American Sunrise Early Edition – September 29, 2025

Podcast: Real America’s Voice (iHeartPodcasts)
Host: Jake Novak
Featured Guests: Congressman Randy Fine (FL), Emily Finn, Don Brown (NC Senate candidate), David Brody

Overview

This episode of American Sunrise Early Edition offers fast-moving coverage and opinion on the major political and cultural controversies shaping American life. Host Jake Novak and his guests dive into issues such as political violence and civil unrest, government shutdown brinksmanship, accountability in U.S. intelligence agencies, the increasing influence of DEI in education, local and national political races, and recent crime trends. The tone combines urgency, skepticism of establishment narratives, and an advocacy for traditional American values and “law and order.”

Main Topics & Segments

1. America’s Political and Social Divisions: "A Cold Civil War"

[03:09–06:34]

Key Points

• Host Jake Novak frames the nation as divided between those "who commit or enable violence and those who want to do something to stop it," citing Portland as a current flashpoint but insisting, “there aren’t any real sidelines anymore anywhere in America.”
• Drawing parallels to the Confederacy, Novak claims “politicians in certain states…are working overtime to block the federal authorities” from maintaining peace.
• He introduces Congressman Randy Fine (FL), asking for his take on the escalation of political and physical conflict in the U.S.

Notable Quotes

• Novak (06:00): "It really feels very much like we're in the middle now of a kinetic, physical, violent civil war in America."
• Rep. Fine (06:34): "Maybe the way to describe it is a cold civil war…You don't have troops amassed…firing at each other, but you've got one side that's clearly engaging in violence…over and over again, trying to stop the government...and frankly, is trying to facilitate the foreign invasion of people from other countries."

2. Government Shutdown and Immigration: "A Political Act of War"

[07:15–10:08]

Key Points

• Novak and Fine connect the looming federal government shutdown to broader political conflict, accusing Democrats of brinksmanship to extract concessions on immigration and social spending.
• Fine accuses Democrats of “willing to shut the government down in order to provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants,” asserting this is a deliberate effort to “destroy America.”
• Discussion pivots to the lack of public outrage over shutdowns compared to previous decades.

Notable Quotes

• Novak (07:50): "This budget shutdown battle with the Democrats…seems like an act of war in its own way. A political act of war."
• Rep. Fine (08:06): "You have to wonder if you're dealing with people whose goal is to build America or to destroy America."
• Fine (09:39): "Democrats [are] playing to their far left base…that frankly is fomenting the violence in our country."

3. The Comey Indictment and Accountability for "The Deep State"

[10:08–13:21]

Key Points

• Discussion shifts to the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. Novak frames the “Russia collusion hoax” as a serious crime that has destroyed public faith in U.S. institutions.
• Fine and Novak agree that accountability is overdue for those they deem responsible for “weaponizing” government agencies.
• Both call for prosecution, warning against letting concerns about media backlash prevent action.

Notable Quotes

• Novak (11:10): "If we're going to say those are serious crimes, because they are, and then we're not going to punish the people who enabled it, then we're lying."
• Rep. Fine (11:26): "The deep state is real, and we're seeing it...wacko leftists will do anything to keep power. The only way to get them to stop is if we hold them accountable."
• Rep. Fine (12:29): "Over and over…the FBI, the IRS, the CDC—all of these government agencies have been weaponized by Democrats and confidence has been destroyed."

4. U.S.–Israel Relations and Palestinian Statehood Recognition

[13:21–15:30]

Key Points

• With Prime Minister Netanyahu visiting President Trump, Novak highlights recent UN recognitions of a Palestinian state, criticizing the move as dangerous and illegitimate.
• Fine links the trend to political catering by European left-wing parties to “a substantial population of radical Muslims,” arguing it’s now about politics, not ideology.

Notable Quotes

• Fine (14:23): "They now have admitted a substantial population of radical Muslims that are a meaningful part of their voting base. This is the warning to America: we have got to stop letting people into this country who hate us."

5. DEI Failures and Immigration in Education: The Iowa Superintendent Scandal

[19:20–24:32]

Key Points

• Novak and Emily Finn discuss the case of Ian Andre Roberts, an illegal immigrant from Guyana with weapons charges, recently hired as the Des Moines Public Schools superintendent.
• Both criticize DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) policies, arguing they incentivize box-checking over real support for disadvantaged groups.
• Finn points out the system's “egregious failure” and calls for more accountability in hiring.

Notable Quotes

• Finn (21:01): "This is really concerning…This is a person who wasn’t from this country, has been ordered to leave…and had a loaded handgun with him on a school campus."
• Novak (22:02): "These schools and these people who hire these folks don’t care about them. They are looking to check a box…If they cared about helping underprivileged or disadvantaged folks…you have to start earlier."
• Finn (23:20): "We just need to be taking this a lot more seriously and make sure that, for the love of God, illegals that are supposed to be deported are not running our school districts."

6. Market Update, Economic Trends, and Industry News

[29:17–31:45]

Key Points

• Novak provides a market overview. He notes that 45% of households’ financial assets are now in stocks, warns of over-concentration, and advocates diversification.
• Discusses rumors of a $50 billion buyout of Electronic Arts by private equity and Saudi interests, pondering if it signals trouble in the stagnant video games industry.
• Brief commentary on Chinese President Xi’s possible motivations in U.S.-China trade talks, potentially trading market access for American restraint on Taiwan.

Notable Quotes

• Novak (29:17): "It's scary to have so much money in just one asset…the stock market. If the market ever has a major, major sell off, this could really hurt people."

7. National Security, Infrastructure, and Law Enforcement

[31:45–36:00]

Key Points

• Reports on Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at GM’s Tech Center and a devastating cyberattack at Jaguar Land Rover in the UK, warning of vulnerabilities in U.S. industry.
• Explains Memphis police expanding patrols targeting speeders at night as an adaptation of “broken windows” theory to law enforcement, linking minor violations to larger crime reduction.

Notable Quotes

• Novak (34:00): "Anybody up, let alone speeding at 2, 3am, there's a good chance that person's a criminal, either coming from a criminal act or on their way."

8. Urena’s Law, Crime, and the Role of Government – Interview with Don Brown (NC Senate candidate)

[42:06–53:37]

Key Points

• Novak and Don Brown argue that urban unrest and rising crime (especially in blue states/cities) are tantamount to “civil war.”
• Brown urges for federal intervention and references constitutional authority for presidential action to restore order.
• Focus on North Carolina’s response to a high-profile murder and attempts to pass “Urena’s Law” to stop the “revolving door” of offenders being released.
• Brown criticizes Democrat leadership for “soft on crime” policies and slow disaster response, tying it to his Senate campaign themes.

Notable Quotes

• Don Brown (44:56): "There is a literal civil war on the streets…One of the goals in our preamble…is to ensure domestic tranquility."
• Don Brown (47:23): "The idea, Jake, is to try to stop this revolving door practice…The law is designed to cut that down and eliminate it for multiple offenders. It's just plain common sense."
• Don Brown (49:29): "[Disaster] recovery has been Christian groups and charitable groups on the ground...The Democrat governor was off in New York apparently on a fundraiser when this thing came down the pike."
• Don Brown (53:02): "I’m going to prosecute the case against Roy Cooper and we’re going to beat him."

9. New York Mayor’s Race Shakeup – With David Brody

[57:08–61:48]

Key Points

• Mayor Eric Adams drops out, narrowing the race to a contest between Zoran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo.
• Brody and Novak bemoan what they see as the low quality of political candidates; Brody calls Mamdani “so radical that in liberal New York he’s actually had to dial some…back.”
• Both express concern about Mamdani’s proposals, especially additional funding for legal aid to illegal immigrants, and predict his victory, though hinting backlash could arise from the city’s working-class and marginalized populations.

Notable Quotes

• David Brody (58:25): "Mamdani makes Ed Koch look like MAGA at this point. That’s how bad this has gotten in New York."
• Novak (60:04): "He’s willing to spend $100 million of additional taxpayer money to provide illegal aliens with lawyers…It’s highway robbery."
• Brody (60:47): "Three inflection points…Israel, Immigration, and Safety. You put them all together, I think it’s a cauldron and I think it’s brewing in the city."

10. Uplifting Story – Classic Corvette & Community Kindness

[36:00–39:10], [50:44]

• Brief segment on a rare 1953 Corvette featured in the Wall Street Journal and the supportive response from faith-based groups (e.g., Amish community) to disaster survivors in North Carolina, highlighting American resilience and charity.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Jake Novak (06:00): "It really feels very much like we're in the middle now of a kinetic, physical, violent civil war in America."
• Rep. Randy Fine (11:26): "The deep state is real, and we're seeing it...wacko leftists will do anything to keep power."
• Emily Finn (23:20): "If we're letting things like this happen, it means that we're just turning a blind eye to the future generations of this country."
• Don Brown (44:56): "There is a literal civil war on the streets… One of the goals [of the Constitution] is to ensure domestic tranquility."
• David Brody (58:25): "Mamdani makes Ed Koch look like MAGA at this point."
• Jake Novak (60:04): "He’s willing to spend $100 million of additional taxpayer money to provide illegal aliens with lawyers…It’s highway robbery."

Noteworthy Timestamps

• America’s violent divide and government shutdown: [03:09–10:08]
• Comey indictment & agency accountability: [10:08–13:21]
• Palestinian statehood debate: [13:21–15:30]
• Iowa superintendent/DEI critique: [19:20–24:32]
• Market update & EA buyout: [29:17–31:45]
• Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack discussion: [31:45–34:00]
• Don Brown on civil unrest & North Carolina issues: [42:06–53:37]
• NYC mayoral race analysis: [57:08–61:48]

Tone and Style

• Highly opinionated, combative, and urgent; frequent analogies to past American crises.
• Populist and critical of “elites,” “deep state,” “mainstream media,” and progressive policies.
• Pushes for accountability, law and order, and restoration of older American institutional trust.

Takeaways

American Sunrise Early Edition frames the week’s news as more evidence of America’s fractured political landscape, with ongoing violence, escalating political conflict, and a crisis of faith in public institutions at the heart of the narrative. Its hosts and guests urge more aggressive responses to crime, immigration, and perceived governmental overreach, while also highlighting underreported stories of resilience and charity at the community level. The episode paints a consistently high-stakes, contentious picture of American civic life as the 2024–25 election cycle heats up.