Podcast Summary

Podcast: Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone

Episode: "Oh Hillary, Empathy? Really? Please."
Date: January 30, 2026
Host: Sasha Stone
Episode Theme:
A pointed open letter to Hillary Clinton, critiquing her recent Atlantic op-ed accusing MAGA and Trump supporters of lacking empathy. Sasha Stone explores themes of political polarization, the weaponization of empathy, the left’s handling of law enforcement and border policy, and what she sees as the left’s disconnect from ordinary Americans and genuine empathy.

1. Main Theme and Purpose

Sasha Stone uses Clinton’s op-ed as a launching pad to challenge the left’s claims to empathy and compassion, specifically regarding immigration and law enforcement. Stone argues that left-wing leaders and commentators use empathy as a political tool rather than a genuine principle, often failing to extend it to groups outside their political alignment. She questions the veracity of the left’s narrative on Trump, MAGA, and law enforcement, bringing forth counterpoints about crime and the victims of progressive immigration policies.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

Hillary Clinton’s Op-Ed and Democratic Strategy

• Stone begins by addressing Hillary Clinton’s Atlantic piece ("MAGA's War on Empathy"), noting the predictable narrative: attacking MAGA for lacking empathy, especially in relation to the Minneapolis crisis and immigration enforcement.

  • [01:00] Quote (Hillary Clinton, via Sasha Stone):
    “That compassion is weak and cruelty is strong has become an article of MAGA faith...”

• Stone sees the op-ed as a strategic pivot by Democrats to sell “empathy” because “selling open borders is an election killer.” This, Stone claims, is a calculated attempt to win back moderates and independents.

  • [02:00] Sasha Stone:
    “You think selling empathy or compassion will help bridge the gap and maybe win back independents...As with everything else, it's a manufactured delusion.”

Critique of Left-Wing Tactics and Rhetoric

• Stone critically contrasts current left-wing protests and attacks on federal law enforcement with the right-wing January 6th assault:
  • [02:30] “Resorting to the first violent attacks on the government since the 1970s. And no, January 6th doesn't count...These are coordinated, orchestrated, well funded attacks, not protests as much as flirting with terrorism.”
• She accuses Democrats of disregarding empathy for those outside their base, focusing solely on voters who “vote blue no matter who.”

Media Hyperbole and Dehumanization

• Stone highlights hyperbolic and violent rhetoric from popular commentators:
  • Ben Shapiro clip: Democrats searching for a new “Selma Bridge moment” and using civil rights analogies for immigration disputes.
    • [04:00] Ben Shapiro:
      “Democrats... looking always for their new moment to be involved in a civil rights movement … the minute that they see anything that even remotely resembles that thing, they go for it, whole scale.”
  • Scott Galloway and Kara Swisher’s calls for “Nuremberg trials” against Trump leadership and law enforcement are lambasted as examples of escalating, divisive rhetoric.
    • [05:40] Scott Galloway (as recounted):
      “There should be something equivalent to the Nuremberg trials after this is all over.”
    • [06:08] Kara Swisher (as recounted):
      “Stephen Miller has blood on his hands and should be put in jail...he was the one who created the internment cancer, Japanese Heinrich Himmler in the Nazi regime.”

Stone’s Former Support for Clinton and Disillusionment

• Sasha reflects on her personal journey from being a Clinton supporter and liberal activist, striving to “humanize” Hillary for skeptics, to eventually becoming disillusioned:
  • [09:06] Describes Hillary’s impromptu 1969 graduation speech as an “early taste of national limelight,” and references her own efforts to support Clinton publicly.
  • [10:30] Sasha Stone:
    “I used to think you were a person of integrity. I did. I supported you. I fought for you. I was proud to be a Democrat...Oh, the lies, Hillary, the lies. I can barely live with myself. I don't know how you manage it.”

Empathy for Law Enforcement and Victims

• Stone contrasts the demonization of ICE with personal stories from Tom Homan, former ICE director:

  • [11:13] Tom Homan:
    “These men and women that carry that badge and gun are American patriots...If they've seen a fraction of the tragedies I've seen in my career, they take a lot of damage home to it every day.”

• Homan’s pleas for an end to the violent rhetoric and acknowledgment of ICE agents as members of the community:

  • [13:00] Tom Homan:
    “We got to stop the rhetoric, the hateful rhetoric that has caused an increase in assaults...If you don't like what ICE is doing, instead of protesting this building, go protest Congress...But threatening law enforcement officers...is never okay.”

The Human Cost of Border Policies

• Stone lays out several crime stories tied to illegal immigration, arguing these victims receive little empathy from the left:
  • The “rape van” case in LA ([15:34] to [17:14])
  • Venezuelan gang activity in Colorado ([17:14] to [18:04])
  • Repeat offender Dennis Romero’s crimes, including rapes and assaults in Virginia ([18:04] to [19:44])
  • The murder of Kayla Hamilton by a MS-13 member allowed into the US as an unaccompanied minor ([20:04] to [22:02])
  • These stories are presented as evidence that the left’s empathy does not extend to victims of crimes committed by protected classes.

Gender Issues and Loss of Empathy for Detransitioners

• Stone claims leftist compassion excludes detransitioners and young people harmed by gender ideology, sharing a TikTok testimony about the lifelong consequences of medical transition begun in adolescence:
  • [22:15] Transgender Teen on TikTok:
    “They told you what was going to happen before you started testosterone...They told me that I might experience vaginal dryness, not that...it's almost certainly going to cause them to irreversibly atrophy...”

Accusations of Hypocrisy: Dehumanizing MAGA, Downplaying Conservative Victims

• Stone asserts that left-wing empathy is “conditional,” pointing to the left’s reaction (or lack thereof) to the murder of Charlie Kirk, claiming leftists actually celebrated it or rationalized the killing because of Kirk’s politics:
  • [24:14] Sasha Stone:
    “Empathy was strictly forbidden on the left lest you empathize with the wrong people. Not the victims of rapes or terrorism...Not the victims of the crazy gender cult. And you most certainly can't empathize with Trump or his supporters.”
  • Critiques the social media “pile-ons” and celebrates those who oppose or mock conservatives in the wake of tragedy.

Left-Wing Scorn and Mockery of the Right

• Features a TikTok montage mocking Trump supporters, conservatives, and, specifically, the daily lived experience of conservative men.

  • [26:07] Liberal Commentator:
    “Women are the people who, when they see you coming, they cross the street...Nothing unique or special or memorable about you...”

• Asserts that attempts at healing or unity from the left are disingenuous or doomed to fail:

  • [27:10] TikToker:
    “Please stop asking us to come together and unite with Trump supporters. It's never going to happen. It's never going to happen.”

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:00] Sasha Stone:
  “Selling open borders is an election killer, so you think selling empathy or compassion will help bridge the gap...As with everything else, it's a manufactured delusion you too must sell.”

• [05:32] Scott Galloway (as recounted):
  “There should be something equivalent to the Nuremberg trials after this is all over. I agree. And to make it clear that once we're back in power, which we will be, this is going to happen.”

• [11:13] Tom Homan:
  “These men and women that carry that badge and gun are American patriots...But I want you to remember, they don't hang their heart on a hook. They are mothers and fathers too...”

• [22:48] Transgender TikTok User:
  “It's also crazy to me to imply that I, as a 14 year old 8th grader, could comprehend the lifelong implications of being incontinent and not being able to have penetrative sex or give birth vaginally. That's not something that a child can consent to.”

• [24:14] Sasha Stone:
  “Empathy. Yours is conditional. In fact, empathy was strictly forbidden on the left lest you empathize with the wrong people.”

• [27:10] Liberal Commentator:
  “Please stop asking us to come together and unite with Trump supporters. It's never going to happen...We don't trust you and we can never trust you...”

4. Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:30: Sasha introduces the open letter, dissects Hillary Clinton’s Atlantic op-ed, and outlines the left’s shifting narrative.
• 03:59 – 06:46: Ben Shapiro, Scott Galloway, and Kara Swisher on rhetorical escalation; comparisons to Nazis.
• 07:52 – 10:30: Sasha recounts her former loyalty to Clinton, her own support, and the reasons for disillusionment.
• 11:13 – 14:44: Tom Homan gives a passionate defense of ICE and border agents; discussion of rising threats due to political rhetoric.
• 15:34 – 22:02: Personal stories of crime involving illegal immigrants, highlighting perceived victims ignored by the left.
• 22:15 – 24:14: TikTok testimony about the realities of gender transition and detransition.
• 24:14 – 29:00: Stone discusses the absence of empathy from the left for victims on the right and presents TikTok/social media commentary mocking conservatives.
• 29:00 – End: Stone’s closing thoughts; concludes the open letter by asserting that empathy no longer belongs to the left.

5. Tone and Language

• Sharp, direct, and at times polemical, with a confessional and confrontational undertone.
• Blends media soundbites, stories of personal change and regret, and a collage of media voices to support her argument.
• Uses sarcasm and rhetorical questions as recurring devices, especially when addressing Hillary Clinton directly.

6. Conclusion

Sasha Stone’s episode is a sweeping critique of what she sees as the left’s performative empathy and political opportunism. Calling out Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats, Stone argues that much of the left has lost authentic empathy by selectively applying it and by demonizing political opponents, law enforcement, and detractors of progressive orthodoxy. Backed by a series of stories—crime victims, ICE agents, detransitioners—Stone insists that the collapse of true empathy has led to disconnection, resentment, and, ultimately, political loss.