Adam Carolla Show — "Eric Trump on the Death of Wokeness and Media Lies"
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Adam Carolla
Guest: Eric Trump
Panel: Rudy Pavich (comedy/news)
Episode Overview
This episode of The Adam Carolla Show features a wide-ranging interview with Eric Trump, centering on the cultural “death of wokeness,” the Trump family’s experience with media bias, and ongoing political polarization. The episode navigates political tribalism, media malpractice, shifting American culture, and what the future may hold for the Republican Party. Adam brings his signature humor, personal anecdotes, and candid, no-nonsense takes, challenging conventional narratives as Eric Trump responds to perceptions about his family and their place in American politics.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Parenting, Family, and Social Dysfunction
- Adam and Rudy open with a candid and humorous discussion on parenting and family dynamics, focusing on the importance of fathers and the simplicity versus complexity of parental relationships.
- Adam reflects on Donald Trump’s character, as observed during Celebrity Apprentice, emphasizing that “his kids all respect him, and they're really good kids…if you show me kids that don't like their dad, I'm gonna show you a dad that's either not good or done a lot wrong.” (03:06)
- Commentary about broken families, the need for strong paternal figures, and the mechanics of generational dysfunction set the stage for later political commentary.
2. Work, Trades, and the Failure of Urban Policy
- Critiques of political leaders (notably AOC and Gavin Newsom) for disconnect from the real conditions in working-class and minority communities.
- Adam shares observations from job sites in Los Angeles: “Not one black face…It is 100% Latino and zero black. So for a group that built this Country. They stopped building at some point...” (15:16)
- Criticism of city officials for not supporting trade programs for inner-city youth: “All that means to me is they don't give a fuck. Because if you cared...let’s get them into some of these trades.” (18:15)
- Lamentation about the stigmatization of skilled labor, the politics of resentment, and the disconnect between policymakers and the realities they claim to represent.
3. Media Manipulation & Political Victimhood
- Extended mockery of politicians (Newsom and AOC) exaggerating or fabricating stories of personal struggle to appeal to voters. Adam is critical of “race to the bottom” narratives:
“He may have a sympathy for these people because he doesn't know them…the people that don't know these people are constantly like, these are hardworking, proud people who are just looking for a hand up. Not a hand. No, they're fucking lazy people who want the government to fucking pay them and then complain nonstop about rich people not paying their taxes.” (37:51)
- Newsom's “hardscrabble” story (31:46–34:18) and AOC's “process politics” are lampooned as evidence of elite disconnect.
4. Interview: Eric Trump on Media, Politics, and ‘Siege’ Mentality
The Book, Bestseller Status & Media Bias
- Eric Trump shares insights on his book’s success and the politicization of bestseller lists:
“...when you get to number one on New York Times bestseller as a conservative, that means you really sold a lot of units.” (65:35, Carolla)
- Describes the “siege” as not just targeting the Trumps, but “our entire nation”:
"It was all Americans that were under siege..." (66:15, Eric Trump)
Cultural Commentary: The Death of Wokeness
- Both argue that legacy media and entertainment “went woke and it absolutely went to hell,” drawing comparisons between declining ratings of the Oscars/Emmys and the enduring popularity of the Super Bowl, which is cited as a “meritocracy”:
“If you go back 30 years, the Oscars and the super bowl were sort of the two big appointment, sit down, can't miss TV moments…The Oscars started tampering with their brand…as they started doing that, that's when the viewership started falling off because it ceased to be a meritocracy.” (69:39, Carolla)
The Meme War & Humor in Politics
- Eric explains why conservative humor online resonates:
“We've definitely won the meme war. The problem is on the other side now, they've just become mean. I've seen so many clips of Jimmy Fallon. These guys, they've become mean people...they can't do humor in a funny way. They have to do it in a mean way. And I think that's the turn off to a lot of people.” (67:50)
Manufactured Outrage & Media Collusion
- Eric describes the “manufactured outrage” during the Trump years—focusing on the media’s role amplifying misleading stories:
"So much of what you're referring to is just manufactured outrage that was perpetrated through media that otherwise hated us, not actually the sentiment of the American people." (77:30, Eric Trump)
- Cites personal experience of being subpoenaed and scrutinized despite clean personal conduct, contrasting coverage of Hunter Biden and the Steele dossier:
“I became the most subpoenaed person in American history for never doing a damn thing wrong... Had I had Hunter, you know, Hunter Biden's laptop...could you imagine if I was out there finger painting every single day?” (79:06, Eric Trump)
Deep State and ‘Weaponization’ of Institutions
- Extended examination of the so-called “deep state” orchestrating resistance to Trump.
- Eric underscores the Mar-a-Lago raid:
“...when that siege didn't work, they didn’t bankrupt us...they indicted 91 times my father...They weaponized the IRS against us. They weaponized the IRS against everybody. They took away his free speech...they tried to kill him...” (84:05, Eric Trump)
Morality, Justice, and Selective Prosecution
- Adam and Eric decry the moral cost of political prosecutions—both for Trump and January 6th defendants:
“You’re just gonna take this taxpaying elderly citizen and have them rot in solitary, even though you know they didn't do anything wrong or this was not them trying to overturn the government…? That's fine. Like, there's a moral part of it that is gross.” (88:00, Carolla)
Power, Political Careerism, and AOC
- Eric criticizes politicians who, lacking life experience, become “enamored by a system and wealth and power that was so far beyond what they had ever seen before.” (91:05)
- Asserts Trump’s disruptor role:
“He went backward and that’s why he can be honest about it...He doesn't give. He doesn't need the lobbyist. He self-funded his entire first campaign. He doesn't need these people.” (91:05, Eric Trump)
Identity Politics and the Downfall of the Left
- Claim that Democrats “killed identity politics” by overuse:
“So let's throw the whole sexism thing out the window...All of a sudden they post his mug shot...that takes every inner city community and it instantly flips them...So that kind of threw out the whole racism thing. And then the fascist. I could go on and on and on. The problem is the Democrats got so wild that they actually killed identity politics.” (96:20, Eric Trump)
Revenge, Lawfare, and the Deep State
- Adam: “So it's funny that they go, he just wants revenge. Well I'm like, revenge from what? Cuz you're only telling the second part of the story.” (97:33)
- Eric: “They were caught in the act because we had to defend ourselves from these accusations. And then we found their dirty fingerprints all over the crime scene...We were just kidding.” (100:07, Eric Trump)
Future of Media and Political Parties
- Both agree legacy networks and institutions have destroyed their credibility and face an uphill battle to regain public trust:
“No, I agree...your reputation is really all you have. And they played really fast and loose with their reputation and America caught on.” (104:08)
- Eric lauds the rise of independent voices: “People don't like them, people don't trust them. And they've tuned them out. And guess who they're tuning in? They're tuning in. You. They're tuning in. Rogan…” (102:50, Eric Trump)
5. 2024, Legacy, and the Next Generation of Republicans
- Carolla and Eric discuss the future of the GOP, seeing the party as energized and full of “killers” inspired by Trump’s example:
“My father was the greatest rhino hunter of all time. He went into Washington, D.C. he killed every rhino, and now all of a sudden, you have a Republican Party that's fighting you.” (128:47, Eric Trump)
- Adam floats the possibility of J.D. Vance as a future GOP standard-bearer; Eric praises multiple candidates, emphasizing a new generation's engagement.
- On the Democratic side, Eric expresses doubt that any centrist or business-type (e.g., Mark Cuban) could clear the primary:
“They can't get through the primary process in the Democratic Party because they're so fringe.” (133:14, Eric Trump)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Parenting and Respect for Trump (03:06)
“His kids all respect him, and they're really good kids, and they all have a really sincere respect for him, which I then took as a good sign. Because if you show me kids that don't like their dad, I'm gonna show you a dad that's either not good or done a lot wrong.” — Adam Carolla
On Urban Policy and Lack of Trades Push (18:15)
“If you cared...let’s get them into some of these trades. But never heard it. I've never...are there other things we could do as a city council?” — Adam Carolla
On Newsom's Storytelling and “Victim” Narratives (37:51)
“He may have a sympathy for these people because he doesn't know them...they're fucking lazy people who want the government to fucking pay them and then complain nonstop about rich people not paying their taxes.” — Adam Carolla
On Bestseller Success as a Conservative (65:35)
“When you get to number one on New York Times bestseller as a conservative, that means you really sold a lot of units.” — Adam Carolla
On Decline of Woke Media (67:50)
“Everything woke goes to shit. And that's what's happened. I mean, look at the Emmys, look at the Oscars. Look at everything that they've tried to go woke with, right? It's all disappeared.” — Eric Trump
On Meme War and Humor (67:50)
“We've definitely won the meme war. The problem is on the other side now, they've just become mean...they have to do it in a mean way. And I think that's the turn off to a lot of people.” — Eric Trump
On Manufactured Outrage (77:30)
“So much of what you're referring to is just manufactured outrage that was perpetrated through media that otherwise hated us, not actually the sentiment of the American people.” — Eric Trump
On Being the Most Subpoenaed (79:06)
“I became the most subpoenaed person in American history for never doing a damn thing wrong.” — Eric Trump
On The Deep State (84:05)
“They weaponized every aspect of the system. That. That is the siege...It was the greatest conspiracy in the history of this country, and somebody should pay the price for the crimes they committed against this nation.” — Eric Trump
On Punishment for Media (104:08)
“These people don't need to go to prison. They've lost a reputation and their punishment should be. You never have to listen to another thing they say.” — Adam Carolla
On the GOP's Future (128:47)
“You've got killers, and you have people who are willing to be loud. Second of all, he's inspired a generation...all of these people who are engaged in a meaningful way.” — Eric Trump
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |---------------|-----------------| | 03:06 | Adam on Trump’s family, respect, and Celebrity Apprentice insight | | 15:16, 18:15 | Discussion on trades, urban policy, and political neglect | | 31:46–34:18 | Parody analysis of Newsom’s “hardscrabble” narrative | | 37:51 | Carolla mocks “race to the bottom” and phony victim stories | | 65:35 | Book’s bestseller status and media gatekeeping (Carolla/Eric Trump) | | 67:50 | Eric Trump: "Everything woke goes to shit"/meme war superiority | | 77:30 | “Manufactured outrage” and experience with media attacks (Eric Trump) | | 79:06 | “Most subpoenaed person in American history” (Eric Trump) | | 84:05 | The Deep State, Mar-a-Lago raid, and personal/family impact | | 91:05 | Power, political careerism, and origins of political opportunism | | 96:20 | On the death of identity politics via overuse | | 97:33, 100:07 | Discussion of “revenge” and the logic of retaliatory politics | | 104:08 | On media’s loss of credibility as its own punishment | | 128:47 | Eric Trump on GOP’s energized future, “rhino hunter” analogy |
Episode Tone and Language
- Unfiltered, irreverent, and outspoken—reflective of Adam Carolla’s style.
- Frequent explicit language, especially in critiques of political doublespeak.
- Casual but impassioned in laying out culture-war and political grievances.
- Eric Trump, while passionate, comes off as more polished and focuses on sharing inside experience with a touch of humor.
For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In
This episode offers a fast-paced, opinionated take on the pitfalls of modern progressivism (“wokeness”), media misrepresentation, and the inside experience of being in the Trump political sphere. Listeners hear firsthand reflections on media bias, the polarization of American culture, and the Trump family’s perception of both their persecution and their enduring popularity. The show captures not only political arguments but a generational and cultural shift, with plenty of sidebars into trades, family, and celebrity. The conversation is as much about the strategies and narratives that shape public opinion as about policy—delivered with characteristic humor and edge.
Skip to timestamps for segments of most interest, and expect sharp, unsparing commentaries throughout. Note: Ads and sponsor messages omitted in this summary.