation gaffe
The hosts react to Trump praising Xi Jinping and saying he does not think about Americans' financial situations.
7:58
Republican damage control
Republicans including Mike Johnson try to explain the remark, and the hosts discuss how Democrats could use it in campaigns and debates.
Linked moment · 15:11Skip to 15:11 using a listen link in the info box.
15:11
Trump's IRS lawsuit settlement
The hosts discuss reports that the Justice Department will settle Trump's lawsuit against the IRS, including breaking news of a $1.7 billion fund.
19:34
How Democrats should talk about corruption
Pfeiffer argues corruption should be framed as an explanation for economic pain, and the hosts debate reform agendas and constraining presidential power.
31:32
Redistricting wars and structural reform
The hosts review state redistricting moves, Hakeem Jeffries's approach, and Kamala Harris's call for expanded democratic reforms.
41:16
The House and Senate math
Favreau and Pfeiffer analyze the House forecast and argue that national reforms depend on winning hard Senate races.
46:55
James Blair's 'woke, weak' strategy
Pfeiffer plugs MessageBox Pro and argues the GOP is rerunning its 2024 playbook, advising candidates on how to inoculate themselves.
55:12
The DNC's missing autopsy
The hosts discuss Rob Flaherty's Bulwark piece saying no real autopsy exists and criticize Ken Martin's candor and the establishment's credibility.
1:05:58
Lessons from Flaherty's memo
Discussion of digital-first campaigning, candidate brand, and why candidates must personally understand today's media.
1:13:23
Trump's golden statue
The hosts mock the 22-foot golden Trump statue at Doral and suggest ad ideas featuring Republicans worshiping it.

Key points

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

Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues that Trump's remark about not thinking of Americans' finances is politically the most damaging thing he has ever said.
“But from a political perspective, this is the worst thing he has said by far. Hands down, not even close”
Listen from 5:31 · Donald Trump approval rating
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues the gaffe hurts because it confirms disillusioned Trump voters' fear that he does not care about them.
“the worst kind of gaffes are when you say the truth out loud. And that's what this is”
Listen from 6:01 · Donald Trump approval rating
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues that a settlement paying Trump from his own IRS lawsuit would be unprecedented presidential corruption.
“this would be the greatest example of presidential corruption in American history by a factor of a thousand. It's just stealing money”
Listen from 17:41 · Trump v. Internal Revenue Service settlement
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues the lawsuit would never succeed against another administration and only wins because Trump controls the Justice Department.
“the only reason he would win the lawsuit is because he decides the lawsuit because he is the Justice Department”
Listen from 19:11 · Trump v. Internal Revenue Service settlement
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer says pollsters who find corruption messaging ineffective are right on data but wrong on strategy.
“I believe these pollsters. I believe their data. I just think they are tactically correct and strategically wrong”
Listen from 19:55 · Political corruption in the United States
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues Democrats should present corruption as the explanation for economic hardship rather than as a legal case.
“the way to think about corruption is to understand that, is to treat corruption as an explanation for why everything sucks”
Listen from 19:55 · Political corruption in the United States
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer calls the failure to ban congressional stock trading while Democrats held the majority a major Biden-era mistake.
“Truly one of the biggest mistakes of the Biden era was not getting that done when we had the majority”
Listen from 23:17 · Congressional stock trading
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues that simply restoring Justice Department independence will not stop a future Trump, so bigger reforms are needed.
“the idea that the next democratic president is just going to be like, well, the justice department is independent again”
Listen from 24:49 · Political corruption in the United States
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues the Supreme Court has created permanent redistricting warfare, requiring Democrats to use every lever of power until Congress bans partisan gerrymandering.
“because of the Supreme Court, we are now in a state of perpetual political warfare”
Listen from 34:28 · Redistricting in the United States
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues that national reforms depend on Democrats winning difficult Senate races such as Alaska, Texas, Iowa, and Ohio.
“It really comes down to, like, can we field candidates that win Senate seats in this cycle at least, Alaska, Texas, Iowa, Ohio?”
Listen from 41:48 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues only federal legislation can end gerrymandering and change the Electoral College or Supreme Court.
“Federal legislation is the only way to stop gerrymandering everywhere. It's the only way to change the Electoral College”
Listen from 42:48 · Redistricting in the United States
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues James Blair's 'woke, weak' strategy is an outdated rerun of 2024 because voters now see Trump as weak and Republicans as extreme.
“trying to rerun the 2024 strategy in 2026. And I have bad news for Mr. Blair. It's not 2024 anymore”
Listen from 51:55 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer advises Democratic candidates to inoculate themselves by separating from the party and showing they are fighters.
“this is an attack on generic Democrats. Don't be a generic Democrat. Find ways to separate yourself from the party”
Listen from 54:12 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer contends that the DNC autopsy team did poor work and that Ken Martin lied himself into a corner rather than admitting it.
“The people he picked to do the autopsy did a piss poor job. There is no autopsy”
Listen from 57:38 · DNC 2024 election autopsy
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues that Ken Martin's refusal to be transparent about the autopsy is unacceptable for a DNC chair.
“Ken Martin either thinks that we're stupid or that we don't deserve the full truth, and either option is completely unacceptable”
Listen from 58:23 · DNC 2024 election autopsy
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues the Democratic establishment has not reckoned with its credibility problem, rooted partly in defending Biden's fitness in 2024.
“I do not think that the Democratic establishment has fully reckoned with the magnitude of the credibility problem that it has with voters”
Listen from 1:03:08 · Joe Biden 2024 reelection campaign
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer agrees with Flaherty that digital should be central to campaigns rather than a separate department.
“Digital should no longer be an apartment in a campaign. And I thought about you when I read that. It's all digital”
Listen from 1:05:58 · Digital political campaigning
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues that campaigns must build a candidate's brand and story rather than just pushing top-testing messages.
“voters are never gonna fucking hear these messages anymore if they are boring”
Listen from 1:08:52 · Digital political campaigning
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer says presidential hopefuls who do not personally consume TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube should not run.
“you do not have TikTok, Instagram on your phone, and you're not going to YouTube and just watching it, then you should not run”
Listen from 1:11:21 · Digital political campaigning

People

In the conversation

Jon FavreauCo-host of Pod Save America and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama
Dan PfeifferCo-host of Pod Save America, author of the Message Box newsletter, and former White House communications director

Discussed

Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Xi JinpingGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and paramount leader of China
Mike JohnsonSpeaker of the House, blamed by the hosts for not bringing the Senate DHS bill to the floor
Hakeem JeffriesHouse Democratic leader Haywood met about NIL
Kamala HarrisFormer Vice President mentioned as a potential California endorser
James BlairTrump White House political director leading the GOP midterm operation
Ken MartinChair of the Democratic National Committee
Rob FlahertyFormer Biden-Harris deputy campaign manager who wrote about the DNC autopsy in The Bulwark
Amanda LitmanFounder of Run for Something, reportedly approached about the DNC chair job
Joe BidenFormer president whose economic approval is compared to Trump's
Wes MooreGovernor of Maryland
Mary PeltolaDemocratic Senate candidate in Alaska
James TalaricoDemocratic Senate nominee in Texas
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezCongresswoman ranked sixth by Halperin among 2028 Democrats
Isaac ChotinerJournalist who interviewed Trump's spiritual advisor

Topics

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From the publisher

Republicans attempt to defend President Trump's admission that he does not "think about Americans' financial situations," while his Department of Justice is on the verge of giving him billions of taxpayer dollars to settle the lawsuit he brought against his own IRS. Jon and Dan react to the president's financial priorities and then turn to Democratic strategy, including how they should be talking about the administration's corruption, how they're fighting back against Republican gerrymandering, and the latest on the DNC's refusal to release its 2024 autopsy. 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 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·News Commentary