Podcast Summary: Mollie Hemingway on the Comey Indictment

Podcast: Hillsdale College Podcast Network – Radio Free Hillsdale Hour
Host: Scott Bertram
Guest: Mollie Hemingway, Senior Journalism Fellow at Hillsdale College, Editor-in-Chief at The Federalist, Fox News Contributor
Date: October 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, exploring its significance, context within the broader Russia collusion narrative, and the implications for accountability within U.S. intelligence agencies. Mollie Hemingway offers critical analysis of media narratives, political double standards, and the broader corrosion of trust in public institutions. The discussion then pivots to issues of censorship by Big Tech—focusing specifically on YouTube and Google—before addressing the national reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, political rhetoric, crime, the current political climate, and Hemingway’s forthcoming book on Justice Samuel Alito.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Comey Indictment and Accountability in Federal Agencies

Timestamps: 01:12 – 07:19

• The Russia Collusion Hoax & Bureaucratic Cover-Up

  • Hemingway sets the stage by tracing the origins of the Russia collusion allegations to 2016, emphasizing their use as a political tool rather than a legitimate investigation.
  • She highlights how statutes of limitation have stymied full legal accountability, referencing cover-ups by the Mueller probe and intelligence operatives.
  • Quote:

    “...this indictment of Comey for some of the lies that he told in this particular case... is a way to perhaps hold some of these people accountable for one of the most horrific periods of American history.” (02:29, Mollie Hemingway)

• Indictment as Retribution vs. Real Justice

  • Hemingway refutes the characterization of the indictment as political vengeance, arguing it stems from genuine wrongdoing and unlawful acts rather than mere policy disputes.
  • Quote:

    “People like to say no one is above the law. Well, that would include James Comey and lying to Congress while they're doing an investigation into the Department of Justice for this Russia collusion hoax is a horrific crime.” (04:58, Mollie Hemingway)

• Limits of Accountability

  • Even with indictments, Hemingway is pessimistic about true justice, citing expired statutes of limitation and persistent bureaucratic resistance to transparency.
  • Quote:

    “...this indictment of Comey is so small compared to what needs to be done. And maybe nothing can be done because the statute has expired...” (06:21, Mollie Hemingway)

2. Big Tech Censorship: YouTube, Google, and Free Speech

Timestamps: 07:19 – 13:58

• Admission of Bias and Ongoing Censorship

  • In a discussion about a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, Hemingway calls out YouTube and Google as central actors in the ‘censorship industrial complex,’ privileging left-wing perspectives while suppressing conservative voices.
  • She notes that recent disclosures only acknowledge what conservatives have long alleged—and Big Tech still refuses to make reparations or change their suppression tactics.
  • Quote:

    “They just said Biden encouraged us to do it and they think that's some kind of get out of jail free card. But it is. It’s ongoing...” (08:46, Mollie Hemingway)

• Fact-Checking as Propaganda

  • Hemingway critiques the ‘fact-checking’ industry as a façade for censorship, describing it as a tool often outsourced even to hostile foreign actors (e.g., ByteDance/TikTok), always targeting conservatives.
  • Quote:

    “The whole fact checking industry is actually a, a propaganda and censorship tool where they decide that they understand what the facts are. And if you disagree with them... they claim it's factually incorrect.” (12:37, Mollie Hemingway)

• Suppression of Debate

  • She discusses how Big Tech’s policies stifled legitimate discourse on crucial issues—COVID origins, gender ideology, and more. The built-in suppression mechanisms remain, regardless of PR statements.
  • Quote:

    “If you said a man is not a woman, even if he claims to be, they'll still suppress that information.” (11:31, Mollie Hemingway)

3. The Assassination of Charlie Kirk: Cultural & Political Reflections

Timestamps: 13:58 – 18:49

• Personal Reflections from the Memorial

  • Hemingway shares the profound experience of attending Kirk’s memorial, highlighting its peaceful, religious, and culturally significant atmosphere.

    “It was a really beautiful thing... No fighting, no scuffles... Not just because of the religious aspects of the service, but... cabinet secretaries were speaking so clearly about their Christianity.” (14:21, Mollie Hemingway)

• Media and Public Misunderstanding

  • Both host and guest criticize how mainstream media minimize Kirk’s influence, painting his assassination as a marginal ‘MAGA’ loss rather than a national cultural blow.
  • Quote:

    “The corporate media did not understand Charlie Kirk and they didn't understand what he was doing… he had come to see that the problems that the country face are really not political, they are spiritual.” (16:07, Mollie Hemingway)

• Broader Implications

  • The assassination is discussed as a symptom of escalating political hatred and rhetorical violence—with a warning that framing it as only affecting one political faction misses its deep cultural resonance.

4. Political Rhetoric, Stochastic Terrorism, and Institutional Rot

Timestamps: 18:06 – 20:22

• Media Rhetoric Double Standards

  • Hemingway denounces how left-leaning commentators accuse conservatives of ‘stochastic terrorism’ for benign statements, while ignoring or justifying explicitly violent rhetoric from liberal figures.
  • Quote:

    “You actually have to dig into these left wing terror networks, look at how they're funded, look at how they proliferate, eradicate them from public institutions... just do actual things that will help save the country.” (19:19, Mollie Hemingway)

• Call for Action Beyond Elections

  • Simply winning elections is not enough, Hemingway urges; Republicans should actively root out radical elements embedded in institutions, especially academia.

5. Trump, Crime, and Urban Policy

Timestamps: 20:22 – 23:41

• Evaluating Trump’s Anti-Crime Initiatives

  • Hemingway cautions that while Trump’s measures were effective in D.C. due to federal jurisdiction, cities like Chicago and Portland present unique challenges given state and local resistance.
  • She underscores the double standard in federal response to left-wing unrest versus right-wing protests.

• Polling and the Political Landscape

  • The conversation reviews recent poll data showing Republicans leading on key issues. Hemingway attributes declining Democratic fortunes to ineffective or unappealing policies, exacerbated by the party’s aging leadership.
  • Quote:

    “...a lot of the bad road that Democrats are on he [Obama] started them on or he really like supercharged them. And so partly he's frantic and understanding that his legacy right now could not be worse.” (24:31, Mollie Hemingway)

6. New Book Preview: Justice Samuel Alito

Timestamps: 25:11 – 27:55

• Why Alito Matters

  • Hemingway previews her forthcoming book "Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Court and Restored the Constitution," emphasizing Alito’s significant but underappreciated role on the Court.

• Alito’s Judicial Philosophy

  • She highlights Alito’s blend of originalism and practical jurisprudence, drawing a distinction between theoretical purity and real-world application.
  • Quote:

    “He does describe himself as an originalist, but he's also very practical… he thinks about how decisions affect real people. And that practicality has given his decisions an endurance...” (27:29, Mollie Hemingway)

Notable Quotes by Segment

• On Accountability:

  “People like to say no one is above the law. Well, that would include James Comey…” (04:58, Mollie Hemingway)

• On Media and Political Double Standards:

  “You actually have to dig into these left wing terror networks, look at how they're funded… eradicate them from public institutions.” (19:19, Mollie Hemingway)

• On Big Tech Censorship:

  “…they think that's some kind of get out of jail free card. But it is. It's ongoing. I just talked with them recently. It's ongoing.” (08:46, Mollie Hemingway)

• On Charlie Kirk:

  “He had come to see that the problems that the country face are really not political, they are spiritual.” (17:17, Mollie Hemingway)

• On Alito:

  “Alito is distinguished among his peers because he's very practical... that practicality has given his decisions an endurance and also a way forward as people balance principle and pragmatism.” (27:29, Mollie Hemingway)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Opening & Overview: 00:06–01:12
• Comey Indictment Analysis: 01:12–07:19
• YouTube/Google, Censorship: 07:19–13:58
• Charlie Kirk, Cultural Impact: 13:58–18:49
• Political Rhetoric & Institutional Response: 18:49–20:22
• Trump, Crime, Urban Policy, Public Sentiment: 20:22–25:11
• Preview of Alito Book & Judicial Discussion: 25:11–27:55
• Closing: 27:55

Overall Tone and Takeaways

Mollie Hemingway adopts an assertive, critical, and occasionally somber tone throughout. The central through-line is a lament over institutional decay—across law enforcement, media, tech companies, and public discourse—paired with a call for conservatives to take more decisive action beyond electoral victories. The episode also teases Hemingway’s admiration for “practical originalism” as a model for balancing legal tradition with real-world outcomes, as embodied by Justice Alito.

For listeners seeking a deep, right-of-center analysis of contemporary legal, media, and political conflicts—punctuated with warnings about institutional rot—this episode delivers a thorough, unvarnished perspective anchored in current events.