The Briefing with Albert Mohler, Jr.

Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Host: R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Theme: Cultural Commentary from a Biblical Perspective

Episode Overview

This episode opens with the news of former Vice President Dick Cheney’s death and uses it as a platform for sweeping analysis of recent American political history—especially the evolution of conservatism, neoconservatism, shifts within the Republican Party, and the failures of certain leaders to remain anchored in foundational values. Mohler then pivots to discuss the British royal family’s ongoing scandals, specifically the stripping of Prince Andrew’s title and the larger cultural implications for leadership, morality, and the enduring fascination with royalty. The entire analysis is filtered through a Christian worldview, emphasizing ontological truth as the foundation for genuine conservatism and leadership.

Segment 1: Remembering Dick Cheney & the Meaning of Conservatism

[00:00 – 28:00]

Dick Cheney’s Political Career in Review

• Cheney’s Resilience and Longevity: “He had long suffered from heart ailments and frankly, had to live much longer than would have been expected just a matter of a few decades ago.” [00:08]
• Shift in the Vice Presidency: “For one thing, Dick Cheney redefined the vice presidency. But he didn't do that until he had already been experienced with four presidential administrations.” [00:28]
• Key Roles: Entry as a Nixon staffer, Ford’s White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming Congressman, Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, and finally, Vice President under George W. Bush.
• Cheney as a Kingmaker and Leader: Noted for central influence in multiple Republican administrations and his daughter succeeding his congressional seat.

Cheney’s Impact on U.S. Foreign Policy

• The First Gulf War: As Secretary of Defense, Cheney advocated for deeper military engagement in Iraq—an effort left incomplete under Bush 41, but realized later under Bush 43 with Cheney as VP.
• Neoconservative Vision: “What we now know is that then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney wanted to press the war into Iraq in order to topple Saddam Hussein. That didn't happen under Bush 41. Interestingly, it did happen under Bush 43.” [07:45]

The Evolution and Decline of Neoconservatism

• Neoconservatism Defined: “A neoconservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality.” [12:22]
• Merging of Ideologies: Neoconservatism championed assertive American foreign policy and became mainstream among conservatives during the Reagan era—highlighted by figures like Jeane Kirkpatrick.
• Key Distinction: “The inherited conservatism was about a very strong America up against the Soviet Union...but had a very deep instinct against international entanglements... Neoconservatives defined things in terms of American interests rather than...territorial integrity.” [15:00]
• Diminishing Influence: “Neoconservatism is not considered to be a continuing influence in the Republican Party and in the conservative movement.” [14:38]
• Trump’s Repudiation: President Trump departed from neoconservative policies, favoring an “America First” approach, and avoided the long-term foreign entanglements that neoconservatives embraced. [18:22]

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “A neoconservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality.” [12:22]
• “You can be really, really right at one moment and turn around and be really, really Wrong in the next.” [13:45]
• “President Trump has repudiated neoconservatism as a worldview, and his foreign policy is based upon a very different understanding of American interests.” [18:22]

Segment 2: Conservatism, Morality, and Ontological Truth

[28:01 – 41:45]

The Cheney Test & the Limits of Libertarian Conservatism

• Libertarian Strain in Cheney’s Conservatism: “The conservatism of Dick Cheney...was, we can now see in retrospect, a libertarian conservatism. That's the don't tread on me conservatism that is distinct from a marriage can only be the union of a man and a woman conservatism that's grounded in ontological truth.” [37:08]
• Same-Sex Marriage Stance: Cheney’s support for same-sex marriage (influenced by his daughter’s coming out) contrasted with Bush’s public defense of traditional marriage.
• Mohler’s Ontological Critique:
  • “If you're not grounded in something deeper than custom and tradition, then your policies, your morality is going to change with custom and traditions.” [35:17]
  • “If you support same sex marriage, I don't care what you call yourself, conservative isn't a legitimate part of your designation. I refer to this as the Cheney test.” [39:21]
• Shifting Sands of Policy: Mohler criticizes Republican leaders who changed stances on same-sex marriage, arguing their conservatism was never authentic if it could shift so easily.

Notable Quotes

• “If you have a foundation in objective morality, in objective reality, you can't change your position on same sex marriage. You can't say that marriage can now be something it has never been and by divine revelation can never be.” [38:22]
• “The Cheney test is this. If you support same sex marriage...conservative isn't a legitimate part of your designation.” [39:21]

Segment 3: The British Royal Family Scandal and the Nature of Leadership

[41:46 – end]

American Fascination with Royalty

• Historical Context: Shared wartime history between Britain and the U.S. built cultural bonds and fascination—especially catalyzed by the reign and character of Queen Elizabeth II. [43:10]
• Prosperity and Celebrity: The Royal family became a symbol of British identity and an engine for tourism and global fascination.

Prince Andrew’s Scandal and Its Ramifications

• Loss of Title: “Of course, the biggest, most urgent controversy is over Prince Andrew. He's now been stripped of the title prince. That's unprecedented in about 100 years.” [47:29]
• Nature of the Scandal: Involvement in predatory behavior and connection with Jeffrey Epstein are only summarized, but Mohler notes that Andrew’s actions are “deeply evil” and incompatible with his former role.
• Threat to the Monarchy: Scandal now prompts widespread questioning, especially among the young, about the value and continuation of the monarchy.

Moral Lessons & The Christian View of Leadership

• Enduring Lesson: “If your purpose in life in terms of leadership is to present public righteousness and stability and you undermine that, then guess what? You are now a former prince.” [49:55]
• Leadership and Integrity: Mohler stresses the necessity of moral credibility for leadership: “If you lose your credibility, you have lost everything...Even the secular world knows no integrity, no leadership.” [54:02]
• Biblical Reference: Leadership in the Christian tradition—whether Old Testament kings or church leaders—stands or falls on integrity and heart, not just behavior.

Notable Quotes

• “If you lose your credibility, you have lost everything.” [54:02]
• “The Christian worldview makes that clear. It's not just a matter of behavior. It's also a matter of the heart.” [55:35]

Key Timestamps

• [00:00-07:45] – Review of Dick Cheney’s early career, rise in Republican circles, and first Gulf War.
• [07:46-18:22] – Development of neoconservatism, Reagan era changes, and the Bush presidencies.
• [18:23-28:00] – Trump’s repudiation of neoconservative foreign policy and the party’s realignment.
• [28:01-41:45] – Cheney’s libertarian conservatism, the “Cheney test,” and the stability of moral convictions in conservatism.
• [41:46-54:55] – The British monarchy: American fascination, Prince Andrew’s scandal, and what true leadership demands.

Summary Takeaways

• Dick Cheney’s legacy is inseparable from the assertive neoconservative policies he championed, but those policies (and Cheney’s style of conservatism) have been decisively abandoned by the modern Republican Party.
• True conservative policy, from Mohler’s Christian worldview, must be grounded in unchanging ontological truth—not simply custom, tradition, or libertarian impulses.
• The “Cheney test” becomes a litmus for authentic conservatism: if you shift with the culture on foundational moral issues, your conservatism is hollow.
• The fall of Prince Andrew powerfully illustrates that leadership, whether in the church, politics, or royalty, ultimately stands or falls on moral credibility.
• Mohler ties all analysis back to Christian convictions about truth, leadership, and the moral shape of reality.

For Those Who Haven’t Listened:
This episode offers both a crash course in recent American political history and a pointed critique of political and moral drift, all grounded in Mohler’s distinctively evangelical Christian ethical framework. The episode moves from history to moral philosophy, concluding with a sobering reminder of the importance of integrity for any leader—whether in Washington or Buckingham Palace.