Real Coffee with Scott Adams

Episode 3086 – The Scott Adams School: February 3, 2026

Main Theme

This episode centers on the intersection of persuasion, American higher education, and media narratives, filtered through the Scott Adams “persuasion lens.” The core focus lies in a spirited discussion with Steve Cortez about his new documentary on Chinese nationals in U.S. colleges, its implications for American students and national security, and the broader lessons learned from Scott Adams around effective communication and hoax debunking.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Groundwork

• The panel, led by Erica, welcomes Steve Cortez—a political operative and media creator with a history of working for Trump and JD Vance.
• Cortez self-describes as “just taking on the small task of saving America and saving Western civilization. No big deal, right?” ([04:16], Steve Cortez)
• The episode establishes Scott Adams’ influence on panelists and guests, especially in media literacy and concise communication.

2. China, Higher Education & the Cortez Documentary

Overview of Cortez’s Work

• Steve Cortez is producing a documentary titled “China’s College Takeover,” out Thursday, highlighting the influx of Chinese nationals at U.S. universities.
• “We have 300,000 Chinese nationals studying in the United States right now … I'm trying to make the case that that number needs to go down and in fact, it should actually be zero.” ([06:14], Steve Cortez)

Concerns Raised

• National Security: Some Chinese nationals are “spies and saboteurs,” while even ‘friendly’ students help strengthen a nation regarded as a rival or enemy. ([06:14]–[08:25])
• Displacement of American Students: Highly qualified American, especially Asian-American, students are being denied admission due to foreign enrollment. E.g., University of Illinois enrolls 6,000 Chinese nationals.
  • “University of Illinois Fighting Illini football games broadcast in Mandarin Chinese. That's how many Chinese students are there.” ([08:25], Steve Cortez)
• Public Funding: Americans are “paying to educate Chinese nationals, some of whom are spying on us.”
• Personal Stories: Panelists and listeners share anecdotes of family members rejected by public universities despite stellar academic records, often attributing these rejections to international student quotas.
  • “My family lost over a hundred thousand dollars...because I couldn't get my son into University of Illinois.” ([11:58], Shelly/Panelist)

Solutions & Activism

• Recommendations include legislation, public outcry, and leveraging parental outrage to effect change at both state and federal levels.
  • “Let's expose the problem, get educated...hopefully generate enough frustration...and then let's pressure politicians, including politicians on our side.” ([15:45], Steve Cortez)
• Cortez frames the issue as universal (“not a right or left issue. It’s an American issue...”) and calls for coalition-building and activation of “mama bears” whose children are affected. ([21:19])
• Panelists promote the trailer and documentary, urging listeners to share and pressure lawmakers.

Notable Quote:

“Whether you have kids or not, you’re paying taxes, you’re paying for this nonsense...It’s not like a right or left issue. It’s an American issue.”
— Erica ([21:19])

3. Persuasion, Media Narratives, and Scott Adams’ Legacy

Communication Techniques

• Cortez credits Scott Adams for teaching the importance of brevity and framing:
  • “Brevity is the coin of the realm...the more concise we can be in a busy world...the more effective we’ll be, the more persuasive we’ll be.” ([27:14], Steve Cortez)
• He describes creating messages in varying lengths—long articles for detail, short videos for viral impact—and references “A River Runs Through It” as an inspiration for editing aggressively.
• Panelists note that concise communication not only increases shareability but also sharpens impact.

Notable Exchange:

Sergio: “The goal of keeping it short is such a key because that's what makes people share it to others...if you give me like 1 minute, 30 seconds and the way you did it, oh man, I can repost that.”
— ([31:07])

Fighting the ‘Fine People Hoax’

• Cortez, Adams, and Joel Pollack formed a ‘Three Amigos’ advocacy group targeting the debunking of the Charlottesville ‘Fine People’ hoax.
  • “We all, independent of each other, were pursuing the truth on the Charlottesville Fine People hoax...we would almost split up tasks...” ([32:30], Steve Cortez)
• The hoax is cited as a root of much political division; debunking it required relentless fact-based campaigning and courage.
  • “Think of the tangible damage done to this country. Think of the racial division that it sowed. All based on a lie. Right? All of it.” ([40:18], Steve Cortez)
• Scott Adams is lauded for his courage, persistence, and contagious truth-seeking ethos.
  • “He was a patriot, he was selfless. And boy, did he have courage. And I think that's a lesson for all of us. We need more courageous people. And courage is contagious.” ([42:00], Steve Cortez)

Notable Moment:

“It took years...for us to debunk this hoax. But I think we finally have...any reasonable person now knows now...that was a hoax.”
— Steve Cortez ([37:38])

4. Latin America, “Make the Americas Great Again,” and Global Strategy

• Cortez details his Colombian roots and support for patriotic, right-leaning populist movements in Latin America.
• Praises leaders like Argentina’s Milei and Chile’s president-elect; plans ongoing engagement and a documentary on Milei.
  • “I'm always going to be America first...But secondly, I have great affinity for Latin America...” ([44:41])
  • “I think we can be looking at a grand alliance of patriotic populism, of making the Americas great again, that unite from the Tierra del Fuego all the way up to Greenland.” ([46:00])

5. 2026 Midterms: Strategy & Prognosis

Current Polling & Party Prospects

• Cortez predicts a tough cycle for Republicans, with blame for the economy falling upon them as the governing party, despite improving indicators.
  • “People right now still have real economic anxiety...they blame Republicans as the governing party...they know going to the grocery store gives them anxiety...” ([49:51])
  • Projects holding the Senate, “probably have no net change,” but possibly losing the House.

Persuasive Framing for Voters

• Immigration enforcement is still a winning issue; should be tied to “affordability.”
• Warns against complacency—advises acknowledging public pain, presenting tangible solutions like “tariff dividends” for workers, and exposing current frauds (e.g., alleged Somali fraud in Minnesota).
  • “We need to acknowledge that...things aren't still wonderful, but it's on the way. Help is truly on the way. And the numbers show it.” ([49:51])
  • “Tariff dividends...result in revenue for the United States, part of which you deserve a share of.” ([55:04])

Panel Consensus & Closing

• Panel underscores the role of independent media (“we are the news now”) and their own ability to influence narratives on social media through engagement and strategic sharing.
• “We are definitely an army of people that are not afraid to go out there and talk to people, to post about it, to re-share your video and tell people what’s going on.” ([58:04], Erica)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Chinese students and national security:
  “It makes no sense for us to educate our enemies.” ([06:14], Steve Cortez)
• On displaced American students:
  “I am one of them that was directly impacted by this. My son applied [to U of Illinois]…he got rejected. …My family lost over a hundred thousand dollars because of that.” ([11:34], Panelist/Shelly)
• On persuasion:
  “Brevity is the coin of the realm…The more concise we can be in a busy world…the more effective we will be.” ([27:14], Steve Cortez)
• On debunking hoaxes:
  “He [Scott Adams] was just an absolute persistent truth seeker…let the chips fall where they may, that he had principles that were more important than those temporal benefits.” ([40:18], Steve Cortez)
• On Latin American politics:
  “We can be looking at a grand alliance of patriotic populism…making the Americas great again, unite from Tierra del Fuego all the way up to Greenland.” ([46:00], Steve Cortez)
• On 2026 midterms:
  “We are going to hold the Senate… I think we lose the House. And I agree with you, that could be catastrophic.” ([49:51], Steve Cortez)
• On independent media power:
  “We are the news now…we are definitely an army of people that are not afraid to go out there and talk to people, to post about it, to re-share your video…” ([58:04], Erica)

Important Timestamps

• [06:14] — The case against high numbers of Chinese nationals in U.S. universities.
• [11:34]–[13:03] — Personal impact stories and debate over admissions policies.
• [14:59]–[15:45] — Action steps and need for outrage/legislation.
• [27:14]–[32:22] — Communication, brevity, and persuasion lessons from Scott Adams.
• [32:30]–[43:58] — The story of debunking the “Fine People” hoax together.
• [44:41]–[49:19] — Latin American populism and U.S. strategy.
• [49:51]–[55:04] — 2026 midterms outlook, messaging, and tariff dividend proposal.
• [58:04] — Call to action for grassroots media sharing.

Tone & Style

The conversation is lively, passionate, and urgent, blending humor and camaraderie with serious policy discussion. The panel and guest speak candidly, in plain language, using both personal anecdotes and broad appeals to American patriotism and activism.

Conclusion

This episode offers an in-depth, persuasive case for prioritizing American students in U.S. colleges and warnings about foreign influence—using the tools of strategic persuasion championed by Scott Adams. It calls for coordinated activism, smarter messaging, and continued vigilance against media hoaxes. It’s a rallying cry for independent thinkers to leverage concise, effective communication and to fight for truth and American interests, all while honoring the enduring influence of Scott Adams.