American Sunrise Early Edition – November 7, 2025

Podcast: Real America’s Voice
Host: Jake Novak (iHeartPodcasts)
Featured Guests: Walter Kurt (journalist), Emily Finn (commentator), Mike Britton (Artillery Tea Co.), Dr. Jenna Robinson (James G. Martin Center), David Brody (co-host)

Overview of the Episode

On this “No Tie Friday,” Jake Novak leads Real America’s Voice coverage of headline political events, focusing on the fallout from this week’s elections, the ongoing government shutdown (“Schumer shutdown”), high-profile civic issues, and hot-button cultural debates. The show delivers pointed commentary on failures in conservative activism, controversial media personalities, and concerns about education and American civic engagement. Notable segments discuss Elon Musk’s historic compensation, US-China space drama, and the dangers of misinformation—always through the lens of “faith, freedom, and the values that built this nation.”

1. Government Shutdown and Airport Disruptions

[02:35; 33:57]

• Major Theme: The ongoing federal government shutdown, attributed repeatedly to Democrats (“Schumer shutdown”), is causing widespread travel chaos with hundreds of flights canceled.
  • Jake Novak criticizes Democrats, claiming the FAA is understaffed and "extracting more pain from the American public" on purpose.
  • Heavy sarcasm is directed at public officials seemingly unaffected by the shutdown, including New York’s Mayor, referenced as heading to a luxury conference.
• Notable Quote:

  “It’s also no flight Friday because hundreds of flights are being canceled today because the Democrats refused to end the government shutdown... the Democrats in their own words, extracting more pain from the American public.”
  —Jake Novak [02:36]

2. Post-Election Republican Autopsy: Missed Opportunities and “Ground Game” Failures

[03:43–13:59]

• Virginia and New Jersey Elections:

  • Jake Novak and Walter Kurt dissect glaring Republican defeats, especially the “huge blowout” in Virginia, blaming poor campaign management and insufficient “ground game.”
  • Walter Kurt insists Republican campaigns were “not done correctly” and laments, “you don’t lose a race by double digits like that unless… every aspect of that campaign was poorly managed.” [03:43]
  • Democrats are hailed as superior at mobilizing their base, citing Obama’s presence in Virginia as a mobilization strategy.

• The Trump Factor:

  • Walter Kurt argues that only Donald Trump has successfully energized large-scale grassroots turnout:

    “If we can’t win without Donald Trump on the ticket, we are screwed.” [05:58]

• Key Solution:

  • Both call for urgent investment in “ground game” tactics, warning of continued losses unless Republicans adapt within six months.

• Infighting over Media Personalities:

  • The Tucker Carlson–Nick Fuentes controversy surfaces: Jake and Walter slam Carlson’s platforming of “toxic” figures, especially right before elections, for fueling division and distracting from key turnout efforts.

  “Why did Tucker Carlson interview Nick Fuentes knowing the reaction that it would get?... You had to do it right then. Amazing to me.”
  —Walter Kurt [07:15]

3. Controversy over New York City’s Mayor-Elect

[08:50–13:59, 17:01]

• Accusations of Disloyalty:
  • Jake Novak calls for federal investigation and possible deportation of NYC’s newly elected Mayor Zoran Mamdani, labeling him “a communist” and “an Islamist” who supposedly failed to thank America and instead represents foreign groups.
  • Both hosts suggest his citizenship should be revoked if obtained fraudulently, and allege campaign financing by foreign sources—tying this to broader fears of outside money in US elections.
  • Walter Kurt doubles down:

    “I think we should deport all of these people, Every single one of these people that act like this... Fire him. Get him out.” [10:07]

• Money and Political Outcomes:
  • They shift to concerns about foreign and big money in campaigns, suggesting US interests are being outspent and outmaneuvered—exemplified by turnout problems in southern Virginia.
  • Walter: “Money is the lifeblood of politics.” [12:37]

4. Wall Street, Protests, and “Woke” Politics

[15:59; 17:01–18:31]

• Apollo Capital Management:
  • Apollo’s CEO faces protests due to Trump-supportive statements regarding campus politics. Jake and Emily Finn joke about opening an “avocado toast stand” to profit from the protests; they characterize activist youth as entitled and disconnected.
  • Emily Finn warns, “I am very concerned for New York moving forward. I don’t think that this is a good sign.” [17:01]

5. US-China Space Drama: Stranded Astronauts and “Making a Deal”

[18:31–19:35]

• Space Rescue Proposal:
  • Jake Novak proposes the US should offer to help stranded Chinese astronauts in exchange for technology, highlighting persistent themes of intellectual property theft.
  • Emily Finn calls for cooperation in space:

    “Space is the one thing that we should all on Earth be unified over... [This] could bring some peace and bring some ties between the US and China as well.” [18:31]

• Lighthearted Closing:
  • Jake jokes about not “getting into cars with strangers,” extending the metaphor to “spacecrafts with strangers.” [19:24]

6. Market/Business Updates and Commentary

[22:18–28:55]

• Elon Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Pay Package:
  • Coverage of Tesla shareholders’ historic approval for Musk’s $1 trillion compensation, with Novak highlighting the return Musk created for shareholders (“he deserves every single penny”). [28:55]
• Auto Industry News:
  • CarMax’s CEO fired amid a poor outlook; Ford’s struggling EV business may result in cutting its F-150 Lightning line after $13 billion in losses.
  • Jake argues EVs have a limited, not universal, market.
• UK’s EV Tax:
  • UK proposes a per-mile tax for EV owners to compensate for lost gas tax revenue—presented as a “horror movie preview” for US blue states. [31:40]

7. Business Feature: Artillery Tea Company

[24:24–28:55]

• Whole-Leaf Tea vs. Grocery Store Tea:

  • Mike Britton exposes the low quality (“tea dust,” chemical-laden bags) of store-bought tea, contrasting with Artillery’s “whole leaf, chemical free” bags.
  • Giving Back: Artillery Tea partners with Working Dogs for Vets, aiming to fund a service animal’s full training. [26:15]
  • New Subscription Program: Launches the “Patriot’s Brew Club” with free shipping and tiered rewards.

• Memorable Moment:

  “There was a sketch on SNL… What’s the most disgusting thing I ever ate or drank?… I think he just gave some of the like, oh my God, I don’t even want to know.”
  —Jake Novak (on grocery store tea) [25:32]

8. The Civics Crisis: Education and Engagement

[33:57–44:14]

• Guest: Dr. Jenna Robinson, James G. Martin Center
  • Civics education is “really weak”; Americans are “uninformed about civics” and basic government operations.
  • Only 14 states require public university undergrads to take a civics course.
  • Echoes of “Schoolhouse Rock” and nostalgia for better civic understanding in the media and popular culture.
  • Concern over “action civics”—schools encouraging engagement (protest) without knowledge.
  • Dr. Robinson:

    “We have to get to a place where we have better civic knowledge before we start encouraging civic engagement. Knowledge first, then engagement.” [38:56]

  • Plans for the 250th Anniversary (“semiquincentennial”): A contest for the “best intellectual contributions” to America; advocacy for more civics requirements.
• AP Test Suggestion:
  • Jake proposes an AP exam on basic civics knowledge, rewarding mastery with college credit.
• Historical Reflections:
  • Compares the upcoming 250th to the “bicentennial” of 1976, noting a lack of comparable educational outreach and celebration. [41:27]
  • Example essay topic suggestion: the switch to the direct election of senators.

9. Misinformation and Echo Chambers in the Digital Era

[46:54–51:11]

• Main Theme: The paradox that despite universal digital access to facts, misinformation, lies, and conspiracy theories are “growing exponentially.”
  • Jake attributes this to the convergence of legitimate news and rumor-mongering on the same online platforms.

  “Even as technology makes it possible for us to get all the facts verified in just a moment… the number of falsehoods in our society is growing exponentially.” [46:54]

• David Brody’s Analysis:
  • Blames “algorithms” and “echo chambers” for causing people to only hear views they already agree with.
  • Citizen journalism criticized (“Candace Owens… throw[s] all of that stuff out”), suggesting it leads to speculation and rumor rather than factual reporting.

  “When you’re in an echo chamber and you have an algorithm that is feeding you what you want to hear… well, then guess what? It’s true. Oh, wait, no, maybe it’s not.” [49:14]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Republican “Ground Game” Failure:

  “There’s no way that that was done correctly. That means that the party itself really, really dropped the ball.”
  – Walter Kurt [03:43]

• On Tucker Carlson and Infighting:

  “We need to get away from this stuff.”
  – Walter Kurt [07:41]

• On New York City’s Mayor-Elect:

  “We have elected someone who associates with terrorists… who lied on his citizenship application… accepted foreign donations, which is illegal.”
  – Jake Novak [11:06]

• On Civic Education:

  “Almost all our states are teaching civics to high school students, which means that all high school graduates should have a baseline of knowledge, and yet we know that they don’t. So something is going wrong in those classrooms.”
  – Dr. Jenna Robinson [40:35]

• On Digital Misinformation:

  “It’s all in the same room when it wasn’t before. That’s my explanation for it.”
  – Jake Novak [46:54]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Shutdown & Flight Cancellations: 02:35, 33:57, 46:54
• Election Autopsy / Republican Failures: 03:43–13:59
• Ground Game & Party Messaging: 05:16, 12:37
• Tucker Carlson/Infighting: 06:10–08:50
• NYC Mayor / Deportation Discussion: 10:07–13:59, 17:01
• Wall Street Protests / Apollo Capital: 15:59, 17:01
• Chinese Astronaut Rescue Proposal: 18:31–19:35
• Elon Musk’s Compensation / EV Market: 22:18–28:55, 28:55–31:40
• Civic Education and Culture: 33:57–44:14
• Misinformation & Echo Chambers: 46:54–51:11

Final Thoughts

This episode of American Sunrise Early Edition provides a sharp, sometimes satirical, and highly opinionated view of American politics and society as seen through the lens of Real America’s Voice. The sweeping discussions link the personal (tea, space travel) with the political (shutdown, elections) and philosophical (civic engagement, truth in media), all tied together by a call for more effective action from conservatives and a renewed commitment to American civic knowledge and values.