American Sunrise Early Edition – September 25, 2025

Host: Jake Novak
Guests: Gerard Felitti (Lawfare Project), Emily Finn (RAV Contributor), Ann Liebschutz (Tech Expert), David Brody (Political Commentator)
Podcast: Real America’s Voice / iHeartPodcasts
Main Theme: Unfiltered analysis of current events rooted in American values, focusing this episode on leftist violence, legal accountability, immigration policy, and media bias.

Overview

This episode of American Sunrise Early Edition dives into several contentious and timely issues: a fatal shooting at a Dallas ICE facility, debates over Antifa funding and media bias, legal focus on indoctrination and campus radicalization, a breakdown of President Trump’s proposed $100,000 H1B visa fee, developments in Wall Street and the auto industry, and speculation over a possible indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. Host Jake Novak leads spirited, sometimes sardonic discussions with subject experts and commentators.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Leftist Violence and the Dallas ICE Facility Shooting

[03:07–05:51] Main Discussion with Gerard Felitti

• Incident: FBI links another shooting at a Dallas ICE facility to what they call “radicalized” left-wing activism.
• Jake Novak frames the issue: "Has war been declared and only one side is fighting? … Only one side is doing the shooting." (03:07)
• Felitti's perspective: This violence is “absolutely organized and chaotic. That’s the point of this. It is to conspire in such a way as to cause the most damage to our democracy.” (05:51)
• Proposed Solutions:
  • Intelligence-led law enforcement is essential—identify the individuals, methods, and financial backers of violent groups.
  • Drawing on Patriot Act authorities may be necessary, “using the tools that NSA, FBI, and CIA have… Those are powerful tools.” (06:55)
  • Civil and conspiracy law can be leveraged to prosecute not just direct actors, but funders and media intermediaries (including NGOs and second/third-party entities).
• Notable Quote:
  • "The single most important thing is identifying who these people are, how they're funded and how they operate." —Gerard Felitti (05:51)

2. The Role of Media, Indoctrination, and Equal Time

[07:29–12:48] Legal and Policy Analysis

• Media Bias Allegations:
  • Trump threatening to sue ABC/Disney over alleged campaign contributions in the form of biased coverage; possible loss of broadcast licenses for not adhering to “equal time” rules.
  • Felitti cautions that “equal time” rules technically only apply to candidates and elections—not general political commentary.
• Policy Proposal:
  • Novak and Felitti contemplate whether equal time requirements should be expanded by Congress to cover all news broadcasts, not just political races.
• Media Influence:
  • Link between mainstream media narratives and radicalization is suggested — “using airwaves to dog whistle leftist activity.”
  • “Maybe what we need is to expand Equal Time to have it more general… That’s a powerful tool.” —Gerard Felitti (12:04)

3. Antifa Funding and Historical Precedent

[12:48–13:58] "Follow the Money"

• Denial in Mainstream Narratives:
  • The left’s reluctance to recognize Antifa as an organized group is likened to historical denials of KKK resurgence.
• Stopping Extremism:
  • Felitti: "The way to root these problems out is to cut the funding and prosecute the people who are engaged in violent acts. That sends the message of deterrence… when you cut the money, there's no more action that can be taken." (13:31)

4. Communication, Rhetoric & Political Violence

[19:33–24:40; SOUND BITES & ANALYSIS]

• Senator Ted Cruz vs. VP J.D. Vance – Reaction to ICE Shooting:
  • Cruz (calm, denouncing all violence and calling for rhetoric to deescalate):
    "Violence is wrong. Politically motivated violence is wrong… To every politician who is using rhetoric, demonizing ICE and demonizing CBP, stop." (21:15)
  • Vance (fiery, direct):
    "If your political rhetoric encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go straight to hell, and you have no place in the political conversation of the United States of America." (21:56)
• Emily Finn (RAV Contributor):
  • Favors Vance’s approach: “Definitely JD Vance, in my opinion. I thought he was fired up… you gotta do a little bit more…” (22:18)
• Novak contextualizes:
  • Emphasizes the pattern: “It feels so much like we’re at war and only one side is doing the shooting.” (22:54)

5. Economic & Market Updates

[29:23–32:56] Quick Hits

• Wall Street: Major banks cancel layoffs; hiring resumes amid an M&A, IPO upswing.
• Housing Market: New home sales are up 20%, hinting at broader market recovery.
• NFL: Looking to renegotiate streaming/broadcast contracts early due to record demand and to maximize revenue before expected industry consolidation.
• Electric Vehicle/Auto Industry:
  • Ford extends low-rate financing to subprime buyers for F150s—a risk given soaring car loan defaults.
  • Trump administration seeks equity in Lithium Americas (lithium mining) for national security.
  • EV market shakeup: Acura ZDX (electric SUV) axed after one weak year; Ford looks to hybridize the Mustang.

6. H1B Visa Fee Policy: A Deep Dive

[41:51–53:30] Interview with Ann Liebschutz, Tech Policy Expert

• Trump’s Proposal: $100k annual fee per H1B visa job.
• Liebschutz distinguishes “two worlds”:
  • Big tech vs. small companies; merit-based recruitment vs. cheap labor abuse.
  • “There's always the ability to absorb the best and the brightest… where the issue comes is… just tech servicing and tech workers… that's where we get into the body shops and the replacement of labor.” (49:00)
• Novak’s Media Critique:
  • Blasts mainstream outlets for lack of disclosure about their own extensive use of H1B labor for cost savings: “…if you're a mainstream media outlet… you are not disclosing in your articles and stories and reports about this issue that you yourselves use a massive number of H1B visa workers… that is a real case of journalistic, really malpractice.” (47:37)
• Concerns:
  • Young American tech grads facing higher unemployment despite “learn to code” campaigns—are they being crowded out by imported labor?
• Policy Details:
  • DHS plans to “weight” visa applications in favor of higher-wage, merit-based jobs—discouraging “body shop” abuse.
  • "[This] enables companies that want to make serious investments into serious people to bring them into US Companies and be part of our companies, as opposed to just practicing the abusive practice of bringing in high numbers of foreign workers to replace U.S. workers to reduce costs for the workforce." —Ann Liebschutz (52:01)

7. Legal Watch: James Comey and the FBI

[57:02–61:45] Conversation with David Brody

• Possible Indictment: Media reports suggest former FBI Director Comey could be indicted for lying to Congress.
• Skepticism about Political Will:
  • Brody: “Will a grand jury indict him over it? … Let's slow our roll for a second.”
• FBI’s Historical Power Politics:
  • Novak recommends Max Holland’s Leak for insight into entrenched, self-interested FBI leadership—less democratic, less transparent than presidentially-aligned law enforcement.
  • “To me it’s preferable to have someone who’s being more accountable to the president.” (59:20)
• Brody’s Broader Concerns:
  • Raises question of whether “MAGA” supporters would trust new internal investigations debunking right-wing narratives (Epstein, mass shootings) if evidence contradicted prior beliefs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The single most important thing is identifying who these people are, how they're funded and how they operate.”
  —Gerard Felitti, Lawfare Project (05:51)

• “If your political rhetoric encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go straight to hell, and you have no place in the political conversation of the United States of America.”
  —VP J.D. Vance (21:56)

• “The way to root these problems out is to cut the funding and prosecute the people who are engaged in violent acts. That sends the message of deterrence, that consequences are imposed.”
  —Gerard Felitti (13:31)

• “You are not disclosing… that you yourselves use a massive number of H1B visa workers… That is a real case of journalistic, really malpractice.”
  —Jake Novak (47:37)

• “We want the best global talent. Where the issue comes is… body shops and the replacement of labor, not… the best and the brightest.”
  —Ann Liebschutz (49:00)

• “To me it’s preferable to have someone who’s being more accountable to the president.”
  —Jake Novak (59:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Discussion of Antifa/Violence & Law Enforcement: 03:07–13:31
• Equal Time Rule & Media Indoctrination: 07:29–12:48
• Political Rhetoric & ICE Shooting Response: 19:33–24:40
• Markets, Wall Street, Housing: 29:23–32:56
• Auto Industry, Lithium Americas: 32:56–38:48
• H1B Visa Fee Debate: 41:51–53:30
• Possible Comey Indictment: 57:02–61:45

Tone & Style

The tone throughout is energetic, polemical, and unapologetically partisan—emphasizing urgency, skepticism of mainstream narratives, and "tough love" for American institutions. Novak's style is direct and sometimes sardonic; expert guests provide technical and legal nuance, while panel discussions encourage passionately stated positions.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This installment of American Sunrise Early Edition is a sharp-edged, issue-packed episode that investigates fears of coordinated leftist violence, debates how best to legally and financially disrupt radical groups, scrutinizes both the media’s role in political indoctrination and the economic realities confronting young American workers, and offers a blend of market news, policy critique, and “inside baseball” political analysis. The exchanges between guests are candid and unfiltered, providing insights that challenge consensus media narratives and urge a more combative, investigative approach to both civic problems and their coverage.