DarkHorse Podcast – Episode 310

Trump, One Year In: The 310th Evolutionary Lens with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying
Release Date: January 21, 2026

Overview

In this landmark episode, Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying offer a one-year review of Donald Trump’s second term as President, applying their “evolutionary lens” to current events. They revisit pre-election predictions from The Atlantic, examine where Trump’s presidency has met or defied their expectations, discuss what’s going right and wrong, and reflect on Heather’s much-discussed essay explaining her 2024 vote for Trump.

The discussion is wide-ranging, exploring key policy moves, cultural shifts, national and international issues, and the personal–even psychological–impacts of the current American moment.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: One Year Into Trump 2.0

• [01:44] Main Agenda:
  • Review surprises from Trump’s second presidency.
  • Analyze The Atlantic’s 2024 “If Trump Wins” issue: where they were right/wrong.
  • Recap Heather’s essay, “Why I am Voting for Trump,” and check predictions.

2. Critiques: What's Not Going Right

• [16:01] Foreign Policy and Bombast:
  • Concern over Trump’s aggressive interventionist moves; “the generally bombastic and might makes right attitude” ([16:01], Heather).
  • Renaming the Gulf of Mexico to "the Gulf of America" and Department of Defense to "Department of War" seen as symbolic pettiness/waste.

“The Gulf of America is an insane thing to have done.” – Bret [17:17]

• [24:23] DOGE: The Government Purge Gone Wrong:
  • Expected clean-up of inefficient bureaucracy, but execution brought “collateral damage”—good people lost jobs, support for science undermined.
  • Removal of grants mid-cycle destabilized researchers who had made life commitments.

“I voted for Doge and then I got something else.” – Bret [28:09]
“Promises made should be promises kept.” – Heather [31:50]

• [31:52] Tech Bros & Apocalyptic Tech-Optimism:
  • Overreliance on “tech-bro” thinking leads to dystopian policy decisions.
  • Example: Pete Hegseth’s dismantling of the 8A program, mislabeling it as purely a DEI scam when evidence shows it’s highly regulated and supports marginalized contractors.

“What I suspect is going on here is that big players like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin... portrayed this as a DEI fraudulent, anti-meritocratic program... so they could get those contracts.” – Bret [39:01]

3. Recognizing Positives: What’s Going Right

• [40:35] HHS/’MAHA’: Health Reform and Food Pyramid:
  • Appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Jay Bhattacharya leads to “historic” shifts in vaccine policy and restoring the food pyramid to support ancestral diets.
  • Shift toward “real food,” reduction in processed carbs, and new acceptance of animal fats spreading rapidly.

“It’s huge. And there was no indication of us going anything like that direction before.” – Heather [42:48]

• [54:20] Sex & Gender: Executive Orders on Reality:
  • Early-day Trump executive orders clarifying the reality and immutability of male/female help restore sanity in public spaces, women’s sports, and crisis centers.
  • Political courage was needed to face accusations of “bigotry.”

“There is so much now governmental support for reality on this topic that... the scammers... are being forced out.” – Heather [54:20]

• [57:01] Borders and Immigration:
  • Biden-era border chaos addressed. Legal immigration prioritized, with a call for humane solutions for unique cases (e.g., “Dreamers” brought as minors).

4. Immigration, Family Separation, and Media Narratives

• [59:59] Family Separation and Media Framing:
  • The Atlantic’s coverage dwelled on Trump as singularly responsible for family separations, ignoring precedent under previous administrations.
  • Acknowledgement of real injustice, but media bias evident.

“Democratic presidents have presided under separations quite a lot as well.” – Heather [59:48]

• [60:54] Rogan’s Story: Deporting ‘American’ Kids

  • Joe Rogan recounts an ICE deportation story where a young man, brought as a baby, is sent to Mexico with no language skills or support ([60:54]).

  • Bret’s response ([61:04]):

“A person who was brought here as a minor, especially a baby, is a different matter entirely. Such people didn’t break the law... Depriving such a person... is inhumane. I did not vote for that, and it should obviously stop.” – Bret [61:04]

5. Revisiting Pre-Election Predictions: The Atlantic & Heather’s Essay

The Atlantic’s "If Trump Wins" Predictions ([69:35]–[78:24]):

• Some Fears Unfounded:
  • No U.S. withdrawal from NATO (blocked by congressional legislation)
  • No federal plan to outlaw abortion nationwide; issue returned to the states.
  • "Women will be targets" prediction: Trump net-positive for women via robust definition of sex and protection.
• Media and Scientific Integrity:
  • Atlantic criticized for abandoning journalism and weaponizing "science as a slogan."
  • “Magata” birthed: “Make journalism a thing again.” [74:02]
  • On climate change, panel notes science cannot thrive when only one answer is permitted.

“There are still a bunch of us... going, ‘actually guys, we’re going to need the science.’... But not when you have this stupid, insane war.” – Heather [75:44]

Heather’s “Why I am Voting for Trump” (October 2024): ([96:09]–[106:39])

Reasons for Support and Reflection on Their Validity After One Year:

1. Trump is Not Owned?

   • Concern: Now unclear, as neocon influence grows.
   • “There are ways in which he is still his own man. But... in the idiom of negotiation, I think it feels like somebody said the equivalent of, ‘Mr. President, congratulations. There are certain things you can do, there are certain things you can't.’” – Bret [104:48]

2. Trump Takes Counsel from Truth-speaking Patriots:

   • Validation: True, with appointments like Kennedy and Bhattacharya at HHS.

3. Trump is Better for Americans:

   • Mixed results: Economy and border security improved, but complexities remain (e.g., Venezuela intervention).

4. Trump is Better for Women:

   • Affirmed: His policy stance restores female safety and dignity.

5. Trump is Better for Core Values:

   • Affirmed: Stronger on First Amendment and against runaway wokeness.

6. Foreign Policy Deep Dive ([85:21])

• Iran:

  • Grave concern at possibility of war, perceived as being pushed by neocons/neo-neocons.
  • U.S. interests not clearly served, and Trump may have less agency than presumed.

• Venezuela:

  • Unclear if intervention was justified or net positive.
  • Discussion of complex realpolitik: “Can we be a functioning democratic republic at home and function more in an imperial framework abroad?”
  • Hopes that action results in benefit to Venezuelan people, not American exploitation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The Gulf of America is an insane thing to have done.” – Bret [17:17]

• “I voted for Doge and then I got something else.” – Bret [28:09]

• “Promises made should be promises kept.” – Heather [31:50]

• “What I suspect is going on here is that big players like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin... portrayed this as a DEI fraudulent, anti-meritocratic program... so they could get those contracts.” – Bret [39:01]

• “It’s huge. And there was no indication of us going anything like that direction before.” – Heather [42:48] (on HHS/MAHA changes)

• “There is so much now governmental support for reality on this topic that... the scammers... are being forced out.” – Heather [54:20]

• “A person who was brought here as a minor, especially a baby, is a different matter entirely... Depriving such a person... is inhumane. I did not vote for that, and it should obviously stop.” – Bret [61:04]

• “Magata. Make journalism a thing again.” – Heather [74:02]

• “Neuroticism is both your reaction and the fact that it's pointed at some things and not others. It's totally arbitrary, and, you know, we can't live like that.” – Bret [84:56]

• “I absolutely voted for that. I mean, the MAHA part... we’re seeing changes… we could not have begun to dream of under standard issue red or any of the current blue team presidential [candidates].” – Heather [46:45]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:44] Introduction: Purpose and structure of the episode
• [16:01] What's not going right—bombast, foreign policy, doge, overuse of tech-bro logic
• [24:23] DOGE (bureaucratic purge) and fallout for science and universities
• [31:52] Tech-intervention, Pete Hegseth, and the 8A program debate
• [40:35] What’s going right: MAHA (health/policy), sex & gender realism, food pyramid changes
• [54:20] Executive orders on sex, gender, and women’s rights
• [57:01] Border policy and immigration, family separation
• [60:54] Rogan immigration anecdote and humane exceptions
• [69:35] Revisiting The Atlantic predictions
• [85:21] Foreign policy: Iran, Venezuela, and geostrategic tradeoffs
• [96:09] Heather’s “Why I am Voting for Trump”—point-by-point review

Tone and Style Notes

The episode is infused with the podcast’s characteristic dry humor and sharp critique. Both hosts are candid about their disillusionment with mainstream narratives, and they don’t shy away from critiquing their own preconceptions or policy “side effects.” Heather’s analytical approach and Bret’s improvisational insights create an engaging, sometimes wry discourse. While fiercely critical of many Trump administration moves, they’re also explicit about why, on the whole, the trajectory is preferable to the alternatives of recent years—especially, in their view, regarding honesty, health, and reality-based governance.

Final Thoughts

Heather and Bret close by cautioning that midterm elections and missteps (such as mishandling of the 8A program) could jeopardize Trump’s coalition, even potentially leading to his removal if Republicans lose the Senate ([106:39]). Both urge ongoing critical scrutiny—of all sides—and encourage listeners to “be good to the ones you love. Eat good food and get outside.”