Episode Overview
Podcast: Making Sense with Sam Harris
Episode: #438 — “More From Sam”: Israel-Hamas Deal, Qatari Air Force Base, Trump, Charlie Kirk, Ezra Klein, & Rapid Fire Questions
Host: Sam Harris
Date: October 11, 2025
In this extra-length “More From Sam” installment, Sam Harris dives into recent seismic events, including the dramatic Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal brokered by Donald Trump, the implications of Qatari influence in the U.S., the enduring threat of Islamism, the enduring “Trump phenomenon” (from corruption to golf course ethics), political polarization, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk—all with the incisive, unflinching analysis that listeners have come to expect. The conversation moves fluidly between international affairs, the psychology of political actors, and civilizational undercurrents in the West and Middle East.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Israel–Hamas Deal and Trump’s Role
[01:57 – 08:48]
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Reluctant Acknowledgement:
Sam Harris admits Trump was more successful bringing a ceasefire than he would have believed possible under a President Harris or Biden, citing Biden's unreliability as an ally after the initial weeks post-October 7th.Quote:
“It pains me somewhat to admit this, but yes, he's certainly been good for the Middle East and for Israel in a way that I don't think there was any reason to expect Harris to be good... He proved [Biden] quite an unreliable ally.”
— Sam Harris [01:57] -
Trump’s Motives and the ‘Weird Algebra’:
Harris dissects Trump’s motivations as “inscrutable,” citing a mix of “short-term, narrowly constructed personal interests” and his complex relationship with Israel and the Gulf states. -
Hostage Release & Ceasefire Prospects:
Hostages’ likely imminent release is a short-term win, but Harris remains skeptical about the long-term prospects for durable peace.Quote:
“I think I’m more skeptical than many... I will be genuinely surprised if this really does offer in a new dawn and a two state solution and the lions lay down with the lambs. I think that’s all to be bracketed with serious doubts.”
— Sam Harris [03:37] -
Critique of Progressive Inconsistency:
Harris criticizes activists and celebrities for not celebrating the potential end of a so-called genocide.Quote:
“If you really thought there was a genocide in Gaza and this is ending it decisively, where are the celebrations? Where is Greta Thunberg and Mark Ruffalo and the rest of the celebrity brigade...?”
— Sam Harris [05:12]
2. Scepticism Regarding Durable Peace
[08:48 – 13:35]
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Difficult Path to Peace:
Harris is deeply pessimistic about a lasting peace, noting entrenched jihadism, Islamist funding (especially from Qatar), and the tension between reforming Gulf elites and their fundamentalist masses.Quote:
“There is and there will continue to be a tension between what these rulers want and the so-called Arab street... Even if everyone got on the same page and accepted Israel... it doesn’t change the fact that you have 50,000 people on the terror watch list in the UK alone.”
— Sam Harris [10:40] -
The Scope of the Challenge:
The need for an "intellectual and civil war" within Islam is “a huge project” Harris does not expect to see completed in this generation.Quote:
“There’s a war of ideas that has to be waged and won within Islam and there’s a civil war... Muslims have to be willing to fight jihadists... that’s gonna be very hard to do.”
— Sam Harris [11:45]
3. Qatari Influence in the U.S.: Air Force Base and Education
[13:43 – 19:17]
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Qatari Air Force Facility in Idaho:
Announcement of a new Qatari military facility in the U.S. left both hosts incredulous, questioning its timing and rationale, especially amid current geopolitical tensions. -
Qatari Soft Power and Subversion:
Harris draws direct lines between Qatari funding of U.S. universities, propaganda outlets like Al Jazeera, and stealth theocracy.Quote:
“It should be of concern to people that Qatar is literally the largest state funder of... U.S. academic institutions... It’s just a sane watching of their theocratic agenda.”
— Sam Harris [14:20] -
CAIR and “Sinister Arrangements”:
Harris forcefully argues that major U.S.-based Muslim advocacy groups are not liberal actors, but Islamist “front groups,” and that Western societies are naive about the threat.Quote:
“CAIR... is imagined to be the Muslim equivalent of the ACLU or the NAACP. It's nothing of the sort. Right? It is an Islamist front group. It is a stealth theocracy group of bullies...”
— Sam Harris [16:45] -
Paradox of Tolerance:
He invokes Karl Popper's “paradox of tolerance,” warning that unchecked tolerance for intolerance threatens open societies from within.
4. Corruption and the Trump Phenomenon
[19:17 – 25:12]
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Moral Collapse on Both Sides:
While both hosts agree that Qatari money’s influence in academia and politics is corrupting, Harris singles out the unprecedented nature of Trump’s “kleptocracy.”Quote:
“Trump, as President... he's monetizing the role of president in the most corrupt way. I mean, it's so corrupt that it's just clear that Republicans no longer have an idea of corruption in their minds.”
— Sam Harris [19:32] -
Golf as a Window into Trump’s Character:
Harris draws a fascinating parallel between Trump’s cheating at golf and his approach to government and ethics.Quote:
“Golf is just a religion of personal integrity, really... And yet he is violating its norms in a way that not one in a million golfers, if given the chance, would ever do... to call it sociopathic doesn’t even quite get at it.”
— Sam Harris [24:01, 24:09] -
Personal Integrity vs. Performance:
The moral stakes in golf—an “inner” game focused on honesty and self-assessment—make Trump’s serial cheating especially revealing.Quote:
“When you lie, you're not just cheating somebody else. You're actually completely missing the entire point of the game. Oh, yeah. You know, it’s like cheating at prayer or something.”
— B, Sam Harris [25:12]
5. Political Violence and Assassination
[25:57 – END]
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Shock and Tragedy of Charlie Kirk Assassination:
The episode pivots to the deeply troubling assassination of Charlie Kirk—highlighting Sam’s horror, both personally and as a societal alarm bell.Quote:
“My immediate reaction to it was just to be purely horrified... Additionally, it’s horrible... because it’s happening in an environment where we are combustible as a society. The level of trust in institutions is so low.”
— Sam Harris [26:13] -
Era of Fragility in American Society:
Harris laments that contemporary America’s low institutional trust matches a “combustible” mood, making any high-profile act of political violence particularly dangerous for public life and democratic stability.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Trump’s Success in the Middle East:
“He was just a clear eyed defender of Western civilization generally and of the lone democracy, embattled democracy in the Middle East. In the case of Israel, he certainly is. Not that I don't think he understands the issues.”
— Sam Harris [02:32] -
On Selective Moral Outrage:
“Where's the pressure applied to Hamas by the people who pretend to support the Palestinian cause? I mean, maybe it exists somewhere, but I certainly haven't seen it.”
— Sam Harris [05:37] -
On Authoritarian Secularism:
“There’s a Potemkin view of secularism and tolerance... but these are totally authoritarian regimes. The question is, how are they gonna lock all this down? ... How is Gaza going to be a vacation place when you still have jihadists who want to spread the faith...?”
— Sam Harris [12:50] -
On Western Liberal Naiveté:
“Open societies have to find some way of playing this game successfully so as to defend their own values without tipping over into proper closure or xenophobia or bigotry or jingoism.”
— Sam Harris [17:58] -
On Trump’s Golf Cheating as Moral Parable:
“It’s almost uninterpretable... you literally, you have never met anyone who has ever met anyone who would behave this way. And this guy is President of the United States.”
— Sam Harris [24:52] -
On Societal Risk after Political Violence:
“A political assassination is just much more dangerous now. I mean, there's just so much dry tinder. It's like when JFK was assassinated or MLK or Robert Kennedy. Those assassinations happened in a context where there was massive trust.”
— Sam Harris [26:36]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 01:57 — Israel-Hamas Deal, Trump’s Role, and Progressive Paradoxes
- 08:48 — Durable Peace: Prospects, Realities, and Religious Fundamentalisms
- 13:43 — Qatari Influence: U.S. Military Collaborations and Academia
- 19:17 — Corruption and Trump’s Monetization of Office
- 21:00 — Trump’s Golf Cheating as a Character Study
- 25:57 — Charlie Kirk’s Assassination and the Dangers of Political Violence
Tone and Style
Throughout the episode, Sam Harris maintains his trademark tone: analytic, precise, skeptical, and philosophically probing, laced with flashes of dark humor and moral seriousness. Co-host B acts as thoughtful interlocutor, at times attempting to steelman opposing perspectives, balancing Sam’s deep pessimism with occasional optimism.
Summary for Listeners
Whether you’re looking for insight into this week’s geopolitical events, a critical view of Trump’s character, or an examination of Western society’s vulnerabilities, this densely packed episode offers not just commentary but frameworks for thinking. Essential listening for anyone puzzling over the West’s moral contradictions, the intractability of the Middle East, and the future of liberal democracy.