The Joy Reid Show: "Peter Thiel, the Antichrist, and You"
Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Joy-Ann Reid
Overview
This episode dives into the intersections of power, technology, politics, and morality, with a thematic exploration of Peter Thiel’s influence, the weaponization of faith, right-wing infighting, and the continued struggle for justice and economic empowerment in America. Joy Reid unpacks Peter Thiel’s fixation on the Antichrist, the self-dealing and cronyism of Trump's pardons, MAGA's internal chaos, fights over news media objectivity, and grassroots calls for Black Friday economic action. The show also honors the Tulsa Massacre survivors and advocates for reparatory justice.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Housekeeping & Joy’s Movement Actions
(00:09 - 05:15)
- Joy announces a Black Friday Boycott in solidarity with the "We Ain't Buying It" movement, emphasizing the importance of economic activism against exploitative corporations that support right-wing causes.
- Saturday will be a “Subathon” with live appearances on multiple platforms to boost subscriber numbers and support small business advocacy.
"We are joining the blackout, the ‘we ain't buying it’ movement...We want to increase that. We want to get the 1.3 million people who follow me on IG and the 800 some odd thousand on TikTok...consolidate all our friends on Saturday." (Joy Reid, 02:40)
2. Breaking News: National Guard Shooting & Media Misinformation
(05:16 - 06:34)
- Coverage of a DC shooting involving West Virginia National Guard members under Trump’s occupation orders. The West Virginia governor erroneously reported their deaths, later retracting.
- Immediate politicization by the Trump regime to justify increased occupation and militarization of D.C.
"This is one of those life lessons in how not to use social media." (Joy Reid, 05:32)
3. Trump’s Pardon Ceremony & Rambling Public Remarks
(06:34 - 09:22)
- Joy airs Trump's meandering Turkey pardon speech, full of deflections, grievance, and confusion—even in the presence of children.
- Questions his cognitive health and the appropriateness of his language.
“I highly doubt Donald Trump calls his wife darling. And also, what the hell, Beyonce?” (Joy Reid, 08:45)
4. The Corrupt World of Trump Pardons
(09:22 - 18:05)
- Liz Royer, ex–DOJ pardon attorney, explains Trump’s recent pardons—often for the politically connected or wealthy fraudsters, facilitated by ultra-right operatives (Berkman and Wohl) and transactional lobbying.
- List of questionable pardons: Trevor Milton, Imad Zuberi, Michelle Fiore, Rod Blagojevich, Michael Grimm, Devin Archer, Jason Galanis, Todd & Julie Chrisley, Paul Walak, Scott Howard Jenkins, Brian Kelsey, and more.
- Pardons are described as “corrupt, transactional, and self-dealing.”
"We now have convicted fraudsters lobbying for pardons on behalf of other convicted fraudsters. And it seems to be working." (Liz Royer, 11:28)
5. MAGA World in Chaos: Infighting, Paranoia, and Conspiracies
(21:28 - 24:10)
- Joy highlights MAGA fracturing—Candace Owens spinning conspiracies about Charlie Kirk being replaced; Alex Jones angry over Trump dropping Marjorie Taylor Greene; Tucker Carlson’s hostility toward Trump leaks ("big old piece of shit" [25:15]).
- Points to the base’s shared objective: installing a white Christian nationalist oligarchy powered by cynical grifting, even as key players privately hate Trump.
“They are serving a bigger cause and a bigger master. Despite all of their many differences...they collectively desire to put the United States under the control of a white Christian nationalist authoritarian hierarchy led by a CEO king.” (Joy Reid, 25:45)
6. Peter Thiel, The Antichrist, and Techno-Authoritarianism
(26:11 - 31:36)
- Replay of Peter Thiel’s talk on AI, technology, and the Antichrist, with Thiel musing that "peace and safety", the Antichrist’s slogan in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, is being used to justify global surveillance and authoritarianism—ironically enabled by tech he develops.
- Joy highlights Thiel’s attempt to cast left-leaning advocacy (e.g., Greta Thunberg) as more likely Antichrist than any technological overlord, inverting the obvious irony.
"Is this so preposterous, what I've just told you, as a broad account of the stagnation that the entire world has submitted for 50 years to Peace and Safetyism?...the slogan of the Antichrist is peace and safety."
(Peter Thiel, 28:08)
- Joy contextualizes: Thiel created J.D. Vance (now VP); both push Catholic-tinged hard-right ideas dissociated from Pope Francis’s actual teachings (compassion, climate action).
7. Interview: Philip D’Amico on Peter Thiel’s Path
(34:13 - 49:44)
A deep-dive with documentary creator Philip D’Amico (Volksgeist) into Thiel’s life:
- Origins: Thiel’s childhood in a notorious Nazi outpost in Namibia; upbringing surrounded by authoritarian power structures.
“If you go and Google Swakopmund, the first result is a New York Times article where the journalist was greeted by the employee with 'Heil Hitler.' ...That was where Peter Thiel grew up.” (Philip D’Amico, 34:55)
- PayPal Mafia: The myth of Thiel and Musk as inventors; they were investors/assemblers rather than true technologists.
- Palantir and Surveillance: Transition from anti-phishing algorithms to mass surveillance tools, now used by US and global spy agencies.
- Thiel’s Contradictions: His “Antichrist” thesis is a smokescreen for pure self-interest; frames taxation/regulation as near-evil.
“He always comes back to this idea that he’s the one who should be given unlimited power to fix it… he’s just really trying to find a strange way of justifying his own desire for just more money, more power, more control.” (Philip D’Amico, 41:21)
- Tactics: Thiel manipulates religious and culture-war grievances to hide his greed, weaponizing Catholic identity; his followers project their struggles onto him, even when it’s not in their interest.
8. Media Manipulation & Centrist News Illusion
(64:45 - 68:30)
- Bari Weiss (now running CBS News) claims a new centrist objectivity but, as Joy contends, draws the “acceptable debate” line narrowly around pro-Israel, anti-woke voices like Dana Loesch and Alan Dershowitz, excluding meaningful discussion on Palestinian rights or genuine diversity.
"She's talking about people who care about equality of opportunity. She’s vehemently anti-diversity...this is sort of sane-washing a policy that essentially says we will not tolerate criticism of Israel in American media anymore."
(Joy Reid, 68:30)
9. Survivors of Tulsa: Fight for Justice Continues
(79:16 - 90:36)
- Interview with Demario Solomon Simmons, lawyer for Tulsa Massacre survivors, after the death of Viola Fletcher (age 111). Only one survivor left.
- Discusses ongoing efforts for reparatory justice, dual citizenship in Ghana, revitalization plans for Greenwood district, and the importance of direct financial redress.
"She never received any meaningful reparations or reparatory justice from the actual perpetrators of the massacre, like the city of Tulsa, Tulsa Chamber, etc...for her to pass away at 111 is a travesty."
(Demario Solomon Simmons, 79:44)
Action:
Donations made by listeners go directly to justiceforgreenwood.org.
10. Economic Stress and Black Friday Activism
(95:50 - 110:00)
- Harry Enten lays out the reality of inflation: 85% feel grocery prices have risen, utility and housing inflation, etc. Majority blame now lies with Trump’s regime.
- Latasha Brown from Black Voters Matter joins to promote the "We Ain’t Buying It" campaign:
- Calls for economic action: boycott big box stores supporting Trump, redirect resources to Black, minority, small businesses.
- Advocates for conscious spending, especially on Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
"If they got all this extra money to give Trump $300 million...then they don’t need my money." (Latasha Brown, 100:25)
- Highlights tools and apps for finding Black-owned businesses (e.g. "Blap"), urges scaling back holiday excess to reduce corporate profiteering.
11. Closing Thoughts: The Real Power Play
(110:00 - End)
- Joy emphasizes the need for moral and financial discipline: the only language billionaires understand is money; community solidarity is essential.
- Critiques religious and tech overlords’ self-styled genius status: “They’re just really, really rich. And really, could it be that they are human like everybody else?”
- Stresses that resistance transcends religious posturing; real empathy, kindness, community control, and economic redirection are crucial.
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On Thiel’s Antichrist Obsession:
“The slogan of the Antichrist is peace and safety. And we've submitted.”
(Peter Thiel, 28:05) -
On Trump's Pardons:
“Complete corruption. Surprise, surprise. That's what Donald Trump is doing with his pardon power.”
(Joy Reid, 11:49) -
On Today's Tech Oligarchs:
"We are being run by a group of people who are warping and using religion as a crutch in order to get you to go along with the idea that we're simply going to have overlords, lords and serfs. That's what they all agree on. Trump wants to be a lord. You're a serf."
(Joy Reid, 53:44) -
On the Power of Collective Economic Action:
"We are not buying what Trump enablers sell this Black Friday."
(Latasha Brown, 100:14)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Black Friday Boycott & Subathon Announcements – 00:09 – 05:15
- National Guard Shooting & Political Spin – 05:16 – 06:34
- Trump’s Turkey Pardon Speech – 06:34 – 08:45
- Liz Royer on Corrupt Pardons – 09:22 – 11:49
- Notorious Trump Pardons List – 11:49 – 18:05
- MAGA Infighting & Right-Wing Media Leak – 21:28 – 24:10
- Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Thesis – 26:11 – 31:36
- Philip D’Amico Interview – 34:13 – 49:44
- Bari Weiss on “Centrist” News – 64:45 – 68:30
- Tulsa Massacre Survivors/Justice Interview – 79:16 – 90:36
- Economic Impact, Black Friday Activism – 95:50 – 110:00
Takeaway
This episode delivers a vivid, compelling tapestry of contemporary American culture and politics, exposing the cynical power games of tech oligarchs and right-wing populists, while championing grassroots empowerment, historical truth, and the real meaning of solidarity. Joy’s voice remains sharp, passionate, and unfiltered, offering both practical calls to action and trenchant critique of the sinister fusion of money, faux religion, and technology threatening democracy.
For more:
- Donate to Justice for Greenwood
- Explore Black-owned businesses with apps like Blap
- Follow Latasha Brown’s #WeAintBuyingIt campaign
- Tune in Saturday for Joy's subathon and boost independent media!