The week from hell, allies panic, governors revolt
The David Pakman Show - October 8, 2025
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In a major upset in Fairbanks, Alaska, Democrat Mindy O’Neall unseated incumbent Republican Mayor David Pruhs, flipping a seat Republicans had held for nearly a decade. O’Neall captured 54% of the vote to Pruhs’ 46%, with Pruhs conceding gracefully and without invoking voter fraud, lawsuits, or conspiracy theories.
Meanwhile, concern over Donald Trump’s behavior has entered mainstream political discourse, with multiple officials suggesting his erratic actions may be linked to cognitive decline. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Senator Ruben Gallego all raised the possibility that Trump’s repeated troop deployments and insistence on ignoring legal limits may reflect dementia.
At a Senate oversight hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi faced tough questioning about her handling of matters related to Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Justice Department investigations. Bondi largely avoided direct answers, deflected questions, and attacked senators instead, appearing more performative than transparent.
Trump himself has made headlines by suggesting that furloughed federal workers might receive back pay only if they are loyal to him. The statement, made publicly in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney present, violates constitutional protections and civil service law, reviving a politically motivated spoils system.
Trump’s interactions with Carney were chaotic, including off-topic personal attacks, incoherent trade discussions, and threats of tariffs. He belittled non-white Democratic women, questioning their intelligence, and contradicted trade agreements reached during his first term.
Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser, revealed further authoritarian inclinations, claiming the president possesses “plenary authority,” meaning total unchecked power. Miller also described judges opposing Trump as committing “insurrection” and falsely framed immigrant communities as benefiting from ICE raids.
Finally, media personalities who once amplified Trump, including Adin Ross, Theo Von, Andrew Schulz, and Joe Rogan, are now distancing themselves. The figures who once presented Trump as edgy or rebellious are realizing he is the establishment, and their audiences are turning against them. The shift illustrates how quickly political influence can become a liability when the figurehead becomes the system.
On today’s bonus show:
Mike Johnson warns furloughed workers may not get back pay. The White House says it’ll use tariff revenue to pay for food assistance. The Treasury defends minting a Trump coin, and much more...
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Furlowing civil servants is pure extortion.
During a shutdown, “essential” workers such as air traffic controllers and TSA agents are continuing to work without pay, while many other employees are placed on furlough.
So little mike johnson, speaker, says he does not know if they will be paid. Here is the 3rd most powerful man on the planet, the architect of the shutdown, does not know a basic question.
How is it that reps and senators get paid while other govt employees are not?
When even Joe Rogan starts backing away, you know the circus tent’s on fire.
Trump’s week reads like a mashup of The Apprentice and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Governors revolting, allies ghosting, and Pam Bondi auditioning for Real Housewives of the DOJ.
He’s not draining the swamp. He’s turning it into a hot tub for fascists with dementia.
Blessed be the ones who can still tell leadership from lunacy.