The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3550 – Epstein Cover-up & Conservative Crack-up, Continued
December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

On today’s lively "Funday Monday," Sam Seder and the crew tackle a swarm of headline-grabbing stories at the intersection of scandals, authoritarian creep, and conservative infighting. The main focus is on government opacity around the Epstein files, the ongoing transformation of right-wing media and politics, and how internecine squabbles are defining the conservative movement. The episode jumps between scandal, palace intrigue, and sharp critique of both government and right-wing media players, keeping the show’s trademark irreverent, analytical, and sardonic tone throughout.

Key Discussion Topics & Insights

1. Epstein Files Cover-up and Contempt Charges

• House and Senate Action: The House is seeking contempt charges against Pam Bondi (now overseeing Epstein files) over withholding evidence. Schumer introduced similar legislation in the Senate. ([00:12])
• Partial File Release Controversy: DOJ waited until the final hour to release only part of the files, citing the need for more time to “vet” photos, especially those involving Donald Trump.
• Theories on Limited Disclosure:
  • Bureaucratic incompetence after career experts were purged.
  • Possible intentional “breadcrumb trail” left by insiders.
  • Suspicion that the DOJ redacted material to protect influential figures across parties.
• Illustrative Example: Pictures of Trump with women were uploaded, then taken down from the release, allegedly to protect “victims,” but the panel is skeptical, noting years-long advocacy from victims’ groups demanding visibility, not secrecy. ([04:46]–[13:37])
• Quote:
  • “There’s a lot more stuff they did not and they redacted and they did not release.” — Sam Seder [07:09]
  • “It felt like they were only hanging out with prominent people that would not implicate the real power players.” — Matt Taibbi [08:39]
• Oversight and Political Fallout: Ro Khanna (D) and Thomas Massie (R) are pushing for accountability. Fines proposed for non-disclosure seem symbolic, highlighting reluctance to directly confront Trump despite his sagging approval. ([14:03])

2. The Conservative Media-Industrial Freakout: TPUSA, Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens & Co.

• Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and Right-Wing Schisms:
  • TPUSA’s "America Fest" became a venue for high-profile conservative infighting.
  • Erica Kirk’s showy emergence as Charlie Kirk’s widow and religious-right maiden.
  • Strange, almost cultish mourning practices: attendees taking selfies at a recreation of Kirk’s death site ([59:47]).
  • The gathering showcased the far-right’s performative, megachurch-like spectacle. ([58:12])
• Infighting and Power Struggles:
  • Ben Shapiro launched attacks on right-wing rivals like Candace Owens, Steve Bannon, Megyn Kelly, and Tucker Carlson. Shapiro rebuked "conspiracy theorists" but, as the hosts observe, ignored his own long record of platforming them for years.
  • Candace Owens responded with unmasked antisemitism, blaming Jews for capitalism, slave trade, and America’s woes. ([115:13])
  • Vivek Ramaswamy on stage explicitly demanded racists and antisemites (esp. Nick Fuentes) be purged from the movement, only for J.D. Vance (the new conservative hero) to immediately demur, expressing a “big tent” and refusing to censure open racism.
• Quote:
  • “[Vivek says] if you can’t say loud and proud [to exclude Nick Fuentes], then you’re a weak leader.” — Sam Seder [69:04]
  • “We don’t care if you’re white or black…controversial or a little bit boring or somewhere in between.” — J.D. Vance [71:33]
  • “If you want the definition of a coward…it is J.D. Vance.” — Sam Seder [73:47]
• Moral and Rhetorical Contradictions Exposed:
  • Vance touts “not apologizing for being white” and “judging by character not race,” yet refuses to distance himself from open bigots targeting his own family. ([131:17])
  • The panel spotlights the contradictions and bankruptcy of right-wing “identity politics” posturing.

3. Media Landscape Meltdown: Barry Weiss, CBS, and Right-Wing Billionaires

• Bari Weiss at CBS News:
  • Weiss, formerly of Substack fame and right-wing billionaire patronage, is now CBS News chief and swiftly running into backlash from veteran journalists.
  • She spiked a 60 Minutes investigation into El Salvador’s See Cot gulag, reportedly fearing fallout with the Trump administration (and to please billionaire owner Ellison, seeking regulatory favor).
  • Correspondent Sharon Alfonsi’s leaked email denounced this as a "kill switch" for inconvenient stories. ([33:04])
• Quote:
  • “If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a kill switch for any reporting they find inconvenient.” — Sharon Alfonsi, via internal CBS email [34:49]
• Analysis:
  • The panel links this to the wider concern over private control of the press, the right’s manufactured outrage over “censorship,” and growing billionaire idiocy and hubris.
  • The segment doubles as a scorched review of Bari Weiss’s career ambitions and transparent ideological bias (“just Dave Rubin with an Ivy League degree”).

4. Conservative Politics: Policy Vacuum and Reactionary Identity Battles

• No "Big Ideas," Only Personality Warfare:
  • The right’s internal drama has reduced its “movement” to petty personality feuds—no real policy debate, just jockeying for platform dominance and donor attention.
  • The only unifying political project appears to be opposition to trans people, protection of the ultra-wealthy, and performative Christian nationalism.
  • As Sam remarks, the "industry" of conservative media is increasingly indistinguishable from late-stage capitalist infighting (“lemonade stands out-lemonading each other”).
• Affordability & Populism:
  • The left’s focus on “affordability,” championed by new DSA politicians like Zoran Mamdani, is now polling as the central public concern—forcing even mainstream Democrats to pay attention.
  • “Affordability is now the watchword,” Sam affirms [53:05], adapting Bernie-era wealth inequality politics toward practical populist messaging.

5. Consumer Affordability Crisis and Anti-Working-Class Trends

• Economy & Class War:
  • Despite government and Fed triumphalism, consumer sentiment is at historic lows. Even Trump merch had to be discounted because attendees couldn’t afford it. ([143:04])
  • Discussion about the creep of class stratification into public services: TSA PreCheck and Clear as monetization of state dysfunction, symbolizing broader late-capitalist rot. ([147:22])
• Quote:
  • “We have monetized the dysfunction of flying.” — Sam Seder [148:00]
  • “There should be just one grade of public service: good.” — Sam Seder [149:19]
• Panel Consensus:
  • Both the promo code shilling and government capture by the rich are condemned. The class war is the real war on Christmas, not the right’s conjured culture war.

6. Right-Wing Antisemitism and Conspiracy Theories

• Candace Owens' Break from the Pack:
  • In graphic, conspiratorial language, Owens blames Jews for slavery, “contract lord” control, and asserts the Talmud licenses Jewish domination. Other hosts slam her as trafficking in old blood libel and contemporary hate speech, masking the real dynamics of American racism and capital.
  • The episode closely unpacks these antisemitic tropes, highlighting how right-wing media incentivizes conspiracy mongers to fill power vacuums left by collapsing leadership.
• Quote:
  • “Jewish people were the ones that were trading us? Jewish people were in control of the slave trade.” — Candace Owens [122:24]
  • “This is where ultimately he’s got to be pressed and that cleave has got to happen soon.” — Sam Seder, about J.D. Vance [133:05]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Sam Seder (on DOJ redactions):
  “I want to know which victims’ rights group asked them to take it down… Oh, I, yeah, it’s called None.” [13:33]
• Matt Taibbi (on right-wing media):
  "You’re just seeing a bunch of lemonade stands and they’re just trying to out-lemonade each other. There has been, like, the amount of actual policy talk has been virtually nil." [95:12]
• Sharon Alfonsi (CBS, via internal email):
  "If the standard for airing a story becomes, 'the government must agree to be interviewed,' then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the State." [34:49]
• Emma Vigeland (on Right's identity politics):
  “You don’t have to apologize for being white anymore.” [131:17, quoting J.D. Vance, expressing the absurd white grievance at TPUSA]

Detailed Timestamps for Important Segments

| Section | Time | |---------------------------------------------------|----------| | Epstein Files, Gov’t Cover-up, Pam Bondi | 04:06–17:00 | | Ro Khanna & Congressional Oversight | 14:03 | | Epstein Release, Trump, and Media Reaction | 16:25–18:32 | | Barry Weiss, CBS, Spiking 60 Minutes | 33:04–43:25 | | TPUSA, Conservative Crack-Up, Erica Kirk | 44:56–64:49 | | Vivek Ramaswamy, JD Vance, Nick Fuentes Debate| 66:38–76:24 | | TPUSA Pyrotechnics & Grief Spectacle | 57:02–62:05 | | Ben Shapiro v. Candace Owens, Bannon, et al. | 80:30–93:50 | | Candace Owens’ Antisemitic Tirade | 115:13–127:06 | | Affordability as Populism, Class War | 143:04–152:19 | | TSA Precheck & Class Stratification | 145:53–149:22 |

Summary Takeaways

• Establishment Protectionism: The government continues to shield powerful interests in the Epstein case, further eroding public trust in institutions and highlighting elite impunity.
• Right-Wing Media Cannibalism: Conservative media and donors are locked in a public civil war marked by personality clashes, overt racism, antisemitism, and complete absence of policy seriousness.
• Crisis of Affordability and Class: While right-wingers spin up their culture war, most Americans are focused on affordability and material security, an issue being seized by the new left.
• Media Capture: With billionaires buying legacy newsrooms and placing ideologues atop them, basic investigative journalism is under siege.
• Antisemitism Goes Mainstream: Elements of right-wing media are now openly trafficking in historic antisemitic conspiracy theories, pulling the GOP coalition ever further rightward.

For New Listeners

Whether you care about the future of populist politics, the capture of public institutions by billionaires, or simply want to laugh at the right-wing circus, this episode is a rollicking summary of the crises and absurdities at the heart of American politics entering 2026.

Note: This summary skips ads, sponsorships, and off-topic chatter, focusing on the central news, analysis, and moments that matter for understanding both the politics and theater of this wild week.