Podcast Summary: GET REAL! - January 31st, 2026

Podcast: Real America’s Voice
Host: David DeRozier (Publisher, RealClear Media Group)
Guests:

• Alan Dershowitz (Famed Attorney, Constitutional Scholar)
• John Yoo (Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Law Professor)
• Tom Homan (Former Acting Director of ICE)
• Ingrid Jacques (Columnist, USA Today)
• Carl Cannon (Washington Bureau Chief, RealClear Politics)
• Kenan Spivak (SMI Group Chairman, Author)
• Joel Kotkin (Futurist, Demographer, Author)
  Air Date: January 31, 2026
  Episode Theme: Polarized America — Protest, Free Speech, and the Immigration Crisis

Episode Overview

The premiere episode dives into recent unrest in Minnesota following controversial ICE actions, examining the American tradition of free speech amid crisis and the challenge of finding common ground in a sharply divided nation. Through robust dialogue featuring top legal and media voices, the episode seeks to expose viewpoint diversity, challenge simplistic “two sides” narratives, and illuminate nuanced truths regarding policing, protest, media bias, and immigration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Challenging the “Two Sides” Narrative (03:48–07:06)

Host David DeRozier opens by emphasizing the show’s goal: real, nuanced debate exposing listeners to diverse viewpoints.

• Alan Dershowitz challenges the binary framing:

  • “I want to challenge you. I don't think that you correctly stated the issue when you stated that there are two sides to every issue. That's been the problem. There have been two sides to issues that require nuance and calibration and multiple sides.” [04:38]
  • Argues that legal, media, and historic truths differ and issues aren’t as “bipolar” as cable news suggests.

• John Yoo highlights difficulty of clear-cut answers in protests and legal cases:

  • “You have a right to protest… but when they go beyond that to where they're obstructing federal officials, then they've stepped over the line.” [12:00]
  • Complex decisions should be decided by juries, not instant public judgment.

2. Free Speech and Its Limits in Protest (07:17–10:42, 18:25–23:25)

• Dershowitz on American exceptionalism in free speech:

  • "We are the only country... that permits free speech, that advocates violence, that encourages violence, as long as it doesn't incite immediate violence...” [08:47]
  • Warns against compromising First Amendment protections for expediency.

• FACE Act & Don Lemon Case:

  • Both Dershowitz and Yoo express skepticism about prosecuting journalists under protest-related statutes (the FACE Act).
  • “I think you resolve doubts in favor of journalists.” (Dershowitz on Don Lemon’s case) [18:25]
  • Yoo draws a civil rights analogy: “Dr. King and the civil rights leaders… wanted to be arrested and go to prison under the law to just show that the law itself was unjust…” [21:30]
  • Both agree: free speech cannot include disrupting religious worship and should not shield direct lawbreaking.

3. Academia & Media Bias (13:49–16:06)

• Dershowitz laments lack of diversity of thought among academics:
  • “Academics are among the worst people who immediately jump to hard left conclusions... before looking at the evidence. It’s so disappointing… we see a complete skewing of academic freedom in favor of one side.” [13:49]

4. National Policy, Law Enforcement, and Civil Unrest (26:58–35:00)

• Tom Homan underscores ICE's mandate:
  • “For the people out there who don’t like what ICE is doing. If you want certain laws reformed, then take it up with Congress… They're enforcing laws enacted by Congress and signed by president.” [26:58]
  • Denounces violence but insists ICE operates under longstanding legal frameworks.

5. Panel: Political, Cultural, and Policy Perspectives

Ingrid Jacques (29:25–31:24)

• Criticism of political rhetoric inflaming tensions:
  • Cites Governor Walz comparing ICE to Nazi tactics; warns leaders’ language encourages dangerous moral polarization.
  • “I just think it’s dangerous… And people you would expect to uphold the law…” [29:25]

Joel Kotkin (31:35–33:50)

• Critiques both left and right:
  • “Many of these people clearly live in an alternative reality… There's quite a bit of blame to be assigned to the administration. The rhetoric… the administration went too far.”
  • “Comparisons with the Holocaust… are incredibly offensive.” [33:25]

Kenan Spivak (34:17–37:19)

• Frames the border issue as a strategic, partisan effort:
  • “The decision that was made in the Biden administration was this globalist decision that we shouldn’t have borders.”
  • Asserts immigration policy is designed to shift culture and electoral math.

Carl Cannon (37:34–40:20)

• Decries failures of political leadership and communication:
  • “The presidency is a communications job… Trump hasn’t laid out the case…”
  • Blames both administrations for lack of clarity and national dialogue.

6. Public Opinion and Shifting Political Winds (40:48–46:10)

• DeRozier reveals polling:
  • 59% of Americans think ICE is too aggressive; only 45% approve of the president’s immigration handling. [40:48]
• Panel Analysis:
  • Jacques: Trump must focus on border security and violent offenders to regain trust.
  • Cannon: Discontent runs deep with both parties; Americans dislike both the status quo and recent excesses.
  • Spivak: The swing 40% of voters’ views are “in flux,” posing risk to both parties.
  • Kotkin: Latinos, key future electorate, are alienated by current policies and rhetoric.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Dershowitz: “The Supreme Court has correctly said that there’s a strong presumption in favor of free speech even when it’s wrong.” [08:47]
• Yoo: “It’s easy to say, oh, I can see a video on cable TV and immediately make up your mind. But in a real trial… it’s a much harder… more nuanced problem.” [12:50]
• Kotkin: “Comparisons with the Holocaust… are incredibly offensive. My mother in law is a survivor... nothing remotely close to what's happening.” [33:25]
• Homan: “ICE is not making this up. They're enforcing laws enacted by Congress and signed by the president. The same laws [have] been on the books for the last six presidents I worked for.” [27:53]

Panel Predictions & Closing (46:42–49:47)

• DeRozier: “Hopefully... Minnesota will be calmer... and we’ll figure out really what drove us, our grid and its integrity over this kind of cold snap. And we should say something nice about coal and natural gas next week.” [47:00]
• Ingrid Jacques (Humorous): “Bad Bunny will wear a dress to the Super Bowl.” [47:21]
• Kotkin: “Most important... is what’s going to happen in Iran. Next week, we may be talking about that more than anything else.” [48:29]

Summary Takeaways

• The episode models civil disagreement grounded in facts with an emphasis on digging beneath surface narratives.
• Both legal scholars and journalists emphasize the rarity and necessity of protecting nuance—both in law and public debate.
• Panelists widely criticize current political rhetoric and leadership for amplifying division and failing to propose workable solutions.
• Immigration, free speech, and protest are flashpoints not just for policy, but for American identity, institutional legitimacy, and democratic practice.
• The show aims to counteract tribalism and quick judgments by modeling in-depth discourse with viewpoint diversity.