The Rubin Report: “'Shark Tank' Legend Notices Something in Drug Boat Strike Others Are Unwilling to See”

Host: Dave Rubin
Date: December 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Rubin tackles several hot-button political topics, centering the discussion on recent U.S. military action against fentanyl-smuggling boats originating from Venezuela, the media's and political left's response, and what that signals about American resolve. The episode then pivots to the January 6th pipe bomber, a major Somali-American fraud scandal in Minnesota, the impact of mass migration in Europe, and the broader implications for Western nations. Rubin weaves in commentary on media hypocrisy, progressive dysfunction in U.S. cities, and the cultural impacts of technology and modern life, frequently referencing guest insights and viral media clips. The tone remains pointed, sometimes humorous, and unapologetically critical of the establishment left and mainstream media.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Drug Boat Strike and Media Reactions

[01:31 – 14:37]

• Kevin O’Leary’s Take on the U.S. blowing up fentanyl boats is highlighted. Rubin describes O’Leary as a “great American-esque entrepreneur” (01:31) and agrees with his blunt stance: drug smugglers who risk American lives shouldn’t expect mercy.

  “If you're bringing fentanyl on a boat, you might just get blown up. Suck it.”
  — Dave Rubin, paraphrasing Kevin O’Leary (03:11)

• Signal vs. Legalisms:
  Rubin stresses that the point is about sending a clear message to prospective smugglers:

  “It’s the signal you send to the rest of the world… you better not do that.” (05:45)

• Media Critique:

  • Rubin accuses the left and mainstream media (notably CNN and NBC) of focusing more on potential ‘war crimes’ against narco-traffickers than fentanyl deaths in the U.S.
  • Details how Kristen Welker pressed Sen. Tom Cotton about whether smugglers should be shot at the border, with Rubin asking rhetorically:

    “Why not shoot them at the border? …Again, there’s a signal issue.” (06:54)

• Discusses The View:
  Criticizes Whoopi Goldberg and panel for painting the U.S. action as a “war crime,” arguing this is out of touch with average Americans affected by the opioid crisis (08:40).

• Congressman Jim Himes' Framing:
  Annoyed by Democratic reframing of narco-terrorists as “shipwrecked sailors.” Rubin is unapologetic about his lack of sympathy for those smuggling drugs:

  “He didn’t care about Venezuelan narco terrorists.” (10:44)

• Democratic Hypocrisy:
  State Senator Eric Schmidt is cited for pointing out the left’s tendency to see the best intentions in criminals and the worst in political opponents (11:32).

2. January 6th Pipe Bomber and Media Confusion

[14:37 – 21:27]

• Arrest After Five Years:
  DOJ finally arrests Brian Cole Jr. for planting pipe bombs, but confusion swirls over his race—highlighting media misreporting (15:25).

• CNN’s Jake Tapper Mistake:
  Rubin lampoons Tapper for describing Cole as white, when photos show he’s black. Rubin uses this to critique wider media unreliability and bias (16:53).

  “Jake Tapper’s rods and cones are going crazy in his eyes. Maybe he needs to see a doctor. That man is black, Jake.” (16:53)

• Broader Point:
  Media “laundering” of political narratives—Democrats lie, media covers or distorts, Republicans are accused of “pouncing” if they push back (18:00).

3. Military Obedience, Lawfulness, and Mark Kelly

[21:27 – 22:48]

• The View & Illegal Orders:
  Sonny Hostin tries to convince Stephen A. Smith to change his mind regarding Mark Kelly’s video instructing troops they can refuse illegal orders.

  “If there was something illegal happening, they would have said it in the video… But they didn’t, so it was obvious.” (21:27)

• Rubin’s Commentary:
  Critiques preemptive alarmism, comparing it to “Minority Report”’s precrime notion (22:15).

4. Minnesota Somali Fraud Scandal

[22:48 – 29:33]

• Treasury Investigation:
  Huge money laundering and fraud reported involving the Somali community, Ilhan Omar, AG Keith Ellison, and others. Money not just stolen, but sent abroad—potentially hundreds of millions to Somalia (23:31).

• Rubin’s View:
  Distinguishes this as a more severe scandal than typical political corruption because U.S. funds are rapidly disappearing overseas (24:37).

• Ilhan Omar’s Response:
  Plays Omar’s retort to Trump’s criticism of the Somali community and equates Stephen Miller to Nazis (26:09). Rubin calls her rhetoric “so vile, it’s impossible to analyze.”

• Money Transfer Mechanisms:
  Interview with Scott Besant reveals wire-transfer businesses (MBSS) sending campaign donations and redirected public funds to Africa and the Middle East (27:38).

• Tom Homan’s Perspective:
  Asserts the real problem is millions of unknown ‘gotaways’ during Biden’s presidency and the left’s attempts to minimize illegal immigration impact (29:33).

5. Immigrant Assimilation & American Identity

[29:33 – 36:58]

• Viral Somali-American Video:
  Rubin discusses a clip of a Somali-American boasting of a “partial takeover” of Minnesota. Rubin’s concern is both the tone of triumphalism and what it signals for assimilation:

  “What’s he talking about? … Somalis who are thriving in America and love the country… yes. But we are also finding out that a huge amount of them are living on the dole, are intentionally and sometimes unintentionally sending more money back to Somalia.” (33:19)

• Mayor Jacob Fry’s Praise:
  Contrasts with Fry’s statement about Somalis being an “extraordinary benefit” to Minneapolis, suggesting local leaders ignore negative impacts of failed integration policies (35:00).

6. Sanctuary Cities & Illegal Immigration

[36:59 – 41:21]

• NYC’s Mayor-Elect and ICE:
  Rubin blasts new NYC mayor’s open pledge to shield illegals from ICE, which he sees as preemptive lawbreaking and a sign of dysfunctional governance.

7. Europe’s Migration Crisis and U.S. Policy Reversal

[41:21 – 50:26]

• Trump Doctrine on Mass Migration:
  New National Security Strategy redefines the U.S.’s priorities, shifting away from Middle East intervention to focusing on Western Hemisphere security and migration as a top threat (41:52).

  “Europe could be unrecognizable in 20 years or less due to mass migration… The real and more stark prospect is of civilizational erasure.” (41:52)

• EU’s Migration Pact:
  New regulations force countries to accept migrants or pay fines. Hungary is fined €1 million/day for refusing; Rubin calls the EU’s leverage “an extortion racket” (48:00).

• Freedom of Speech Restrictions:
  EU official notes it’s a crime to insult others online, a move Rubin warns could be weaponized against dissenters and border critics.

• Eva Vlaardingerbroek Critique:
  Advocates for abolition of the EU, arguing reform is impossible:

  “The only answer is the Tower of Babel needs to be destroyed.” (49:46)

8. America’s Economic and Cultural Crossroads

[50:26 – 61:00]

• Jamie Dimon & Jensen Huang: Europe’s Bureaucratic Paralysis vs. U.S. Dynamism

  • Europe’s inability to act swiftly, innovate, or defend itself undermines its future.
  • U.S., by contrast, is reindustrializing (“drill, baby, drill”); leadership not beholden to outside interests.

• California as a Warning:
  Stephen A. Smith and Adam Carolla discuss why Gavin Newsom’s presidential chances are dim: homelessness, crime, and high cost of living make California an unattractive model (54:10).

• Adam Carolla on Modern Despair:
  Links societal malaise and depression to lack of purposeful, physical work and social atomization; nostalgia for eras when, though “everyone was miserable, nobody was depressed.”

  “We put them in a cubicle and we fired air conditioning at him and… we started eating our own brains.” (58:36)
  “Little House on the Prairie—everyone was miserable but no one was depressed.” (60:18)

• Rubin’s Takeaway:
  We must build, innovate, and foster freedom as an alternative to leftist decline; Florida as his model (61:00).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Fentanyl Boat Strikes

• Dave Rubin, paraphrasing O’Leary [03:11]:
  “If you're bringing fentanyl on a boat, you might just get blown up. Suck it.”

• On media focus [05:45]:
  “It’s the signal you send to the rest of the world … you better not do that.”

On Pipe Bomber Coverage

• On Jake Tapper’s reporting [16:53]:
  “That man is black, Jake. I don't know…are you just reading off the prompter?”

On Immigration Policy

• On Democrat outrage [11:32]:
  “Democrats have such X ray vision and clairvoyance that they know the intentions of narco terrorists on boats, yet we're so blind to see that they had a president for four years that was operating as a vegetable in Joe Biden.”

On the Minnesota Scandal

• On Ilhan Omar [26:58]:
  “She is so vile, it's like it's impossible to analyze it really in some way…”

On Europe’s Future

• National Security Document [41:52]:
  “Europe could be unrecognizable in 20 years or less due to mass migration, adding that the demographic shift raises doubts about future US Allies on the continent.”

• On action vs. bureaucracy [52:00]:
  “They let their military drop dramatically. It’s very bureaucratic, which is why part of the reason that, you know, they lost Britain to the EU, which I think makes it bad for both of them, by the way.”

On Modern Culture & Building

• Adam Carolla [58:36]:
  “We put them in a cubicle and we fired air conditioning at him and…we started eating our own brains.”

• On pre-modern life [60:18]:
  “You watch Little House on the Prairie. No one was depressed. Everyone was miserable. But no one was depressed.”

Important Timestamps

• 01:31 – Discussion starts: O’Leary on the boat strikes
• 05:45 – Rubin on the importance of signaling tough policy
• 09:51 – Discussion of classified video controversy
• 16:53 – Jake Tapper’s reporting gaffe on pipe bomber
• 21:27 – Stephen A. Smith and The View on Mark Kelly
• 23:31 – Minnesota Somali fraud scandal overview
• 26:09 – Ilhan Omar’s Trump/Nazi commentary
• 33:16 – Somali-American boasts about “partial takeover”
• 35:00 – Mayor Jacob Fry on Somali community’s benefit
• 41:21 – U.S. National Security shift regarding Europe and migration
• 48:00 – Hungary fined by the EU for migration policy
• 49:46 – Eva Vlaardingerbroek: “The EU needs to end”
• 52:00 – Jamie Dimon: EU’s bureaucratic woes
• 54:10 – Stephen A. Smith on Newsom’s presidential chances
• 58:36 – Adam Carolla on meaning and mental health
• 61:00 – Rubin’s conclusion on building a positive vision

Summary Flow & Tone

Rubin maintains his signature snarky and combative tone, mixing sharp political critique with accessible analogies and humor. The episode is a blend of rapid-fire clips, news reactions, and monologues, often looping back to themes of honest debate, American renewal, and the perils of bureaucratic decline. Key moments include his unapologetic stance on drug smuggler deterrence, ridicule of media failures, and calls to rebuild both American industry and honest public life. The show closes with nostalgia for a time when American culture was more cohesive and rooted in shared effort.

For listeners who missed the episode, this summary encapsulates the sequence, arguments, and cultural references while clearly identifying speaker moments and the evolving discussion.