The Conservative Trying to Shift America Rightward... One Movie at a Time

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Conservative Trying to Shift America Rightward... One Movie at a Time

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Journal.
• Host/Authors: Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza.
• Description: The most important stories about money, business, and power. Hosted by Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza, The Journal is a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal.
• Episode Title: The Conservative Trying to Shift America Rightward... One Movie at a Time
• Release Date: June 12, 2025

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Introduction

In the June 12, 2025 episode of The Journal, hosts Ryan Knutson and Jessica Mendoza delve into the influential maneuvers of Leonard Leo, a prominent conservative operative, who is channeling significant financial resources to reshape American culture through entertainment. The episode, titled "The Conservative Trying to Shift America Rightward... One Movie at a Time," explores Leo's strategies, his influence in politics, and his ambitious efforts to embed conservative values within Hollywood and broader American society.

House of David: A Cultural Touchstone

The episode opens with a discussion about the emerging TV series House of David, an eight-part Amazon Prime Video production that retells the biblical story of King David and Goliath. Hosts highlight its unexpected success:

• Jessica Mendoza [00:17]: "The biblical tale of David and Goliath. House of David is an eight part series airing on Amazon Prime Video. It follows the story of King David from his early days as a shepherd to his epic fight with Goliath. After hitting the top rankings on Amazon this spring, the show has been greenlit for a second season."

Leonard Leo’s Influence in Politics

Maggie Severns, a colleague of Mendoza’s who covers corporate influence, introduces Leonard Leo’s significant role behind the scenes:

• Maggie Severns [00:14]: "Can one stone change the course of history?"

• Maggie Severns [01:17]: "Leonard Leo isn't a name typically associated with Hollywood. He's better known for his influence in Washington where he's long been involved in causes important to the political right."

Leonard Leo, traditionally recognized for his leadership in the Federalist Society—a key conservative legal organization—has been instrumental in shaping the judiciary landscape:

• Jessica Mendoza [03:37]: "Leonard Leo led the Federalist Society, an influential conservative legal organization. And one of its biggest concerns is the makeup of the courts."

Supreme Court Appointments and Political Ties

Leo's impact on the Supreme Court has been profound, advising Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump, and playing a pivotal role in the confirmation of justices:

• Maggie Severns [04:09]: "Supreme Court nominee John Roberts was gliding through confirmation hearings."
• Maggie Severns [04:13]: "Neil Gorsuch was confirmed by the U.S. senate yesterday afternoon."
• Maggie Severns [04:17]: "Senators voted 50 to 48 to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court."

Leo's behind-the-scenes efforts included acting as a "Sherpa" for nominees, guiding them through the confirmation process, and funding extensive ad campaigns to bolster their public image:

• Maggie Severns [05:16]: "Leonard Leo was becoming more high profile. And that's what happened with Leo. They haven't talked in years, is our understanding."

Estrangement from Donald Trump

Despite his critical role during the Trump administration, Leo's relationship with Trump soured post-2020:

• Maggie Severns [05:26]: "He was advising on these court picks. That changed around 2020."
• Jessica Mendoza [06:06]: "Trump lashed out at Leo on Truth Social. In a post last month, the president called him a sleazebag who, quote, probably hates America."

Leo responded by reaffirming his commitment to the judiciary:

• Leonard Leo [06:06]: "There’s more work to be done, but the federal judiciary is better than it’s ever been in modern history."

The $1.6 Billion Donation: A Game Changer

A significant turn of events is Leo's acquisition of a $1.6 billion trust, initially funded by billionaire Barry Seid:

• Maggie Severns [06:53]: "Leo now has all that money. Leo now has this $1.6 billion trust that is going to, he says, disperse all that money."

This unprecedented financial backing positions Leo to exert substantial influence across various sectors:

• Jessica Mendoza [06:53]: "The man behind the money is Barry Seid, a businessman who founded a successful company that makes electrical products."

Shaping American Culture Through Entertainment

Leo's strategy extends beyond politics, targeting the entertainment industry to foster a conservative cultural ethos. The creation of a supportive ecosystem for conservative media is central to his approach:

• Maggie Severns [08:53]: "What if we can have House of David and then there will be five more movies?"

Leo's initiatives aim to produce high-quality entertainment that aligns with conservative and family-friendly values, thereby attracting mass audiences seeking alternatives to progressive Hollywood narratives.

Teneo: The Networking Engine

A critical component of Leo's strategy involves Teneo, a networking club that has expanded its influence under Leo’s guidance:

• Maggie Severns [09:46]: "Teneo... most of the people who they recruit are under 45 years old."

Teneo’s members include key players in movies, podcasts, and entertainment financing, facilitating investments into media projects that reflect conservative ideals.

Funding Conservative Content

Leo's trust has funded various projects aimed at promoting conservative themes:

• Maggie Severns [07:19]: "A lot of the movies are about the evils of government overreach and onerous regulation."

One notable example includes a film portraying the battle against a pinball ban in 1970s New York, blending true stories with libertarian messages:

• Maggie Severns [12:54]: "A lot of the movies are about the evils of government overreach... It's about the overreach of the New York City government that had unfairly banned this game."

Assessing Leo’s Ambition and Impact

Maggie Severns provides a nuanced analysis of Leo's long-term vision:

• Maggie Severns [13:50]: "What Leonard Leo is doing comes from a point of view that I hadn't seen before. Right. And it is striking in its ambition."

Leo's approach emphasizes a "soft power" strategy, investing in cultural change over immediate, measurable outcomes:

• Maggie Severns [14:35]: "Right now he's a very bullish David... he's working on becoming a Goliath for sure."

Conclusion: Leonard Leo’s David Turning into Goliath

The episode concludes by framing Leonard Leo’s journey as a transition from a David-like figure with ambitious plans and substantial resources aiming to shift American culture to a Goliath-like dominance in conservative influence:

• Maggie Severns [14:35]: "He's a David with $1.6 billion to spend... He's working on becoming a Goliath for sure."

Jessica Mendoza [14:51]: "Yeah, he's currently a David in that space making his way to becoming a Goliath."

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Produced by The Journal, a co-production of Spotify and The Wall Street Journal. Additional reporting by Josh Dossey and Jon Jurgensen.

Transcript

[Jessica Mendoza]

A new TV show broke through this year.

[Maggie Severns]

Can one stone change the course of history?

[Jessica Mendoza]

And it's a story that many people are pretty familiar with.

[Leonard Leo]

Goliath.

[Jessica Mendoza]

The biblical tale of David and Goliath. House of David is an eight part series airing on Amazon Prime Video. It follows the story of King David from his early days as a shepherd to his epic fight with Goliath. After hitting the top rankings on Amazon this spring, the show has been greenlit for a second season.

[Maggie Severns]

What's interesting about House of David is that it's aspiring to be an HBO style prestige TV show, right? It's a show that they're shooting in Greece on this desert land and there are these wide shots of landscapes and it's different from what you would expect if you were trying, trying to think about a biblical series.

[Jessica Mendoza]

That's our colleague Maggie Severns. She covers corporate influence and she's been looking into the people who've secretly been helping to bankroll this series.

[Maggie Severns]

One of the funders we uncovered in our reporting is Leonard Leo.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Leonard Leo isn't a name typically associated with Hollywood. He's better known for his influence in Washington where he's long been involved in causes important to the political right.

[Maggie Severns]

You know, he wears a suit and he looks very academic, you know, pocket square wearing, conservative, legal guy. So he is someone who spent money on big political races. He's been very influential in politics.

[Jessica Mendoza]

But these days, Leonard Leo has turned his influence toward changing American culture more broadly.

[Maggie Severns]

In the eyes of Leonard Leo, the left of center has come to dominate way too many spaces in America, right? Like not just entertainment, but you know, in finance in Silicon Valley. But he wants to get rid of that and create a lasting strain of conservatism that's stronger. And he would say, and people around him would say is politics is downstream of culture. He has come to a belief that if you can affect corporate culture, if you can affect entertainment culture, that elections will flow because America will look different and people will see things differently, right?

[Jessica Mendoza]

Welcome to the Journal. Our show about money, business and power. I'm Jessica Mendoza. It's Thursday, June 12th. Coming up on the show, the powerful conservative trying to push American culture to the right.

[Leonard Leo]

This episode is brought to you by US Bank. They don't just cheer you on, they help every move count. With US bank smartly checking and savings account to help track your spending and grow your savings, your finances can go further. Because when you have the right partner on your side, there's no limit to what you can achieve. That's the power of us. Visit usbank.com today to learn more. Copyright 2025 US Bank.

[Jessica Mendoza]

For decades, Leonard Leo led the Federalist Society, an influential conservative legal organization. And one of its biggest concerns is the makeup of the courts. Here's Leonard Leo being interviewed on pbs.

[Leonard Leo]

Well, for one thing, I think we have to remember that judges wear black.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Robes for a reason. They wear them because their identity is.

[Leonard Leo]

Meaningless in the work that they do.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Leo advised Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump, and he helped pick most of the conservative justices now on the Supreme Court.

[Maggie Severns]

Supreme Court nominee John Roberts was gliding through confirmation hearings.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Neil Gorsuch was confirmed by the U.S. senate yesterday afternoon.

[Maggie Severns]

Senators voted 50 to 48 to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. supreme Court.

[Leonard Leo]

It is official. Amy Coney Barrett sworn in tonight on the South Lawn of the White house, becoming the 100.

[Jessica Mendoza]

What kind of role did Leonard Leo play in getting those justices actually onto the bench?

[Maggie Severns]

So with Roberts, as well as other Supreme Court justices, there are several roles that need to be played, right? There are kind of what they would call Sherpas, people who kind of advise the nominee through the process. Leo and people close to Leo have had played that role with several Supreme Court justices. There are also outside ad campaigns these days. They can be tens and tens of millions of dollars where you raise money from donors and you run ads that promote that person on the court. So he's both kind of connected to at times choosing or advising on choosing judges, helping them through the process, and then being this kind of public voice and support.

[Jessica Mendoza]

It sounds like Leonard Leo achieved a lot during the first Trump administration. Three Supreme Court justices in one administration is nothing to sniff at. Were he and President Trump close?

[Maggie Severns]

Leonard and President Trump? My understanding is, yeah, they were close. And he was someone who was sometimes at the White House. He was advising on these court picks. That changed around 2020. There was a sense by Trump that Leonard had taken too much credit, as if Leonard was the person who had made all the decisions and gotten these people onto the Supreme Court when they were Trump's nominees. So Leonard Leo was becoming more high profile. And as we've seen with people in Trump world, when you appear to be taking too much credit, you can get kind of cast out. And that's what happened with Leo. They haven't talked in years, is our understanding.

[Jessica Mendoza]

After a series of judicial rulings against his policies, including from judges he appointed, Trump lashed out at Leo on Truth Social. In a post last month, the president called him a sleazebag who, quote, probably hates America in Response? Leo said that there's more work to be done, but that, quote, the federal judiciary is better than it's ever been in modern history. For many conservatives, being in Trump's inner circle, or at least having his approval is a must. But apparently not Leonard Leo.

[Maggie Severns]

Most people don't have $1.6 billion that they're trying to spend, and Leonard Leo does have all that money. Leo now has a virtually unlimited war chest to back candidates, support causes, and tip the political scales.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Mogul has quietly given $1.6 billion to the architect of the right wing takeover of the courts. That $1.6 billion donation was to a nonprofit that Leo controlled. It's believed to be one of the largest single contributions to any politically active group in US History. The man behind the money is Barry Seid, a businessman who founded a successful company that makes electrical products.

[Maggie Severns]

He's 93 years old. He's been very secretive. But he had known Leonard Leo for a while. He seems to lean libertarian. And he basically donated his company to a trust that Leonard had created. And then the company was sold and all the money that it was sold for went into that trust. So Leonard now controls this $1.6 billion trust that is going to, he says, disperse all that money.

[Jessica Mendoza]

So far, Leo has given millions to nonprofits and corporations to advance a conservative agenda. According to Maggie's reporting, one firm he's tied to is looking to fund lawsuits against companies that embrace diversity and sustainability initiatives. Another group has targeted executives that sit on the boards of hospitals that perform gender reassignment surgeries.

[Maggie Severns]

So you might see this out in the world and say, oh, that's interesting, but not know that it is connected to Leonard Leo's network. And there are a bunch of different groups like that.

[Jessica Mendoza]

But for those who are looking, the most visible sign of Leo's influence isn't in corporations, it's in Hollywood. That's next. Over the past few decades, movies and TV shows with Christian or right leaning themes have had limited mainstream success.

[Maggie Severns]

There have been these moments when conservative content broke through. Something like the Passion of the Christ was big. When it was big. There was thank youk for Smoking. Where Peter Thiel was involved with that movie, so was David Sacks, another Trump ally. So we've had these moments where movies with a conservative point of view have made it big. The failure, if you talk to people in this space, has been that there wasn't really a great space for follow ups. So, like if a movie does well, Hollywood wants more of it. But there wasn't really an ecosystem of people for them to turn to and say, hey, make more of that. And the proposition from Leo and other people is, what if we can change that?

[Jessica Mendoza]

After the big donation, Leo's group started moving money around. It's a little murky, but according to Maggie's reporting, one of the groups funded through side's Gifts was a networking club called Teneo. Can you tell us about Teneo?

[Maggie Severns]

What is it? So there are lawyers, but there are also people who work in corporate America, Silicon Valley. They very purposefully recruit people from different parts of industry and of society. And most of the people who they recruit are under 45 years old. So kind of youngish to mid career folks. It's membership is secret. People aren't supposed to talk about Teneo. It's got kind of the fight club thing going on. What happens, exactly what happens at Teneo stays at Teneo.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Before Leo's involvement, Teneo, founded in 2008, was raising less than a million dollars a year. By 2023, that figure had grown to 7 million a year. Neither Leo nor the companies and groups receiving money, including those outside of entertainment, would comment on the largely untraceable investments. In her reporting, Maggie found that under Leo's guidance, Teneo has recruited about 100 members who work in movies, podcasts, and entertainment financing. Among them is the founder of the production studio behind House of David, the series we heard about earlier. The idea is to invest in studios rather than individual movies or shows, ultimately creating an ecosystem that makes content for audiences with conservative values.

[Maggie Severns]

What if we can have House of David and then there will be five more movies? As streamers and movie theaters are looking to pick up movies, they can say, hey, we can offer this, we can offer this. You want biblical stories, we have these people making them. You want comedies, they're over here, children's entertainment.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Because Maggie says Leo isn't looking to offer only religious stories. He's also interested in mainstreaming movies and shows that conservatives say are appropriate for children and families.

[Maggie Severns]

So the makers of House of David are also in the process of making a comedy that features Nate Brigazzi, the famous standup comedian. And I think Colin Jost is supposed to have a part in a film. It's about a man trying to support his wife's career when it takes off. But there's this idea that if you can make really good entertainment and make it of a high quality, you can draw in a mass audience who's just looking for TV that doesn't have progressive messages, right? Or the liberal bent that we've come to see with a lot of Hollywood.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Teneo's CEO said that they're, quote, excited about what appears to be many new successful ventures focused on high quality family entertainment. And how successful would you say Leo's projects have been so far?

[Maggie Severns]

He feels like it's been very successful because I think that people thought that this was going to be an impossible thing. And they already have movie studios they funded. You know, another studio has been around a while. It's called Moving Picture Institute. They also do like an education component. But Moving Picture Institute in recent years has made several movies that like went on the indie festival circuit and were accepted at different film shows and they got streaming distribution. And, you know, increasingly there are real actors that want to be in these movies.

[Jessica Mendoza]

One of the films that made it on the festival circuit incorporated libertarian themes.

[Maggie Severns]

A lot of the movies are about the evils of government overreach and onerous regulation. Right. So for example, they did this movie about 1970s New York and a GQ journalist. And he loves playing pinball on the side. And he learns that pinball has been banned in New York for decades.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Uh huh. It never even occurred to me that the game was illegal.

[Maggie Severns]

And so he kind of goes on this journey to figure out how to overturn the pinball ban that culminates in him playing pinball at City hall in New York. I want to show the city council members that they've had it wrong for all these years. It has a plot, it's based on a true story, but it's also, it's about the overreach of the New York City government that had unfairly banned this game.

[Jessica Mendoza]

What do you find most interesting about him and his approach to spreading kind of conservative libertarian influence?

[Maggie Severns]

What Leonard Lero is doing comes from a point of view that I hadn't seen before. Right. And it is striking in its ambition. It's striking in this willingness to play a long game and invest in things that you can't necessarily measure, like the soft power element of it. He has a different way of seeing the world and how power is exercised. And he's putting huge amounts of real money into that. We don't know if he will be successful or not. And that's the part that you watch and track over time. But I think that his level of ambition just is very striking to me in this space.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Is Leonard Leo a David or a Goliath?

[Maggie Severns]

Right now he's a very bullish David. Right now he is a David with $1.6 billion to spend. He's taking on what I would call this grand experiment in ways to shift culture and shift American life. Entertainment being one of them.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Yeah, he's currently a David in that space making his way to becoming a Goliath.

[Maggie Severns]

He's working on becoming a Goliath for sure.

[Jessica Mendoza]

That's all for today. Thursday, June 12. The Journal is a co production of Spotify and the Wall Street Journal. Additional reporting in this episode by Josh Dossey and Jon Jurgensen. Thanks for listening. See. See you tomorrow.