Breaking News from Pod Save America - Political Experts React to Trump’s INSANE New Video

Episode Date: March 13, 2026

Tommy Vietor joins Dan Pfeiffer to break down the latest political ads including an INSANE hype video from Trump. CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR: ZIP RECRUITER - http://ziprecruiter.com/CROOKED DAN'S MESSAGE BOX: http://crooked.com/yeswedan CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Trump Posts Insane Video 11:20 - Ken Paxton Ad 16:32 - Ad Break 17:28 - F*ck Trump Ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That ad fucking rules. I mean, you tell me if that's effective, Dan. Welcome to Political Exeterreact. I'm Dan Fiper. And joining me today for the first time in the six-year history of this show is Tommy Vitor. Dan, it's great to finally be here. I've been begging you every single week at our meeting that comes right after this. So it's great to finally be here.

Can I tell you why you have been on the show yet? Yeah. Not an expert. No, this is the hackiest show that Crooked puts out with the possible. exception of our subscription-only show called Polar Coaster, which I also host. Great show. And you know too much about other things happening in the world to general beyond the show. But we're at war now.

And so it's a perfect and politics and war have come together as we're in an election and election year. And Trump is doing insane things. And so I want to start first with a video that the White House put out to try to promote the excursion slash war in Iran that Trump started. Oh, shit. Here we go again. Go with me. Okay.

For those of you not familiar with early 2010's late 2000s video games, that was a clip from... 2004. Wow, 2004 was Grand Theft. That's a clip from Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, uh, interspersed with video of the United States blowing up things in Iran. Yeah, airstriks. Just talk to me, Tommy, as someone who is a former spokesperson for the National Security Council, So you have done communications around when the United States was into wars, around military operations. What was your reaction to this interesting strategic choice from the Trump White House?

I mean, like, first of all, could it be more obvious that it's millennials trying to reach Gen Z because I picked a 2004 video game, Grant Thept Auto? It is shocking. I mean, look, it's a little less shocking on the heels of the Pentagon constantly releasing videos of the boat. strikes in the Caribbean. These, you know, extraditional murders of, you know, individuals, they say are drug traffickers. But in the context of this broader war, like the cavalier way, the giddy way they talk about killing people and conflict and the death and destruction that comes from war is really a new thing. I mean, some of it comes from Trump in his tone and attitude.

Some of it comes from Pete Hegseth and like whatever kind of tough guy cosplay. bullshit he's doing Dan. But like it's just like they're clearly their audience is young men in the United States with this kind of crap. And we should talk about how it's actually being rejected on the far right. But you know, the other component of your messaging normally when you're a White House and you're waging war is the rest of the world. You know what I mean? At the same time Trump is telling Iranian people to rise up and you know take over the government like but he's also putting out snuff videos of the U.S. killing them. It's just the whole thing is just disgusting. there doesn't mean any strategy other than trying to get social media engagement.

Yes. And not the kind of like positive social media engagement or even virality, just it's rage baiting. Like you're not just selling a war in the United States. You're selling it to the world, right? And that's, this is not a good way to do that. It's not a good way to do the United States. If their target is young men, it's failing miserably. Our friend Peter Hamby had a story in Puck the other day with a bunch of focus groups of young men and young, young Trump voters who are rejecting this wholeheartedly.

It's very interesting enough, you know, Peter wrote in 2024 about all these young men who are worried that if Kamala Harris won, they get drafted into a war, which was obviously, you know, we're not going to have the draft. It's absurd. But they have that same worry with Trump. Like, it's just, it is when you, like, it's just they just have a bunch of like Gen Z, Gryper online edge lords doing this stuff. And maybe Trump, maybe some people think it's cool, but it's not working with anyone else. is the least popular war at its outset in American history. Yeah, I think like, I think something broke. Look, the sort of Info Wars, Nick Fuentes is of the world. They're like far, far right.

Something broke in their support with Trump around the mishandling of the Epstein files. But they also had serious concerns about the war in Iran. And the reaction you're seeing from those sort of worlds to these kinds of videos in this context. They're like, what is this shit? You know, like, these people were like the biggest Trump fans and they hate it. And this is the super, super far right. But also, yeah, that Peter Hamby piece was so interesting because it's basically a focus group of 55 young men 18 to 29 from all different backgrounds and political orientations. And Peter wrote that they're not viewing Iran as foreign policy or as like a policy issue.

They're viewing it as, why are we spending money on bombs when my life sucks and my economic situation is not getting better? And they're viewing it through the prism of Trump lying to them about no new war. and the anxiety that came from, you know, the idea of World War III, like you said, and getting drafted. The thing that has come through and how poorly the war has gone thus far just how unsurious the people in making the decisions are. And this, your communication strategy should not highlight that unsuriceness. Yeah, that's a really good point.

And like, you know, they're clowns and their assholes and Pete Hacks has the joke. But there was a period of time when they were really good at social media. Like Donald Trump, like going to McDonald's was one of the smartest, you know, viral moments of the entire campaign. And that was kind of driven by that team at this stuff. It's just completely tone deaf. Speaking of trying out virality and trying to make an impression online, the Iranians put out a response video of some kind today or Iranian-aligned media, I think is what we describe it. Let's play a little bit and then Tommy, maybe you can explain what's going on here.

So what does it deal with this? So I think someone in the Iranian world, I don't know, maybe like a state-aligned media or someone in the government made this video. It starts with, I think that's Jeffrey Epstein, Trump and Satan. or is that Netanyahu Trump and Satan? Either way they're going. But they're reading the Epstein files. They're reading the Epstein files in hell. Then it's a clip of a missile blowing up that that girl's school in Iran,

this horrific instance of civilian casualties that kill, I think, 165 girls and 14 teachers. Then it cuts to an IRGC guy holding a little kid's backpack and crying and I think getting revenge. And then they show like Lego retaliation on British forces, Saudis, Israeli targets, dead U.S. troops coming home and then ships getting blown up in the straight of Hormuz. So intense Lego movie. It tells a very cons like obviously it is using Legos to do so. So let's just stipulate that it suffers from the same unsuriceness as the Trump video. But it really does tell the story that the Iranians want told about what happened here.

I mean, the idea he's using his distraction. The obscene files is horrible things that happened. The consequence of what the United States did to, Iran from the perspective of the Iranians going like and then what that means for the region, for oil for the United States, the radicalization of people because of the attacks and the attacks on the girls' school in particular. It, you know, like there, I remember just when we were in the White House together, there was so much time and energy spent thinking about the how to message and navigate online spaces, particularly ones that would about the war on terror, right, about,

you know, Obama's effort to close Guantanamo, what was happening in Afghanistan, what was happening in Iraq, and, you know, and there was like, there was this like intense battle between the, you know, people in the United States government and then all of the people align with ISIS or al-Qaeda online to try to shape the impression, right? And they, and one of the things I know that if Obama was in office at the time, and that, and something like what happened, when the girls schools happened. Like there would have been so much time thinking about like what is the like one, how did it happen?

How do you get the bottom? What's the investigation? How do you hold some accountable for it? But then what are the ramifications around the world for that happening? Like how do you deal with a fallout from that? Like there are people not just in Iran around the world who are going to see that. And that will further radicalize people against the United States. Yeah.

I mean, look, Donald Trump launched a war against a Muslim country in the middle of Ramadan. With Israel. Yeah, along with Israel. and one of the first strikes the U.S. took was one that killed, it was one of the worst instances of civilian casualties in like American history. And it hit a school full of young girls. And so you're right that that Iranian video, albeit via Lego figures, does tell a story that is frames everything Iran is now doing as retaliation or revenge. And Dan, I worried about exactly what you're saying, which is like, you know, we used to worry a lot about the way U.S. actions and deeds might feed into an al-Qaeda. a narrative or radicalize people or make them want to retaliate or become parts of extremist groups.

That's just an afterthought. Again, like we're bombing the Iranians during Ramadan. Lindsay Graham is out there calling this a holy war. There's these reports that like U.S. troops are being told that Donald Trump is sort of like imposing God's will and this is part of like the final judgment, right? There's a lot of there are a lot of, as someone once said, a lot of chickens that could come home to roost here given the messages that are being sent to the world. In my newsletter in the message box, we're going to be covering this midterm election on a near daily basis.

I'm going to dig into the races that matter, help you understand the political trends you're going to decide the election. And perhaps most importantly, give you real advice about how you can make a difference, which campaigns to support, which candidates have the best chance of winning, and how you can make an impact. So if you go to the link in the show description to sign up for Message Box, if you sign up now, you get your first 30 days free. It's an election year special. If you like this show and you like POTS of America, I'm confident you'll love the message box. We're now going to pivot to something less serious and more at home than war. But obviously what's happening in Iran is affecting politics all over the place. And it's going to be a real issue when the elections coming up.

And even in some of these Democratic primaries are going to have coming soon. I want to start with Texas where Donald Trump was supposed to endorse John Cornyn, but has not yet done so. And so the pro-Corny enforces put out this ad just the other day, taking the wood to Ken Paxton. What do a burner phone, a $1,000 Montblanc pen, and this cash machine have in common? They are symbols of Ken Paxton's depravity. Paxton used the burner phone and an alias to hide his affair from the mother of his children. Now his wife's divorcing him on biblical grounds. Thou shalt not commit adultery. A Montblancen stolen from another lawyer, because once a crook, Always a crook.

Thou shalt not steal. And while in office, Crooked Ken increased his net worth by up to 7,000 percent. Then use that fortune to buy ten properties and claimed three of them as his principal residence to get cheaper mortgage rates. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Judgment Day comes for all of us eventually. This year, in Texas, Ken Paxton faces the voters. Defeat the crook. I'm John Cornyn and I approve this message.

I would just note that even though John Cornyn got a few more votes than Ken Paxon in the runoff election in initial polls, Ken Paxson, despite all of those things, is beating John Cornyn. What do you think of that ad? That ad fucking rules. I mean, you tell me if that's effective, Dan. Listen, Ken Pacton is staggeringly corrupt. And the way they told the story there, like the cash machine.

the infidelity, the story about him stealing a pen, which may or may not be true. I mean, apparently that I think he went through security along with someone else. A guy left his $1,000 Montblanc pen, which, you know, if you buy a thousand dollar pen, you know, it's on you if you lose that thing because you're an idiot. But Paxson, like, picked it up and took it and then had to return it. Like, I don't know. I think it tells a great story, and it makes him look creepy. But I don't know.

Is that too harsh of an ad to like from the Cornyn campaign versus a super PAC? I don't think anyone distinguishes anymore what's from an actual campaign in a super PAC. And the laws defining what you can and can't, like how you communicate with super PACs are now so ridiculous that anything is, everything is from the same side, essentially. I mean, they're sharing opposition research. They're sharing, you know, television flights. They're sharing all the information. And the Super PACs would not do something like this without Ken Paxon's, you know, say

so or GenCordon say so. So, you know, I don't think it makes that a difference. It's, it's hard to know how effective that is because people already know Ken Pactan is corrupt. That is not new information to anyone. Yeah. The guy was impeached by the Republican House in Texas. Like overwhelmingly. Yeah, overwhelmingly.

And somehow, in part, thanks to Donald Trump, was able to avoid being convicted in the Senate. So it's not, it's a little, like you imagine a version of this ad that was really. run by Hillary Clinton in 2016. Like, how effective is that? Are you, you might be making the wrong argument for voters because the, your better argument is probably that he's so corrupt that he can't win. Yeah. Not that he's so corrupt that he's just like a bad guy.

Because people know he's a bad guy, but he's very, he's the most Trump-like figure of, I think anyone we've seen in American politics yet because he's incredibly corrupt, but he's very good at doing the things and saying the things the base wants, you know, whether it's the border stuff, the abortion stuff, the anti-trans stuff. Like, he knows how he is like, he's actually better than Trump at seeing where the base is going and like getting right to like their sweet spots first. And so, you know, the I would, we don't have exit polls, but I would bet all the money in the world that despite tens of millions of dollars of ads using the term divorce for biblical reasons, Paxton crushed John Cornyn with evangelical voters.

Yeah, no, I'm sure you're right. Yeah, I feel like you sent that ad around to one of our group chats at like five this morning and I watched it on the treadmill and I loved it and I howled with laughter. But like the fact that I liked it so much probably means it's not the most effectively designed ad for Republican audiences. Like I wonder about the very theatrical high dudge in Ken Paxton, like not a biblically, right? Like there's a way you do that same ad with the same information with humor or a lighter touch that I don't know, maybe is a little more viral.

The opening is very good because you want, you know, basically just like TV and movies in this age, you need people to get bought in in the first like five seconds of an ad. So it's like, what is the cash machine burner phone and pen have in common? You're like, well, fuck, I'm in. I've got another 45 seconds to give this thing. So that part, that is good like craftsmanship from an ad perspective. That's true. That's true.

God, that's so funny. Pod Save America Breaking News is brought to you by ZipRecruiter. What's the latest trend in? hiring, it's skill-based hiring, which emphasizes capabilities over education and direct experience. According to experts, this leads to faster hiring and better job performance. If you're an employer who's adopted skills-based hiring, the best way to ensure that your applicants have the right skills is with ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter recommends smart screening questions to help you hone in on that perfect match for your role. And right now, you can try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com

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Fuck Trump. Vote Giuliana. Fuck Trump. Vote Giuliana. Fuck Trump. Vote Giuliana. They said it, not me. I'm Giuliana Stratton, and I'm proud to have lived my whole life on the south side of Chicago.

I'm not scared of a wannabe dictator. I'm running for Senate to stand up to Donald Trump. I'll abolish ICE and hold Trump. accountable for the crimes he's committed. Just like they said, fuck Trump. Fuck Trump. Vote Giuliana.

That's why I approve this message. All right. This one's been a little bit controversial in Illinois, even among some of Stratton supporters. What do you think? I don't like nothing against Julianna Stratton, but like who's that for? Is that to appeal to like an online primary audience?

You think that's really going up on TV? No, no, it's an online. It's a viral video, essentially. It's just a viral video. I wonder, like, you're probably, I don't love it, man. I don't know. I kind of think that American politics is a giant pendulum, and what I'm hoping is happening is we might have hit peak Trump and people are like kind of hoping it the pendulum swings

back the other direction, and there's, you know, more of like a Tala Rico style message might be appealing to people because they're tired of the division and divisiveness, and maybe that will work better. I mean, you can say fuck Trump, but is that, I don't know. So I agree with you from a like broader macro politics point of view. Like if like I wouldn't recommend Sherrod Brown run this out in Ohio. I would recommend Tala Rico run it in Texas or even I wouldn't even recommend Graham Platiner run it in Maine.

But Julianne Stratton's running in a Democratic primary in Illinois where the overall majority of the vote is coming from Chicago. And the re so there's two parts of it that like to me this is fine. Like I don't like I don't think this is winning or losing a race. I'm intrigued by the strategy behind it, which is, like, if you ask Democratic primary voters in Illinois what they think, they will say fuck Trump. Like that will come un, you know, what's your first thought of the, like the first year and two months of Donald Trump? Be like, fuck that guy, yeah. Two, I really think they did a good job getting the right people with various Illinois accents to say fuck Trump.

They did. And ultimately, you are trying to get attention in a Democratic primary where we've sort of seen this before in some of these elections where the person who may, you kind of see. says fuck Trump, the loudest might win the Democratic primary. What's good about this is there's no long-term consequences for that. Like in some of these other states, like you could see a situation in Iowa where you have all these Democrats running for Senate. They are in a, they're fighting against each other to appeal to the like the hardest core of the base.

Then they pay a price for that anti, that fuck Trump rhetoric in the general. There's no, there's no price here. Whoever wins that nomination. is going to be the nominee. So to me, it's kind of like, it's a fine, relatively clever idea to get attention. And it is the thing I will appreciate by it is that goes, fuck Trump, funk Trump, fuck Trump. I'm Julianne Stratton.

I was born and raised here in Chicago. I've seen my whole life here. Here are things I'm going to do. Oh, and by the way, here comes our very popular governor at the end to endorse me. Like, I think it's pretty well done. There's a lot of good elements there. Like, my reaction was, is this going to appeal to like the seniors? who are going to church on the south side of Chicago

or is this going to offend them in some way? I'm sure they focus group this with enough people that they know that it will be not a big deal. I mean, there's a version of that ad where you bleep the F word. Yeah, absolutely. And if you want to run it on TV, I don't know whether they've done that

or not's a good question, but you could bleeping it and running on TV is actually a pretty good idea. The thing about this ad, as you said, is this is, like, Katie Porter basically did the exact same thing at the California Democratic Convention where she held up her whiteboard

and it said, fuck Trump on there, right? So this is a message, that a lot of people think is appealing in a Democratic primary to Democratic Party base voters and maybe she will win. I'm with you that I'm not particularly concerned about the implications for the general election

for a Senate race in Illinois in 2026. I feel like we got a pretty good shot at that one. I don't know. I just, it kind of just like makes me a little bit sad. Juliana Stratton seems like an interesting person. She's endorsed by like the popular governor of this date. She's got a lot of like good bio points you get hit. And it's like, you know, they'd sum it up as fuck Trump.

But I would say it's a positive sign for the state of our politics or our media that, that like very serious politicians would find a strategic reason to say run an entire ad of random people saying fuck Trump. But you know, you know, this is the world in which we live. Yes, you're right. You're right. We, yes, politics as it is, not as we wish it would be, as Ben Rhodes might say. All right.

Tommy Vitor, thank you for joining us on Plet Cresbytes React. And you have now been on this show. One more time than John Lovett. Thanks, Dan. Thanks for me. Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile, with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop.

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