Surrounded – Jubilee Media

Adam Mockler vs 20 Gen Z Conservatives

Date: January 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This bold and provocative Surrounded episode puts Adam Mockler, a self-described liberal college dropout and prominent YouTube political commentator, in the center of a fiercely conservative Gen Z crowd—20 college conservatives, to be exact. In a “hot seat” debate format, Adam presents a series of controversial claims about Donald Trump, the conservative movement, and current American politics. Each conservative debates Adam one-on-one until eliminated by the group, constantly rotating strong voices and sharp questions.

The episode aims to break echo chambers and facilitate challenging but honest debate, focusing mainly on the Trump era’s impact on the rise of fascism, the “golden age” claims about the Trump economy, immigration, crime, and corruption.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Is Trump Causing a Rise of Fascism?

(00:35–39:20)

Adam’s Opening Argument:

Adam claims Trump has normalized fascist, anti-democratic ideologies, pointing to birtherism, chants to lock up political opponents, the January 6th Capitol attack, and Trump’s efforts to militarize political rhetoric.

Definitions of Fascism

• Adam: “A far right authoritarian ideology with one leader at the top… who forcibly suppresses opposition, erodes democratic norms, and there is hyper militarization involved.” (06:10)
• Conservative: “Fascism is one party who is silencing and demeaning any other opposition… Like Hitler and Mussolini.” (05:25)

Debate Highlights:

• Suppression and Use of Power:
  Conservatives demand concrete examples of Trump forcibly suppressing opposition. Adam points to Trump’s Truth Social posts urging AGs to indict opponents, cases against Democratic fundraising mechanisms, and targeting universities.
• Normalization and Blindness:
  “I think there is a blindness, and a normalization of fascism.” – Adam (18:33)
• Election Denial:
  Several conservatives are unsure or noncommittal on whether the 2020 election was stolen. Adam sees this as emblematic:
  “This proves my point. Trump is causing a rise of fascist generation. … The 2020 election was not stolen.” (26:20)
• Comparisons to Historical Fascism:
  Debaters argue about the appropriateness of the Hitler/Mussolini analogy, with conservatives saying Trump’s actions don’t approach historical fascism's violence.
• Media & Social Influence:
  Adam highlights the influence of right-wing media and elite personalities in stoking division, while conservatives counter that left-wing media and campus culture radicalize their side.

Notable Moments:

• “Which of those [fascism] qualities does not describe Trump?” – Adam (09:45)
• “I disagree with forcibly doing that—can you give an example?” – Conservative (10:00)
• “Impeaching somebody is not fascism.” – Adam (31:20)

2. The Golden Age of Trump’s Economy

(39:20–1:09:55)

Adam’s Claim:

“Despite Trump’s claims, the economy is not in a golden age.”

• Points to increased unemployment (especially among youth and Black Americans), rising prices, and lack of lasting manufacturing reshoring as evidence.

Tariffs & Manufacturing:

• Conservatives argue tariffs protect national security and incentivize domestic manufacturing, especially with threats to supply chains by China.
• Adam counters that Trump’s tariffs lack permanence (as they’re enacted by executive order), aren’t targeted, and have raised consumer costs:
  “Tariffs are a regressive tax on the lowest-income Americans.” (1:09:10)

Social Programs & Taxes:

• Debate over the “one big, beautiful bill”—Trump’s extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
  • Adam: “It permanently decreases taxes for the richest of the rich, but temporarily gives tax relief to working-class people.”
  • Conservative: “Work requirements for Medicaid are fair… if someone isn’t working, then they shouldn’t be getting help.” (1:04:08)

Notable Quotes:

• “If Donald Trump is going to claim that we are in a golden age, then we necessarily had to have been in a golden age under the end of Biden’s term.” – Adam (45:10)
• “The only barrier we talked about is work requirements and that's working 20 hours a week.” – Conservative (1:07:48)

3. Immigration, Crime, and the Safety of Children

(1:09:55–1:48:08)

Adam’s Claim:

“Children are safer with the average illegal immigrant than with Donald Trump.”

• Cites a PNAS Texas study: undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit violent/property crimes than native citizens.
• Points to Trump’s history of sexual assault allegations, association with Epstein, and documented admissions of predatory behavior as evidence of being a greater danger.

Conservative Response:

• Skepticism of statistics—question reliability, cite lack of background checks.
• Argue with anecdotes of violence and insecurity related to illegal immigration.
• Shift to policy—emphasize national sovereignty, assimilation, border enforcement, and unity over diversity.

Notable Moments:

• “The average undocumented immigrant commits lower crimes than Donald Trump.” – Adam (1:15:47)
• “Would you bring your daughter over to that person’s house?” – Adam (1:17:30)
• “If that’s true, then I condemn it.” – Conservative, on Trump walking in on dressing rooms (1:20:55)
• “Studies show immigrants are a net economic benefit.” – Adam (1:31:15)
• “We need legal immigration. We agree on that.” – Conservative (1:23:22)

4. Corruption: Is Trump the Most Corrupt President?

(1:48:08–2:20:21)

Adam’s Claim:

“Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in American history.”

• Argues Trump enriched himself, pointing to a $3B personal net worth increase, Trump Coin, favors to foreign billionaires (Justin Sun, Qatar), and Melania’s lucrative deals.
• Cites fake elector scheme and abuse of presidential powers for personal gain.

Conservative & Counterarguments:

• “Trump can’t be corrupt, he’s self-funded and isn’t controlled by donors.” (1:48:49)
• Downplays Trump Coin as “just business,” stresses lack of direct proof for quid-pro-quo.
• “What about Hunter Biden?”
• Argues Adam hasn’t done due diligence on all other presidents (Nixon, LBJ, FDR as past examples of corruption).

Discussion on Definitions:

• Is using office for personal gain corruption? Does seeking reelection with bad policy count?
• Adam: “There’s no analog in American history to this wealth increase and favor-trading.” (1:53:13)
• Conservative: “You’re speculating on Trump Coin, but have no hard evidence.” (2:15:05)

Notable Quotes:

• “Trump is making this country great—for all the wrong people.” – Adam (2:18:48)
• “There’s a Watergate happening every day.” – Adam (1:50:13)
• “Jimmy Carter put his farm in a blind trust. Donald Trump created Trump Coin.” – Adam (2:15:30)

5. Who’s More Fascist—Left or Right?

(2:20:22–2:38:30)

Conservative Claim:

“The left is far more fascist than the right.”

• Argue that left uses totalitarian tactics: suppressing dissent, inciting/celebrating political violence (Charlie Kirk, Trump assassination attempt).
• Americans have “a culture of violence” on the left, not the right.

Adam’s Counterpoints:

• Presses for names of elected Democrats celebrating violence—challengers can’t cite any.
• Flips arguments: points to Trump and GOP figures joking about violence, denouncing the idea that campus or online rhetoric = party policy.

Notable Exchanges:

• “You can’t name a single Democrat in power who made fun of Charlie Kirk.” – Adam (2:28:55)
• “There is a fundamental difference between the way the two parties function.” – Adam (2:30:32)
• “Trump and Don Jr. posted memes about Pelosi after his attack.” – Adam (2:31:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote / Exchange | Speaker | |-----------|-------------------|---------| | 09:45 | “Which of those [fascism] qualities does not describe Trump?” | Adam | | 26:20 | “This proves my point. Trump is causing a rise of fascist generation. … The 2020 election was not stolen.” | Adam | | 31:20 | “Impeaching somebody is not fascism.” | Adam | | 64:55 | “The only barrier we talked about is work requirements and that’s working 20 hours a week… You got me. That was a good one.” | Adam & Conservative | | 1:15:47 | “The average undocumented immigrant commits lower crimes than Donald Trump.” | Adam | | 1:17:30 | “Would you bring your daughter over to that person’s house?” | Adam | | 1:53:13 | “There’s no analog in American history to this wealth increase and favor-trading.” | Adam | | 2:15:30 | “Jimmy Carter put his farm in a blind trust. Donald Trump created Trump Coin.” | Adam | | 2:28:55 | “You can’t name a single Democrat in power who made fun of Charlie Kirk.” | Adam | | 2:31:42 | “Trump and Don Jr. posted memes about Pelosi after his attack.” | Adam |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:35 – Opening and introduction to debate layout
• 04:15 – Adam’s first claim: Trump and fascism
• 26:20 – On election denial and normalization of “fascism”
• 39:20 – Second claim: Trump’s economy & tariffs
• 1:09:55 – Third claim: Safety, crime, and immigration
• 1:48:08 – Fourth claim: Trump’s corruption
• 2:20:22 – Debate flip: Is the left more fascist?
• 2:34:45 – Closing remarks and panel impressions

Tone & Dynamics

• The conversation is (mostly) civil but passionate, frequently adversarial with sharp rhetorical exchanges.
• Adam maintains a focus on systems, facts, and studies, while conservatives frequently challenge with anecdotes, policy implications, and skepticism.
• Several moments of levity, mutual respect, and even acknowledgments of “you got me”—emphasizing the value of the debate process.
• A recurring theme: the difference between high-level political rhetoric versus grassroots or online outrage.

Closing Thoughts

The episode closes with meta-discussion among the group about Adam’s demeanor, preparation, and the overall tone. Participants express surprise at the respectful, productive nature of the debate, emphasizing the need for more such civil, in-person political discussions instead of online outrage.

“Once you strip the online divisiveness, you find a human being on the other side who’s willing to shake your hand after.” (2:35:10, Panelist)

This Surrounded episode is both combative and revealing, offering a microcosm of America’s sharpest divides—yet also modeling the kind of discourse that can transcend ideological walls.