Tom Nichols: America's Problem Child
August 29, 2025
53 min
Full
294 of 500
August 29, 2025
Tom Nichols: America's Problem Child
0:00 / 53:43
Excerpt playback isn’t available for this episode — use the full-episode link.
Search the Record
Moment search isn’t open for this episode yet
When it opens, you’ll be able to type any phrase and jump straight to the second it was said.
Tim Miller Episodes Around August 29, 2025
Episode 294 of 500 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
Tom Nichols: America's Problem Child
Summary
<div>Trump is like a dysfunctional 8-year-old whose parents are always in the principal's office arguing that their son is a good boy. The media, CEOs, and Wall Street keep giving him a pass for his behavior while his supporters and apologists explain why he just had to set the school on fire. At the same time, he's empowering ideologues behind the scenes who are dismantling the government and executing their policy wet dreams. Plus, Joni Ernst's Senate tenure has been a sham, Vance tries Mickey Mouse Stalinism on for size, and what's going on with the bruising on Trump's right hand? The public has the right to know about the health of a president. Tom Nichols joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.<br /><br /><strong>Tom Nichols </strong>joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.<br /><em>show notes<br /></em><br /></div><ul>
<li><a href="http://Trump%20is%20like%20a%20dysfunctional%208-year-old%20whose%20parents%20are%20always%20in%20the%20principal's%20office%20arguing%20that%20their%20son%20is%20a%20good%20boy.%20The%20media,%20CEOs,%20and%20Wall%20Street%20keep%20giving%20him%20a%20pass%20for%20his%20behaviour%20while%20his%20supporters%20and%20apologists%20explain%20why%20he%20just%20had%20to%20set%20the%20school%20on%20fire.%20At%20the%20same%20time,%20he's%20empowering%20ideologues%20behind%20the%20scenes%20who%20are%20dismantling%20the%20government%20and%20executing%20their%20policy%20wet%20dreams.%20Plus,%20Joni%20Ernst's%20Senate%20tenure%20has%20been%20a%20sham,%20Vance%20tries%20Mickey%20Mouse%20Stalinism%20on%20for%20size,%20and%20what's%20going%20on%20with%20the%20bruising%20on%20Trump's%20right%20hand?%20The%20public%20has%20the%20right%20to%20know%20about%20the%20health%20of%20a%20president.%20Tom%20Nichols%20joins%20Tim%20Miller%20for%20the%20weekend%20pod.">Tom's newsletter installment, "President Homelander"</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-cdc-the-fed-the-fbi-the-national?r=af2rj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false">JVL's Thursday 'Triad'</a></li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/donald-trump-the-most-unmanly-president/612031/?gift=AO0MhSsTDaHgiP_RxFGfB89ozCqvEygk9zhkXGSMl4Y&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share">Tom calling Trump 'unmanly'</a> and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/07/moral-collapse-jd-vance/619428/?gift=AO0MhSsTDaHgiP_RxFGfB-C0bGrFnp0LDev1KIuQfzM&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share">Vance an 'ass****'</a>
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-death-of-stalin">The film, "The Death of Stalin"</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/steve-witkoff-russia-ukraine-00533390">Felicia Schwartz's piece on Steve Witkoff</a></li>