Real Coffee with Scott Adams – Episode 2999 (CWSA 10/25/25)

Date: October 25, 2025
Host: Scott Adams
Theme: Analyzing current events and the latest news through the lens of persuasion, narrative framing, and media influence.

Overview

In this episode, Scott Adams dissects headlines, viral stories, and political developments through his trademark "persuasion filter." He explores the difference between what the public perceives as important and what actually drives the news cycle, emphasizing the power of narrative construction and media gatekeeping. Topics range from interest rate cuts and climate change revelations to media criticism, the 2020 election controversy, and global shifts in power and influence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reframe of the Day: Networking and Success

[03:13]

• Traditional frame: "It's who you know that matters for success."
• Scott's reframe: "It's how many people you know."
  • This perspective is empowering; meeting many people increases the odds that someone will have the knowledge, connection, or opportunity needed.
  • Quote:

    "Numbers. Go for numbers. That's your reframe of the day. It's not who you know, it's how many people you know. Boom." [04:35]

• Tone: Practical, motivational.

2. Federal Reserve and Economic Updates

[05:00]

• Newsmax and others are reporting likely forthcoming Fed rate cuts.
• Inflation slightly up, but not enough to deter economic stimulus.
• Adams expresses cautious optimism:

  • "That would be cool... It's low enough that the Fed doesn't mind stimulating the economy." [05:25]

3. Michael Shellenberger’s Sea Level Story and Media Gatekeeping

[06:00 – 14:00]

• Shellenberger publishes what Adams calls "the biggest story of the decade":
  • Leading climate scientists knew sea level rise predictions were exaggerated and not based on robust science.
  • Adams frames this as confirmation of what many skeptics suspected, referencing direct communication between Shellenberger and experts.
  • Quote:

    "...the experts always knew that this rising sea level story was not based on science." [07:47]

  • Adams warns: despite its magnitude, this story will not break into mass consciousness due to media gatekeepers.
• Gatekeepers decide the news:
  • Adams uses Watergate as analogy, noting major outlets define what becomes a "story."
  • Quote:

    "Somebody decides what the news is. Did you know that? It's not what's happening. It's not what's important. Somebody literally decides what you're going to... think is the news..." [10:20]

4. Global Engagement Center (GEC) and Censorship

[15:10]

• State Department dismantles the GEC, a body notable for censoring conservative viewpoints, as reported by Paul Sperry.
• Adams frames this as a win for free speech:

  • "...it was an entity for censoring mostly conservatives. So it was... trying to look like it was something else, but really just censoring conservatives." [15:41]

5. Personal Anecdote: Health, Pain Management, and Surreal Media Attention

[16:00 – 22:30]

• Details his nighttime routine: significant pain meds and marijuana use for sleep due to health issues.
• Shares a humorous, surreal moment: while high, sees Bill Maher and Jesse Watters discussing him on TV.

  • "My phone's talking about me. Damn it. What's my phone saying about me?" [18:25]

• Bill Maher criticized Adams and Cernovich, flipping their predictive record.
  • Maher labels Adams as an example of "derangement," ignoring Adams' successful Trump prediction in 2016.
• Adams' response is confident, assertive (and a bit tongue-in-cheek):

  • "Me, literally, literally one of the most prolific debunkers of fake news in the history of fake news, who's done more of it than I have." [21:05]

  • Claims he could "dismantle [Maher’s] entire worldview" on January 6th given five minutes in debate.

6. Media Narratives: Ballroom Controversy

[24:00 – 31:45]

• Discusses Liz Warren’s investigation into Trump’s proposed White House ballroom, seeing it as political theater.
  • Adams dismisses the "corruption" angle as naïve: "That's how the whole city works."
• Mocks Brian Stelter and Richard Roeper for suggesting the ballroom evokes "disaster film iconography," fueling public anxiety.

  • "If you ever find yourself trying to improve on an explanation of what happened in the real world by adding disaster movie film iconography... You will not be invited to anything that I'm at." [29:10]

• Concludes: All the outrage is simply "TDS" (Trump Derangement Syndrome).

7. Trump's Third-Term Rumors and Narrative Framing

[31:45 – 33:30]

• Highlights a shift in media narrative: CNN accuses Trump of both “destroying” and “renovating” the White House, suggesting secret plans for a third term.
  • Adams speculates Bannon floated this idea strategically to keep Trump’s opponents unsettled, even though a third term isn't legally feasible.

8. Democratic Leadership and "Affordability" Messaging

[34:00 – 38:00]

• Hakeem Jeffries’ endorsement of Mondami for NYC mayor marks a leadership shift within the Democratic Party.
  • Adams sees "affordability" as a masterstroke of persuasion for Democrats.

  • "Affordability as a rallying cry for Democrats, Absolutely brilliant... You don't see that very often." [36:35]

• Suggests innovative messaging may propel Mondami to party leadership.

9. Election Integrity, International Influence, and Book Claims

[39:00 – 43:30]

• Discusses claims from Rasmussen Reports and Tulsi Gabbard regarding vulnerabilities in electronic voting systems, referencing the book "Stolen Elections."
  • Book alleges foreign involvement (China, Iran, Russia, Cuba) in U.S. election machinery and data storage.
  • Adams remains skeptical:

    "I do not find them credible. Doesn't mean they're fake. But that's more countries than I would expect to be involved in a top secret plot." [43:26]

10. Origin of "Wokeness" in Corporate America

[44:00 – 47:00]

• Cites David Sacks’ explanation: Index funds, relying on proxy firms (Glass Lewis and ISS), assigned "woke" policies through shareholder voting, not reflecting broader public sentiment.

  • "The public was assigned their opinion by a few companies that had a profit motive. We were assigned to those opinions. It did not happen organically. Unbelievable." [46:27]

  • Reveals how a handful of companies can set national corporate ideology.

11. Robots and Rare Earth Minerals

[47:20 – 49:00]

• References All-In Podcast: Future mining by robots (Optimus) may unlock rare earth minerals previously inaccessible due to human limitations.

  • "...in 18 months we're going to have armies of robots digging through the ground, getting all this rare earth, and suddenly problem solved..." [48:28]

12. Mondami, Global Jihad, and Trust in Politicians

[49:00 – 53:00]

• Adams questions whether Mondami ever condemned "global jihad"—notes lack of evidence he supports it but also lack of explicit condemnation.
  • Dissects Islamic concept of "taqiya": Justifies skepticism of politicians' word due to possible permissible deception.

  • "So you can't trust anything he says on that topic because he happens to be part of a team which explicitly allows you to lie on that question. So then when he says something about that question, should I say, oh, he's the one person who's decided not to lie about it. I don't know what he's thinking." [52:03]

13. Polling on NYC Mayoral Race

[53:00 – 54:00]

• 25% of New Yorkers say they’d consider leaving the city if Mondami wins New York mayor.
  • Adams dismisses this as "garbage polling": considering an action isn’t the same as actually doing it.

14. Trump’s Asia Trip, US-China-Russia Relationships

[54:10 – 57:00]

• Trump is traveling East on diplomatic and trade missions.
  • Maybe meets Xi Jinping, but seems unlikely due to logistics.
• Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev:
  • Claims Europe is “committing civilizational suicide” (via mass immigration and de-Christianization).
  • Asserts US, Russia, and Ukraine are close to "diplomatic solution"—Adams is skeptical.

15. Provocative Perspective: Europe’s Future

[57:10 – 59:50]

• Adams posits Europe faces two potential fates:
  • Dominance by Russia or
  • Becoming Islamic due to demographic trends

  • "So let me ask that question again. If you're a European and your choice was to be dominated by Russia... or change everything. Sharia law, maybe you get beheaded. I hate to tell you the Russian option might look better to some Europeans." [58:49]

16. Israel & Gaza: Netanyahu’s Dilemma

[60:00 – 65:00]

• As Gaza conflict appears unresolved, Adams suggests Netanyahu may have lost all political capital, failing both left and right.

  • "At the moment, Netanyahu has lost everything. It's the worst case scenario... So I would say that the current situation would be a gigantic, definite loss for Netanyahu." [63:10]

17. Geopolitics: Turkey, Ottoman Echoes, and Gaza Security

[65:10 – 66:40]

• Steve Bannon proposes: Turkey as future security force in Gaza, likening current events to a revival of Ottoman Empire influence.

  • "We've unwound in two months what took a hundred years to end. The Ottomans are back." [65:42]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gatekeeping the News:

  "Somebody literally decides what you're going to... think is the news and everything else they'll ignore." [10:22]

• On Bill Maher's Critique:

  "Me, literally, literally one of the most prolific debunkers of fake news in the history of fake news, who's done more of it than I have... I'm literally, literally famous for getting it right." [21:05]

• On Media-Driven Outrage:

  "The public doesn't make up its own opinions. The public is assigned opinions, and they assigned the opinion that this was a big, big deal and you should get really worked up about it." [29:50]

• On the Machinery of Wokeness:

  "The public was assigned their opinion by a few companies that had a profit motive. We were assigned to those opinions. It did not happen organically." [46:27]

• On Trust in Politicians:

  "You can't trust anything he says on that topic because he happens to be part of a team which explicitly allows you to lie on that question." [52:10]

Segment Timestamps

• 00:02–03:00: Intro, simultaneous sip, show setup
• 03:10–05:00: "Reframe of the Day" – Networking for Success
• 05:00–06:00: Federal Reserve rate cuts, economic update
• 06:00–14:00: Shellenberger's climate revelations & the nature of news gatekeeping
• 15:10–16:00: Dismantling of GEC; conservative censorship
• 16:00–22:30: Health struggles, media attention, Bill Maher criticism
• 24:00–31:45: Ballroom investigation, media narratives, TDS
• 31:45–33:30: Third-term talk and narrative jujitsu
• 34:00–38:00: Democratic leadership, "affordability" as persuasion
• 39:00–43:30: Voting machines, international intrigue, skepticism
• 44:00–47:00: Wokeness origin story in corporate proxy voting
• 47:20–49:00: Robots and the future of rare earth mining
• 49:00–53:00: Mondami, global jihad, credibility
• 53:00–54:00: NYC poll on mayoral race
• 54:10–59:50: Trump’s Asia diplomacy, Europe’s trajectory (Russia/Islam)
• 60:00–65:00: Israel/Gaza, Netanyahu’s losses and legacy
• 65:10–66:40: Turkey/Ottoman return, Gaza

Closing Tone

Scott Adams offers a rapid-fire, critical, occasionally humorous tour through the current news cycle, always pausing to examine narratives, persuasion tactics, and the "real story" behind headlines. He challenges audience assumptions while warning about the unseen but powerful influence of media gatekeeping and coordinated messaging.

This summary skips ads, opening/closing routines, and focuses purely on the main discussion topics and Adams’ signature analytical style.