How Trump Made 2025 Worse Than 2020

How Trump Made 2025 Worse Than 2020

Author: CLNS Media Network December 30, 2025 Duration: 59:55
Co-hots Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman return for the final Muckrake episode of 2025, and the vibes are… kinda emotionally stable. They look back on a year that somehow felt darker than 2020, then pivot straight into the current circus: Trump raging at the media, posturing about the Epstein files, hosting Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, and then parroting Putin’s lines like the Oval Office has a Kremlin teleprompter. From there, the conversation goes where 2025 always seems to go: Into the flashing dashboard lights of institutional collapse, Trump’s visible decline, and the unnerving signals that J.D. Vance is already laying 2028 groundwork with Turning Point backing. And if that wasn’t bleak enough, they close with an absolutely cursed focus group of Gen Z Republicans that reads like a “content brain” case study, complete with casual extremism, conspiracy marination, and the kind of political illiteracy that would be funny if it wasn’t actively setting things on fire. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast

Hosted by political analysts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman, The Muckrake Political Podcast operates on a simple premise: the daily headlines are just the surface layer. Produced by the CLNS Media Network, this podcast actively resists the repetitive spin cycle that defines so much political coverage. Instead, each episode is an exercise in excavation, where Sexton and Hauselman pick apart a current event to uncover its roots and ramifications. They consistently reach for historical parallels and viewpoints often sidelined by mainstream discourse, arguing that understanding the past is crucial for navigating the present. The goal isn't just to inform, but to impose a framework for thinking critically about power, rhetoric, and policy as they unfold in real time. For listeners fatigued by shallow takes, this show offers a substantive alternative, replacing noise with nuance. The conversation you'll hear is analytical yet accessible, designed for anyone who feels the news moves too fast to comprehend. It’s a deliberate attempt to find signal in the noise, providing context that makes chaotic political developments feel more intelligible. Tune in for a discussion that treats politics as the complex, consequential force it is, beyond the day's predictable talking points.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Muckrake Political Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Weekender Preview: The Regime Comes For It All [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:39
Nick Hauselman has scheduling issues, so Jared Yates Sexton dives into ABC censoring Jimmy Kimmel on behalf of the Trump Administration and the Right, detailing how past authoritarian regimes wrote the playbook and where…
What This Literal Turning Point Means for America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:49
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down the chaotic aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and how the right is exploiting it. They unpack the instant anti-trans scapegoating, JD Vance’s open calls t…
Soft Targets, Hard Narratives [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:24
This is a free preview of our Weekender. Get the full episode, every Weekender, special live shows, and our community Discord by supporting us here: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nic…
Charlie Kirk Assassinated: America on the Brink [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:30
In an emergency broadcast, Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down the shocking assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Beyond the tragedy itself, they explore the dang…
If The Democrats Ever Figure It Out... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton (fighting off an Oasis-induced cold) and Nick Hauselman break down a 6–3 Supreme Court move that lets ICE ramp up racial profiling in Los Angeles and what that signals for Chicago, protest cra…
The Death of Expertise, Long Live Disease [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:52
This is a preview of the Weekender. Get full access to the entire episode on our Patreon: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Co-hosts Nick Hauselman and Jared Yates Sexton unpack a wild week: The Epstein survivors speak…
How Firings Lead To Fascism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:34
👉 This is an excerpt from the full Weekender episode. Click here for full access and to support the show: Patreon.com/MuckrakePodcast. On this Weekender edition, co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down…
My Kingdom for a (Golf) Course [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:16
Donald Trump’s Oval Office rant took a darker turn this week, openly flirting with dictatorship while floating executive orders on flag burning, renaming the Department of Defense, and even eyeing a federal troop occupat…
Is Trump Fading? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:20
👉 Support The Muckrake Podcast and get exclusive content by joining us on ⁠Patreon⁠ In this Weekender, co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dig into shocking reports that the Trump administration is drawing up…
Putin’s Puppet Show: Trump Tangled in the Strings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:46
Donald Trump just welcomed Vladimir Putin to American soil and rolled out the red carpet—literally clapping as the war criminal strutted into Alaska.. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down what really…