The Karol Markowicz Show: James Hasson on Afghanistan, Family, and Escaping the Social Media Trap
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show | iHeartPodcasts | January 30, 2026
Episode Overview
In this engaging episode, Karol Markowicz welcomes James Hasson—former Army officer, attorney, and co-author of Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden's Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End. The conversation explores Hasson’s unconventional path into public writing, the personal costs and rewards of documenting the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, reflections on family life, and candid thoughts on the impact of social media on happiness and society. The episode blends humor, hard truths, and optimism with practical advice for listeners seeking both meaning and sanity in today’s world.
Key Topics & Insights
1. James Hasson’s Unexpected Path to the Public Eye
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Becoming a Writer and Public Figure
- James discusses stumbling into writing after leaving the Army, notably when he leaked a “transgender training” PowerPoint to The Federalist, which led to a Fox News appearance.
“I just cold emailed an article to the Federalist... and then like two days later ended up like being on Fox to talk about it because some producer picked it up and then it just kind of—yeah.” (05:04)
- James discusses stumbling into writing after leaving the Army, notably when he leaked a “transgender training” PowerPoint to The Federalist, which led to a Fox News appearance.
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Family Dynamics & Humor
- Reveals the chaos and camaraderie of a family with five brothers, evoking relatable sibling banter.
“They just got this idea that they’re going to like, run a marathon together... I’m very self aware of, like, the stage of life that I’m in. You guys knock yourselves out.” (03:33)
- Reveals the chaos and camaraderie of a family with five brothers, evoking relatable sibling banter.
2. Documenting the Afghanistan Withdrawal
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Motivation to Tell the Story
- Hasson explains feeling compelled to document the withdrawal, fearing the reality would be “swept under the rug.”
“I ended up just thinking: this thing’s going to be—swept under the rug. Like, completely... and ended up talking to dozens—hundreds—of people about the worst days of their lives.” (06:49, 07:00)
- Hasson explains feeling compelled to document the withdrawal, fearing the reality would be “swept under the rug.”
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A Glimmer of Light
- Despite the harrowing events, James recalls successfully assisting an interpreter and his family to safety—a testament to individual and collective heroism.
“If it weren’t for all of the, you know, 18, 19 year old kids at the gates... there would have been a lot more really good people that got hurt or that didn’t make it.” (07:43)
- Despite the harrowing events, James recalls successfully assisting an interpreter and his family to safety—a testament to individual and collective heroism.
3. Writing Process, Careers & Family
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Book Collaboration & Process
- James describes the collaborative and often chaotic process of co-writing with Jerry Dunleavy.
“It’s kind of similarly [alternating chapters], but we then swapped chapters and edited them. And like, we just have very, very different writing styles. Jerry will be the first to tell you.” (09:26)
- James describes the collaborative and often chaotic process of co-writing with Jerry Dunleavy.
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Career Path: Lawyer or Author?
- Hasson jokes about writing as his “Plan B,” even while practicing law.
“Being a writer is the current plan B. And the long-term Plan A?” (10:32)
- Hasson jokes about writing as his “Plan B,” even while practicing law.
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Family Pride & Joy
- Deep appreciation for his family, especially his wife and children.
“My family. And by that I mean my kids and my wife.” (12:23)
- Announces a third child is on the way: “I don’t know if I’m allowed to announce that, but I just did.” (12:29)
- Deep appreciation for his family, especially his wife and children.
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Meaning in Fatherhood
- Expresses the unexpected emotional fulfillment fatherhood brings:
“Sometimes I walk down in the morning and like, I play with my kids... I just kind of look around and think, like, man, like, I made it.” (13:11)
- Expresses the unexpected emotional fulfillment fatherhood brings:
4. Marriage, Parenthood & Social Narrative
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Refuting Anti-Family Narratives
- Karol and James discuss the cultural shift discouraging marriage and fatherhood in young men, criticizing online personalities like Andrew Tate.
“Andrew Tate’s just a sociopath... But he’s also a loser.” (18:38)
“It’s just such a, like, defense mechanism.” (19:01)
- Karol and James discuss the cultural shift discouraging marriage and fatherhood in young men, criticizing online personalities like Andrew Tate.
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Celebrating Traditional Family Life
- James advocates being open about the joys of family and marriage, pushing back against negative stereotypes.
“Just being open and joyful about—everyone’s like, oh, yeah, it’s so hard. It’s like, yeah, it’s hard, but it’s also... pretty freaking cool.” (19:39)
- James advocates being open about the joys of family and marriage, pushing back against negative stereotypes.
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Social Media's Distortion
- Both note the unfair double-standard around public celebration of family versus single life on social media. Karol observes:
“You can talk about how incredible single life is... But if I start making videos about—I am so happy with my husband... [it’s not allowed].” (20:34)
- Both note the unfair double-standard around public celebration of family versus single life on social media. Karol observes:
5. Social Media, Contentment & Advice
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Escaping the Social Media Trap
- James shares his struggle and strategies with social media, advocating for muting negativity and deleting platforms:
"I try to mute all the insanity... but I got rid of Facebook and Instagram and all of that." (25:44)
- Warns of Instagram’s impact—“really responsible for so much... all we're doing is encouraging everyone to look at themselves and videotape themselves.” (26:18)
- James shares his struggle and strategies with social media, advocating for muting negativity and deleting platforms:
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Advice for Listeners
- On contentment:
“The less that you can kind of compare yourself to—compare to others or care about what people think then. Yeah, exactly.” (27:12)
- “If you look at it and everyone goes on vacation once a year, you follow 65 people, it’s going to look to you like everyone is on vacation all the time except you.” (27:31)
- On contentment:
6. Big-Picture Predictions & Closing Thoughts
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Optimistic Five-Year Prediction
- James forecasts a swing back toward marriage and family life:
“I think that there’s gonna be a really strong trend towards... basically a return to really traditionalism.” (21:47)
- Karol calls it, “the most optimistic one I’ve ever gotten.” (23:01)
- James forecasts a swing back toward marriage and family life:
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Reflection on World Change
- Both hosts express hope regarding global freedom movements and skepticism over the prospect of dramatic regime change in places like China, while acknowledging progress. (24:02–25:07)
Notable Quotes
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On the sorrow and meaning of chronicling failure:
“It was also... probably one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever done professionally.” — James Hasson (07:00)
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On anti-family voices online:
“Andrew Tate’s just a sociopath... But he’s also a loser.” — James Hasson (18:38)
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On the best thing in life:
“My family. And by that I mean my kids and my wife.” — James Hasson (12:23)
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On escaping social media comparison traps:
“If you look at it and everyone goes on vacation once a year... it’s going to look like everyone is on vacation all the time except you.” — James Hasson (27:31)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- James Hasson’s writing journey & public persona: 03:01–05:28
- Getting involved in evacuation efforts, writing the Kabul book: 05:32–07:43
- Family life, pride, and fatherhood: 12:13–13:44
- Marriage, masculinity, and media narratives: 17:55–19:59
- Optimism about social trends & types of family life: 21:47–23:12
- The social media trap & final advice: 25:44–28:01
Tone & Style
Warm, self-deprecating humor paired with frank acknowledgments of pain, struggle, and cultural tension. The conversation is rooted in lived experience and a deep sense of gratitude for family and meaning.
Summary Takeaway
This episode is a mix of candid storytelling and practical wisdom. James Hasson and Karol Markowicz tackle heavy subjects—war, personal loss, cultural decline—balanced by optimism, humor, and a commitment to family. Their advice to listeners: reject toxic online narratives, celebrate the real joys of committed relationships, and limit the influence of social media on your sense of self-worth. A must-listen for those seeking perspective, hope, and actionable life strategies.