The Rob Carson Show — Gordon Chang Discusses China & Global Tensions

Newsmax Podcasts | March 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Rob Carson is joined by renowned China analyst Gordon Chang for a deep exploration of China’s current standing on the world stage, its internal vulnerabilities, global tensions, and American national security risks. The conversation threads humor, pointed commentary, and sharp geopolitical insight, focusing on China’s ambitions, economic frailties, and the persistent threat it poses to U.S. interests. The show also touches on election security, border concerns, and other pressing domestic issues, utilizing Chang’s expertise to provide listeners with a clear-eyed view on global developments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

U.S. Domestic Corruption, Fraud, and the Border Crisis

(01:48 – 13:02)

• Rob opens the hour lamenting political corruption, particularly focusing on fraud committed by politicians and foreign nationals who have entered the U.S. illegally.
• He critiques the Biden administration’s border policies—linking open borders to increased crime and election manipulation:
  • “This is what the Biden administration did to us. They opened our southern border for no good reason other than to destroy our country. And for votes.” — Rob Carson (03:17)
• Discussion of large-scale fraud scandals in Minnesota and California, accusing politicians (notably Rep. Ilhan Omar) of corrupt enrichment while ordinary Americans struggle.
  • Steve Forbes: “It’s amazing how people can go into Congress and then become these entrepreneurial investing geniuses… suddenly now they’re multimillionaires. Is there a money laundering operation here?” (08:20)
• Strong calls for accountability and indictments: “People have got to go to jail. This is just ridiculous.” — Rob Carson (10:52)

Israel, Anti-Semitism, and U.S. Global Role

(13:02 – 16:35)

• Rob addresses anti-Semitic narratives and firmly supports Israel as an essential U.S. ally.
• Rebukes anti-Zionist rhetoric and defends common-sense positions:
  • “Hell yeah. I’m a Christian Zionist. …Israel is the only place where they had the deal on the table in 1947… All they [Palestinian leadership] had to do was stop attacking.” — Rob Carson (14:46)

Election Integrity and Voter ID Debate

(16:35 – 20:09)

• Stephen Miller discusses efforts to remove non-citizens from voter rolls; blue states allegedly obstructed these attempts.
  • “Every blue state refused. California refused. Minnesota refused. New York refused. In fact, they sued us to stop us from removing illegal aliens from the voter rolls.” — Stephen Miller (16:54)
• Rob strongly asserts that Democrats oppose Voter ID to allow illegal voting: “They don’t want voter ID because they want illegals to vote.” (15:11)

Gordon Chang Segment: China & Global Security

China’s Economic & Strategic Vulnerabilities

(22:35 – 29:44)

• Oil and Inflation: Chang highlights how Middle East instability and oil price shocks are undermining China’s fragile economy.
  • “Gasoline prices were up 11%. Diesel prices, more important to the economy, were up 13.5%... The effect has been so great that China… may turn into an inflationary environment overnight.” — Gordon Chang (23:07)
• Military Leadership Crisis: Xi Jinping has purged senior officers, degrading China’s capacity for complex military operations such as an invasion of Taiwan.
  • “To invade Taiwan involves combined air, land, sea operation. Need a lot of senior officers. Those guys are gone.” — Gordon Chang (24:33)
• Military Tech Weakness: Chinese military equipment, at least its exported versions, has proven ineffective in other theaters (Venezuela, Iran).

Drones and Homeland Security Threats

(27:13 – 29:08)

• Recent, concerning drone sightings over sensitive U.S. military bases (Fort McNair, MacDill, McGuire, Barksdale).
  • “These enormous drones, which are unjammable, by the way… this is a warning that, and we don’t know who exactly is behind these, but it’s probably China… They can take out a large portion of the U.S. at will.” — Gordon Chang (27:13)
• Possible origins for drone launches are discussed, but some are suspected to be launched domestically by agents already inside the U.S.

Infiltration Concerns—Chinese Operatives

(29:28 – 30:27)

• Reports of thousands (number debated, possibly 18,000–180,000) of Chinese military-age males entering via the southern border raise fears of sleeper agents.
  • “They’ve got networks of agents, operatives, and soldiers, and there’s a substantial number of them. I’m much more furious at our own government because first of all, they let them in, and now they don’t seem to be doing too much about it.” — Gordon Chang (29:44)

Additional Global Issues

China’s Involvement in U.S. Elections

(33:58 – 35:32)

• Citing reports and intelligence, Chang asserts that China interfered in the 2020 election, promoting Biden over Sanders and Trump.
  • “You don’t need to be in the intelligence community to know that China messed in the 2020 national election… China’s involvement in social media and text messages where they were trying to disrupt President Trump’s campaign is obvious.” — Gordon Chang (34:49)

Vietnam and North Korea Stability

(35:32 – 37:49)

• On Vietnam: Despite rumors, Chang sees Vietnam’s economy as robust, not in imminent danger of collapse.
  • “They’ve got a booming economy. Sometimes it’s too good… but I wouldn’t put Vietnam in that [at-risk] category.” — Gordon Chang (35:59)
• On North Korea: Kim Jong Un is thriving due to Russian support and no significant pressure; possible grooming of his daughter as the next leader.
  • “The important thing… is that he wants his daughter to succeed him.” — Gordon Chang (36:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On U.S. Political Graft:
  “Her version of the American dream is the Al Capone version of the American dream, Tony Soprano version of the American dream, and that is steal it. Steal from the taxpayer.” — Co-host/Commentator discussing Ilhan Omar (09:19)

• On American Voter ID:
  “So is murder, but people still do. … Yeah, we could end crime if we just made crime illegal.” — Rob Carson on claims non-citizen voting is already illegal (17:35, 18:36)

• On Absurdism in Modern Politics:
  “If you look at the science, the science is that if you have a penis, you’re a man. That’s a simple question.” — Rob Carson (41:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:48 – 13:02 — Political Corruption, Fraud, and Open Borders
• 13:02 – 16:35 — Israel, Anti-Semitism, and U.S. Foreign Policy
• 16:35 – 20:09 — Election Integrity: Voter ID and Illegal Voting
• 22:35 – 30:27 — Gordon Chang: China’s Economy, Military, Drones, and Infiltration Threat
• 33:58 – 35:32 — China’s Interference in the U.S. Elections
• 35:32 – 37:49 — Vietnam and North Korea: Political and Economic Update
• 41:00 – 41:50 — Gender & Science Satire with Piers Morgan

Conclusion & Closing Tone

With humor and a sense of urgency, Rob Carson and Gordon Chang warn listeners about the seriousness of both internal political corruption and the real threats China poses—economically, militarily, and politically. The show closes reaffirming the need for “common sense versus nonsense” in public policy and the importance of vigilance as both citizens and voters.

Further Resources:

• Follow Gordon Chang: X/Twitter @GordonGChang
• Gordon Chang’s articles: gordonchang.com
• Show archives and upcoming listener events: TravelWithRob.net