Podcast Summary: The Isabel Brown Show

Episode: “How A Former White Nationalist Found Jesus”
Host: Isabel Brown (The Daily Wire)
Guest: Peter Saitanovich
Date: March 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features a deeply personal and timely conversation between host Isabel Brown and guest Peter Saitanovich, who rose to notoriety after being photographed at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville as a self-described “angry torch guy.” Peter opens up about his journey from involvement in white nationalist politics to finding faith, community, and redemption in the Catholic Church. The dialogue explores what drives young men toward radical movements, the role of faith in healing, the challenges of public repentance, and how society can foster true reconciliation and community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Peter’s Background and Journey to Faith

• Viral Infamy: Peter recounts being photographed at Unite the Right as an early-20s college student, which turned him into a “face” of the alt-right movement and forever changed his life ([03:41]).
• Search for Justice & Community: Raised in working-class rural Nevada, Peter sought justice for the suffering around him but lacked the language or framework to explain what was wrong. He experimented with various political ideologies before being drawn to the “identitarian” movement, which promised solidarity but slid into racial supremacy ([07:46]).
• Moment of Reckoning: At the Charlottesville rally, during an especially chaotic moment, Peter recalls, “Kind of ironic as I was actually being carried away by a Klansman. Being carried away by a Klansman, you kind of realize like you've made a mistake in life, gotta go reevaluate a bit.” ([00:30], [03:41])
• Finding Faith: Ostracized and isolated, Peter began to attend Catholic mass—first out of curiosity, then conviction. The Church became the first environment where he felt genuinely welcomed and forgiven, starting him on a path to conversion and ultimately being confirmed in the Catholic faith in 2018 ([03:41]–[07:00]).

2. Why Young Men Are Drawn to Extremism

• Sense of Injustice & Frustration: Peter and Isabel discuss how modern young men experience profound frustration, social atomization, and a sense of abandonment by mainstream society, leaving them vulnerable to predatory ideologies that channel anger into racial or identitarian politics ([07:00], [07:46], [15:10]).
• Online Radicalization: Peter explains the appeal of YouTube personalities and online communities in shaping his worldviews and how dissatisfaction with “market individualism” among conservatives left a void exploited by the alt-right ([07:46]–[10:51]).
• Real Community vs. False Solidarity: The identitarian movement's “community” was shallow, rooted in exclusion and hate, rather than real belonging and love ([10:52]).

3. The Internet’s Impact & The Challenge of Redemption

• Frozen in Time: Peter describes the burden of his internet infamy, noting, “The Internet creates two people almost…My experience at Charlottesville has frozen a version of me in time that when people read about me, they hate me from that version of me.” ([18:57])
• Dehumanization: Both speakers lament how the internet erases complexities, making public redemption and personal growth extremely difficult for individuals with public past misdeeds ([18:57]–[21:28]).
• Difficulty of Forgiveness: Peter on Christian forgiveness: “Forgiveness is…you have to forgive the unforgivable, otherwise it's not a forgiveness virtue at all. And I think that's what makes Christianity so unique, is it is a radical forgiveness.” ([23:35])
• Paralysis of Redemption: Isabel notes, “It's our inability to evolve beyond the snapshot we've created of that person and the almost caricature we're building around them versus who their actual identity happens to be.” ([25:44])

4. Faith, Community, and Hope for a Religious Revival

• Christian Community as Healing: Peter believes the Christian faith is uniquely equipped to provide the genuine human connection and purpose young people seek, countering loneliness and atomization with communal love ([17:12]).
• Hopeful Trends: Both express cautious optimism about a religious revival among Gen Z, rooted in love rather than reactionary hate ([17:12]–[18:31]).

5. The Role of the Church in Modern Society & Politics

• Church vs. Ideology: Isabel and Peter discuss the “Americanism” problem, where political or national identity is often prioritized above faith. They call for the Church to reassert its social teachings on issues of family, economy, and justice that transcend left/right binaries ([37:26]–[44:40]).
• Catholic Social Teaching: Peter observes that Catholic tradition offers robust critiques of both socialism and unbridled capitalism, urging a balance that enshrines human dignity, communal rights, and the legitimate place of private property, but always with a social conscience ([43:01]–[44:40]).

6. Finding Common Ground and Rebuilding Social Trust

• Get Off the Internet, Love Your Neighbor: Repeatedly, Peter recommends “getting off the Internet” and building real-world community as the antidote to alienation and polarization: “Just talk to your neighbor. But that's true. We don't know our neighbors, don't know each other.…Invite one for dinner. I think I can do a lot more for building charity and love…” ([50:11])
• Reintegrating the ‘Other’: He calls for mundane but vital acts of neighborly kindness and community involvement as acts of justice ([46:20], [50:11]).
• Reconciling Cultural Pride vs. Supremacy: On celebrating heritage without supremacy, Peter urges, “Recognize that these traditions are legitimate and beautiful…being able to accept they're legitimate and real, I think will go a long way to alleviate…extremity.” ([51:47])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On his turning point:
  “Kind of ironic as I was actually being carried away by a Klansman. Being carried away by a Klansman, you kind of realize like you've made a mistake in life, gotta go reevaluate a bit.”
  —Peter Saitanovich ([00:30], [03:41])

• On the dangers of the Internet:
  “My experience at Charlottesville has frozen a version of me in time that when people read about me, they hate me from that version of me…The Internet is almost more real than reality.”
  —Peter Saitanovich ([18:57])

• On Christian forgiveness:
  “You have to forgive the unforgivable, otherwise it's not a forgiveness virtue at all. And I think that's kind of what makes Christianity so unique, is it is a radical forgiveness and a radical, you know, charity to love the unlovable.”
  —Peter Saitanovich ([23:35])

• On reconciling ideology and faith:
  “Is it something the President of the United States said, or my favorite podcaster, or is it a pope that I happen to love, or an early church father, or more importantly, just the magisterium of the church at large?”
  —Isabel Brown ([44:40])

• On rebuilding society:
  “If you're conservative, you're not Christian, then you could figure something out, I suppose. But if you are, the church ought to be the nexus of…everyday solidarity in the sense of caring for your neighbor.…Just work alongside your neighbor who may be a very progressive liberal and you can just say, you know, we can solve these every problem together.”
  —Peter Saitanovich ([46:20])

• Preserving cultural heritage without supremacy:
  “Recognize that these traditions are legitimate and beautiful and that…they have a place in our very diverse and beautiful world…If no one's answering me, then, you know, I will go to the more extreme.…people turn to racial solidarity because they feel attacked.”
  —Peter Saitanovich ([51:47], [52:21])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Peter’s Viral Past and Conversion Story: [03:41] – [07:00]
• What Drives Young Men to Extremism: [07:46] – [15:19]
• Online Radicalization and Identity: [10:51] – [13:03]
• Consequences of Internet Infamy: [18:57] – [21:28]
• Redemption & Christian Forgiveness: [23:35] – [25:44]
• Gen Z and the Loneliness Crisis: [16:20] – [17:12]
• The Church’s Role in Politics & Society: [37:26] – [44:40]
• Practical Community-Building Advice: [46:20] – [51:25]
• Preserving Heritage vs. Supremacy: [51:47] – [53:19]

Conclusion

Through vulnerability, honest self-reflection, and theological insight, Peter Saitanovich’s story offers hope that personal and collective redemption are always possible—if we choose radical forgiveness, real human community, and a love-based faith over ideology. Isabel and Peter challenge listeners to get offline, know their neighbors, cherish cultural heritage without hatred, and make the Church (or similar communities of meaning and service) central to American renewal.

For those struggling with loneliness, ideological seduction, or public shame, this episode is a powerful testament to the possibility of change, forgiveness, and the enduring need for real human connection.