Podcast Summary: The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Episode: Raging Moderates: Trump Targets the Left After Kirk Murder
Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: Scott Galloway & Jessica Tarlov
Episode Type: Raging Moderates (Weekly centrist political discussion)

Overview

This episode of "Raging Moderates" features Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov analyzing the fallout from the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and the subsequent politicization of the tragedy by the Trump administration. The duo discusses how the right is invoking cancel culture, Trump’s “crime crackdown” tour—including the National Guard deployment in Memphis—and the delayed endorsement by Governor Kathy Hochul of progressive Democrat Zoran Mamdani. The discussion is laser-focused on the intersection of free speech, polarization, political weaponization, and the perils facing American democracy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Right’s Embrace of Cancel Culture

• Topic: The right's response to Kirk's murder, blaming the far left, and calls to police “hate speech.”
• Scott raises concern about MAGA's comfort using "cancel culture" tools they previously decried (02:25).
• Jessica:

  “Truthfully, the right has always been pretty into cancel culture. They just packaged it up as a problem of the left… For people who are being silenced, they sure have a lot of control of the government and our media organizations.” (03:38)

• Both express alarm that right-wing influencers (incl. Elon Musk) are targeting those who spoke out, joked, or criticized Kirk, labelling them as "poisoners of America’s youth."
• Pam Bondi’s comments about prosecuting hate speech are criticized as ignoring First Amendment protections (06:56), with Jessica noting Kirk himself defended even “gross or evil speech.”

2. Free Speech vs. Policing of Speech

• Scott:

  “A key component of a democracy is that pretty much anyone should be able to say pretty much anything about pretty much anybody.” (07:18)

• They debate when speech encourages violence versus when it should remain protected.
• Scott calls out hypocrisy: “If you want to honor [Kirk’s] memory, it’s a lesson in free speech.”
• They acknowledge the “trigger culture” on campuses and the danger of equating words with violence. Scott praises universities that warn students if they’re easily offended, they’re not ready for collegiate debate (09:00–11:00).

3. Weaponizing Tragedy: Political Narratives After Kirk’s Assassination

• Both criticize attempts to assign a political agenda to the assassin, noting most such shooters are socially isolated, “extremely online,” and not functional partisans (13:10–15:30).
• Scott:

  “The majority of this political violence cannot be connected to any political party.”

• Failure to address root causes—youth alienation, easy access to weapons, and online radicalization—is highlighted (15:45, 16:14).
• Jessica:

  “If you are celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death, I wouldn’t want you working at my company...but the backlash against people who are just saying things like, ‘I condemn the violence. Political violence is never the answer. But, you know, Charlie Kirk would have stood up there and debated you about X, Y and Z…’—that’s really healthy.” (18:40)

• Concern raised over government actions threatening free speech, such as proposals to deny visas or jobs over personal political views (17:50–18:40).

4. Erosion of Institutions: The FBI and Political Incompetence

• Scott condemns FBI Director Kash Patel’s “Twitter antics” and the undermining of the institution's credibility:

  “The FBI, much less the director…does not communicate on fucking Twitter… This has taken a brand that has served America really well… and they are trashing it with a guy who has no ability to understand the heritage…” (20:26–22:25)

• The institutional damage inflicted by patronage appointments and incompetence is emphasized.

5. National Guard Deployments & the “Crime Crackdown”

• Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, touts decline in crime (26:18–27:05).
• Jessica sees this as a strategy to normalize militarization of cities, noting the precedent is being set for federal overreach—even when not welcomed by city governments:

  “But it’s all this predicate for militarizing the country…if they cooperate, that’s great, if not, that’s not going to matter. We hope we have the governor’s help and if we don’t, we’re going to do it without him.” (28:00)

• Scott argues Democratic leaders’ failures on basic city management create openings for right-wing overreaction and normalization of military intervention, potentially undermining elections (29:21–32:04).

6. Democratic Weaknesses & Electoral Implications

• Jessica worries Democrats lack positive proactive policy messaging, especially on urban crime and healthcare (32:04).
• Consequences of neglecting bread-and-butter issues may play into Trump’s hands despite positive “trend lines.”
• Scott:

  “This is normalizing the militarization of our cities such that when elections come and if they're not going the way that Trump wants, he can justify …sending in the National Guard to change elections, decrease turnout.”

7. Hochul Endorses Mamdani—The Progressive Dilemma

• Governor Hochul finally endorses Zoran Mamdani, a progressive upstart who beat Cuomo (34:56).
• Jess explains the political calculation and pressures: Hochul’s donor base is wary, polling is close, and Mamdani has had to moderate on Israel-Palestine and NYPD issues (35:20).
• She emphasizes the importance of respecting the primary process, noting backlash if Democrats ignore the electorate’s choice:

  “You have to respect the democratic process even when it doesn’t go your way. And I think that the blowback of not supporting him…is going to be much more severe than anything he’s going to accomplish or not accomplish in the next four years.” (36:50)

• Scott expresses skepticism about Mamdani’s policies (rent control, public grocery stores), but sees the race as emblematic of the city’s— and party’s—broader political malaise:

  “It is an operational job… He’s not going to be setting public policy on Israel.” (37:58)

• Frustration that these are the candidates:

  “It’s the greatest city in the world… These are the three candidates we come up with?” (42:28, 43:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cancel Culture:

  “Truthfully, the right has always been pretty into cancel culture. They just packaged it up as a problem of the left.” – Jessica (03:38)

• On Free Speech:

  “Pretty much anyone should be able to say pretty much anything about pretty much anybody.” – Scott (07:18)
  “If words offend you, then you need to call your parents, have them come get you, because you are not ready for college.” – Scott recounting Michigan State’s message (10:45)

• On Weaponizing Grief:

  “People on the right are trying to take advantage of this and say that this is some sort of radical left conspiracy that warrants some sort of violent legal weaponization of our institutions.” – Scott (13:10)

• On Political Violence:

  “The majority of this political violence cannot be connected to any political party.” – Scott (14:30)

• On FBI Failures:

  “The director of the FBI to go on social media and get it wrong about a suspect and then have to pull it back and then go on national TV and say the following… ‘Charlie, you can rest now, my friend. We have the watch. I will see you in Valhalla.’… Jesus fucking Christ, boss. Do you realize how wrong that is on so many levels?” – Scott (21:20)

• On Democratic Performance:

  “Democratic governors and mayors have done just a shitty job of focusing on the issues that actually affect Americans. They’ve been much more focused on virtue signaling… than actually figuring out [solutions].” – Scott (29:21)

• On Mamdani’s Candidacy:

  “You have to respect the democratic process even when it doesn’t go your way.” – Jessica (36:50)

• On Frustration with Candidate Choices:

  “It’s the greatest city in the world… These are the three candidates we come up with?” – Scott (43:28)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:25] — Episode Theme & Kirk Assassination Fallout: Cancel Culture and Political Blaming
• [03:38] — Jessica’s Take: The Right’s Own Cancel Culture; Clip Culture vs. Deep Media Consumption
• [06:56] — Pam Bondi vs. the First Amendment
• [07:18] — Scott on Speech, Hate Speech, and Democracy
• [09:00–11:00] — Campus “Trigger Culture” and Necessity for Robust Debate
• [13:10–16:14] — Assigning Blame for Violence & Root Causes
• [17:50–18:40] — Free Speech Crackdowns and Government Overreach
• [20:26–22:25] — Institutional Damage: FBI and Political Incompetence
• [26:18–27:05] — Trump’s Memphis National Guard Deployment
• [28:00–29:21] — Red States Welcoming Militarization; Erosion of Local Authority
• [32:04] — Democrats’ Messaging and Policy Weaknesses
• [34:56] — Hochul’s Endorsement of Mamdani: What Took So Long?
• [37:58] — The Future of New York Politics and Democratic Process

Closing Banter

• Personal notes about parenthood, joking about raising kids and Scott’s “I didn’t like to hang out with my children much below the age of five” anecdote (44:56).
• Final reflection on men expressing their feelings:

  “I’m trying to do a better job of saying when I think…I think a hack men should say to each other, how are you? And you get the response, fine. And then you say, no, really, how are you?” – Scott (45:39)

• Episode closes with both feeling exhausted by, but motivated to continue discussing, the current realities of American politics.

In Summary

This episode is a deeply engaged, sometimes raw, but always insightful exploration of where America stands at a critical political moment: the weaponization of tragedy, institutional decay, threats to fundamental freedoms, and how failures on both sides create openings for future democratic and civic peril. Scott and Jessica leave listeners with a sense of urgency—and frustration—but also with a centrist’s stubborn insistence on nuance, evidence, and grounded debate.