No Agenda Show Episode 1836: “Big Bully”
Date: January 22, 2026
Hosts: Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak
Episode Overview
In this episode titled “Big Bully,” Adam and John unpack a whirlwind week dominated by the impending U.S. winter storm (“Snowpocalypse 2.0”); media fear-mongering about climate events; U.S.-Europe diplomatic gamesmanship centered around Trump’s renewed push to “acquire” Greenland; high-stakes geopolitics at Davos; the nature of U.S./NATO alliances; and a host of cultural and tech oddities, all delivered in the trademark No Agenda irreverent, deconstructive style.
The main themes revolve around:
- The “Greenland Gambit” and its diplomatic, military, and media implications,
- Davos commentary and world leaders’ posturing,
- U.S./Europe relations under Trump’s “bully” approach,
- Media failures and pundit irrationality,
- Contemporary political protests and general strikes,
- Technology’s role in media, creativity, and the AI hype cycle.
Main Topics and Notable Segments
1. Weather Panic & Fearmongering
[00:15 - 04:10]
- Adam laments the Texas “Snowpocalypse 2.0” hype, poking fun at local reports of “exploding trees” due to cold weather.
- John, in California, reports no sign of such panic in his region.
- Both point out mainstream media’s tendency for fear-mongering and overblown weather coverage.
- Quote:
- Adam: “They’re just fear mongering everywhere.” [04:02]
- John: “Exploding trees? Folks, if you hear loud cracks, stay indoors.” [03:10]
2. Protests, General Strikes, and Curious Activism
[04:29 - 07:41]
- John describes a protest in El Cerrito Plaza, full of older women holding quirky signs like “Hands Off Greenland!”
- They lampoon generational protest culture and highlight the performative aspect of such demonstrations.
- Adam mentions similar protests in Texas, connecting the “No Kings” anti-monarchy sentiment to recent European actions.
3. The “Greenland Gambit” & Trump’s ‘Algorithm’
[08:04 - 18:54, interspersed throughout]
- Adam details Trump’s latest diplomatic play at Davos, pushing for a “framework” (Compact of Free Association) that effectively gives the U.S. de facto control over Greenland for national security purposes.
- Clip analysis illustrates the real U.S. interest: Arctic military positioning, missile defense, and access to shipping lanes.
- They showcase how Trump deliberately provokes maximum outrage (e.g., suggesting seizure by force), then accepts exactly what he wanted all along—a classic “negotiation algorithm.”
- Quote:
- Adam: “When will we understand the algorithm of Trump? Like, ‘I’m going to take it by force!’ So everybody freaks out, and then he gets exactly what he wants.” [09:12]
- John agrees, saying the ruse triggers the “overreaction” necessary to reach expedited deals with Europe and Denmark.
4. Davos: Geopolitical Theater and European Hand-Wringing
[12:21 - 18:54]
- Clips and commentary from world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, ranging from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, French President Macron (“We do prefer respect to bullies”), Belgian PM De Wever, and Canadian and U.S. officials.
- John and Adam lampoon the performative outrage, Newsom’s grandstanding, and various leaders’ attempts to frame Trump as a crude “bully” versus Europe’s supposed diplomatic sophistication.
- Quotes:
- Macron: “We do prefer respect to bullies. Bullies we do prefer and we do prefer rule of law to brutality.” [14:05]
- Adam (on Newsom): “He’s here hobnobbing with the global elite while his California citizens are still homeless. Shame on him. He is too smug, too self-absorbed and too economically illiterate to know anything.” [17:12]
5. The NATO Angle & European ‘Self-Reliance’
[19:13 - 22:33]
- The episode dives into whether Europe can “defend itself” without the U.S.
- Adam airs a clip of Finland’s President exuding confidence, only to walk back his bravado under a journalist’s grilling. The hosts mock Europe’s military “assets” and the performative nature of such claims.
- They highlight the real consequences of Trump’s assertive negotiating, such as increased European NATO spending.
6. U.S. Media, Disinformation, and Trump’s ‘Daddy’ Status
[23:58 - 26:53]
- Adam and John ridicule U.S. media’s focus on trivial Trump gaffes (“Greenland” vs. “Iceland”) and repetitive critiques from figures like Anderson Cooper and White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt.
- The discussion exposes the shallowness of much mainstream coverage.
- Quote:
- Adam: “The only thing the American media could focus on… was, man, he said the wrong country.” [24:38]
7. AI, Technology Hype, and Cultural Change
[67:13 - 77:47, scattered]
- The hosts criticize the sameness and mediocrity generated by AI art/music, predicting commodification and creative plateauing.
- They muse on the practicality and cost of hosting large AI models at home, the impact on code, and the unsolved problem of monetizing AI at scale. Google’s and Apple’s business models are discussed.
- John laments tech’s reliance on “promises, promises,” especially for energy and battery breakthroughs.
8. U.S. Domestic: Subpoenas, General Strikes, and Minnesota Spotlight
[85:48 - 97:41]
- An extended segment breaks down federal criminal subpoenas issued to MN Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Fry regarding alleged obstruction of ICE activity.
- Adam and John deride the PBS coverage and its ostensible “conservative” voices for being little more than liberal echo chambers.
- General strike activism in Minnesota linked to immigration crackdowns and political responses.
- Quote:
- John: “They refuse to have an actual conservative voice on anything PBS does. And so everything is completely lopsided.” [87:17]
9. Epstein Investigation Updates & Congressional Subpoenas
[102:19 - 108:41]
- The hosts cover new contempt of Congress votes against Bill and Hillary Clinton for ignoring subpoenas related to the Epstein probe.
- Analysis of legal strategy, political optics, and media handling of the scandal.
- Quote:
- Adam: “Anything he says, he’s never gonna… outlive whatever comes out.” [108:41]
10. Meetups, Community, Value 4 Value, and Show Culture
[113:03 onwards]
- A nod to the highly engaged No Agenda producer community: meetups, donations, in-jokes, “tip of the day” (wine tips), and the “Value 4 Value” model.
- Discuss the fun and sanity-building purposes of meetups and the crucial difference between No Agenda and other podcasts crammed with “ad load.”
- Adam and John riff extensively about show art, AI-generated podcast content, and ways for producers to contribute.
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
• “Exploding trees? Folks, if you hear loud cracks, stay indoors.” – Adam, [03:10]
• “They’re just fear mongering everywhere.” – Adam, [04:02]
• “When will we understand the algorithm of Trump? … and then he gets exactly what he wants.” – Adam, [09:12]
**• “We prefer respect to bullies…” (Macron) – [14:05]
• “He’s here hobnobbing with the global elite while his California citizens are still homeless. Shame on him.” – Adam, [17:12]
• “I don’t know that they’d be there for us. They’re not there for us on Iceland, that I can tell you.” – Trump (quoted), [26:15]
• “This is all a pretext to steaming in…” - Adam, on Greenland “framework deal” [55:52]
• “We’re getting ripped off by the rest of the world, particularly China.” – Adam, on Trump’s consistent message [93:53]
• “They refuse to have an actual conservative voice on anything PBS does.” – John, [87:17]
• “No advertisements, no intros, outros, or non-content sections…” – Adam, [113:03+]
Key Timestamps / Segment Highlights
- 00:15 – 04:10 – Weather panic/fearmongering
- 04:29 – 07:41 – Protest culture and activism
- 08:04 – 18:54 – Greenland diplomacy, Trump’s negotiation style
- 12:21 – 18:54, 23:58 – 26:53 – Davos performances, European/NATO bluster
- 67:13 – 77:47 – AI/tech musings
- 85:48 – 97:41 – PBS coverage, Minnesota general strike
- 102:19 – 108:41 – Epstein/Clinton subpoenas
- 113:03+ – Producer community, V4V, meetups, and the wine tip of the day
Memorable Show Humor and Satiric Highlights
- Mocking local “exploding trees” panic as climate schlock [03:10]
- Joking about “old ladies” leading political protests and displaying disconnected activism [05:41–06:30]
- Extended riffing on the AI-generated podcasts and “all solid-state battery” hype [85:44+]
- Derision for broadcast “ad load” and the “death spiral” of podcast monetization via intrusive advertising [148:49+]
- John’s monthly wine tip, this time featuring a $6.99 California cabernet—a perennial fan favorite [180:21+]
- AI end-of-show mixes, Adam’s mock indignation at dubious AI music, and the long-running “by the way” and “to your point” verbal tic gags [143:00+]
Final Takeaways
- The episode incisively (and humorously) deconstructs the week’s major news themes, especially the Greenland drama, world leader melodrama at Davos, and media groupthink, all with No Agenda’s postpartisan, anti-spin sensibility.
- Trump’s “big bully” approach is revealed by Curry and Dvorak as tactical provocation followed by classic dealmaking.
- Media and pundit reactions are mercilessly critiqued, revealing the gap between performative outrage and geopolitical reality.
- Listeners are reminded that the real sanity lies in independent community, skepticism of hype, and above all, finding laughter amidst the news cycles.
End-of-Show ISO
- “This should have won the Golden Globe.” [179:50] (humorous synthesized send-off)
For full community details, upcoming meetups, donations, and value-for-value info, visit noagendashow.com.