The Dinesh D'Souza Podcast
Episode: TRUMP’S STRATEGY
Date: November 24, 2025
Overview
This episode centers on Donald Trump’s shifting strategy within the MAGA movement, his seemingly contradictory relationships with figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Zoran Mamdani, and the broader implications for Republican unity, media manipulation, and the challenge of foreign influence in online political discourse. Dinesh D’Souza also hosts guest Alma Ohene Opare for an insightful discussion on immigration, assimilation, American identity, and the rise of identity-based politics and antisemitism on the right.
Key Discussion Points
1. Trump’s Contrasting Approaches: Greene vs. Mamdani
[03:27–15:00]
- D’Souza highlights what at first glance seems paradoxical: Trump publicly rebuffing Marjorie Taylor Greene while offering unexpected praise for Zoran Mamdani, a progressive New York lawmaker.
- He posits that both moves are part of a calculated strategy rather than random outbursts.
- Greene’s criticism of Trump and appearances on mainstream media, where she distances herself from MAGA, are seen as acts of disloyalty. Trump treats this as team betrayal.
- By contrast, Trump’s willingness to collaborate with Mamdani is framed pragmatically—not as an ideological endorsement but as leverage given the political realities in New York.
Notable Quote:
“American politics is a team sport and it is fought in teams. …Getting off your own team, particularly if you're doing things that are giving aid and comfort to the other team, the enemy, then you are a liability. You need to be taken off the team at the least, maybe even run into the ground.” — Dinesh D’Souza [10:48]
2. Foreign Influence and Bots in Social Media Debates
[18:55–28:30]
- D’Souza breaks down revelations from X (formerly Twitter) showing many “American” accounts influencing MAGA debates are actually operated abroad (e.g., Poland, Egypt, Indonesia).
- He provides several examples of pro-Palestinian accounts masquerading as Gazans, as well as accounts involved in right-wing and “white nationalist” discourse that are, in fact, foreign actors.
- The narrative aims to explain that much of the perceived division or extremism in the online American right may be stoked or exaggerated by foreign interests with their own agendas.
Notable Quote:
“The point here is that apparently now for several years the false impression has been created that we are having an American debate about the future of America. And as it turns out, we haven't.” — Dinesh D’Souza [28:08]
3. The Immigrant Experience and Assimilation: Interview with Alma Ohene Opare
[31:18–51:00]
Alma’s Story & the Allure of America
[31:18–34:13]
- Opare recounts growing up in Ghana under dictatorship, his parents’ aspirations, and his childhood fascination with the American dream.
- The family’s exposure to America through brief visits and photos catalyzed a belief in greater opportunity.
Success Factors for Immigrants
[34:13–37:00]
- D’Souza suggests that cultural and behavioral “ingredients” for success—family structure, work ethic—often exist for immigrants prior to arrival and help them succeed.
- Opare agrees, but adds that American-born citizens face “narrative baggage” propagated by schools and media, creating a mental barrier to success.
Notable Quote:
“We don't have the narrative baggage... the narrative is perpetrated in our education system from young, in our media, in our culture, and sometimes that is the thing that becomes the obstacle that holds people back.” — Alma Ohene Opare [35:55]
The Dangers of Identity Politics and Antisemitism
[38:58–46:00]
- D’Souza and Opare discuss the rise of a self-conscious white nationalism on the right, sometimes echoed by foreign-driven social media accounts.
- Opare warns that identity politics, including new forms of bigotry and especially antisemitism, threaten the “idea-based” essence of American conservatism.
Notable Quotes:
“My fear is that we are embracing in one way or another a certain kind of low-level bigotry. And for some reason I feel like it always intersects with antisemitism. I don't know why, but it always starts with this idea…” — Alma Ohene Opare [41:50]
“Antisemitism is like the gateway drug to ideological incoherence.” — Alma Ohene Opare [43:05]
American Identity: Assimilation vs. Tribalism
[47:00–51:00]
- Both agree America should be defined as an “idea” rooted in equal justice and opportunity, not ethnicity or tribal identity.
- Opare advocates for a national assimilation program to prepare immigrants for active, positive participation in American civic life.
Notable Quote:
“Where it becomes a problem is when we put those ideals ahead of equal administration of law, the equal administration of justice… If you come to this country… add to our culture but not tear down the things that have made us the shining city on the hill. And that has to do with our Constitution, our rule of law.” — Alma Ohene Opare [48:15]
4. Science, Materialism, and Transcendence
[53:00–59:57]
- D’Souza concludes with a meditation on physics and cosmology, arguing that modern discoveries (e.g., quantum physics, the concept of dark matter/energy) undermine strict materialism and align with religious or philosophical notions of transcendence or eternity.
- He draws parallels between scientific perplexities about the nature of matter and long-standing theological concepts.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
-
On Trump’s strategy:
“Trump is an operator. …If Mamdani…wants to do rent control, Trump is likely to go, nah, I'm not going to help you on that. But if Mamdani goes, ‘I want to build a thousand new apartments in New York,’ this is going to appeal not only to Trump’s real estate side…but also to supply and demand.” — Dinesh D’Souza [13:55] -
On social media fakery:
“You’ve got this sort of Mexican, at least Mexican named Guy Fuentes, and he’s posing as a white supremacist…his monetization on social media is driven by a bunch of Bahrainis and Bangladeshis.” — Dinesh D’Souza [26:40]
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:27 | Trump’s strategy: Greene and Mamdani | | 10:48 | Loyalty, team play, and political warfare | | 13:55 | Trump’s pragmatism vs. ideology | | 18:55 | Foreign accounts masquerading as Americans online | | 28:08 | Impact of foreign interference on perception of divisiveness | | 31:18 | Alma Ohene Opare’s personal journey from Ghana to the U.S. | | 35:55 | “Narrative baggage” and obstacles for “native” Americans | | 41:50–43:05 | Dangers of bigotry and antisemitism on the right | | 48:15 | The difference between cultural contribution and undermining American ideals | | 53:00 | Scientific and philosophical exploration of matter, time, and eternity |
Further Resources
- Alma Oheni Opare:
Website – willfulpositivity.com
X (Twitter): @AlmaOheneOpare
Conclusion
This episode offers D'Souza’s signature blend of sharp political analysis and philosophical reflection. He frames Trump’s maneuvers as tactical, not erratic, exposes the manufactured nature of online division, and through dialogue with Opare, champions an America defined by shared ideals and vigilant against the lure of tribalism—whether domestic or imported via internet deception. The final segment calls listeners to reconsider “the real” in both science and the American experiment.