The Josh Hammer Show

Episode: The Anti-American Left Strikes Again!
Date: March 24, 2026
Host: Josh Hammer (Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large)

Overview

This episode of The Josh Hammer Show delves into the perceived anti-Americanism of the contemporary political Left, focusing on historical and current episodes of left-wing activism and alleged foreign subversion. Hammer unpacks news surrounding the "Nuestra America Convoy" to Cuba, foreign influence operations by China and Iran, the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, and pressing domestic issues from TSA and ICE staffing woes to a tragic murder in Chicago. Hammer’s tone is a blend of urgency, polemic, and dark humor, as he critiques both political opponents on the Left and what he sees as complacency on the Right.

Major Themes and Discussion Points

1. Contrast of Left- and Right-Wing Ideology

[01:00–04:00]

• Hammer opens by defining the American Right as rooted in tradition, civilizational inheritance, the nation, and the transmission of eternal truths — especially biblical and natural law.
• Conversely, the Left is painted as fundamentally iconoclastic, utopian, and godless: “The left stands for breaking with tradition, … in rejecting God himself and in rejecting the very notion that there is only such thing as true utopia from a biblical perspective in the Kingdom of God, that there will never actually be true utopia here in the Kingdom of Man.” [03:50]
• He traces a history of the American Left "opposing the country they profess to love," referencing anarchism, McCarthyism, and Communist sympathizers (including Bernie Sanders as mayor of Burlington with a "hammer and sickle Soviet flag"). [04:05–06:30]

2. The Nuestra America Convoy and Cuba

[06:30–08:50]

• Hammer skewers a recent Code Pink-led leftist “convoy” to Cuba with social media influencer Hasan Piker and Ilhan Omar's daughter as participants.
• Criticism centers on hypocrisy ("pampered, privileged brat leftists" staying in five-star hotels during Cuban blackouts), violation of US embargo laws, and gestures viewed as propaganda stunts aiding the Cuban Communist regime.
• He highlights Cuba’s two-tier currency system, exploitation by Communist Party officials, and the performative nature of such activism.

3. Foreign Influence and Subversive Networks

[08:50–12:25]

• The show pivots to Neville Roy Singham, a US-born tech mogul living in Shanghai, described as a mega-funder of far-left organizations (Code Pink, The People's Forum), with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
  • “The word traitor is a perfectly apt description for someone like Neville Roy Singham.” [09:20]
• Reports that Singham has funded over 2,000 organizations and injected $278 million into six nonprofits.
• The People's Forum and Iranian state media (PressTV) are named as active influence operations on US soil, including pushing anti-American, anti-Israeli, or pro-China/Iranian narratives, sometimes mirrored by influencers on both the extreme Left (Hasan Piker) and Right (Tucker Carlson).

4. US Foreign Policy: Iran, Israel, and the Middle East

[17:00–29:40]

• Updates on the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war (“Operation Epic Fury”), with speculation of a five-day pause and behind-the-scenes Saudi encouragement for a tougher line against Iran.
• Skepticism over Pakistan's role as a mediator in proposed US-Israel-Iran talks, with reference to Pakistan’s history of harboring Osama bin Laden.
• Discussion of the complexity of any new US-Iran deal, lingering distrust of Iranian compliance, and the importance of not repeating mistakes of the Obama era’s nuclear agreement.
• Notable Quote: “Even if the terms on paper look amazing, like 10 out of 10, how do you trust them? ... The devil’s always in the details.” [26:30]
• Notes on the different national interests of the US and Israel, the logistical improbability of a march to Tehran, and the bilateral dynamics (with Israel as a junior partner).

5. Domestic Security: TSA/ICE Crisis

[29:40–34:50]

• The host discusses current chaos at American airports due to partial shutdowns and staff shortages at TSA, leading to ICE agents supplementing security roles.
• Hammer commends practical moves by Delta Airlines to suspend Congressional privileges during the mess (“That, folks, is how you run a business. That is a MAGA America First way to run a business.” [34:10]), expressing a preference for Delta.
• Calls for Republican ad-makers to capitalize on the border/immigration crisis:
  • “These ads write themselves. Republicans, if only you are paying attention.” [36:25]

6. Personnel and Political Appointments

[35:35–39:35]

• Markwayne Mullen is confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security after a contentious process. Noted as somewhat bipartisan, with Fetterman (D-PA) among those voting to confirm.
• Kevin Stitt appoints Alan Armstrong (oil executive) as Oklahoma’s new senator, a choice Hammer finds puzzling due to Armstrong's donation to anti-Trump Republican Adam Kinzinger.
  • “You can basically nominate Attila the Hun to that seat and that’ll be a safe Republican seat…” [38:40]

7. Crime, Migration, and the Chicago Tragedy

[39:35–43:10]

• Hammer spotlights the murder of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old college student allegedly killed by an illegal alien, likening it to the Lake and Riley case.
  • “It’s just awful. … You say their names. These are innocent, young, beautiful Americans who have been gunned down, killed when it comes to illegal alien crime in this country. And we the people are not going to stand for it.” [41:25]
• Criticizes claims that illegal immigrants are not more prone to crime and lambastes Chicago leadership as enabling such tragedies.
• Plays and reacts to a viral clip from Ald. Maria Hadden (Chicago City Council) downplaying culpability in the murder, calling her a “psychopath” and accusing her of victim-blaming (“Talk about victim blaming. Blaming the people who were killed. No.” [42:25])
• Urges the new Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize deportations.

Notable Quotes

• On Tradition vs. Utopianism:

  “If you are of, by and for the right, it means…you stand for tradition. You stand for your civilization. … The left stands for breaking with tradition, in rejecting eternal truths and the transcendental order.” (Josh Hammer, 02:30)

• On Leftist History in America:

  “There is a long, long history, a deeply inglorious one of leftists in America opposing the country that they purport and profess to love when they even bother ordained to do so.” (Josh Hammer, 04:30)

• On Neville Roy Singham:

  “The word traitor is a perfectly apt description for someone like Neville Roy Singham, who is just worth boatloads and boatloads of money and is probably the number one funder these days…” (Josh Hammer, 09:20)

• On Foreign Influence:

  “Foreign operations are doing a number here on American soil. … They are doing a number to make you rot your mind and to try to subvert you, to make you turn against your country.” (Josh Hammer, 11:30)

• On US-Israel Relations:

  “It should be axiomatic, it should be self evident that the national interest, the United States and Israel are not exactly literally the same.” (Josh Hammer, 29:50)

• On Illegal Alien Crime:

  “Their first act, crossing that border was a crime...The amount of mental gymnastics you have to do in order to try to convey the sentiment that an illegal alien is not more criminogenic…is nuts.” (Josh Hammer, 41:20)

• On Chicago Murder Response:

  “Talk about victim blaming. Blaming the people who were killed. No. There is one person culpable for this, and that is Jose Medina, the illegal alien who should have been sent packing within minutes of committing this atrocity.” (Josh Hammer, 42:25)

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• [05:00] Bernie Sanders’ pro-Soviet history and trip to USSR recounted.
• [07:25] Describes the “Nuestra America Convoy” as self-indulgent, hypocritical leftism in Cuba.
• [09:20] Sharp attack on Neville Roy Singham, his alleged CCP ties, and extensive anti-American funding network.
• [20:00] Expresses deep skepticism about Pakistan mediating US-Israel-Iran talks, referencing bin Laden.
• [26:30] Stresses the untrustworthiness of any Iranian commitments in a hypothetical new deal.
• [34:10] Praises Delta for suspending perks for Congress amid TSA/ICE crisis.
• [38:40] Amused bewilderment at ultra-safe GOP seat picks: “You can basically nominate Attila the Hun…”
• [41:25] Urges to “say their names” for victims of illegal alien crime.
• [42:25] Condemns Chicago city council member’s quote as emblematic of leftist victim-blaming.

Tone and Style

The tone is uncompromising, highly polemical, and marked by frequent sarcasm and sharp asides. Hammer employs both detailed historical references and up-to-the-minute policy analysis, using vivid language and emotionally charged anecdotes to frame news of the week within the larger conservative culture war narrative.

Recommended Segments for Quick Listening

• “What does it mean to be on the Left?” [01:00–04:00]
• The Nuestra America Convoy & Cuba [06:30–08:50]
• On Neville Roy Singham and Foreign Influence [08:50–12:25]
• US-Israel-Iran Triangle [17:00–29:40]
• TSA/ICE Security Crisis [29:40–34:50]
• Chicago Murder and Illegal Alien Crime [39:35–43:10]

Final Thoughts

The episode is a brisk, provocative journey through the alleged harms and hypocrisies of the Left, the dangers of foreign subversion, and the urgency of “America First” policy-making, both domestically and abroad. Hammer’s combination of fact, polemic, and personal anecdote make this a galvanizing listen for his conservative audience.