Digital Social Hour Episode #1628: Why Royce White Says No U.S. Senator Would Turn Down $250 Million

Podcast: Digital Social Hour
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Royce White
Date: November 19, 2025

Overview

In this lively and thought-provoking virtual episode, former NBA player, activist, and political candidate Royce White joins Sean Kelly to discuss his insurgent campaign against entrenched power, the immense challenges of running outside the political mainstream, his critiques of both the political and corporate establishment, and why he's uniquely equipped—by character and conviction—to resist selling out in Washington. White shares candid reflections on his athletic journey, mental health advocacy, controversies over his political positions, and the lessons learned from mentors like Steve Bannon. The conversation moves freely between media bias, election integrity, U.S.-China relations, globalism, transhumanism, and the urgency for authentic leadership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Royce White’s Unique Approach to Politics

• Unbending Principles: White positions himself as uniquely resistant to corruption.

  • “There's not a United States Senator that I could name who I think would turn down a quarter of a billion dollars or maybe more on principle alone.” (00:00; 43:15, paraphrased later)

• Endurance in Grassroots Campaigns:

  • Insists that challenging establishment incumbents demands resilience, especially in "deep blue" states like Minnesota.
  • Many candidates “lose once and quit,” but genuine change requires sustained effort.
    • "Anybody who thinks that we can take one shot at these incumbents is mistaken. Or they're in it just for the money…" (00:51)

The Reality of Running Against the Machine

• Money and Media Power:

  • Contrasts his $1.5 million campaign fund with Amy Klobuchar’s $16 million-plus war chest and her reported massive increase in net worth.
    • “She had raised over $16 million…her net worth was a couple hundred thousand…rumor is she's worth upwards of 30 to 40 million now after three terms.” (06:56)

• Corporate and Agriculture Power in Minnesota:

  • Minnesota politics dominated by both Fortune 500 companies and large agribusiness, creating a ‘uniparty’ system.
    • "It doesn't get more uniparty than Minnesota…corporate world, big ag…the farm bills, subsidies, squeezing out farmers…" (04:23)

Policy, Voting, and Election Integrity

• National Issues Over Localism:

  • Views Senate races as national contests; global issues drive local realities.

• Special Interest Money:

  • Condemns lobbies and PACs, noting he received little to no funding from major special interests.
    • "I am categorically against special interests and lobbies altogether." (07:35)

• Low Voter Engagement:

  • Pinpoints the non-participation of 30 million evangelical Christians as critical.
    • “Nearly 30 million Christians who were of voting age didn't vote even in the 2024 election...and Satan is taking over your country…” (08:11)

• Election Security:

  • Strongly opposes voting machines and mail-in ballots, calls election technology proprietary and lacking transparency.
    • "The average slot machine at a local casino has a better chain of custody than your average voting machine, which is unacceptable." (11:20)
    • "If you don't care about your citizenship enough to take the time out to make the drive...then you deserve to die under communism." (11:38)

Media Labels, Anti-Semitism Accusations, and Globalism

• Being Called a ‘Conspiracy Theorist’:

  • White recounts being labeled antisemitic for his use of the term ‘globalism’ and his criticisms of establishment narratives.
    • “The Star Tribune said that the word globalism is a dog whistle for anti-Semitism. And I’m going, whoa..." (14:41)
    • Maintains close relationships and podcasting partnerships with Jewish colleagues.*

• Narrative Control:

  • Argues that both Black and Jewish identities are wielded by elites for government and global influence, respectively.
    • "The black identity is used to justify the expansion of the federal government...The Jewish identity is used to justify the expansion of global government." (13:50)

Influence of Steve Bannon

• Mentorship and Media:
  • White credits Bannon for resisting echo chambers and shaping the MAGA movement to appeal to working class minorities.
    • "Bannon's been one from the very beginning that's like, no, the MAGA movement has to embrace and prioritize the working class blacks and Hispanics if we're going to save this republic." (17:22)
  • Praises Bannon's willingness to take a stand on Israel and question establishment narratives.

Elon Musk, AI, Immigration, and Transhumanism

• Distrust of Tech Oligarchs:

  • Acknowledges left-wing excesses (drag shows, identity politics) but considers the "tech bro" vision, led by Musk, just as dangerous, especially AI and transhumanism.
    • "AI isn't any less off the railroad tracks. Transhumanism isn’t any less off the railroad tracks." (21:12)
    • "We don't want to be growing organic human babies in labs that don't have any human rights because they belong to corporations." (21:35)

• Immigration Moratorium:

  • Full moratorium on immigration until U.S. has control/a proper headcount, no business exceptions—even for tech visas.
    • "Your ass is going back. Bottom line. I don't care about the sob story." (23:37)

Masculinity, The Media, and U.S.-China Relations

• Critiques of U.S. Leadership:

  • Lampoons Gavin Newsom for welcoming President Xi and lacking masculinity/Western values.
    • "We just need a return to some real, genuine, masculine leadership. Gavin Newsom can never redeem himself, in my opinion…for him to clean the streets, to welcome President Xi...is absolutely unacceptable and a real indictment of his character." (25:25)

• Media Talking Down to Citizens:

  • "Experts and consultants said, don't talk above the level of a fifth grader because people don't understand. Some of that's true...Over-credentialized, undereducated." (26:29)
  • Emphasizes faith in the human spirit and the dignity of everyday people.

The “Conspiracy Theorist” Badge

• Embracing the Label:
  • Lists the accusations: antisemitism, election denial, talking about direct energy weapons (Maui), Uyghur plight, Epstein, Assange, and more.
    • "All of those things were considered conspiracy theories a short time ago. Now they're...conspiracy fact." (27:54)
    • Notes, somewhat tongue-in-cheek: "Royce White is an American conspiracy theorist" was the first line on my Wikipedia. This should be the best campaign material I could possibly get." (28:05)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• "There's not a United States Senator that I could name who I think would turn down a quarter of a billion dollars or maybe more on principle alone. In fact, the conventional wisdom...is take the money first, then do the moral and good thing later. And that's how the country got f—ed up." – Royce White (43:12, paraphrased from start and later)
• "If you don't care about your citizenship enough to take the time out to make the drive and secure the process, then you deserve to die under communism. And by God you will." – Royce White (11:38)
• "The average slot machine at a local casino has a better chain of custody than your average voting machine, which is unacceptable in, in my opinion." – Royce White (11:20)
• “The black identity is used to justify the expansion of the federal government...The Jewish identity is used to justify the expansion of global government.” – Royce White (13:50)
• "Bannon's been one from the very beginning that's like, no, the MAGA movement has to embrace and prioritize the working class blacks and Hispanics if we're going to save this republic.” – Royce White (18:10)
• "AI isn't any less off the railroad tracks. Transhumanism isn’t any less off the railroad tracks. In fact, you could argue that transgenderism is the predicate for transhumanism." – Royce White (21:12)
• "We don't want to be growing organic human babies in labs that don't have any human rights because they belong to corporations...Of course that's what they're going to do with organic people that have no rights because they're not technically citizens, they're property." – Royce White (21:35)
• "We just need a return to some real, genuine, masculine leadership. Gavin Newsom can never redeem himself, in my opinion…for him to clean the streets, to welcome President Xi...is absolutely unacceptable and a real indictment of his character." – Royce White (25:25)

Royce White’s Mental Health Advocacy and NBA Conflict

• Pioneer in Mental Health Awareness:

  • Recounts struggle with panic attacks (36:20–38:00).
  • Challenged NBA’s lack of mental health policy, refused to quietly take prescribed benzodiazepines.
  • "They had a banned substance list...and the most prescribed anti-anxiety drug [Xanax] was on it...I was one of the first players to openly discuss my struggles with anxiety." (39:10)

• Challenging the Establishment, Refusing to Sell Out:

  • Tells story of being blackballed for policy advocacy.
  • "You could be anything you want to be...but you gotta play first. If you don't play, who's going to listen? Well, you don't tell a young black man...if you don't sell out, what good are you going to be to humanity?" (43:00)

Sports as a Last Bastion of Reality

• On Sports and Human Connection:
  • Argues that sports remain a rare space for real, physical community in the digital age.
  • "Sports is one of the last real places that young people have to physically come to participate and interact...we're going completely digital..." (47:57–49:00)

Closing: Patriot Act, Deep State, and the Future of Democracy

• Patriot Act Must Go:

  • "If there’s a second thing we need to do besides get rid of the machines, it’s repeal the Patriot Act...entered under false pretenses…both [Iraq and Afghanistan] wars we didn’t need to be in." (52:36)

• Critique of Democracy as Red Herring:

  • Explains how institutional power shields itself under the guise of "democratic" legitimacy, undermining actual self-government. (54:28)
  • "When they say 'democracy', they don't mean a government for us...they mean the institutions that were erected after World War II...that's just their way to shill and cover for the corruption of the institutions." (54:28)

• Candor and Authenticity:

  • White repeatedly positions his bluntness as a feature, not a bug: “That's part of my brand, I just tell it like it is, so respect.” (31:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:51 – 02:25: On running against entrenched incumbents & money’s influence
• 04:23 – 06:45: Minnesota’s unique political and corporate landscape
• 07:31 – 09:07: Fundraising disparities & resistance to special interests
• 09:19 – 12:29: Election distrust, voting machines, Christian disengagement, mail-in ballots
• 12:34 – 16:10: Anti-Semitism accusations, globalism, media attacks
• 17:16 – 19:38: Lessons from Steve Bannon & the evolving MAGA coalition
• 19:44 – 21:35: Critique of techno-capitalism (Elon, AI, transhumanism)
• 23:37 – 25:09: Immigration policy, H1B visas, moratorium argument
• 25:25 – 27:33: U.S.-China relations, masculinity, mainstream consultants
• 28:00 – 31:38: Embracing the conspiracy theorist label, sports as reality
• 36:20 – 39:10: Mental health journey, NBA conflict
• 43:00 – 44:00: Why he wouldn’t sell out for any sum
• 47:57 – 49:00: The meaning of physical sports in a digital world
• 52:36 – 54:28: Patriot Act, deep state, the problem of “democracy” today
• 57:48 – End: Where to find Royce; final thoughts

For Listeners: Where to Find Royce White

• Campaign: roycewhite.us
• Podcast: "Please Call Me Crazy" (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
• Media: Real America’s Voice (Saturday mornings)
• Social: X (Twitter), Gettr, Truth Social, Facebook

Summary

This episode is a no-holds-barred tour through Royce White’s political philosophy, personal journey, and fight for accountability in public life. If you’re drawn to anti-establishment perspectives, a critical look at democracy, money in politics, or candid talk about topics the mainstream avoids, this is an essential listen.