Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

Episode Date: December 9, 2025
Topic: Young Voters Shift from Trump, Jasmine Crockett’s Texas Senate Run, Congress To Bailout Israel, Piers Morgan vs. Nick Fuentes

Episode Overview

This episode delves into dramatic political realignments: the swing of young voters away from Donald Trump, dynamics in the Texas Democratic Senate primary with Jasmine Crockett’s rise, a deep dive into US Congressional spending on Israel and Ukraine, and a sharp deconstruction of Nick Fuentes’s ideology in the context of his viral interview with Piers Morgan. The co-hosts, Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, maintain their signature adversarial yet analytically rich style, examining political trends, media influence, and the rising salience of identity politics on both the left and right.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Young Voters Move Away from Trump

(02:17 – 17:39)

• Polling Evidence of Collapse in Trump’s Youth Support

  • Harry Anton discusses dramatic drop in Trump’s net approval among under-30s:

    “He started off his term... among voters under the age of 30 at plus 10 points. ...Look at that, -46. That is a shift... of 56 points in the wrong direction since February.”
    (02:35 - 03:31)

  • The largest approval drop is among 18- to 22-year-olds, per Yale polling.

• Interpreting Why:

  • Betrayal of outsider/anti-corruption image, notably through controversies like Epstein cover-ups
  • Economy: Gen Z faces “shitification” (rising living costs, bleak job market, especially with AI eliminating entry-level roles).

    “I think it's very simple. It's economy, Epstein, Israel.” — Krystal (05:53)

  • Increase in healthcare difficulty and inflation especially hits young adults

• AI's Impact:

  • Heightened job insecurity due to AI displacement of entry-level and creative jobs
  • Young adults are “on the front lines” of both the positives and negatives of rapid technological shifts

• Changing Democratic Coalition:

  • 2018 blue wave was powered by white, college educated voters; in 2025, Democrats are gaining with nonwhite, noncollege voters.

    “The new Blue Wave looks very different from the last one.” — Saagar (10:29)

• Gen Z Nostalgia & Cost of Living

  • Krystal and Saagar discuss Gen Z’s “romanticizing 2012” and how higher costs (bars, meals, Uber rides) fuel disaffection

    “Gen Z doesn’t go out to bars anymore. ...Yeah, well when a cocktail's $28” — Krystal (14:27)

2. Texas Democratic Senate Primary: Jasmine Crockett vs. James Talarico

(21:27 – 37:55)

• Jasmine Crockett’s Entry and Star Power

  • Crockett’s launch video directly counters Trump’s insults, harnessing “trigger the right” energy

    “She puts herself at the center. She puts herself in the spotlight. She does know how to pick these fights.” — Krystal (31:14)

• Ideological and Stylistic Dynamics

  • Crockett: Standard Dem positions, controversial on Israel and crypto; star power and combativeness
  • Talarico: Attempts to “intellectualize” appeal, more Buttigieg-style, seen as less authentic

    “Talarico’s... standing in the back of a rusted out pickup truck... feels like 2006.” — Krystal (28:04)

  • Saagar: Both “not my ideological cup of tea,” but gives edge to Crockett for the primary

• Viability in the General Election

  • Both hosts skeptical of any Democrat’s statewide chances, citing Texas’s rightward shift since Beto's 2018 near-upset, but Krystal leaves a sliver of possibility given dissatisfaction with Trump among swing demographics

• Memorable Moment:

  • Krystal pledges to eat a sock on camera if Crockett loses by less than 1% or wins

    “If she even loses by a point, there’s no way. ...If she loses by less than one, I will eat the sock. And if she wins, I’ll eat two.” — Krystal (37:35)

3. Congress and the NDAA: Status Quo for Israel & Ukraine; Military IVF Politics

(40:45 – 54:46)

• NDAA Details:

  • Despite GOP promises to rein in foreign entanglements, the bill funds hundreds of millions for Ukraine and Israel (missile defense, anti-tunnel, anti-drone programs), plus other foreign military initiatives.

• US to Bypass Embargoes on Israel:

  • Provision to “backfill” embargoed Israeli weapon needs by buying weapons others refuse to provide

    “...making sure to backfill all of the Spain, Italy and Germany weapons transfers..." — Krystal (43:41)

• Political Dynamics:

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie oppose, but hawkish Dems will likely provide margin for passage

    “It’s great to live in a Uni Party state.” — Krystal (44:18)

• Strip IVG Funding for Troops:

  • Speaker Mike Johnson strips IVF coverage for military, in tension with Trump’s previous pledges

    “Mike Johnson... removed provision that would have provided IVF coverage for military.” — Saagar (45:47)

• Republican Retirements Signal Gloom

  • Up to 20 House GOP may announce retirements; hosts predict further instability for GOP majority, potentially even before midterms.

4. Ukraine Aid, Corruption and the Media’s Change of Tune

(48:09 – 54:46)

• Media Finally Acknowledges Ukrainian Corruption

  • NYT report: “Zelensky’s government sabotaged oversight, allowing corruption to fester.”

    “They woke up from their coma.” — Krystal (48:09)

  • Longstanding Breaking Points critique validated; special inspector’s reports evoke Afghanistan waste

• Impact on EU Candidacy for Ukraine

  • Corruption could block Ukraine’s EU bid, as EU anti-corruption standards are high.

• Stalemate and Bleak Prospects for Peace

  • Krystal sees war as stuck in a US-funded “Afghanistan” holding pattern, prolonging bloodshed and wasting taxpayer money.

5. Piers Morgan vs. Nick Fuentes: White Nationalism, Israel, and Media Responsibility

(58:06 – 93:44)

• Fuentes’s Ideology, Zionist Parallels

  • Fuentes aired “most accidentally revealing comment”:

    “In Israel, they have my politics. ...I want the same thing for the US.” — Nick Fuentes (59:04)

  • The show connects Israel’s ethno-nationalist project with Fuentes’s desired white Christian ethno-state.

    “My project of ethno nationalism is the same as the Israeli project of ethno nationalism.” — Saagar (60:02)

• Fuentes Admits Racism, Praises Hitler

  • Piers Morgan gets Fuentes on record:
    • “You think Hitler was very fucking cool?” — Piers (68:47)
    • “Yes, I do and I’m tired of pretending he’s not, to be honest.” — Nick Fuentes (68:50)
    • “Yeah, I’m fine with that [being called racist].” — Nick Fuentes (70:00)
  • The hosts see value in making such views explicit and transparent for audiences; reject “hide the ball” interviews.

• Media, Far-Right Influence, and the Israel Divide on the Right

  • Hosts debate which online right influencers have most sway:
    • Ben Shapiro’s influence seen as waning with the young right due to his Israel advocacy
    • Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes gaining traction for criticizing Israel
  • Krystal: Disaffected young men find Fuentes compelling because he addresses emasculation, alienation, and has scathing critiques of Trump and GOP sycophancy.

• On Culture, Race, and Individualism

  • The co-hosts dissect the limits of race/IQ discourse, stress dynamics of culture and material conditions over skin color.

    “We should all be treated as individuals. ...A merit-based, individual based system...is fundamentally why I think the American Project is still sound and good.” — Saagar (77:05)

• Roots and Dangers of Ethno-Nationalist Rhetoric

  • Hosts worry that mainstream defenders of Israel’s policies (especially right-wing Zionists) opened the door for explicit ethno-nationalism at home.
  • They warn of the historical dangers of normalizing group-based politics, echoing Jim Crow and white southern revanchism.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• Krystal, on cost-of-living escalation for the young:

  “When going out to eat, when fast food alone...Have you been to Five Guys lately? ...It's $20 for a little cheeseburger and fry. ...Am I insane? I actually remember when it was 12 and there's just a big difference.” (15:41)

• Krystal, on the moral costs of US foreign aid:

  “America first. Indeed. ...We're going to analyze, making sure we need to spend our government money analyzing, making sure the Israelis have absolutely everything they need, that they're not impacted by these embargoes from their genocide whatsoever.” (42:45)

• Saagar, on right-wing media realignment:

  “…the Shapiro’s and Tim Pools and Steven Crowders of the world have fallen off because...Israel is so central to him and that has become for the young right...a real litmus test.” (86:09)

• Krystal, on Fuentes’s “transparent” racism:

  “People need to know exactly where you are and not do this, like playing cute and coy and like, oh, I want to work with the left and I'm really reasonable.” (71:24)

• On the future of US politics:

  “Radical politics is ascendant, that it’s more overt. It’s a product of certainly Internet culture, but also just a product of the fact that the neoliberal project has run its course. ...People are slipping in their living standards. Their life expectancy is literally shrinking.” — Saagar (81:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Young Voters’ Shift Away from Trump:
  02:17 – 17:39
• Texas Dem Senate Race—Jasmine Crockett:
  21:27 – 37:55
• NDAA Foreign Aid Details & Military/IVF:
  40:45 – 54:46
• Ukraine War, Corruption, Media Realignment:
  48:09 – 54:46
• Piers Morgan vs. Nick Fuentes & Right-Wing Identity Politics:
  58:06 – 93:44
• End Note & Reflection:
  93:44 – end

Tone and Style Notes

• Insightful, punchy, unsparing in political criticism
• Candid about their own ideological leanings and media criticism
• Frequent use of humor and sardonic asides, especially regarding political figures and media narratives
• Calls for more honest, less managerially-driven and more “main character” driven political engagement

Summary Value

This episode serves as a broad, deeply analytical roundup of youth political realignment, intra-party Democratic fights, bipartisan foreign policy stagnation, the limits of American populism, and the bright spotlight on far-right ideology amid a landscape of shifting media and political identities. It combines trenchant policy critique with accessible commentary, making it vital listening (or summary reading) for anyone keeping tabs on America’s volatile socio-political present.