The Shawn Ryan Show — Best Moments of 2025

Podcast: The Shawn Ryan Show
Host: Shawn Ryan
Date: December 31, 2025
Episode Theme: A reflection on the most defining, impactful, and raw moments from the show throughout 2025. The episode brings together poignant stories, harrowing insights, lessons learned, and unforgettable conversations from the past year. It captures themes of survival, warfare, innovation, spiritual struggle, loss, resilience, and hope—featuring voices from warfighters, whistleblowers, survivors, public figures, and allies around the globe.

Main Theme & Purpose

Shawn Ryan revisits the highlights and turning points from 2025, focusing on real stories of hardship, courage, atrocity, heroism, and revelations—delving deeply into societal issues, wars and security, government secrets, spiritual battles, and personal transformations. The episode’s purpose is to inspire, educate, and expose listeners to hard truths, the cost of freedom, and the value of authenticity and resilience.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Spiritual War: Creation vs. Destruction

• Spiritual Battleframe: Several segments underscore how the greatest struggle is spiritual, not political.
  • "This is not a political debate. This is a spiritual struggle. Creation versus destruction." (A, 00:29)
  • Tucker Carlson expands: “There are creators and destroyers... God creates, his opponents destroy. God created the earth and the heavens. His opponents destroy them. It’s that simple.” (Tucker Carlson, 3:00:44)
• Chaos as the Core Enemy: “The scariest thing is chaos. Chaos is the scariest thing. Chaos. And then later in life…God brought order out of chaos.” (Tucker Carlson, 3:02:30)

War, Truth, and Cover-Ups

Major 2025 Events & Government Secrets

• Cybertruck Explosion in Las Vegas (01:20):
  • Alleged government cover-up, with anonymous whistleblower emails detailing new anti-gravity ("gravitic propulsion") aircraft deployed by China and the US, with massive ISR capabilities.
  • “What I’m going to send you is going to change the course of humanity.” (Shawn reads whistleblower email, 01:40)
  • Inability to confirm the story reflects the show’s skepticism and need for evidence.
  • “Talking about gravitic propulsion systems without evidence just makes me another UFO talking head.” (A, 11:23)
  • Speculation around the incident involving an armed spec ops soldier and a Tesla packed as a message-delivery rather than an actual attack.
• Afghanistan Airstrikes, Civ Casualties, & War Crimes:
  • The whistleblower’s claims of covered-up civilian killings in Nimroz demonstrate the hidden moral burdens and imperfect accountability in modern warfare.
  • “US continued strikes after spotting civilians…It was supposed to take six minutes and scramble all aircraft…The UN basically called these war crimes but the administration made them disappear.” (01:55)

Child Exploitation and Predation: The 764 Group & the Red Dot Map

• Chilling Data & Maps: DOJ “red dot map” shows 111,423 unique US IP addresses involved in child sexual abuse downloads in the past 30 days—"Every red dot on that map is at least one unique IP address of individuals downloading, sharing, distributing child abuse and rape images under the age of 12." (Guest, ~36:12)
• Predators’ Profile: “The number one offender: Biological fathers. 55-85% are also hands-on offenders. The average offender has 13 victims in their lifet[ime].”
• 764 Group: Extremist online predator group originated by a 15-year-old in Texas, perpetrating self-harm, bestiality, and suicides via grooming through games like Roblox and Minecraft.
  • “764 Group is a Satanist cult group that focuses on extreme violence. And one of the main things…is sextortion towards children…They extort children into…engraving their names, suicide live on camera, killing family pets…” (Guest, ~38:30)
• Platforms Allowing Abuse: Roblox comes under fire for banning vigilantes and actively deterring predator-hunters.
  • "Largest children's game in the world doesn't want people on the platform saving kids." (Shawn, ~41:10)
• Legislative Action: Pitch for the Renewed Hope Act to hire more federal officers to fight child abuse.

Terrorism, Security, and Preparedness

Invisible Bombs and Homeland Attacks

• Emerging Threats:
  • Explosives that evade traditional security because of silicone-sealing, lack of metal parts: “Dogs can’t sniff it. Metal detectors are useless…the only way is body scanner.” (Guest, ~01:22:00)
  • Al-Qaeda claims 1,000 trained attackers are now inside the US, potentially preparing for Mumbai-style swarming attacks and suicide bombings—"Al Qaeda trained and sent 1,000 attackers..." (Guest, 01:28:00)
• Vulnerable Public Spaces: Airports, stadiums, hospitals, and everyday infrastructure targeted.

Global Geopolitics

Taiwan, China, Romania, and the New Warfare

• Taiwan: Ongoing cognitive/cyber warfare against Taiwan, aiming to divide the society, with kinetic war as a looming possibility.
  • “There are military assets circling Taiwan…disinformation, efforts at dividing our society…That is already happening.” (Taiwanese Official, 1:54:30)
  • “No person or no country is too small to deserve freedom.” (1:55:15)
• Romania: Coup in progress and NATO’s largest base in Europe, raising fears of escalation with Russia: “It’s a coup d’etat in no shame, in front of all the world.” (Romanian Guest, 1:57:10)

Real Battles: Rescue Operations, Combat, and Heroism

Benghazi and Beyond

• Firsthand Accounts: 13 Hours survivor tells of firefights, stand down orders, and the pain of loss:
  • “That stand down order is the 100 guarantees why Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith didn’t make it. They’re dead because of that stand down order.” (Tig, 2:04:25)
• Operation Neptune Spear (Bin Laden Raid):
  • Whispered name seal, silent, deadly:
    • “He literally whispers Khalid's name...peeks around the corner and gets popped in the head.” (Navy SEAL, 2:21:12)
• Rescue of Kurt Muse: Six minutes to freedom—intensity of close-quarters rescue under fire.
• Vietnam and Africa Memories: Stories of PTSD, trauma, and the high cost of agency and death.

Loss, Grief, and Survival

• Combat Losses and Aftermath: Veterans revisit personal losses and battle experiences—processing grief decades later.
  • “50 years ago, and he's getting choked up thinking about his guys. And that was a moment for me that I realized that's okay.” (Shawn, 2:38:15)
• Personal Tragedy, Addiction & Recovery:
  • Hunter Biden and others discuss the fallout from familial loss, substance abuse, and public shame—“My three oldest daughters…they were my whole world. And I was an enormous…constant presence…and then all of a sudden, I was gone.” (Hunter Biden, 3:14:10)
  • The beauty and pain of enduring brotherhood:
    • "One thing that I never, ever...doubted in my life. Was the love of my brother.” (Hunter Biden, 3:21:05)

Societal Manipulation, PSYOPs, and Authority

• Milgram Experiment: Demonstrates how easily ordinary people can be made to kill by following orders.
  • “67% of people went all the way [to shock someone to death].” (Guest, 3:29:55)
• Signs of a PsyOp: Novelty, authority, tribalism, emotion (FATE model), and the predatory way institutions can direct public focus and manufacture consent.

Conspiracies, Suppression, and Corruption

• Epstein Files Suppression: “...reports that there’s what, 100 FBI agents that spent thousands and thousands of hours of scrubbing his name from the files. And now we can’t trust anything that’s going to come out. And who fucking loses? The children.” (A, 3:16:47)
• Political Corruption and Media Manipulations:
  • Allegations of big-name celebrities and activists being paid off by campaigns, misuse of donor money, and institutional coverups.

Hope, Faith, and Resilience

• Defining Quotes & Mantras:
  • "You're not defined by your failures. You're defined by what you do every day." (A, 01:04)
  • "You have never lived until you’ve almost died. For those who fought for it, life has a special flavor that the protected will never know. Amen." (Shawn, 02:53:00)
• Authenticity and Battle Scars:
  • "My advice is just be yourself. Be authentic. Be raw. Just let all the wounds show. It is a battle that will end, and it's a battle we already know who won." (Guest, 01:07)
• Sacrifice and Leadership:
  • "The more you've been given, the deeper your responsibility to sacrifice for others." (Tucker Carlson, 3:06:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Truth & Storytelling

• "When I started this, the goal was simple. Give people a place to tell their story." (Shawn, 00:35)
• “I'm proud of what I've done and who I am. I'm going to die here on the dirt. In Afghanistan.” (00:43)

On Family & Brotherhood

• “I wish my wife was here to see this, to see me sitting there with a famous guy like you.” (Veteran, 02:55)

On Darkness and Evil

• "All of God's angels don't sing in the choir. Some of them are warriors." (A, 01:10)
• “There are a ton of Charlie Kirk Assassination simulators in Roblox…Children can join and watch…on the most popular kids game in the world.” (Guest, ~41:30)

On Sacrifice & Special Operations

• “We’re the only support that could have made a difference. That stand down order is 100 guarantees why Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith didn’t make it.” (Tig, 2:04:25)
• “You have never lived until you’ve almost died. For those who fought for it, life has a special flavor that the protected will never know.” (Favorite Quote, 2:53:00)

On Survival & Meaning

• “Sometimes it’s hard. And that’s okay, man. That’s okay.” (Shawn, 2:38:15)
• “You went through some tough stuff. Think about it. Sometimes it’s hard. And that’s okay, man. That’s okay.” (A, 01:12)

On Hope

• “We just want to bring hope to the world and show that there’s a way out of the downward spiral.” (A, 01:19)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Introduction & Spiritual War Framing: 00:00 – 01:20
• Cybertruck Incident & Gravitic Propulsion Whistleblower: 01:20 – 13:15
• Child Exploitation and the 764 Group: 36:00 – 43:40
• Invisible Bombs, Al-Qaeda, and Homeland Threats: 01:22:00 – 01:35:30
• Geopolitics – Taiwan & Romania: 01:54:30 – 01:58:50
• Benghazi, SEAL Raids, & Combat Rescue Stories: 2:02:00 – 2:22:00
• Personal Loss, Brotherhood, and Addiction (Hunter Biden stories): 3:14:10 – 3:23:00
• Milgram Experiment & Manipulation: 3:29:55 – 3:32:35
• PsyOps and Jury Persuasion: 3:33:16 – 3:36:35
• Conspiracies, Epstein Files, and Corruption: 3:16:47 – 3:18:27
• Tucker Carlson on Destruction & Leadership: 3:00:44 – 3:08:50
• Song Performance “Righteous Hunter”: 3:44:00

Final Notes & Tone

The episode is deeply personal, raw, and multifaceted—ranging from global conflict to intimate stories of heartache and healing. Shawn’s respectful directness frames candid revelations, pushing for hard truths but always anchoring on hope and the value of fighting for good. The year’s best moments, as curated in this episode, serve both as an unflinching look at evil and a masterclass in human resilience.

Memorable Closing: "These are the moments from 2025 that defined the year." (A, 01:17)
"You have never lived until you’ve almost died. For those who fought for it, life has a special flavor that the protected will never know. Amen." (Favorite Quote, 2:53:00)

For listeners new or old, this episode encapsulates the essence of The Shawn Ryan Show: a no-bullshit search for truth, meaning, and action in a complex, often brutal world—always with an eye toward hope and healing.