Rebel News Podcast: “'America First' is not MAGA — blame 'right wing' trolls for that distinction”

Host: Ezra Levant
Guest: Sheila Gunn Reid (from Brazil)
Date: November 18, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the fracturing of the American right, specifically the online battles over slogans like “MAGA”, “America First”, and “Christ is King.” Ezra Levant offers a Canadian perspective on why these phrases are fueling tension among right-wing youth, the emerging anti-Trump "troll right," and the growing overlaps with anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiments. Later in the episode, Sheila Gunn Reid joins live from Brazil to expose the realities and hypocrisy of the UN Global Warming Conference.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump: From MAGA to “America First”

• [00:00-05:07]
  • Levant opens by unpacking differences between “Make America Great Again” (MAGA), “America First,” and “Christ is King.”
  • Trump, in his view, has made massive progress on immigration, trade, and fulfilling campaign promises, effectively “living like he’s counting the minutes left in his terms.”
  • Levant credits Trump for sticking to campaign promises, effecting peace deals, deporting millions, and minimizing US military entanglements.

    “He’s whipping through his checklist. He’s living like he’s counting the minutes left in his terms.” — Ezra Levant (06:47)

  • The host notes, somewhat wistfully, that this leaves little critical ground for firebrand conservative pundits who “love to critique the government.”

2. The Online Troll Right’s Revolt

• [08:24-13:01]
  • Emerging right-wing voices (e.g., Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, even to some extent Tucker Carlson) are actively agitating against Trump from a more radical, purist position.
    • Nick Fuentes is highlighted as an example, calling for Catholics, anti-war supporters, and immigration restrictionists not to vote for Trump, claiming he’s become indistinguishable from the establishment.

      “I’m calling on Catholics, anti-war supporters, immigration restrictionists and MAGA loyalists to stay home and not vote for Trump.” — Nick Fuentes ([08:49])

  • Levant likens this to a “troll army,” doubting such voices were ever truly conservative or loyal to Trump.
  • Fuentes’ rhetoric includes crude attacks on rivals like Charlie Kirk and problematic praise for Hitler and Stalin — which Levant derides as not remotely conservative.

    “Yeah, that’s not really conservative.” — Ezra Levant ([10:58])

3. Deeper Splinters: Pro-Qatar, Anti-Israel, and Anti-Semitism

• [13:01-24:12]
  • The episode details how some disaffected right-wing pundits and influencers pivot from supporting Trump to engaging in anti-Israel and anti-Jewish rhetoric, often pushed by foreign-funded actors (Qatar, Russia).
  • Levant accuses prominent Americans (Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Marjorie Taylor Greene) of “flipping” to pro-Qatar, anti-Israel, and sometimes anti-Semitic positions when disaffected by Trump.

    “It seems that anyone who is disaffected by Trump immediately turns into a pro-Qatar anti-Israel activist.” — Ezra Levant ([20:45])

  • The host discusses the dangers of foreign influence in right-wing circles, referencing registered Qatari payments to media figures.

4. Slogans as Weapons: MAGA vs. America First vs. America Only

• [24:12-34:50]
  • Levant unpacks how “America First” is now being weaponized as a critique against Trump, when in reality, it was a central plank of his presidency.
  • The distinction between “America First” (Trump’s heritage policy) and “America Only” (more isolationist, troll-driven slogan) is emphasized.
  • Levant cautions that if America fully retreats from global engagement, the vacuum will be filled by adversaries like China and Russia.

5. “Christ is King”: Sincere Faith or Troll Test?

• [34:50-39:52]
  • The phrase “Christ is King” is increasingly deployed online. Levant sees a positive in Christians affirming faith, but argues the troll right uses it as a weapon or litmus test, not as a statement of private belief.

    “When people like that use the phrase Christ is King, they’re not saying it as a statement of their own faith, but as a kind of trump card, if you pardon the pun.” — Ezra Levant ([36:47])

  • He notes the bizarre spectacle of self-proclaimed “pagans” and Hitler-admirers leveraging the slogan.

6. Social Media, Foreign Bots, and Information Warfare

• [39:52-43:16]
  • Levant warns of “robot” and bot-driven disinformation campaigns, especially by Qatar, that are flooding young Americans’ social media feeds with anti-Trump, anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, and “America Only” propaganda.
  • He worries about the radicalization of youth and the blurring of lines between legitimate political debate and outright foreign influence operations.

7. Field Report: UN Global Warming Conference in Brazil

• [43:16-61:19] (with guest Sheila Gunn Reid, on location)
  • Sheila Gunn Reid exposes the contrast between the conference’s green rhetoric and the abject poverty of Belem, Brazil.
  • She details the favelized reality: 60% of the city in makeshift slums without sanitation; only 4% of wastewater treated.

    “The streets when it rains here...run brown with turds. And nobody should have to live that way when they’re spending money on environmentalist conferences.” — Sheila Gunn Reid ([45:48])

  • The hypocrisy of building roads through rainforests for delegates, while blaming ordinary people’s “summer road trips” for climate woes.
  • Security actively prevents journalists from covering “Freedom Highway” — a 13km road cut through the rainforest for the conference — by shooting down drones.

    “When they’re telling me that my summer road trip is the problem while okaying a highway through the rainforest, that doesn’t make any sense to me.” — Sheila Gunn Reid ([50:28])

  • Climate-related censorship: Sheila recounts growing restrictions on skeptical coverage, with government preference for pro-UN narratives.

    “They know that's how they win the information battle, is by censoring people like me.” — Sheila Gunn Reid ([57:41])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump’s Transformation of Government:

  “Whatever you think of Trump, you must admit he is doing exactly what he said he would do, including taking on the deep state in bold ways.” — Ezra Levant ([04:24])

• On Disaffected Right-Wing Pundits:

  “A fraction of the online right say they’re tired of Trump, they’re tired of winning. They think he’s not pure enough. ... I have no idea who they think would be better.” — Ezra Levant ([07:59])

• On Nick Fuentes' Inflammatory Tactics:

  “I just get a sick satisfaction out of it because I like to win.” — Nick Fuentes ([11:00])

• On Online Manipulation:

  “Most of it’s fake, but young people live online. They’re on their phones 12 hours a day ... thousands of messages from accounts repeating those same slogans. Turning against Trump but much more importantly turning against America.” — Ezra Levant ([38:15])

• On Environmental Hypocrisy in Brazil:

  “CUTTING a highway through the rainforest ... is the least problematic thing I saw in the Amazon today because right beside this ... is the stench of garbage piled up here in the 32-degree heat.” — Sheila Gunn Reid ([53:16])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-05:07: Ezra’s intro and the “MAGA” vs “America First” setup
• 08:24-10:58: Nick Fuentes’ denunciation of Trump and attack on Turning Point USA
• 11:13-12:18: Fuentes’ Hitler and Stalin praise; Levant's reaction
• 13:01-15:27: Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens’ narrative shifts on foreign policy and Israel
• 19:00-20:45: Anti-Israel rhetoric and overlap with anti-Semitism in rising online factions
• 21:13-22:45: Critic exposes intra-GOP infighting as a new “civil war” between MAGA and America First
• 24:12-28:30: Distinctions between MAGA, America First, and America Only
• 34:50-36:47: “Christ is King” as slogan and test—Levant’s critique
• 39:52-40:32: Tucker Carlson’s dislike of Christian Zionists (“I dislike them more than anybody, you know ... because it's Christian heresy.”)
• 43:16-55:15: Sheila Gunn Reid's on-the-ground report from Brazil, exposing poverty and environmental conference hypocrisy
• 57:41-59:07: Conference's emphasis on information control, censorship of skeptics
• 60:11-61:19: Levant and Reid discuss press restrictions, backlash against exposing Brazilian issues

Episode Flow & Tone

• Ezra Levant: Direct, concerned, occasionally combative. He combines policy analysis with culture-war framing, focusing heavily on what he sees as misinformation and foreign influence on the right.
• Sheila Gunn Reid: Investigative, descriptive, mixing outrage at the hypocrisy of climate elites with empathy for local poverty in Brazil.

Summary Takeaway

By dissecting online “word wars” over MAGA, America First, and Christ is King, Ezra Levant traces ideological fragmentation among American conservatives. He warns this is being fueled by an alliance of foreign influence operations, directionless radical online “troll right,” and traditional adversaries. The episode contrasts this intra-American struggle with international hypocrisy, highlighted by a hard-hitting field report from the UN’s climate summit in impoverished Belem, Brazil.