Monday Musings #12: Trump Invites Bigcitysmalltown to White House Podcast Summit

Declaring that mainstream media is on life support and not expected to survive his second term in office, President Trump announced plans to convene podcasters from across the country at a White House summit in the coming weeks.

“Or possible third term, which tens of millions of Americans are calling for, just check the comments on X and Truth Social,” Trump told reporters at an impromptu Friday press conference he held with Elon Musk watching.

“We’re calling it ‘Project Trump-It.’ Elon and I will be doing a beautiful interview, just the two of us, simulcast by hundreds, maybe thousands of podcasters coast-to-coast, red states only,” Trump promised. “J.D. might join us for a few minutes. That’s still a maybe. He’s in Greenland, it’s February, very cold there, doing what vice presidents do.”

Musk did not answer questions, but microphones picked up his comment to the president, “You have more followers than all the other presidents combined,” Musk told Trump. 

“More than everyone from Washington to Sleepy Joe?” Trump asked. “Well, I’m not surprised, Elon. We won in a landslide, didn’t we?”

“What about blue state podcasters, Mr. President?” a New York Times reporter asked.

 “We are not going to welcome nasty people representing Democrats, the party of hate,” Trump said, “and if anyone gets by us they can expect to get the Zelensky treatment. No lunch, no White House matches, no Trump Tower cufflinks. Out they go, and they won’t be coming back as long as I am in office. And believe me, I am not going anywhere.”

Bigcitysmalltown is the only South Texas podcast on the invitation list. More than 200 podcasters have been selected nationwide, prompting Trump to suggest he might move the summit from the White House to the Kennedy Center, which he now controls.

Trump said one option under serious consideration is to deport “scumbags” in the mainstream media, like Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, on charges of publishing and promoting content designed to mock or embarrass the president or any of his appointees. Sedition.

“The judges won’t like it, but who elected the judges?” Trump asked. “Let’s see how those who attack me like life at Guantanamo in the hot summer with a bunch of deported gang members for neighbors. I hope they speak good Venezuelan.”

Minutes after Trump boarded Air Force One for his customary weekend stay at Mar-a-Lago, Musk followed, accidentally banging the head of one of his 13 children as he tried to enter the aircraft, forgetting the boy was perched atop his shoulders. The South African immigrant gave the media the middle finger as an Associated Press photographer captured the moment.

Bob Rivard, the host of the bigcitysmalltown weekly podcast, told others in the San Antonio media that he was surprised to get the only local invitation, given his years of work in mainstream media.

“Frankly, I fear for the future of the Republic, having lived and worked in countries controlled by autocrats and dictators. The only reason I am invited, I suppose, is because my podcast is Texas-based,” Rivard said, adding that he was taken by surprise when an Amazon truck pulled up to the house to deliver a red MAGA cap and a dozen Titleist golf balls bearing the Project Trump-It imprint. 

San Antonio attorney Humberto Garcia, author of the golf classic, Mustang Miracle, said White House staffers mistakenly invited Rivard because of his membership in the local MAGA organization.

“That stands for Mexican American Golf Association,” Garcia, the organization’s president, said. “Actually, we are the original MAGA.” 

“I’ll do my best to strike a conciliatory note with the president and his team,” said Rivard, adding that he was taking along a cooler of San Antonio’s best hamburgers: Chris Madrid’s, Mr. Juicy, Pumper’s, Cured, Fatboy’s, Bar Loretta…”The president loves a good burger, so let’s showcase the best of San Antonio.”

Rivard was asked about Trump’s promise to use the new White House bouncer team he installed to eject podcasters who challenge the president with unwanted questions.

“Whatever develops, this is going to bring more attention to bigcitysmalltown and Monday Musings, my weekly newsletter, so I see it as a win-win,” Rivard said.

A KSAT-TV reporter asked Rivard what he would ask the president. Rivard paused for a moment, and then said, “I suppose I’ll ask him to explain the weird, obsequious behavior of Sen. John Cornyn as he courts Trump’s approval. We all saw that photo of him pretending to read The Art of the Deal, nearly 40 years after it was published.”

Following the press conference, the president boarded Air Force One for another weekend at Mar-a-Lago. He predicted his 20th consecutive club championship victory at Trump National Doral Country Club, which he’s only owned for 13 years. Once airborne, he called in to Fox News commentator Jeanine Pirro to promote Project Trump-It.”

“Maybe we’ll invite Kid Rock to do a halftime show, somebody really talented, certainly not Taylor Swift or some rapper,” Trump said. “It’s going to be a very big podcast, the biggest podcast in history. We might go with some live, on-air pardons. We’ll sign some new executive orders. I know Pam (Bondi, the U.S. Attorney General) is itching to go after Democratic voters for sedition. She’s a pistol-packer, so if you voted for Ka-ma-la-la-la, better watch out. We’re coming.”