Morning Wire — Inside The 1916 Project with Seth Gruber

Date: October 19, 2025
Host: John Bickley (with Georgia Howe)
Guest: Seth Gruber
Episode Focus: A deep dive into “The 1916 Project,” a film and book by Seth Gruber exposing the origins, ideology, and enduring impact of Planned Parenthood and its founder, Margaret Sanger.

Episode Overview

This episode explores the controversial roots and ongoing cultural influence of Planned Parenthood through the lens of Seth Gruber’s new film, “The 1916 Project.” Gruber, serving as both host and writer, traces the links between Margaret Sanger’s eugenicist philosophy, the sexual revolution, and today’s abortion and gender ideology. The conversation covers the historical context, philosophical underpinnings, and present-day implications, while also offering a message of hope and resistance for the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Naming & Purpose of “The 1916 Project”

• Reference to 1619 Project: The film’s title intentionally mirrors the “1619 Project” to prompt reflection on historic revisionism and to assert a “real history” regarding Planned Parenthood’s origins.
• Philosophical Connection: Both projects represent efforts to redefine foundational American narratives, though Gruber views “The 1619 Project” as divisive and motivated by cultural Marxism.
  • Seth Gruber (03:10): “There’s a philosophical political relationship between the New York Times 1619 Project and my 1916 Project.”

2. Planned Parenthood’s Roots & Sanger’s Ideology

• Margaret Sanger Cited as Racist and Eugenicist:
  • Gruber (06:17): “Birth control means the cultivation and release of the better racial elements in our society and the gradual suppression, elimination, and eventual extinction of defective stocks, those human weeds which threatened the blossoming of the finest flowers of American civilization.”
• The Left’s Reckoning with Sanger: In 2020, amid “cancel culture” and the aftermath of BLM protests, even Planned Parenthood’s leadership acknowledged Sanger’s racism, removing her name from clinics and awards.
  • Gruber (05:28): “...the Radical Left... went after Planned Parenthood… said, your founder, Margaret Sanger, she was a racist and a eugenicist.”

3. Eugenics, Overpopulation, and the Web of Influences

• Ideological Genealogy:
  • The episode traces the connections from Thomas Malthus (overpopulation), to Charles Darwin, to Francis Galton (eugenics), to Havelock Ellis (sexual revolution), and finally to Sanger, who combined these threads into a broader anti-family, anti-life movement.
  • Gruber (09:28): “She [Sanger] then meets Havelock Ellis, the UK's Alfred Kinsey... coached Sanger’s journey back to America to launch the first birth control clinic, the first Planned Parenthood Clinic in 1916.”
• Racism and Social Engineering: Sanger’s board included members of the Ku Klux Klan, and her “Negro Project” targeted Black communities for birth control and later abortion services.

4. Modern-Day Planned Parenthood: Beyond Abortion

• Expansion of Services: Planned Parenthood is cited as the largest global provider of abortion, cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers, and comprehensive sex education.
  • Gruber (07:32): “Did you know in 2025, they're also the largest provider of cross sex hormones and puberty blockers?... largest provider of comprehensive sexuality education... goes back to Kinsey, Hugh Hefner, and [their] medical director, Mary Calderon.”
• Worldview Consistency: Gruber argues that the same ideological forces drive abortion, gender ideology, and sexual education, forming a unified front against traditional values.

5. The “Omni Cause” and Sex as Salvation

• Mobilization through Sexual Politics:
  • Sexual “liberation” is used as a tool for political power, with the left framing issues from gay marriage to abortion as personal rights.
  • Gruber (14:00): “Margaret Sanger literally wrote… ‘through sex, mankind may attain the great spiritual illumination which will transform the world…’ In other words, sex is salvation.”
  • Gruber (15:32): “Abortion is pitched as a sexual right to the culture… one of the key elements of the radical left in our culture wars today. Everything has been sexualized.”

6. Signs of a Cultural Shift

• Hope Among the Next Generation:
  • Gruber sees increased skepticism and openness to pro-life arguments among Gen Z, who have become disillusioned by government narratives, especially post-pandemic.
  • Gruber (16:58): “Gen Z has a more sophisticated, refined BS sniffer than Millennials... I actually see a lot of hope with people who... grew up realizing that we're being lied to from the highest levels of the federal government.”
• Exposure of Sanger’s Racism: The exposure of the racist origins of Planned Parenthood is cited as a catalyst for broader societal awakening, particularly as data show ongoing racial disparities in abortion rates.

7. The White Rose Resistance — A Model for Modern Activism

• Inspiration from WWII:
  • Gruber names his ministry and production company after the White Rose Resistance, a youth-led anti-Nazi movement in Munich during WWII.
  • Gruber (18:49): “That’s the kind of courage… we need today is people who care more about protecting the vulnerable, the marginalized… like the unborn child... willing to sacrifice to stand up for those children.”
• Warning from History: Citing Mildred Jefferson, Gruber cautions that societies willing to dehumanize any class (like the unborn) set a precedent for broader oppression.
  • Gruber (20:40): “Today it is the unborn child. Tomorrow it is likely to be the elderly or those who are incurably ill…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sanger’s Philosophy:
  • Gruber quoting Sanger (06:17): “...gradual suppression, elimination, and eventual extinction of defective stocks, those human weeds which threatened the blossoming of the finest flowers of American civilization.”
• On Sexuality and Politics:
  • Gruber (14:00): “Sex is an incredibly powerful tool when politicized to get power.”
• On Hope and Resistance:
  • Gruber (18:49): “That’s the kind of courage… we need today is people who care more about protecting the vulnerable, the marginalized, those that our culture treats as less than.”
  • Gruber (20:40, quoting Mildred Jefferson): “Those who murder the unborn cannot be trusted to govern the born.”
• On Cultural Awakening:
  • Gruber (16:58): “Gen Z has a more sophisticated, refined BS sniffer than Millennials... I actually see a lot of hope…”

Important Timestamps

• 00:53 — Introduction of The 1916 Project and its premise
• 03:00 — Explanation and origins of the title “The 1916 Project”
• 06:09 — How both the left and right have confronted Sanger’s past
• 06:17–06:44 — Margaret Sanger’s eugenicist ideology, read aloud
• 09:28 — The thread from Malthus to Sanger’s radicalism
• 11:44–13:29 — Planned Parenthood’s evolution, targeting of Black communities, and Chesterton’s warning
• 14:00–16:17 — The “omni cause,” sexual politics, and the mobilization of the left
• 16:58 — Evidence of a “turning of the tide” among young people
• 18:49–21:08 — The White Rose Resistance, lessons from history, and a call to courage

Episode Tone

The discussion is urgent and unapologetically critical of Planned Parenthood, blending historical research with cultural commentary. Gruber’s tone is impassioned, employing vivid analogies, historical anecdotes, and direct moral appeals. The hosts adopt a supportive, inquisitive role, helping the narrative stay focused on illuminating both the historical record and contemporary significance.

Conclusion

Listeners are left with both a disquieting account of Planned Parenthood’s ideological origins and a hopeful call to resistance, invoking the courage of historical youth movements and urging listeners to pursue truth and defend the vulnerable. The episode serves as both exposé and rallying cry, urging cultural engagement and activism.

For More:

• The 1916 Project is streaming on Daily Wire Plus.
• Viewers are encouraged to learn more at WhiteRose.Life and share the film within their communities.