Olivia Juliana: The Truth About America’s Youth Crisis | Olivia Julianna DSH #1421

Summary

Digital Social Hour – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Olivia Juliana: The Truth About America’s Youth Crisis | Olivia Julianna DSH #1421
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Olivia Juliana
Release Date: June 27, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, activist and political commentator Olivia Juliana joins Sean Kelly in Houston for an unfiltered discussion on America’s youth crisis, political polarization, Democratic and Republican divides, “winning back” young men, and misconceptions about the current political climate. Olivia shares candid insights on her own experiences with online hate, the challenges facing her generation, and the shortcomings she sees in both major parties—while offering pragmatic ideas about policy and organizing. The tone is open, sharp, and sometimes humorous, blending personal anecdotes with pointed political critique.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political Polarization and Online Hate (01:06 – 02:12)

• Double-sided hate: Olivia reflects on receiving criticism from both political sides due to her outspoken online presence, beginning with right-wing hate at age 17 for supporting Joe Biden.
• Quote: “I'm a woman of many talents.” (Olivia, 01:18)

2. Democratic Party Infighting and the 2024 Election Aftermath (02:12 – 03:54)

• Points out Democratic setbacks in the most recent election, emphasizing the need for unity and a bolder approach.
• Olivia desires to see Democrats win by larger margins, not slim majorities: “I don't want to win 51%. I want to win elections with 60% of the vote.” (Olivia, 02:52)
• Speculation about promising 2028 candidates (e.g., Andy Beshear, Gavin Newsom) and how early it is to predict leadership.

3. Media Savvy in Politics: Trump vs. Newsom (03:54 – 05:16)

• Olivia praises Newsom’s skill in “winning the optics” against Trump in a recent National Guard/immigration standoff.
• “I don't think that there is anyone who commands media and public attention as well as [Trump] does...he just kind of stands on whatever he says, and if he wants to change his mind, he just does it and he doesn't backpedal about it. And I think more people need to be like that.” (Olivia, 07:45–08:12)

4. Policy Substance vs. Optics: Comparing Trump and Biden (08:12 – 09:30)

• Olivia finds Biden’s policy achievements more meaningful, while recognizing Trump’s unmatched media command.
• Critiques the Democratic tendency to shy away from the media out of fear of mistakes.

5. The “Joe Rogan of the Left” Question (10:13 – 13:49)

• Olivia dismisses expectations of a “left-wing Joe Rogan,” arguing Rogan himself was at one time deeply aligned with leftist views and that authenticity cannot be fabricated.
• “You can't replicate Joe Rogan...so much of his best content and his best interviews are people he has relationships with. And you can't, you can't create that in like a means-tested, message-tested lab.” (Olivia, 12:27–13:14)
• Discusses Rogan’s influence, comedians, and what makes podcast spaces successful.

6. Texas Politics and Shifting Identities (13:49 – 17:19)

• Talks about “Texas left” and the unique challenges facing progressives in the state, including the passage of bills like SB4 and the realities of local governance.
• Olivia describes herself as “center left,” noting shifting political labels depending on geography.
• Frustration about being labeled as “too moderate” despite progressive stances.

7. Navigating Online Discourse and Youth Political Engagement (18:46 – 20:35)

• Olivia discusses her friend Isaiah Martin’s Congressional run and the power of TikTok live debates to connect with youth and conservative audiences.
• Applauds TikTok as a bipartisan engagement tool: “I think it shows a willingness to, you know, not necessarily try to change people's minds...I think the more we have things like that happen, the better our politics will be.” (Olivia, 19:53–20:23)

8. Immigration Reform: Beyond Slogans (21:09 – 24:57)

• Olivia criticizes Trump’s immigration approach for being “a hatchet where a scalpel is needed.”
• Advocates for a secure border and a path to citizenship, especially for DACA recipients and victims of trafficking.
• “We should have an immigration system that actually allows you to do that [build a better life], instead of getting caught up in all of this bureaucratical paper bullshit for 20, 30 years.” (Olivia, 21:44)
• Houston’s role as a trafficking hub highlighted as an underdiscussed crisis.

9. Department of Education & Government Waste (25:10 – 26:42)

• Olivia is open to the consolidation of agencies but supports a dedicated Department of Education.
• Harshly criticizes Elon Musk’s appointment to government roles (“bought his way into that position...that's corruption, as plain and simple as you want to get”). (Olivia, 25:50–26:42)

10. Respect for Political Adversaries (26:52 – 27:58)

• Olivia respects Candace Owens and Laura Loomer for unapologetically standing by their beliefs, even while disagreeing with virtually all their policy stances.

11. Media Attacks and Personal Targeting (28:15 – 30:24)

• Responds to online attacks after being labeled “the face of winning back young men”; dismisses the viral claim she was hired or funded by the DNC for such a campaign.
• The focus of right-wing critics on her appearance and identity rather than her substantive points:

  “A lot of them completely disregarded the point that I was making...instead of addressing the very valid arguments... they decided to make it about me.” (Olivia, 30:18)

12. Young Men and the American Dream (30:24 – 34:27)

• Explores how young men are manipulated into blaming immigrants or women for their difficulties, while the real culprits are policy failures (e.g., lack of support for minimum wage increases, Pell and trade school grants).

  “We've created a circumstance where if you get pregnant and you want to have a child, you could lose the job that you need to provide for that child, and the government will tell you it’s your fault.” (Olivia, 37:14)

• Stresses the need for empathy toward young men and more straightforward, supportive policy: “If I'm working 80 hours a week, how am I the person that's the problem here?” (Olivia, 33:00)

13. Pro-Family Policy and the Abortion Debate (35:30 – 38:34)

• Olivia outlines a “pro-family” vision around abortion: paid leave, affordable childcare, accessible housing.
• Refuses to debate abortion’s morality until Republicans embrace policies actually supporting families.
• “A lot of the women who have abortions have abortions because they already have two to three children and cannot afford to have another one. So if you’re going to be pro-family, be about it.” (Olivia, 36:45)

14. College, Economic Mobility, and Conservative Narratives (38:37 – 39:08)

• Briefly discusses Charlie Kirk’s “college is a scam” rhetoric, critiquing those who discourage education while having resources themselves.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I despise Donald Trump categorically...But the man is brilliantly, brilliantly skilled when it comes to media.” (Olivia, 07:45)
• “Joe Rogan was the Joe Rogan of the left.” (Olivia, 10:16)
• “You can't replicate Joe Rogan...you can't create that in like a means-tested, message-tested lab.” (Olivia, 12:27–13:14)
• On immigration: “Instead of going in with a surgical needle, he's kind of just gone in with a hatchet.” (Olivia, 21:28)
• “If I lose another 65 pounds, will y’all actually raise young men’s wages?...are you just going to find another reason to deflect from the fact that in my opinion, you really don't have any plan on how to make their lives better?” (Olivia, 31:18)
• “If you’re going to be pro-family, be about it.” (Olivia, 36:45)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:06 — Olivia discusses being a “polarizing figure”; early online hate
• 02:36 – 03:51 — Democratic failures and the aim for real landslides
• 04:27 – 05:16 — Newsom’s media performance vs. Trump
• 07:45 – 08:12 — Trump’s unique media skills
• 10:13 – 13:49 — The myth of a “left-wing Joe Rogan”; podcast authenticity
• 15:01 – 16:26 — Center-left in Texas vs. moderate nationwide
• 19:40 – 20:35 — TikTok’s power in youth political engagement
• 21:09 – 24:57 — Nuanced immigration reform and Houston’s trafficking crisis
• 25:50 – 26:42 — Critique of Elon Musk heading government waste efforts
• 28:15 – 32:30 — Right-wing attacks after “face of winning back young men” flap
• 33:00 – 34:27 — Standards for young men and systemic failure
• 35:30 – 38:34 — Childcare, paid leave, and the “pro-family” litmus test

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Tone and Speaker Attribution

• Olivia balances humor and candor with a direct, no-nonsense delivery, frequently using pointed language to underscore her arguments.
• Sean Kelly is a sounding board—prompting honest, sometimes provocative responses while acknowledging agreement with Olivia’s insights.

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Conclusion

This episode stands out for its unvarnished discussion of contemporary American political and generational divides, with Olivia Juliana openly critiquing both parties and mainstream narratives around youth, social media, and activism. Her insistence on policy substance over optics and on empathy toward struggling young people—especially young men—offers a counterpoint to the typical culture-war headlines. The exchange is wide-reaching, sharp, and often wryly funny, making it essential listening for anyone concerned with the future of American democracy and its rising generations.

Transcript

[Olivia Juliana]

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Getting rid of waste in the government. And that's. I think that's corruption, as plain and simple as you want to get. You know, if Trump wanted to get ahead of Doge, it was someone who had experience doing that kind of thing. Even if it was someone from maga world, like, that would arguably be so much less corrupt than putting Elon Musk in charge.

[Interviewer]

Okay, guys, we are in Houston. We got Olivia Juliana here, one of the more polarizing figures here, I'd say.

[Olivia Juliana]

Right. I would say that's true.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, we were just talking. You get hate on both sides of the spectrum, which is pretty hard to pull off, I feel like.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah, well, you know, I'm a woman of many talents.

[Interviewer]

So which hate came first? Was it from the right or from the left?

[Olivia Juliana]

Oh, definitely from the right. Definitely from the right. I mean, I think it's. I think it's pretty hard if you're on the left because I started when I was 17. Like, for you to be hating on a 17 year old on TikTok, just saying, like, vote for Joe Biden, like that just kind of makes you an asshole.

[Interviewer]

So that was in 16 you started saying that?

[Olivia Juliana]

No, this is 2020.

[Interviewer]

Oh, 20.

[Olivia Juliana]

2020.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Now there's a lot of infighting on both sides.

[Olivia Juliana]

Always.

[Interviewer]

It's actually crazy. The right is the most divided I've probably ever seen.

[Olivia Juliana]

Right. Yeah, I think so. I mean, well, it's about time it's their turn, you know, like, we've been dealing with it and watching it happen for, I don't know, probably damn near my entire life.

[Interviewer]

So, yeah, I think this Iran stuff, whatever happens there, one side's going to be pissed and one's going to be happy, I guess.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Interviewer]

We'll see. There's been a lot going on lately. What have you been covering?

[Olivia Juliana]

Oh, my gosh. Strangely, even though Trump has kind of come back into office now, I think this is the first time I've but talking a lot about my personal life and, like, just kind of being like, I'm going to enjoy my life and live my life, but politically, I mean, I just. I've really been focused a lot on the Democratic Party because, like, I think it's abundantly clear.

This election was a failure. It was a failure for us on all fronts. And I think that we have an opportunity now to do two things, which is to be united in any kind of opposition we have and to kind of quell out any of the problems we have in our own party that keep bringing us to this point where it's like, okay, like, we get to an election, we have to get 51%. I don't want to win 51%. I want to win elections with 60% of the vote. And so I think I've been focused a lot on figuring out how we, as a party can get to the point where we actually do that.

[Interviewer]

I know it's kind of early, but is there any candidates on the left for 28 that you think can achieve 60%?

[Olivia Juliana]

You know, I think Andy Beshear is really talented. I think that it takes a special kind of politician to be a Democratic governor from the state that Trump's won by double digits. But, I mean, as far as 20, 28 goes, I feel like it's too early to tell, just because I think we kind of need to see how they're going to govern or act in this first half of the Trump administration. But also post midterms, I think it'll tell us a lot about their leadership skills in this kind of new political environment.

[Interviewer]

Agreed. You think Newsom's going to. Going to make a run? It looks like it.

[Olivia Juliana]

Do we have eyes like, this man's been running for president for, like, four years now? I think that Gavin Newsom is a very skilled politician, and I. I don't know if I necessarily mean that as a compliment. I think that he is very charming, and I think that he's very good at getting people to agree with him on being his side, which, in a lot of ways, I think he's like Trump on that front. But politically, I mean, I just. I don't know that America would elect a Democrat from California.

[Interviewer]

President Newsom versus Trump. Who are you siding with on that debacle right now?

[Olivia Juliana]

Well, I. I'm kind of. I'm with Newsom on the, you know, the. The mechanics of the National Guard and not overstepping the governor. And I am not a fan of the way that Trump has gone about immigration reform. I think it's been excessive uses a force in some places that I just don't think it was necessary. So. So I would side with Newsom on that. But from a media perspective, I think that Newsom won the optics of it. I think it's one of the few times I think that a Democrat has been able to go toe to toe with Trump when it comes to the media war and do a really, really solid job.

[Interviewer]

I actually agree. I think he did really well in the media. Yeah, I was surprised he did that well because usually when Trump goes against someone, they don't look too good afterwards.

[Olivia Juliana]

No, because he's skill. I mean, this is, this is one of the things that bothers me a lot of times about people on the left is the inability to admit when people on the right are good at something like I despise Donald Trump categorically. I don't like his policy.

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[Olivia Juliana]

Me. And I'm sure that I wouldn't like him as a person, but the man is brilliantly, brilliantly skilled when it comes to media. Like, I don't think that there is anyone who commands media and public attention as well as he does. Um, and I think that that's. But I think part of it is just. It's. It's like he cares that he doesn't care. Like, he just kind of stands on whatever he says, and if he wants to change his mind, he just does it and he doesn't backpedal about it. And I think more people need to be like that.

[Interviewer]

Absolutely. Trump's first term, did you think that was better than Biden's term?

[Olivia Juliana]

No. Not even those. No, not even close.

But I think it. I think it depends on what matters to you as a person. So, like, for me, I think. I think some people find comfort in the policy that's passed, like the. The bones legislation, the boring stuff that people don't want to get into. Like, some people find comfort from that. That's me. Like, I like looking into, you know, the American Rescue plan and the inflation Reduction act, those kinds of things, especially the bipartisan ones, I find comforting and interesting, but I think some other people find more comfort in the way that Trump talks about certain things or the way that he talks about politics, versus Biden, who was a lot more calmer, typical politician, in the way that he approached and talked about things. On a policy front, I think that the Biden's term was just categorically so much better than Trump's. But like, on the, you know, on the optics, in the speaking terms, like, I can't say that Trump didn't hold his own combating the media that was criticizing him in his first administration.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, well, Biden just avoided media the last few years. Right.

[Olivia Juliana]

I think it was a mistake. I think that. I think that Democrats, a lot of times just get so scared of saying or doing the wrong thing that they just avoid it altogether. And I feel like that's probably what happened with Biden is they just were like, well, things are really delicate right now, so we don't want to send them out. With Kamala, Like, I really don't know what the hesitation was there. I don't know if it was they were worried she would overshadow him. I don't know if it was that they didn't trust her. But I think that the lesson that one of the lessons we've taken away as Democrats is like, we need to have our people out there as much as possible.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, you guys need your own Joe Rogan.

[Olivia Juliana]

Well, that's this. Okay. This is, this is the thing for me. I think I'm not allowed to cuss. I think it is so fucking stupid how everyone is like, we need a Joe Rogan of the left. Joe Rogan was the Joe Rogan of the left. Like, Joe Rogan is, I would say, median to median right voter. Yeah, he's like pro legalizing marijuana. He's pretty pro choice. Like, he, the way he's talked about immigration in the past is very compassionate. Like he was, for God's sakes, this is a Bernie Sanders guy. Like, Joe Rogan was the Joe Rogan of the left. And I think that this is the. Another one of the mistakes we make is assuming that because someone, you know, goes to the right or votes for a Republican one time or starts associating with more Republicans, that we're never going to get that person back. And I just don't think that's the case. Like, I think that there are a number of Democratic elected officials all over this country, state and local government, who if you sat them down with Joe Rogan, he would really like them. And I think that's the same for a lot of people. And so this idea of like, we can create a liberal Joe Rogan in a lab, like, it's just bullshit and it hyper intellectualizes the concept, which is exactly one of the main reasons why we lost the election in the first place.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, I mean, I can see it. I just saw Cash Patel on Rogan and he didn't seem to like that interview. Based off what I saw.

[Olivia Juliana]

I didn't see it.

[Interviewer]

You didn't see it?

[Olivia Juliana]

No.

[Interviewer]

They were talking about the Epstein stuff, but I think Joe's a pretty smart dude. I could see him swinging back if the things lined up.

[Olivia Juliana]

I think he's just. I think that's it. I Think he's just a dude. Like, he's, he's a father. He, you know, big time UFC guy, stand up comedian. Like, I feel like if the Democratic Party was a place where Joe Rogan felt like some of the, the main policy concerns that he had were addressed. If we had, you know, sound immigration policies and if we were for at large stereotypically so sensitive about everything and constantly worried about what everyone was saying, I don't think that that's a left that he would be afraid to go back into.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, it'd be too hard to replicate.

[Olivia Juliana]

Another Rogan, like, because you can't, like, you can't replicate Joe Rogan.

[Interviewer]

He's been doing it for 15 years. He has that trust with his audience.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah. You know those fun fact. The Joe Rogan podcast was my number one listen to podcast throughout the entirety of high school.

[Interviewer]

Wow.

[Olivia Juliana]

And so, like, to this day, like, I'll still listen every once in a while, but like I growing up as a teenager, you know, like, I would listen and my favorite episodes were the ones where it was like him, Andrew Schultz and Charlemagne the God. Like, I thought that they were so funny. Or Bert Kreischer, Tom Segura, like, he'd have all these people on. And I think that that's one of those things where that's why it can't be replicated is because so much of his best content and his best interviews are people he has relationships with. And you can't, you can't create that in like a means tested, message tested lab. Agreed.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, he put on a lot of comedians.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah, he did.

[Interviewer]

A lot of comedians came out of the Rogan atmosphere.

[Olivia Juliana]

That's true. I like. And just over the years, like, the sheer talent he's had on there and he's. And he has like wacky crazy people on there too. Like someone else I think is really fun to put on there. Is Ms. Pat, like.

[Interviewer]

Oh, yeah.

[Olivia Juliana]

He just kind of lets people run. And I just feel like, that's why, you know, Joe Rogan of the left left wouldn't work is because I don't know that they have the, the comedy relationship. I mean, maybe they do, but the willingness to just kind of let people just say and do whatever it is they want to do.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, people are comfortable. You know, that's a big thing. As a podcast host. Have you seen any ICE agents yet in Houston?

[Olivia Juliana]

I haven't personally, no. I know that I think that they've been here. I think there were some arrests done at, at the courthouse, but the, but the thing about, you know, the ICE and the, the raids happening now is like, people don't really realize a lot of this stuff that Trump has wanted to do. It's kind of already been going on in Texas. So, like, we passed a bill here a few years ago called SB4 that allowed for Department of Public Safety officers to start to facilitate the deportation of people. And it was a, it was a bill that was fought back against a lot because they said that it would lead to racial profiling, which it has. Like, there are people who are citizens at the border who were kept from reentering. And so I think that in Texas it's kind of. We've already been conditioned to deal with these kinds of things, so we're more used to it, which is why I think Texas Democrats are a lot more unique than like broad scale Democrats.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Texas left. Just learn that term, Texas left.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So you think if you move to a different state, you'd be more center?

[Olivia Juliana]

Probably. Yeah, I think. And I mean, I'm pretty center center left now, but I feel like if I moved to, you know, New York or California or, you know, Oregon, almost definitely I'd be considered like moderate. Moderate. But here in Texas, I feel like I'm pretty progressive for the state government that we have here.

[Interviewer]

When was the last time Texas or Houston was left?

[Olivia Juliana]

Well, the last time Houston was left was with Mayor Sylvester Turner, who passed away a few few months ago when he was at Congress. Our new mayor, John Waym, is a Democrat.

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[Olivia Juliana]

Crap. Democrat in disguise. Well, he was a Democrat in the, in the state senate for like 30 something years, but he was a, he was elected as a Democrat like back then. So I feel like modern day he probably more Republican. He got elected because he got a lot of Republican support and he's been doing a lot of stuff with Republicans. He got into office, but we have a Democratic county judge, Democratic county commission, so. But it's still like that's what happened to me.

[Interviewer]

I grew up pretty left in Jersey and now I feel like I haven't changed too much, but the left kind of has.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah, I agree with that.

[Interviewer]

And some people on the left denied that.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah, I mean, well, there's some people on the left, you think that the left is going too far left, and there's some people who think that we're not going far left enough, which is why I think you get a Lot of people like me who feel like sometimes there's not really a home for just, like, normie libs. Like, that's part of the reason I get attacks from the left is because they think that I'm too moderate, which is crazy to me because I'm like, I don't understand how it's moderate for me to be pro choice, pro public education, pro universal healthcare access, pro immigration reform. And I think a lot of times it's just because the way that I think we should go about it, they don't agree with. And so that turns me into a DNC sellout, bootlicker shill who is based. The amount of times I have been called a Republican is astounding to me. Like, it's truly insane.

[Interviewer]

It's so nuts to me because you're still voting for the same person at the end of the day.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah. I've never voted for a Republican, and somehow I'm basically a Trump supporter to a lot of people on the left online.

[Interviewer]

What's the closest you've been to voting Republican?

[Olivia Juliana]

Oh, I know. I know the answer, too. I've never been close to voting for a Republican, but I have been close to leaving my ballot blank. Um, that was in the 2022 Harris County Judge race.

[Interviewer]

Really?

[Olivia Juliana]

In, in Harris County. I, I, I'm not gonna lie. I stood there at the voting booth for a good minute and a half just thinking about. And I ended up, I ended up voting for Lena Hidalgo.

And I campaigned for her because I thought that her opponent, Alex Mueller, was crazy. And I feel like I, you know, ended up being, she might, she might see this and post about it so she can get some views on her socials because nobody pays attention to her anymore.

[Interviewer]

So not do a good job is what you're saying.

[Olivia Juliana]

She almost won.

[Interviewer]

Oh, she didn't win.

[Olivia Juliana]

Or Lena or. No, Lena almost lost. You know, Alex ne almost won. I think that there's a level of professionalism I think Harris county needs.

At that moment. That's, that was my main concern. And I know it's going to be a pretty contentious election in this next year, because it's next year. I don't know she's going to run for reelection. Yeah. But I know it's going to be a primary with some serious opponents for her, so we'll see.

[Interviewer]

You supporting Isaiah Martin?

[Olivia Juliana]

I sure am. He's, he's one of my best friends running for Congress here in Houston, Texas. State scene Me, Isaiah have been very close friends for almost, Gosh, almost half a decade.

[Interviewer]

Now. Nice. He's bright.

[Olivia Juliana]

He is. He is. And he has this ability of, like, you either really like him or you really don't like him. But it's funny because I've. I watched him do these TikTok live debates, and the amount of people who are Republicans, and not just Republicans, like MAGA people who you'll see in the chat or like, come up, be like, I don't agree with your politics, and I don't agree with a lot of your policies, but I respect you because you're upfront and consistent about what it is you say and you'll actually talk to us. Yeah. I think that's part of the reason me and Isaiah became such good friends, is our willingness to, like, actually talk to people, not be so closed off all the time.

[Interviewer]

And that's where I'll give the left flowers. You guys on TikTok debates, crushing it. Harry Sisson, Dean Withers, Parker getting, like, isaiah is getting 50k views a day or something. It's actually insane. I was on his TikTok last night. A thousand live viewers.

[Olivia Juliana]

It's. It's pretty crazy. I mean, but I think it shows a willingness to, you know, not necessarily try to change people's minds. I mean, maybe that's the point, but for me, I see it more as. I think we as a country as a whole need more of both sides normalizing, interacting with each other, because I think that the less we interact with each other, the more more polarized we get. So I think the more we have things like that happen, the better. Better our politics will be, 100%.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. He made a great point when Isaiah came on. He's talking to people in states that no one even gives the daylight to, like Iowa. I'm not trying to call states, but, like, he's talking to people in the middle of nowhere, so to speak, and getting their perspective on politics.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah, I think that matters. You, like, if you, you know, maybe you're a Republican in California, and like you, there's a Republican online who you could talk to or, like, you're a Democrat in Iowa. And, you know, I know kind of the. The intention behind that. I grew up, you know, in more rural Texas, outside of Houston, and I didn't meet a Democratic elected official until I actually moved into the city. And so I think that online social media gives people the opportunity to, like, see themselves or see conversations. Otherwise they never would be able to.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. So you said you're pro immigration reform?

[Olivia Juliana]

I am, yeah.

[Interviewer]

So you're not a fan of Trump's deportations. Right now.

[Olivia Juliana]

I think that immigration is the issue that Trump had an extremely clear mandate on, and I think he could have approached it in a much more effective and.

Intelligent way. And I think that instead of going in with a surgical needle, he's kind of just gone in with a hatchet. And I don't think you can do that in government. When I say that I don't support the way Donald Trump has been going about immigration, a lot of people automatically assume that that means, I think that we should just have wide open borders and let anyone come in. That's not the case. I believe that the motto and the policy of the Democratic Party should be secure the border, protect the drain. Yeah, I think we should have a secure border. I think the Border Patrol agents should have the resources they need to keep criminals out. But I also think that if you are someone who. You want to come to America to. To bring your family a better life, and you want to come here and build something for yourself, then you should be able to do that. And we should have an immigration system that actually allows you to do that instead of getting caught up in all of this bureaucratical paper bullshit for 20, 30 years.

[Interviewer]

I agree. But for the people that did come here illegally, what would your recommendation be?

[Olivia Juliana]

I think it depends. I think it depends. You know, I think if you're. If you're a kid and, you know, your parents brought you here, if you were a DACA recipient or you fall under that category, I don't think that you should be removed, because I think that, you know, you don't know any other country. And these are people who, in my opinion, they're American in every way but on paper. And I think that it wouldn't just be immoral for us to take those people away from the only home they've ever known. I think it would hurt us as a country, because I think that, you know, these are people who, who love this country, who care about this country, who would be taken away. As far as people who came here illegally, I think that there needs to be a lot of research and analysis done on.

How those people came here and who brought them here. Because living in Houston, I can tell you that, you know, this is the human trafficking hub of the world. And I think a really common misconception is a lot of times there will be people who will come to America illegally, but they don't realize that they're coming to America illegally because they've paid someone to bring them to America. They've paid someone for paperwork. And so they don't find out that they're here legally until they're already here because they've been trafficked into the United States, whether it be by a coyote or whether it be by someone else. So I think that that's something we need to be really mindful about, is if someone was brought to America under false pretenses by someone who was a criminal, then I think we should spend more time going after the criminal who's doing that than the people who thought they were doing it the right way. And I think that that's where a comprehensive immigration system would come in. Where. All right, now you're here. You are a victim of a crime because you thought you were coming here correctly. Let's get you processed into the paperwork so you have a work permit so we can get you paying taxes, get you into a home. And after seven years, which is outlined in the Dignity act bipartisan piece of legislation in Veronica Escobar, Maria Elvis Salazar, after seven years of you paying taxes and you paying for this, then you can become a citizen. And I think that going about it that way is so much more effective and so much more beneficial to the economy than, you know, whatever the hell it is that, that Trump is doing.

[Interviewer]

Going straight to the source. Yeah. Yeah. I didn't know Houston was known for trafficking. Well, that's crazy. I guess we are close to the border.

[Olivia Juliana]

Border and also the, the ports, you know, because you have the, the Gulf of Mexico. And so it kind of, it's kind of, you know, on all fronts. And that's why, you know, we have to have a really strong criminal justice system here.

[Interviewer]

So pro public education. So them proposing. They don't want, they want to get rid of the Department of Education. You're not in support of that?

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah, I'm not. I, I'm not in support of it. I think that the, the underlying premise there is the consolidation of agencies, and I'm not opposed to that. I'm not opposed to the premise of consolidating government agencies or getting rid of bloating or overlapping of jobs. But I think education in particular is such a sensitive issue that I think it needs its own concentrated space that focuses specifically on that.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, DOGE sounded good at first. I don't know if it's been working, but, I mean, I see mixed things on it.

[Olivia Juliana]

I see mixed things. I. And I don't, again, like, I don't disagree with the premise of doge. I just disagree with the richest man in the world who has no government Experience being the person to headline that. You know, I know that. I know that Tesla is a successful company in SpaceX because it's a successful company, but, I mean, don't you think it's a conflict of interest that a guy who gets government contracts is now getting rid of waste in the government? And that's. I think that's corruption, as plain and simple as you want to get. You know, if Trump wanted to get a head of Doge, who was someone who had experience doing that kind of thing, even if it was someone from MAGA world, like, that would arguably be so much less corrupt than putting Elon Musk in charge. Like, to me, it's very clear. Like, he bought his way into that position. And, you know, now he's. He's gone. So we see how well that went.

[Interviewer]

I mean, even Candace, who you probably don't like, but she exposed that Elon got ousted because he didn't get a certain Tesla deal with the government or something.

[Olivia Juliana]

Well, you know, I'll say this about. I'll say this about Candace Owens. I don't like her as a. I don't like her. I don't like her content, I like her politics. But I respect that she stands on business. And I have. I have respect for a select number of people on the right who do this, where I categorically disagree with pretty much every single thing they say. But it's clear that they're not afraid to say how it is they feel or what it is they believe, regardless of who it is they're talking about. And I think that Candace Owens is one of those people.

[Interviewer]

Nice. Who else would you put in that bucket on the right?

[Olivia Juliana]

Laura Loomer. Ooh. Who? Not a fan of mine. Well, like, Laura Loomer has said some pretty, Pretty catty things about me online, especially about my appearance. Which girl?

Stone and glass houses. But I respect that she. She stands on business. Like, she'll. She'll say things about. But it works. Like, we've seen people who Trump tapped or Trump people tap for certain things. Laura Loomer went after them and they were removed from those positions.

[Interviewer]

Wow. So she got some authority.

[Olivia Juliana]

She's. I think she's got some authority, and I think that, you know, I think that these people are talented at what they do, and I think that it'd be a shame to discredit them about that.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. I feel like when it comes to debates, because I watch a lot of debates when they start attacking personal traits. Yeah. Do you lose some points in my eyes for sure.

[Olivia Juliana]

And that. That's all I deal with. Like, I mean, you know, I'm sure we were talking about this anyway is, you know, Donald Trump Jr. And the right coming after me for being the face of, you know, winning back young men, which this whole idea of me getting $20 million and the DNC hiring need to be in charge of winning back the youth male vote. It's. None of. It's true.

[Interviewer]

So how did that even start?

[Olivia Juliana]

I. I went on my friend's podcast. He had, like, 300 YouTube subscribers. I thought it was just going to be like a. Like, a quick little thing of, like, all right, he'll post it on Twitter. Like, maybe it'll get a couple hundred likes. And I was just talking about young men. I was making jokes about, like, oh, I love frat guys. It's like, oh, no. Like, God forbid someone appreciates young men. But I. I started talking about, like, the. The real issues that young men in America face. And what I said was.

A lot of young men are pro choice. They're pro gay marriage. They're pro black Lives matter. And in me saying this, like, it just blew up because the right just took it and ran with it. And I think it was because they were saying, like, oh, like, who. Like, who is this fat chick that's in charge of bringing young men back into the Democratic Party? And it's like, well, for what? I'm not. Like, I'm just. I'm just a social media creator who, like, particularly thinks that, you know, shocker, like, the Democratic Party should be a welcoming space for everyone, and that includes young men.

But they just took it and ran with it, and they made it about my appearance, and they made it about my identity. A lot of them are calling me a lesbian, which, like, I'm not, but. Okay. But the thing that in particular about this, because it wasn't just, you know, Trump Jr. Trump Wharam tweeted about it, you know, Matt Walsh made like, it was just everywhere. Is a lot of them completely disregarded the point that I was making in that video, which was.

A lot of young men are not rigidly conservative in their ideals.

Like, I know most young men, they're pro choice, and, like, they. They're pro family. Like, they think that they should be able to decide if, when and how they start a family. They're. They're pro gay marriage in a way of like a. It's not really my business. Like, if you want to get married, like, why is that an issue to me? Or as far as black Lives matter. Like, they agree with the premise that police should not be racially profiling people. And I think that if you took a poll of young men and you posed the question of that, you pose those questions to them in that way, I think a lot more of them would agree with me than not. And instead of addressing that and addressing the very valid arguments I'm making in the larger video about the economic anxiety young men face and the mental health issues that young men face, they decided to make it about me, which I find extremely ironic, because the right consistently says all the left cares about is identity politics. All the left cares about is talking about social issues. And in a video where I'm talking about young men and what we should do to better their lives in this country, prominent figures in the Republican Party made it about me, made it about the way I look, made it about my sexual identity, and didn't address a single one of the claims that I made in that video. Which is why I responded. I responded and I said, you know, if I lose another £65, will y' all actually raise young men's wages? Will you actually invest in their mental health care resources? Because if that's the case, if it just takes me putting on some running shoes and the track, like, I'll go do that. But if we get to that point, are you just going to find another reason to deflect from the fact that in my opinion, you really don't have any plan on how to make their lives better? You just in the way that I feel like sometimes people on the left do. You said things because they wanted. You wanted them to vote for you because you wanted to get elected. And now Trump's been in there for, what, over 120something days.

What, what is the specific plan on how to make life better for young men in America? Because I haven't seen it.

[Interviewer]

It's tough, man. Buying a house.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah, she's. It's impossible buying a house. But, and this is the thing, and this is why, like, I feel like people should have so much more empathy for young men, is everyone knows and talks about the standards that are put on young women of, you know, you have to fit into a certain beauty standard and you have to be nice and you have to be, you know, defend yourself, but you can't be too mean or else you're a. And for young guys, it's like, okay, you have to be the breadwinner and the provider and you have to buy the house and have the wife and have the kids and the high paying job right after you get out of college and you can't have debt, and if you don't, you're a failure and you're not a man. And then we have politicians in this country who pass policy that make it impossible for the majority of young men to fulfill those standards that they have set for them. And if you're a young guy and you know, you're working 12 hours a day, or you're working, you know, 80 hours a week and someone tells you that, you know, you still can't do this, are you going to believe that it's your own fault when you're working your ass off to try to reach that dream, or are you going to find someone else to blame for those problems? Because it can't be me. If I'm working 80 hours a week, how am I the person that's the problem here? And I think that that's where, you know, Trump and Republicans have done such a good job is convincing these young men that it's someone else's fault. Maybe it's immigrants fault, maybe it's women's fault that they can't fulfill these dreams when they're the ones that are blocking minimum wage increases, when they're the ones that are not increasing funding to mental health resources, when they're the ones that are trying to cut back on things like Pell grants or trade school grants, like these are things young men could use to build a foundation for their lives. And instead of making those things stronger, they're either ignoring it completely or they're trying to get rid of those programs.

[Interviewer]

I agree. Yeah. Trump crushed the, the young male vote, right?

[Olivia Juliana]

He did, he did. It's because of social media, I think.

[Interviewer]

Elite podcast, too.

[Olivia Juliana]

Podcast. Podcast.

[Interviewer]

He crushed the podcast tour when he was running for broke.

[Olivia Juliana]

He did. And it was smart. It was, it was a smart strategy and it wasn't a new strategy. It wasn't like that's what Biden did in 2020 because of the pandemic. You know, he ran a digital campaign and it worked because that's where people are. And I think that the other thing that Trump did in going on these podcasts, he did a really good job at is he was, he was very personable and he talked about his personal life and he told stories and he was very relaxed and chill. And I, I don't think that there are a lot of Democratic politicians at that point who were doing that kind of thing. I think we're, we're getting to that point now where I think we're finally starting to see some people realize that that's what we need to do. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Because our grandparents could work, first of all, only one of them had to work, which is crazy. So typically, the male would work 40, 80 hours a week. They could buy a house, they could buy groceries, they could buy gas. Not even think about it.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And now both have to work.

[Olivia Juliana]

Both have to work. And this is why, you know, on the abortion issue, this is, this is why. This one's in particular important to me is I have a lot of Republicans who will try to debate with me about the morality of abortion. And my, my typical response to that is, I'm not going to debate with you about the morality of abortion until the Republican Party, by and large, has a policy platform that is actually pro family. Because I. I'm pro family. Like I said, you should. You should have the ability to decide if, when, and how you start a family. And that means you are able to give birth and have a child because you have affordable health care. You're able to take your child home to a house that you own because it's affordable for you to buy a house. And then you're able to take paid leave off of work so you can spend those first few weeks with your child. And then when they get to the point for you to go back to work, you can afford to send them to childcare. And these are all things that Republicans are obstacles to. They don't support paid family leave. They don't support increased assistance for childcare costs. They don't support a lot of Republicans on a local level. They, they don't support, you know, permitting reform to build more affordable housing units.

And so for me, like, everyone always wants, because I'm like, the abortion girl, everyone always wants to talk to me about the morality of it. Like, I don't want to talk about the morality of it until y' all are ready for people to actually start having kids. Because a lot of the women who have abortions have abortions because they already have two to three children and they cannot afford to have another one. So if you're going to be pro family, be about it.

[Interviewer]

I've seen that. Because having a baby just at the hospital is five figures, which is crazy. So most families cannot afford that.

[Olivia Juliana]

No, they can't. And especially, like, if you, if you don't have health insurance or if you have a job that doesn't have paid parental leave. So, like, if you have a kid, you could lose your job. What kind of a country is it that we Say we're pro family, and we say that we have this dream that people can achieve, but we've created a circumstance where if you get pregnant and you want to have a child, you could lose the job that you need to provide for that child, and the government will tell you it's your fault.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, that's ironic. Yeah. I know so many people in their 20s and even early 30s that just won't have kids right now. They want to have kids, but they. They don't want them. Yeah, they can't afford it. It's crazy. And the birth rates are declining and.

[Olivia Juliana]

And that's why.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Our grandparents era had like, six kids.

[Olivia Juliana]

And they think that banning abortion is the solution. It's just not. You know, banning abortion is not going to get rid of abortion. It's just going to make abortion unsafe, and it's going to lead to more women putting themselves in dangerous situations, either because they want to take care of the kids they already have, or maybe they're in a domestic abuse situation and, you know, now they're forced to have their abuser's baby. Well, now that attaches them to that person even longer. And so, you know, if you want abortion rates to go down, past policies will make abortion rates go down. But until then, I don't want to debate you on the issue.

[Interviewer]

You might have to go on a jubilee video and.

Or on a Charlie Kirk campus.

[Olivia Juliana]

Well. Well, Charlie Kirk, he's an interesting one.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. College is a scam.

[Olivia Juliana]

Yeah. Well, when you drop out and you don't go back, it's easy to say that. And I say that as someone who is a community college student who is in the process of still grab. I'm not gonna finish school. I'll finish school eventually, but it's not a priority to me. And so I think it's really easy for you to be like, oh, college is a scam when Charlie Kirk has access to all the measures of power that the young men he's telling not to go to college don't.

[Interviewer]

So, bars. Well, Olivia, it's been fun. Where can people find you, support you and keep up with you?

[Olivia Juliana]

You find me, Cameron. You find me everywhere, Olivia. Juliana. Twitter. Sorry. X Facebook, Instagram, TikTok Substack. I'm everywhere, controversial everywhere. And I love to hear from both sides. So come find me.

[Interviewer]

Come find her, guys. Thanks for watching. See you next time.