The Tudor Dixon Podcast: Cancel Culture, Lawfare, and the War on Conservative Media

Guest: Alex Marlow (Editor-in-Chief, Breitbart News, host of The Alex Marlow Show, author of Breaking the Law)
Host: Tudor Dixon
Date: August 25, 2025
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the challenges facing conservative media, the impact of cancel culture, and the weaponization of the American legal system (lawfare) against conservatives—particularly Donald Trump. Tudor Dixon and guest Alex Marlow delve into how tech platforms, the mainstream press, and political actors target right-leaning voices, using recent events and Marlow’s own experiences at Breitbart as examples. The discussion also touches on the broader consequences of these tactics for civic participation and the future of American politics.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Suppression of Conservative Media by Big Tech (03:13–05:17)

• Alex Marlow describes how Breitbart was “the canary in the coal mine for cancel culture,” specifically when Google essentially deindexed Breitbart ahead of the 2020 election, restricting their visibility unless users explicitly searched for "Breitbart."

  • “They cook the results to favor left wing causes and to try to destroy conservative businesses… We really were the canaries in the coal mine for cancel culture.” — Alex Marlow [04:19–04:59]

• Discusses how conservative outlets’ credibility is attacked through accusations (e.g., anti-Semitism), even when unfounded.

Notable Quote:

"So you can't get Breitbart in Google searches unless you use the word Breitbart. That was the little technicality they used." — Alex Marlow [04:34]

2. Standards in Conservative Journalism (05:17–07:19)

• Dixon praises Breitbart for journalistic rigor and fact-checking, contrasting it with newer, less credible “news” blogs.

• Marlow emphasizes the deliberate curation and accuracy standards at Breitbart, stating their “starting lineup is as good as any in media.”

  • “If you go to Breitbart, you’re not going to see any fat. There’s no fat. … Nothing there is going to be boring or bad.” — Alex Marlow [05:47]

• Trust is built so that hosts and readers know stories from Breitbart are reliable.

3. Navigating Internet Misinformation and Viral Hoaxes (07:19–09:28)

• The rise of misinformation, influencer-driven viral content, and “fake but viral” stories is addressed.
• Breitbart’s philosophy: If a story looks “too good to be true,” double-check it before publishing.
  • “If this is too good to be true, it probably is. So let’s work it through.” — Alex Marlow [08:00]

Segment Highlight:

• The discussion of a protest sign in Virginia illustrates how easily viral images (whether authentic or manipulated) can spread mistrust.

4. Boycotts, Woke Capitalism, and the Retail Landscape (09:28–11:37)

• Dixon and Marlow explore the practicalities and moral dilemmas of boycotting major retailers (Nike, Amazon, Target, Disney, Netflix) over political stances or unethical practices.
  • “It really, really hard. And we all got to work together, Tudor, this is the point. We got to work as a conservative movement. We had to sort this stuff out together.” — Alex Marlow [11:29]

5. Lawfare Against Trump: The Tish James Case & Beyond (11:37–15:15)

• Deep dive into the Letitia James/Trump New York real estate case, its “cruel and unusual punishment,” and implications for due process.

  • “She’s supposed to be representing the state of New York, but she ends up kind of forcing these banks into participating. … All of it was designed to be a political persecution.” — Alex Marlow [13:35]

• Marlow argues these prosecutions are direct attacks on political opposition—a symptom of the left using the legal system (lawfare) as a political weapon.

Notable Moment:

“We’ve never seen anything done like this to a president. … It’s clearly cruel and unusual.” — Alex Marlow [13:59]

6. The Ripple Effect: Deterring Civic Participation (21:41–26:34)

• Both hosts discuss how political lawfare, legal harassment, and forced financial disclosures deter qualified, everyday Americans from seeking office.

  • “We’re constructing [the system] so that normal human beings are not going to seek the highest office in the land. … They just want to have a public colonoscopy to harass people.” — Alex Marlow [22:28–23:50]

• Dixon shares her firsthand experience running for governor, being threatened with legal actions and invasive financial transparency requirements.

Notable Quote:

“It’s a tool of the left trying to get some of our best and brightest people out of the political space.” — Alex Marlow [25:37]

7. Two—and Three—Tiers of Justice (27:29–28:28)

• Marlow argues there are now three tiers of justice:

  1. The harshest for Trump
  2. Ordinary legal system for most
  3. A “Comey/Brennan/Clapper” tier, where those who evade or violate the law receive media deals and soft treatment
  • “We really got to start making hay while the sun’s shining here.” — Alex Marlow [28:27]

8. Media Complicity and the Biden Administration (28:28–34:34)

• Discussion of the media’s role in covering for President Biden’s cognitive decline and the Democrat establishment’s strategic communications approach.

  • “There was zero cover up. We all knew Biden was in deep mental decline. … This was the media trying to cover their own asses.” — Alex Marlow [29:07]

• Critique of “group think” and political operations run by unelected advisors behind the scenes.

9. Social Media, Modern Political Messaging, and The Performance of Governance (35:03–41:14)

• The phenomenon of political leaders focusing on social media trolling and branding (e.g., Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer) at the expense of actual governance.

  • “[Newsom’s] fixed one problem in 30 years in public life, but he’s got a great press office. They’re hilarious at trolling Trump. Come on.” — Alex Marlow [38:45]

• Marlow contrasts this with Trump’s record: controversial to some on social media, but consistently invested in governing.

10. Conservative Strategies Moving Forward (44:15–46:27)

• Marlow plugs his new book Breaking the Law, emphasizing it as a primer for understanding lawfare and as a call for civic activism.

  • “This is a primer for investigation season. … There are some clear reforms we need to make.… We need to be highly involved. Off-year elections, down-ticket races, we’ve got to be focused on this.” — Alex Marlow [44:15–46:05]

• Dixon echoes the urgency, urging listeners to remain engaged every year, not just during major elections.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cancel Culture:
  “We really were the canaries in the coal mine for cancel culture.” — Alex Marlow [04:19]
• On Breitbart’s Standards:
  “If you go to Breitbart, you’re not going to see any fat. There’s no fat.” — Alex Marlow [05:47]
• On Lawfare:
  “All of it was designed to be a political persecution.” — Alex Marlow [13:35]
• On Media Cover-ups:
  “There was zero cover up. We all knew Biden was in deep mental decline.” — Alex Marlow [29:07]
• On the Future:
  “We need to be highly involved. Off-year elections, down-ticket races, we’ve got to be focused on this.” — Alex Marlow [46:05]

Key Segment Timestamps

• [03:13] — Tudor Dixon’s introduction of Alex Marlow and the Google/Breitbart suppression story
• [04:19] — Marlow: “Canaries in the coal mine for cancel culture”
• [05:47] — Marlow’s philosophy on news curation and trust
• [07:19] — Verifying viral stories and the role of social media influence
• [09:28] — Boycotting mainstream retailers and challenges of “woke capitalism”
• [11:37] — The lawfare campaign against Trump and its broader significance
• [13:35/14:46] — Scope of actions against the Trump family
• [22:28] — Chilling effect of legal harassment on ordinary civic participation
• [27:29] — Three tiers of justice
• [29:07] — Media’s role in sustaining and later abandoning Biden
• [35:03] — The “group think” driving Democrat establishment
• [38:45] — Gavin Newsom: performance vs. actual governance
• [44:15] — Marlow’s book and the call for engagement

Conclusion

This episode serves as both a warning and a call-to-arms for conservative listeners: the left is leveraging technology, media, and legal processes to curtail conservative influence and intimidate would-be political participants. Alex Marlow and Tudor Dixon advocate for diligence, fact-checking, and constant civic engagement—noting that despite the obstacles, remaining active is crucial for the health of American democracy.