The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Raging Moderates: Why the Manosphere Is Breaking Up With Trump

Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Scott Galloway (A), Jessica Tarlov (B)
Episode Focus:
This episode of "Raging Moderates" dives into three main areas: the Trump administration’s controversial use of federal troops in liberal cities, the latest Gaza ceasefire negotiations on the war’s two-year anniversary, and why influential voices in the “manosphere”—the online ecosystem of male influencers and podcasters—are turning away from Trump. Scott and Jessica unpack these rapidly evolving issues through a centrist lens, highlighting how the political, cultural, and media landscape is shifting in America.

1. Trump’s Use of National Guard in Democrat Cities

Timestamps: [03:14]–[15:38]

Summary:

• The Trump administration faces a legal and political backlash for deploying National Guard troops and ICE operations in cities like Chicago and Portland, with Illinois and Oregon suing and a federal judge blocking troop deployments.
• Polls show most voters disapprove, but questions remain about the scale and potency of public outrage.
• Jessica and Scott examine whether these actions will “backfire” politically and discuss the deeper, more worrying normalization of these policies.

Key Discussion Points:

• Legal Overreach and Public Reaction:
  • "Are the Republicans going to lose the midterms? Sure... But the politics of how the American populace writ large responds to an authoritarian power grab by the Trump administration has not been severe enough for me." — Jessica [04:21]
• Undocumented Workers and Economic Realities:
  • Scott outlines the deep economic reliance on immigrant labor, dispelling myths about “undocumented” workers, and highlights the personal and societal consequences.
  • "They call them undocumented workers. These people have documents like no tomorrow... these are the people that have been wiping grandma's ass such that you can afford to keep her at home..." — Scott [06:58]
• Real-Life Impacts and Rights Infringements:
  • Jess describes chilling cases of ICE and military rounding up citizens and migrants, including the use of helicopters in Chicago and rights violations even for documented Americans.
  • "I'm surprised there isn't more outrage... we are moving people off of investigating drug smuggling, sexual exploitation and organized crime to redirect them to this effort [immigration raids]." — Jessica [11:08]
• Trump's Bubble and Who’s Really in Charge:
  • Suggestion that key decisions are driven by Stephen Miller and Russ Vought, not Trump himself, with Trump shielded from key policy details.
  • "He has no exposure to the realities on the ground... this is not a case of TDS, but he is not the one running this ship. Stephen Miller is running the ship." — Jessica [11:08]
• Farmer Bailouts and Hypocrisy:
  • Scott argues that many farmers, a Trump-aligned group, are now facing economic despair and are forced to accept bailouts they once derided in other groups.
  • "Your business isn't coming back... quite frankly and unfortunately, burning your crops is probably the right thing. And... what did you think you were gonna get anyways with that ugly night?" — Scott [15:00]

2. Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations: The Stakes and the Gridlock

Timestamps: [17:01]–[35:20]

Summary:

• Talks in Egypt offer a flicker of hope for a ceasefire in Gaza, two years since the initial Hamas terrorist attack. Both hosts reflect on staggering losses—Israeli and Palestinian—and explain the complexity and frailty of the current diplomatic framework.

Key Discussion Points:

• Marking the Two-Year Anniversary and the Human Cost:
  • Jessica sets the stage, marking two years since October 7th, with shifting dynamics on U.S. campuses and wider society.
  • "It's the two year anniversary of that horrific terrorist attack... and in the two years since then, it's reported that 60,000 Palestinians have been killed..." — Jessica [18:33]
• Diplomatic Skepticism and the Limits of American Pressure:
  • Scott underscores the erosion of U.S. credibility due to empty threats, and doubts whether Trump’s administration has the competence or patience for fragile diplomacy.
  • "We're really starting to see and pay the price for threats that have absolutely no veracity anymore... These deadlines no one takes seriously anymore." — Scott [20:14]
• Ceasefire Deal Details:
  • Jess summarizes the tentative hostage/prisoner swap and conditions for a broader deal, underlining hurdles like Hamas’s refusal to disarm and logistical issues in recovering deceased hostages.
  • "The hostages will be exchanged for 250 Palestinians... their expectation is that there are 20 hostages that are still alive and the remains of 25 of them." — Jessica [25:15]
• Trump, Business Mindset, and Policy Limitations:
  • Scott analyzes why Trump’s approach, rooted in business success, doesn’t translate well to international diplomacy, especially with complex ideological and humanitarian stakes.
  • "Business people don't make great politicians... be famous and then slap your name on something, but don't do any actual work." — Scott [28:34]
• Israel’s Precarious Moral High Ground:
  • Scott highlights the declining U.S. public support for Israel, the generational shift among American Jews, and the risks of losing international legitimacy.
  • "If Israel doesn't quickly figure out a way to take back the mantle as the good guys, we won't survive... The only way we survive is to punch above our weight class... from a position of the moral high ground." — Scott [34:00]
• Generational Macros in Political Change:
  • Jessica notes that pro-Israel sentiment is crumbling among Gen Z, reflecting deep structural shifts in political affiliations and priorities.
  • "We've lost here in the US an entire generation. You know, Gen Z has no affection whatsoever for Israel... there is no getting around that." — Jessica [35:20]

3. The Manosphere’s Breakup with Trump

Timestamps: [39:06]–[48:54]

Summary:

• Leading manosphere voices—Aiden Ross, Andrew Schultz, Theo Von, and even Joe Rogan—are expressing regret or actively distancing themselves from Trump after years of amplifying his views and boosting his digital reach.
• The reasons are personal and political, centering on the extremity of Trump’s policies, especially on immigration, and the realization of their own influence and responsibility.

Key Discussion Points:

• Public Regrets and Reconsiderations:
  • "Aiden Ross... admitting I wish I never got into politics. He says it's overshadowed who he really is and made him hesitant to ever engage politically again." — Scott [39:06]
  • Jessica underscores that these breaks are driven mainly by the anti-immigrant crackdown and related government overreach.
  • "Were you paying any attention to what his campaign was predicated on?... there is very little that has occurred [under Trump] that wasn't directly spelled out in literal playbooks." — Jessica [39:37]
• Influencer Platforms and Electoral Leverage:
  • Scott argues that these podcasters are far more influential than legacy news anchors, noting that “the manosphere delivered the election to Trump” in part by flipping young men to the GOP.
  • "If you look at who pivoted hardest from blue to red, 2020 to 2024, one of the biggest groups was people under the age of 30, of which these guys are as or more dominant than CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, all combined." — Scott [41:40]
• Imperfect Allies and Democratic Blind Spots:
  • Scott encourages Democrats to embrace “imperfect allies” rather than demand strict orthodoxy, stressing the need to reach new audiences through podcasts and alternative media.
  • "Something I don't like about the left is that they treat everyone that doesn't sign up for the exact same fucking narrative in hardcore orthodoxy as an apostate." — Scott [41:40]
  • "Anyone who wants to be president should have a second home in Austin right now because that's where all these manosphere podcasters are." — Scott [46:40]
• Barriers to Democratic Inclusion:
  • Jessica questions whether the manosphere even wants mainstream politicians as guests, noting the Democratic “brand is so stale... not an easy booking.”
  • "If they'll have us. They are not interested in being a stop on a press tour. They want to have good, heartfelt conversations..." — Jessica [48:06]
• Making Democrats “Cool” Again:
  • The hosts joke about how to make the Democratic Party more appealing to young, male, digital audiences, with Scott quipping about “showing a little bit of midriff.”
  • "We're bringing the D endemic. We're making Democratic sexy again." — Scott [48:47]

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• On immigration overreach:
  • "To see people in masks rounding up gardeners, housekeepers, restaurant workers, people who've been here 10, 20 years. And also, my understanding is a non zero number of citizens." — Scott [09:38]
• On the normalization of authoritarian policies:
  • "The politics of how the American populace writ large responds to an authoritarian power grab by the Trump administration has not been severe enough for me." — Jessica [04:21]
• On the futility of Trump administration threats:
  • "We're really starting to see and pay the price for threats that have absolutely no veracity anymore. These deadlines, no one takes seriously anymore." — Scott [20:14]
• On Israel’s precarious position:
  • "If Israel doesn't quickly figure out a way to take back the mantle as the good guys, we won't survive... Not only militarily, not only economically, but from a position of the moral high ground." — Scott [34:00]
• On the power of manosphere podcasts:
  • "These guys are the new Walter Cronkites... They are literally pee wee football compared to the Tom Brady... These guys appeal to the swing voter that is a young male who votes on economic issues..." — Scott [42:30]
• On the need for Democratic adaptability:
  • "Anyone who wants to be president should have a second home in Austin right now because that's where all these manosphere podcasters are." — Scott [46:40]

Memorable Moments

• Scott’s ‘Great Indoorsman’ Identity:
  • Scott calls himself the “great indoorsman” and jokes about edibles, Netflix, and staying inside, setting a casual and irreverent tone for the discussion. [02:25]
• Critique of Farmer Bails-Outs:
  • Scott bluntly says, "I don't have as much empathy for farmers. I think they were out of business 20 years ago. They just don't know it." [14:45]
• The role of influencers in American politics:
  • Scott calls Rogan’s Trump interview “equivalent to three hours a night of primetime cable across all three major networks for two weeks.” [41:40]
• Jessica on Democratic ‘Cool Factor’:
  • "The Democratic brand is so stale and, you know, not risky or risk averse... they don't necessarily seem like they're going to be a good hang." [48:06]
• Closing Banter:
  • Scott and Jessica riff on “making Democratic sexy again,” with Scott joking about showing more skin to make the party more appealing. [48:47]

Episode Takeaways

• The deployment of federal troops and immigration crackdowns are politically fraught and cause real societal harm, but haven’t provoked mass outrage or changed the political calculus yet.
• In the Israel-Gaza conflict, even as the diplomatic window cracks open, deep, generational shifts make peace and support precarious; Israel’s allies warn that moral standing and international opinion are in jeopardy.
• The manosphere’s partial breakup with Trump highlights the immense power of digital influencers in shaping electoral outcomes—and exposes both the power and pitfalls of that influence.
• Democrats need to learn how to connect with these new media powerbrokers and accept imperfect allies if they want to win back key voter segments.