The Josh Hammer Show — Episode Summary

Episode: Memo to Morons: Take Trump Seriously Not Literally
Date: April 7, 2026
Host: Josh Hammer

Main Theme

Josh Hammer addresses the recurring failure among political elites and commentators—on both the left and parts of the right—to grasp the essence of Donald Trump's rhetorical style: that Trump should be taken seriously, but not literally. Hammer stresses that misunderstanding this principle leads to reflexive, misguided outrage over Trump’s provocative statements, exemplified by a recent Truth Social post about Iran. The episode also delves into related topics: the politics of U.S.–Iran conflict, NATO’s fecklessness, the current state of the GOP and Democrats, and the significance of Hungary’s elections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding Trump: “Serious, not literal” (02:50–12:21)

• Setting the Stage:
  Hammer begins by recalling how Trump’s 2016 campaign defied convention both in substance—questioning Republican orthodoxy on trade, immigration, and foreign policy—and in style (03:24–04:56).

• Selena Zito's Doctrine:
  Hammer references journalist Selena Zito: “He speaks seriously but not literally.” Failure to recognize this, Hammer says, is evidence of political incompetence:

  "If you don't get that, then frankly you are a moron and you have no idea what you are actually doing in this business." (03:53)

• Iran Outrage:
  Hammer dissects media and political meltdown over Trump’s post:

  "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will... 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death will finally end. God bless the great people of Iran." (Paraphrased, 04:15)

  Critics, he says, take such statements at face value—imagining Trump is threatening genocidal nuclear attacks—instead of recognizing the bombast and negotiation style. He criticizes this literalism from “idiots... across the political spectrum,” including segments of the right (04:35–06:10).

• War Crime Rhetoric:
  Citing left-wing commentators who label such rhetoric as “war crimes,” Hammer argues the charge is contextually absurd and often weaponized for partisan gain (05:49–06:42).

• Historical Examples:
  Hammer relates Trump’s infamous “shoot someone on Fifth Avenue” quip—demonstrating how Trump uses hyperbole to make serious points about political loyalty, not literal threats (08:57).

  "Did he ever do that? No. Did he actually think that? No. Like not literally, seriously." (09:18)

• Cultural Connection:
  Trump’s outer borough (Queens) persona—and brash, relatable style—helps him resonate with working-class and “flyover country” voters, using language the coastal elite find shocking but his base finds authentic (10:10–11:00).

2. Trump's Political Skills and the Current Iran Conflict (12:54–22:47)

• Press Conference Highlights:
  Hammer recaps Trump’s recent press conference, noting its blend of humor (“BS”), blunt criticism of U.S. adversaries, and strategic communication (12:54–15:00).

  • On Humor and Trolling:

    "If I were to name what are the top political attributes of Donald Trump... One, perhaps above all, is his sense of humor. The fact that Donald Trump is a really, really funny guy there." (14:00)

    "He has this incredible skill ... to make his opponents lose their freaking minds." (14:25)

  • Exploiting 80/20 Issues:
    Hammer credits Trump for seizing “80/20 issues”—high-consensus topics like crime and border security—to outmaneuver opponents and energize his base (15:15).

• Strait of Hormuz & Operation Epic Fury:
  Trump argues that the U.S. cannot claim real victory over Iran unless the Strait is open, noting his administration’s aggressive strikes on Iranian infrastructure (16:43–17:20).

  • Quote from Trump:

    "We can bomb the hell out of them... We’ve knocked out their navy, we’ve knocked out their air force completely, knocked out 158 ships in three days... But to close the strait, all you need is one terrorist..." (16:13)

  • Who Actually Benefits:
    The irony, Hammer notes, is that European states—especially NATO allies—are far more dependent on the strait’s oil exports than the U.S. (17:45–18:30).

• NATO Critique:
  Hammer and Trump lambaste NATO for failing to meaningfully assist in the Iran conflict, painting the alliance as obsolete and self-interested:

  "I’m very disappointed in NATO... I think it’s a mark on NATO that will never disappear." (Trump, 19:31)

  Hammer adds:

  “NATO has exposed itself as an utterly hollow alliance structure...” (20:17)

3. Midterm Election Outlook & Domestic Politics (23:21–32:52)

• War Impact on Politics:
  Hammer discusses polling suggesting a slim majority of Americans support the Iran war (23:50–24:26).
  CNN’s Harry Enton provides broader context—Democrats hold only a modest lead on the generic congressional ballot, underperforming versus past cycles, even as both parties are deeply unpopular:

  "Democrats are ahead, but they’re only ahead by five. With a president whose net approval rating is bordering on minus 20 to minus 30... Democrats should be way ahead, and they’re just only sort of slightly ahead." (Harry Enton, 24:26)

• Democratic Brand in Trouble:
  Hammer underscores Democratic unpopularity, referencing Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger’s sinking approval—attributed to her governing left despite running as a moderate (25:08–26:20).

• Senate and House Forecasts:
  Hammer outlines possible outcomes for the upcoming midterms:

  • House likely to flip to Democrats
  • Senate remains competitive; GOP could retain control, hinging on a few contested seats
  • Parties must pivot from foreign war to “domestic bread-and-butter issues” (28:09–29:33)

• Policy Priorities:
  Hammer urges Republicans to focus on:

  • Economic security
  • Health care stability
  • Homeownership affordability
  • Core issues: “economy, crime, immigration, border, inflation” (30:24–31:10)

  "Don’t neglect the domestic agenda. The Democratic brand is so in the toilet, it is so putrid, it is so rancorous and so stinky right now that there is a huge opportunity for Republicans..." (31:18)

4. JD Vance in Hungary & the National Conservative Movement (32:52–36:20)

• Vance and Orban:
  JD Vance visits Hungary, aligning with Viktor Orban and the national conservatism push against the EU’s “hegemonic agenda.” Hammer supports Orban as a necessary bulwark against “global liberalism,” while conceding corruption issues in Hungary (34:42–35:45).

  "Hungary matters because under Orban’s leadership... Hungary has been the tip of the spear of pushing back against the European Union..." (34:42)

  • Hammer rejects accusations that Orban’s opposition to Soros is anti-Semitic, highlighting his own involvement in “Jews Against Soros” (35:20).
  • He discusses Eastern European post-Communist corruption as “par for the course,” but sees Orban’s stance as a net positive for anti-globalist politics.

5. Debate with Tucker Carlson and the “Fifth Column Right” (36:20–38:38)

• Tucker Carlson Critique:
  Hammer broaches a rift between Trump and Carlson, prompted by Trump’s “Open the effing strait. Praise be to Allah” post—which Carlson called “evil” and blasphemous.

  "The one who’s lost the plot is not Donald Trump. It is Tucker Carlson." (37:48)

  Trump’s response (as reported by Caitlin Dornbos):

  “Tucker is a low IQ person that has absolutely no idea what’s going on. He calls me all the time. I don’t respond to his calls… I like dealing with smart people, not fools.” (38:21)

• Impact on JD Vance:
  Hammer suggests that Vance’s political fortunes could be jeopardized by his close association with Carlson, as Carlson becomes a liability on foreign policy and other grounds (38:38).

6. Final Thoughts: Passover Reflections (39:25–End)

• Hammer closes with a brief spiritual meditation on Passover, recounting the story of Nachshon ben Aminadav leaping into the Red Sea—a lesson to act decisively when the opportunity and path present themselves (40:08):

  "In brief, it is when the path opens. Do the right thing. You might not have all the knowledge that it will work out, but when the path opens... that is when you should say, okay, I see the path. God is in control..." (40:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Selena Zito principle:

  “He speaks seriously but not literally.” (Reiterated throughout)

• On Iran outrage:

  “If Donald Trump ends up dropping Hiroshima and Nagasaki style nuclear bombs across Iran... I will be the very first to eat my words. That’s not going to happen. It is not going to happen.” (07:45)

• On Trump’s appeal:

  “This is why Donald Trump has become the billionaire gilded toilet MAGA populist, because he has this way of connecting to people...” (10:47)

• On NATO:

  “NATO has exposed itself as an utterly hollow alliance structure over the course of this war.” (20:17)

• On the midterms:

  “The Democratic brand is frankly just totally in the toilet.” (25:48)

• On Orban and Hungary:

  “Hungary matters because under Orban’s leadership... Hungary has been the tip of the spear of pushing back against the European Union...” (34:42)

• Trump on Tucker Carlson:

  “Tucker is a low IQ person that has absolutely no idea what’s going on...” (38:21)

• Passover Reflection:

  “When the path opens, do the right thing... God is in control. You might not know exactly what that looks like in practice, but... you will know it when you see it.” (40:25)

Important Timestamps

• 02:50 – Introduction of “Take Trump Seriously, Not Literally”
• 04:15 – Trump’s Truth Social post and ensuing media outrage
• 08:57 – “Shoot someone on Fifth Avenue” anecdote
• 12:54 – Recap of Trump’s recent press conference
• 16:13 – Trump on Iran, mines, and the Strait of Hormuz
• 19:31 – Trump’s direct criticism of NATO
• 23:21 – Polling and political fallout from the Iran war
• 24:26 – CNN segment on party favorability
• 25:48 – Analysis of Virginia politics & Spanberger
• 32:52 – Senate/House forecasts and Republican strategy
• 34:14 – JD Vance in Hungary; Orban’s political project
• 36:20 – Trump, Carlson, and the Fifth Column Right
• 40:08 – Passover: Nachshon and the splitting of the Red Sea

Tone & Style

Hammer’s delivery is sharp, polemical, and heavy with both sarcasm and cultural references. He consistently directs invective toward the “idiot class” on both sides, interweaving humor, inside-baseball political analysis, and direct quotables from Trump, the media, and public figures.

Conclusion

This episode hammers home the enduring reality that Trump’s greatest asset—and frequent lightning rod—is his brash, hyperbolic rhetorical style. To misunderstand this is, in Hammer’s words, “to be a moron.” The show follows this theme through current events—war with Iran, internal strife within the right, U.S. politics, and even international contexts like Hungary—arguing that cultural and political literalism blinds both elites and the public to the real stakes and strategies at play.