Summary
Overview
Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer discuss the week's major political developments, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's controversial Venezuela strike and subsequent investigation, the Tennessee special election results showing Democratic momentum, Mike Johnson's leadership troubles, and Trump's struggles with messaging on affordability. The episode concludes with an interview with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about the 2026 midterms, Trump's pardons, and Democratic strategy moving forward.
Hegseth's Venezuela Strike Controversy and Pentagon Investigation
The hosts examine new revelations about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's approval of a second strike that killed survivors of a Venezuelan drug boat attack. An independent Pentagon investigation found his actions put American troops at risk through his Signal app usage, while Democrats and Republicans have sharply different takes after viewing classified footage of the strikes. The administration's evolving justification has shifted from denial to defiant defense, raising serious questions about war crimes and legal authority.
- Independent DOD investigation found Hegseth's Signal app usage put American troops at risk
- Admiral Bradley ordered the second strike to kill survivors; Hegseth claims he had to leave for other meetings
- Tom Cotton called strikes 'righteous and entirely lawful' after classified briefing
- Adam Smith said the briefing 'did not reduce my concerns at all' and questioned whether survivors posed any threat
- Jim Himes called what he saw 'one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service'
- First strike also lacks justification - no evidence people on boats are enemy combatants beyond cocaine presence
- Original order included 'calling back to cartels' as hostile act justifying lethal force, despite no evidence of communication
- In subsequent strikes, survivors were picked up by Coast Guard and released, not prosecuted
" I didn't stick around for that second strike because I had to go back to my air-conditioned office, which is much like the air-conditioned set on Fox News, where I was previously employed before this job. "
" What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service. You have two individuals in clear distress without any means of locomotion with a destroyed vessel who were killed by the United States. "
" It is pure murder under the argument of self-defense, but the argument for self-defense seems absurd. These are not people taking bombs to the United States or anything like that. "
Tennessee Special Election Shows Democratic Momentum
Democrat Afton Bain's narrow loss in Tennessee's 7th District special election represents a massive 13-point swing from Trump's 2024 performance, continuing a pattern of Democratic overperformance in special elections throughout 2025. The result has Republicans worried about their narrow House majority heading into the 2026 midterms, especially as Trump's approval rating among independents sits at just 25%. Notably, Trump was largely absent from the campaign, suggesting Republicans view him as toxic to swing voters even in deep red districts.
- Democrats outperformed Kamala Harris by 13 points in a district Trump won by 22 points
- Democratic turnout was up 20% from 2022 while Republican turnout was down about 9,000 votes
- Trump appeared in no ads despite this being a deep red district, suggesting concern about his toxicity
- There are 28 Republican seats in districts Trump won by 10 points or less, creating path to Democratic majority
- Gallup poll shows Trump's approval among independents at just 25%, with majority disapproving on every issue
- Supreme Court permitted Texas to keep GOP-favorable congressional map, but Virginia may counter with 10-1 Democratic map
" If you are losing three of every four independent voters, you don't want Trump anywhere near the race. I think that has real implications for what the midterms look like and how Democrats can use Trump and how Republicans can't. "
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