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Tim Miller
Hey, everybody. Tim Miller from the Bulwark here. I am pumped to who went viral for a recent rant on Barstool Sports. He went viral in all the liberal places. His name's Kirk Minahan, host of the Kirk Minahan show. And he's got a true crime podcast called the Case as well. What's going on, Kirk?
Kirk Minahan
What's going on? Yeah, Happy to be here. Welcome, my new people.
Tim Miller
Your new people. You're in the home of Trump derangement syndrome. This is the home. This is the YouTube home of Trump derangement syndrome. We welcome you. We weren't sure.
Kirk Minahan
I think I'm pulling a 12% for the 2028 Democrat. I just saw a primary and I'll put people the judge on. I'm not afraid. He's. He's my vp. I'm making an official right now.
Tim Miller
You're not afraid? You're not afraid of having a gay vice presidential candidate on your ticket?
Kirk Minahan
Nope. I welcome it.
Tim Miller
I think you just went up to 13% in the polls. And after folks hear this clip one more time, you may be. You may be moving up even closer. You might be right on Gavin Newsom's heels. This clip was so popular, was on the Nicole Wallace show. It was everywhere. But in case you Missed it.
Kirk Minahan
Let's listen right now in 2025 at 1006 on September 18th. The extreme right are the biggest group of pussies that has ever existed in America. A bunch of. Because people with green hair at Starbucks and because once in a while a fucking guy swam against girls, you fucking pussies have broken in half. Led by the duo of. Of Donald Trump and Consequence Culture Portnoy, who is just waving his arms at the right to like him again.
Tim Miller
We a desert out here as anti Trump libs. Like we're dying like for a drink of water and we're dying for somebody. We're dying for somebody even if they're not even a mag. Somebody in conservative culture at large to just say the obvious truth. These guys are pussies. And you said it so clearly. And we were able to drink from your cup. So talk to us about why. What was the context of that rant?
Kirk Minahan
Well, it was Kimmel, obviously. And you know, things have changed even since then.
Tim Miller
But.
Kirk Minahan
But, you know, I just thought so. I was a, A talk radio host in Boston before I went to Barstool, a morning show. And we got essentially canceled by this activist. And my partner was a big right wing guy at the time, my partner there, you know, we were like, we're never ever going to go into this world. You know, that's never going to happen. Let people say what they want. We can disagree.
Tim Miller
Can we ask what you were canceled for was how bad?
Kirk Minahan
Trans. Some transgender stuff. Jokes. Transgender stuff. Stupid joke. Dump. Not worth the crime. I'm. I am pro trans. I am all for it. Thousand percent. Knock yourself out.
Tim Miller
You're not offended about that? That, that Riley Gaines, you know, tied for fourth place and ended up getting fifth place instead in the swim tournament.
Kirk Minahan
My life has managed to go on despite that. I could grieve Robert Redford properly, even knowing that Riley gaines once finished 26. Life goes on.
Tim Miller
Had some. Have some. I have some grievances about middle school basketball. You know, I mean, we. St. Mary's a Littleton. We were right there. We had a couple of bad calls from the refs. You know, we should have been in the finals.
Kirk Minahan
I'm looking at this debate like, do I think it's a perfect situation? I don't. I wish it was a solution. In my mind, it's probably not perfect, but so that happened. So I have seen the right who for years were saying, we're being canceled for this, we're being canceled for that. Then it spins. And now, you know, this happens. And what does the right elect to do well, let's start canceling. And their real reason why, at its core, is that they can do it now. They can punch back. They've been getting canceled. They've been going after them. That was shitty thing to do. Now they can do it now. They can punch down. Let's get, let's get a list of affiliates. Let's find this person, this, this person that works at Starbucks put up a dumb TikTok video saying that Charlie Kirk died. Agreed, it's dumb. Let's find this person's address. Let's find their. Let's find who they work for. Let's contact their boss. I'm like, wait a minute, what world are we in? We, we. We've been killing this side for this for years. And now Jimmy Kimmel says something kind of dumb. I don't even think it's that big of a deal what he said, if.
Tim Miller
I'm being honest, especially in the context of the moment. He said it on Monday before the text. Text messages came out. Like it was like not. It was probably not true at the time, but it wasn't like 100% not true at the time. It's 100% not true now. But it's also like a joke and.
Kirk Minahan
He worded it poorly. It's the phrase of it. Phrasing of it was not great. But the right is like, well, let's go like let's take him down. Let's start. And the fcc, led by the FCC chairman and Trump. So this happens. And I think, oh my God. I don't particularly care about Jimmy Kimmel show. I don't think Jimmy Kimmel's show great. I don't watch it. But the idea that that can happen and the FCC chairman is taking victory laps and Trump is tweeting about it is insanity to me. So yeah, Jimmy Kimmel making a dumb joke. Not even the joke. And the right just splits in half and is going crazy to me is like Looney Tunes after for years of crying about how the left was canceling them. So yeah, absolute pussies.
Tim Miller
I do think the whole thing is. I guess I would revise and extend one point. Obviously I agree with you on all that. I think that a lot of these guys have been pussies for a long time. And just like the whole idea of getting outraged about the one Bud Light can Dylan Mulvaney or the brown Little Mermaid. We talked about that. All of these controversies have always been a sign of weak men from, from my perspective. But I. But that doesn't stick for some reason. I don't know why is it because it feels like they're punching back? Like, why don't you think that?
Kirk Minahan
I guess. Or Snow White being played by Rachel Ziegler or something? You know, I, I grew up with, my idea of a Republican growing up was small government. Like they just stayed out of your life. You know, you, you paid, you wanted the taxes to be smaller. You want the government to be completely out of your life as much as possible. That's what I thought it was. And for a long time that's kind of what I, you know, why I was a registered Republican for a while. It's not that anymore. It's just not now. It's become the party sort of dominated by religion, which is weird because Trump doesn't give a about God. It's dominated by sort of these ideals and these battles in this war, this culture war. And I don't know, like, you know, like I said, I think in this thing, when Trump was elected president, I thought it was going to be to take care of the, the border, which I thought was a real issue. And like, you know, I thought the prices of gas were going to go down, the price of milk was going to go down. I thought, I thought that's what Americans were worried about. Turns out they're worried about Jimmy Kimmel saying things and. Yeah. Who is cast as Snow White. So. And, but, but, you know, but I will say this, though. When the Democrat is elected, inevitably is president, whether it's in four years or eight years, they're going to use this power and they're going to do this again and the rights going to get mad. It's just, it's this endless cycle that both sides suck at and there's going to be no solution. As long as it's real social media, this isn't going to stop.
Tim Miller
I'm also, I also feel pretty hopeless about all that. We can, we can only do our part to try to break the cycle. So we're doing our best. I want to ask kind of I'll send you in the green room that a lot of, you know, kind of mainstream media, liberal media, you know, sort of treats barstool world in the manosphere as if they're like a tribe in the Amazon desert that are just discover or Amazon. There isn't a desert in Amazon. You know what I mean? Amazon jungle that they're just trying to, that they're just discovering. And so I want to like talk about barstool culture next, but just really quick first on this actual topic of Kimmel because we have a news item that just kind of happened this morning. It felt first like things might turn out okay. Kimmel Disney reinstated them. But then we got Sinclair saying that they're not going to reinstate him until, until he donates to tpusa. And now this morning we got nexstar saying that they are also going to continue to preempt Kimmel. Nexstar wants is the, is the. A conglomerate of affiliates that wants to merge with another conglomerate of affiliates and they need the FCC to approve that. And so those I feel like that is to me like the scarier part of the more threatening part. Like the Sinclair thing. That's an issue. Those guys are like right wing assholes. They're going to do what they're going to do next are. This is just corporate corruption, man. This is just like straight, a straight corporate corruption. They're going to like Jimmy Kimmel's not going to be on the air on their 28 stations tonight because they want Brendan Carr to be nice to them. And that's crazy.
Kirk Minahan
And Carr just said this morning, I just saw this an hour ago. Jimmy Kimmel's remarks about Charlie Kirk's killer was some of the sickest conduct possible. So I mean I feel like, you know, but I'm not surprised I was saying this today. I think people who think this is over, this is not over Trump right now, Trump has lost his battle with Jimmy Kimmel. Trump is not going to allow that to happen quietly. Like zero chance he's going to send some unhinged rant on social media. But yeah, like you know, obviously Sinclair is conservative, but yeah, this is I think combined, I think we said today almost 100 affiliates the two. So yeah, I mean I don't know what the next move is, but it's crazy. This has all happened over what I thought was a pretty innocuous comment. Now it's after years of Kimmel trolling Trump. I get that but I did not think this would be the one that broke.
Tim Miller
What do you think your boy I guess now getting more into the culture. Like what do you think Portnoy like what is the defense of the nexstar action? I guess, I mean like you would think that all of the guys in like free speech world and podcast world, comedians like free speech is important to everybody in that community, particularly on the right like the next star thing's got to be. Gotta start to freak people out a little bit.
Kirk Minahan
Sure. I guess the argument is that enough people. So these are you know, like I said, Sinclair is obviously conservative area of the country. If the people who are. Are there. Are there other, you know, who watch these, who watch the shows there, their constituents say, we don't want this guy on there, well, then the public has spoken. And I'm okay with that. I would have been okay if the FCC stayed out of it. And after a while, they're like, look, the ratings stink. You know, it's not making money for us. Like, that's America. That's how it works. We get rid of this guy. The way it's gone is nuts. But I think Dave is. Dave's take on it is. It's not cancel culture. It happened in the moment and that they reacted to it. I just agree.
Tim Miller
Merger.
Kirk Minahan
I agree.
Tim Miller
I literally needed to need.
Kirk Minahan
Government's hands are all over it. This is a huge talking $6 billion potential merger that you need the Trump administration to sign off on. So for people that pretend that they're not bowing to some extent because of Trump, because it's crazy. It's just crazy. It's a wild situation.
Tim Miller
All right, you're more in this world. So you're more in this world than me. Back to kind of just barstool world. I just think it's important. Like, Democrats need to figure out how to break into this, right? A lot of folks in your space and you. I had a producer ask you, said you vote for Chase Oliver. Said he used to be a Republican. So it's not like you're like a MAGA person, but there are a lot of people in that world. Some of them voted for Trump. Like plenty of Trump voters at barstool and it related, you know, podcast ass. Not all those guys were always Republicans by any means. You know, Buttigieg goes on Andrew Schultz, and he was like, I was never a Republican before this. You know what I mean? Like, Portnoy is pro choice. Like, these are not. Like, this is. This is not Ben Shapiro. Right? These are not like rigid conservatives in the space. Like, what. What do you think it is that has been like, the main thing that has prevented like, that has caused the Democrats to lose so much ground in this demo.
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Kirk Minahan
Like, I think they have done a bad job getting the message across right now. The Democratic Party, if you ask me who I pay attention to this stuff, I think the Democratic Party, their message is far left right now. And you might say, well, the Republicans is far right, but so what? Like, you should find your way to the middle. A centrist can get elected president. I do believe that. You know, I don't think this is, you know, Bill Clinton was president and it was a long time ago, he was a centrist. Like, you need to find somebody who's closer to the middle and can get that message across that they're closer to the middle. It doesn't have to be far left. Far left. Far left doesn't have to be the AOC Bernie Sanders party. It can come a little closer to the middle. That's your road to victory. Because there are Republicans who are also in the middle, like me, libertarian, but really ultimately a centrist Republican who will be willing to vote for a Democratic candidate who is closer to the center. And there may be good candidates like that, but they have not done a good job at all particular. And when they do, like when Kamala tries to talk about how she has guns, it just sounds like pandering. So they need to find a better way to get that message across right now. They clearly they failed. I mean there is no doubt. You can see the numbers. The younger crowd is becoming more and more Republican, which is wild.
Tim Miller
Yeah.
Kirk Minahan
And until they figure that out, it's not going to stop.
Tim Miller
What issues do you think it is though? Like. Like paint me a perfect Democratic candidate for you. Somebody could like go into the fucking Chicago barstool office and shoot the shit and like not going to win everybody over but like do better than the Democrats been doing.
Kirk Minahan
Like what was a good question? I was saying the other day, I would kill for after Trump, Biden, Trump. I would kill for a normal. As close you can get to normal person being president, United States. Exactly that. Somebody who if you're on the train for four hours and is next to you can have an actual conversation. It's not weird. And yeah, I don't, I don't know. It's a good. You need to find somebody. The problem is when they do that now you feel them trying to do that I don't know who it is. Gavin Newsom, to me, is trying too hard right now.
Tim Miller
So hard.
Kirk Minahan
He's just. And it's not. It's not going to work. I don't know. There may be somebody on. Look, Obama at this point was unknown, you know, in this point in the election cycle. He made the speech at the convention, and then everything changed. So, you know, I don't know who that is. It's got to be somebody, though, because, you know, it's going to be Vance unless. Unless Trump tries, which God knows of them.
Tim Miller
Like, what is different between J.D. and Gavin, like, for you? Because I like, J.D. to me, is trying, so try so hard. So fake.
Kirk Minahan
He's a weirdo, but he's on the right side right now for that. So they're like, he'll go on. You know, he would have gone on Charlie Kirker. He'll go on with Theo Von. Or he'll go on with that. And they need to do stuff like that. They need to say. The Democrats need to say, hey, listen, like, you know, like the thing with Kamala, with Rogan in the last election, you know, like, she should have gone there and just talked for three hours. I think it probably would have been boring. But you got to do it. Like, you have to at some point say, you know, like, they're not the enemy.
Tim Miller
Like, it's okay. Is there a specific issue, you think? Like. Like, is it taxes? Is it. Is it trans? Is it abortion? Or do you think it's vi. It more just like, vibes. It's like, vibes there left. Yeah, because that's what I think. It's like cultural and vibes.
Kirk Minahan
Correct. Like, they're going. They'll go on with Theo Vaughn and fuck around. And, like, right now, the Democrats won't and that. Like, they have to start doing stuff like that and having conversations like this. Like, you and I probably don't agree and everything, but who cares? You go on, you disagree about it, you fight about it, and then you say, all right, you know, I respect the guy. We have huge. It doesn't have to be world. Not everything has to be World War Three. And it's become that. And a lot of it's Trump, obviously. And once he goes away, I think it quiets down. But the core issues that separate us, I. You know, I don't think. I don't think these are the kind of things that should lead to the level of madness that we're seeing. Like, you know, whatever. We disagree on the border or you think the Trend, it really shouldn't matter.
Tim Miller
What about the Trump. Right now we're nine months in. Like, I don't know. What are you hearing from your buddy? Like, at some level, it's like you mentioned already that the costs haven't gone down. Like, the fucking mask dudes, like, rolling up to Home Depot, grabbing people. You know, he's like, renaming a bunch of shit. But, like, I don't know. Nobody's lives are getting. Nobody's life is really getting better in the first nine months. Like, do you get any sense that folks are kind of like, man, any. Any. I don't know if this is what I signed up for or did people just kind of sign up for the show of Trump and, like, it doesn't kind of really matter what he does. What do you do?
Kirk Minahan
I think, B, on my show that we played some sound, we just, like, started laughing. It's so insane. You just kind of start, like, the thing with the Tylenol, I'm like, this guy is the President of the United States of America. Like, 70 million people voted for him. And he doesn't, like.
Tim Miller
But, like, it doesn't go to see the Minifinis.
Kirk Minahan
Yeah, it's the kind of thing that would have sunk. We've said this a billion times about Trump. The kind of thing that would have sunk any other president ever if they went up and talked about that. But he's like, what do your listeners.
Tim Miller
Say, like, when you're shit talking them over that, like, they just.
Kirk Minahan
They get mad.
Tim Miller
They don't care. They don't.
Kirk Minahan
My base is pretty right wing, but they know, like. Like today, like, I ripped. I basically started the show by saying my show today, which is, we don't do a lot of politics anymore. But I started the show by saying, if you want to blame anybody for the Trump stuff, blame the Democrats. Like, they ran Biden, whose brain was bleeding basically out of his head, and then they had a terrible replacement plan. So, like, it's like, you know, like I said Ruth Bader Ginsburg, like, she should have stepped aside from the Supreme Court. When you get mad at that, remember that? So, like, the Democrats have to look in the mirror and blame themselves for not having better candidates. They've lost to Donald Trump twice. Twice they've lost Donald Trump. So at some point, you have to say, the problem isn't them. The problem is us. We have to solve it. And they have to find a candidate who's sort of this transformative guy or woman who will cross over, which Bill Clinton did, which Barack Obama did until. And I haven't seen that person yet. You know, I like. I like Buddha Judge, but I don't think that's the person. You know, I think Kamala, there were some things she probably didn't want to say about the polling with Buddha Church, which is just a fact in the Democratic Party, why he wasn't picked. So until they figure that stuff out, you know, J.D. vance could easily be present in four years.
Tim Miller
Easily. I guess what my question is, I. I don't disagree with anything you said. I think obviously Biden running again was a huge mistake. I think that they should have had an open process. I think Kamala probably would have won the open process. I'm like, less. Less strong on that. But even still, right. Like, everybody has agency for their life. Like, I hear you. It's like, oh, blame the Democrats for Trump. It's like, yeah, the Democrats fucked up, but people chose to put this guy in after, like, we'd seen enough, you know, with his behavior after he lost the last election, pretending like he won, like, create a total deranged syndrome where people were storming the Capitol, like, waving Confederate flags. I mean, that was a pretty wild scene. And so then people go back to him again, and now here it is, and it's like, the tariff shit is crazy. The immigration shit's crazy. He's telling ladies not to take Tylenol today. Like, he's covering up the Epstein files. He says, we're getting out of wars. We're not out of any of. Any of the wars. Right. Like, and it's. It's kind of a disaster, objectively. And so I guess I'm just wondering, like, you know, is.
Kirk Minahan
What will it take?
Tim Miller
Like, is that breaking through to any.
Kirk Minahan
Yeah.
Tim Miller
Or do they.
Kirk Minahan
That's a good question. Yeah. No, I think I've all. I've asked this question a million times. What will it. What will it take for the Trump crowd to say, boy, just once, be.
Tim Miller
Like, jesus, maybe not even the Trump crowd. That's why I'm like, that's why I'm talking to you. Right? I'm like, oh, you mean like Charlie Kirk's podcast is. Is. Is. They're. They're. They're. They're. They're doing that. Right? Like.
Kirk Minahan
Right.
Tim Miller
I mean, he's listening to Megyn Kelly's podcast. Going to be for Trump till the dying day. I don't know. The crowd that, like, the barstool crowd, like, some of them got to feel like, yeah, a little disillusioned.
Kirk Minahan
Yeah. I will say this Also, like five years ago when the Floyd stuff happened, a lot of barstool is, Is liberal. I mean, a lot of the younger barstool crowd is a liberal crowd. Like, that was, that was a big sort of battle. When Dave interviewed Trump in 2020, a lot of employees were upset. But no, I, But I think by the Barstow crowd, you mean.
Tim Miller
I almost think that middle kind of soft Trump supporters. Yeah, yeah.
Kirk Minahan
I think people that, Yeah, I think they're like, this fucking guy is crazy. He's fucking crazy. And. But I don't know. I guess my question is, what does that mean? Like, does that mean something three years from now when, When Vance is running against somebody? Maybe? Because, I mean, whatever you want to say about Trump, Vance is definitely not the galvanizing personality that Trump is among his crowd. Like, that's just. He does not get that kind of support. And by the way, I don't see Trump ever, like, hardcore campaigning for another human being to be president. So it'll be a soft, you know, he's not gonna be. It's just his ego's too big. He's gonna be too upset that somebody else is taking his spot. So, you know, maybe somebody slides in. But yeah, I think, I think sort of the, the middle ground, centrist Republican right now was like. But I think that's how they felt before. They're like, this guy, you know, is. But I think it was better than the alternative in their mind.
Tim Miller
All right, last thing. So I guess, just curious, the feedback to your rant about Republicans being pussies in your own bubble. Because, like, I'm just gonna. While we're trying out things, you know, I'm having all kinds of different Democrats on the show and just like, because I'm like, I don't, I don't know what the answer is. Like, do you run? Like, maybe the answer is to run a centrist person. That's my preference. But maybe the answer is a populist lefty. Like, could be, you know, kind of a working class lefty guy. Maybe that could work. Maybe some else could work, I guess. What about the idea of, you know, going the mini hand route? These guys, these guys are pussies. They're. They're all fake. It is not. It's a fake alpha show. They're embarrassing. You should be embarrassed. Like, when you say that do. Does everybody get their backup or are people kind of like, yeah, oh, man, boy, got a. Boy's got a point.
Kirk Minahan
Kind of proved my, A lot of them proved my point by, by being sensitive in response, got a ton of, like. A ton of, like, death threats. Not real ones. I don't put a lot. But like, a ton of that stuff was sent to us. I don't put a lot of stock in that, but there was a lot of people, like, you understand, though, you're the pussy, and you're like, well, okay, I don't know. And when you're called a pussy, I get. You're going to respond.
Tim Miller
Yeah.
Kirk Minahan
But, yeah, I think. I think they were sensitive to it because I think they know there's some truth to it, that they've been doing this for years and now they have a little power and they want to do it to people. I see people who I know and I've worked with, listing phone numbers for, and I'm like, what in the fuck is going on here? Like, what? Who cares? Jimmy Kimmel said. Said one line. It's kind of stupid to me. It's better. Jimmy Kimmel's advertising for the gop. Print it. Let him be on the air all the time. Trump broke him. He does all his Trump stuff all the time. He's better being on. Have your enemies be on as opposed to. As opposed to stopping on. But, yeah, people are not thrilled. And if it means I lose some listeners, it means I lose some listeners.
Tim Miller
Whatever. All right, man. Well, maybe. Maybe you'll pick up a couple from us. I appreciate the time. If you need a. If you need any NBA or SEC football hot takes, I'm available for those as well. We can check. You know, we can turn the. You know, turn the tables on us. That's all I have to offer. And let's stay in touch. All right, brother.
Kirk Minahan
All right. Thanks so much.
Tim Miller
Appreciate it. That's Kirk Manhan. Kirk Manahan Show. Go check it out.
Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Host: Tim Miller
Guest: Kirk Minihane (Barstool Sports, Kirk Minihane Show)
Date: September 23, 2025
In this lively, wide-ranging conversation, Tim Miller welcomes Barstool Sports personality Kirk Minihane to break down the fallout from Minihane’s viral rant calling the MAGA right “the biggest group of pussies that has ever existed in America.” The pair dissect the perpetually inflamed culture war from inside and outside the Barstool universe, delve into the right’s pivot to “cancel culture,” ponder why Democrats flail with the Barstool demographic, and debate the political vibes animating the post-2024 Trump era.
Timestamps: 01:54 – 07:28
Kirk Minihane’s viral quote:
“The extreme right are the biggest group of pussies that has ever existed in America. … People with green hair at Starbucks and because once in a while a fucking guy swam against girls, you fucking pussies have broken in half. Led by the duo of Donald Trump and Consequence Culture Portnoy...”
— Kirk Minihane [01:54]
Minihane’s background: Former Boston radio host, now at Barstool and a true crime podcaster; describes being "canceled" himself for what he calls “dumb transgender jokes”—emphasizes he’s “pro trans, thousand percent. Knock yourself out.” [03:17]
Observation on right-wing cancel culture: The right, long decrying being canceled, now uses those tactics themselves:
“So I have seen the right who for years were saying, we're being canceled for this... then it spins. … Now they can punch back… Let's find this person's address... their boss.”
— Kirk Minihane [03:57]
On Jimmy Kimmel drama: Minihane critiques the FCC and Trump for targeting Kimmel over a poorly-worded but ultimately minor joke:
“I don't particularly care about Jimmy Kimmel's show. ...But the idea that… the FCC chairman is taking victory laps and Trump is tweeting about it is insanity to me.”
— Kirk Minihane [05:00]
Tim’s addition: “All of these [culture war] controversies have always been a sign of weak men from, from my perspective.” [05:41]
Timestamps: 07:28 – 10:50
Modern right’s obsession with culture war issues:
“I grew up with, my idea of a Republican growing up was small government... That's what I thought it was. ...It's not that anymore. ...It's become the party sort of dominated by religion... and this war, this culture war.”
— Kirk Minihane [06:12]
Hopelessness about politics: Tim: “We can only do our part to try to break the cycle.” [07:28]
Escalating battle over Kimmel and media consolidation: Both see the ongoing FCC/Nexstar/Sinclair drama as more about corporate corruption than conservative principles.
“This is just like straight, a straight corporate corruption. …Jimmy Kimmel's not going to be on …because they want Brendan Carr to be nice to them. And that's crazy.”
— Tim Miller [08:53]
Timestamps: 10:50 – 15:41
Barstool world not monolithically MAGA: Includes many centrists, ex-Republicans, and even liberals, especially among younger employees [11:53, 19:21].
What Democrats get wrong: Struggle to appeal to the middle and come off as “far left” and overly earnest.
“The Democratic Party, their message is far left right now… You should find your way to the middle. A centrist can get elected president. I do believe that.”
— Kirk Minihane [12:06]
Advice for Democrats:
Timestamps: 15:41 – 20:29
No real improvement in people’s lives amid Trump 2.0:
“Nobody's life is really getting better in the first nine months… the thing with the Tylenol, I'm like, this guy is the President of the United States of America… 70 million people voted for him.”
— Kirk Minihane [16:15]
Trump’s immunity to scandal: What would have sunk any other president leaves Trump unscathed [16:32]
Who’s to blame for two Trump victories?: Kirk pins responsibility on Democrats for running flawed candidates and failing to connect with voters:
“They've lost to Donald Trump twice. Twice they've lost Donald Trump. So at some point… we have to solve it.” [16:46]
Timestamps: 20:29 – 22:28
MINIHANE:
“A lot of them proved my point by being sensitive in response, got a ton of… death threats. Not real ones… but like, a ton of that stuff was sent to us.” [21:16]
Barstool/TMZ right’s sensitivity when called out:
“I think they were sensitive to it because… they've been doing this for years and now they have a little power and they want to do it to people… listing phone numbers for [doxxing victims]. …Like, what in the fuck is going on here?”
— Kirk Minihane [21:34]
Minihane’s takeaway: Prefers airing disagreements rather than silencing “enemies,” even if it costs him listeners.
| Time | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |---------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:54 | Kirk Minihane | “The extreme right are the biggest group of pussies that has ever existed in America.” | | 03:17 | Kirk Minihane | “Trans. Some transgender stuff. Jokes. Transgender stuff. Stupid joke. Dump. Not worth the crime. I'm. I am pro trans. I am all for it. Thousand percent. Knock yourself out.” | | 05:41 | Tim Miller | “All of these controversies have always been a sign of weak men from, from my perspective.” | | 06:12 | Kirk Minihane | “I grew up… Republican… was small government… It's not that anymore. It's just not now. It's become the party sort of dominated by religion... and this war, this culture war.” | | 08:53 | Tim Miller | “This is just like straight, a straight corporate corruption. …Jimmy Kimmel's not going to be on …because they want Brendan Carr to be nice to them. And that's crazy.” | | 12:06 | Kirk Minihane | “The Democratic Party, their message is far left right now… You should find your way to the middle.” | | 15:02 | Kirk Minihane | “They have to start doing stuff like that and having conversations like this… It doesn't have to be World War Three.” | | 16:15 | Kirk Minihane | “Nobody's life is really getting better in the first nine months… the thing with the Tylenol, I'm like, this guy is the President of the United States of America.” | | 16:46 | Kirk Minihane | “They've lost to Donald Trump twice. Twice they've lost Donald Trump. So at some point… we have to solve it.” | | 21:16 | Kirk Minihane | “A lot of them proved my point by being sensitive in response, got a ton of… death threats. Not real ones.” | | 21:34 | Kirk Minihane | “I think they were sensitive to it because… they've been doing this for years and now they have a little power and they want to do it to people.” |
Tim and Kirk’s discussion exposes the cracks and contradictions within the modern right’s “anti-cancel culture” bravado, the persistent shortcomings of Democratic outreach to everyday swing voters, and an abiding sense of exhaustion with the endless culture war loop. Beneath the rants and pointed barbs, both men seem to long for a quieter, more substantive politics—though neither thinks it’s coming anytime soon.
For listeners seeking a frank, unscripted, and sometimes profane lens on American cultural and political absurdities—from Barstool Sports to the FCC, from Trump’s antics to the Democratic Party’s lost middle—this episode delivers.