The Victor Davis Hanson Show

Episode: Bolton’s and Comey’s Troubles and Cracker Barrel’s Own Goal
Date: August 26, 2025
Hosts: Victor Davis Hanson & Jack Fowler

Episode Overview

In this wide-ranging episode, Victor Davis Hanson and co-host Jack Fowler examine recent political and cultural developments, including the renewed federal investigation into John Bolton, revelations of leaks authorized by James Comey, and backlash against Cracker Barrel’s controversial branding decision. The hosts explore issues of political retribution, elite insularity, racial politics, shifts within the Democratic Party, and the cultural currents shaping contemporary America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The John Bolton Investigation

[05:55 - 12:14]

• Overview:
  The Trump team, including Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, appears to be reviving the investigation into John Bolton’s handling of classified information, particularly surrounding the publication of his memoir during the 2020 election.

• Hanson's Analysis:

  • Trump’s comments about Bolton are both "unique" and indicative of personal hostility but sidestep substantive engagement on the investigation.
  • The left and Never Trumpers are calling the renewed investigation "tit for tat retribution." However, Hanson notes that if new evidence of wrongdoing emerges, it's legitimate.
  • Bolton was loathed by both sides of the political aisle, yet is now being used by the left for anti-Trump purposes.
  • Hanson considers the broader issue of selective accountability for figures like Clapper, McCabe, Brennan, Comey, and Fauci under the Biden administration.
  • Quote [08:25]:
    “If you don't do anything, they'll do it again. And there's no deterrence. If you do do something, it looks like you're engaging in revenge politics.”

• Fowler Adds:

  • Shares personal interactions with Bolton, his surprising post-White House actions, and the ethical questions of leveraging high office for book deals aimed at harming Trump’s reelection.
  • Quote [13:05]:
    “What part of his job was work and what part of it was research for the book that he was intending on writing… to kneecap Donald Trump's reelection?”

• Victor’s Critique of Bolton’s Choices:

  • Bolton could have resigned honorably and maintained credibility, akin to Bob Gates or H.R. McMaster.
  • Instead, his repeated public attacks on Trump alienated him from both MAGA and mainstream Republicans.
  • The conversation ties Bolton’s fate to that of other anti-Trump conservatives, questioning their relevance.
  • Quote [17:11]:
    “He's very unpopular. If you mention his name among not just MAGA people, but now doctrinaire Republicans, they're very negative toward him. I don't understand why he did all of this. It's ego.”

2. Cracker Barrel’s "Own Goal" and the Backlash Against Corporate Progressivism

[17:47 - 28:39]

• Issue:
  Cracker Barrel faced backlash after making changes seen as alienating their traditional customer base.

• Hanson’s Take:

  • Argues this is part of a broader trend where corporations, detached from their customer base, push progressive proclamations to appeal to urban/elite sensibilities.
  • Sees this as symptomatic of elites who view middle and rural America with scorn, treating traditional Americans as "losers of globalization."
  • Links the Cracker Barrel move to the backlash against Bud Light and Target.
  • Quote [20:07]:
    “They really do think people are stupid. So the average Cracker Barrel constituent says, well, they're removing that because they don't like me.”

• On Racial Politics:

  • Hanson details how identity politics and explicit denigration of "white working class" Americans are fueling a populist backlash that crosses racial and party lines.
  • Quote [22:02]:
    “They have created a permanent backlash. And people are sick of it… It's not just so-called white people.”

• Cultural Double Standards:

  • References recent statements by media figures disparaging whites and muses on the reversal:
    Quote [24:00]:
    “If you had reversed that and somebody said that their career would be over...”

3. U.S. Politics: Policing, Trump, and the Democratic Party’s Crisis

[36:39 - 56:09]

• D.C. Crime and National Guard Deployment:

  • Trump’s deployment of federal personnel to reduce D.C. crime wins broad support from affected communities, but is opposed by elite, largely white professionals more distant from the consequences.
  • Quote [36:39]:
    “The opposition to it is very strange... For people who live right on the battle zones, they're for it, of course... it's a Pavlovian response. If Donald Trump wants to close the borders, we're for illegal immigration.”

• Political Polarization:

  • Hanson critiques the left’s reflexive opposition to Trump policies, noting that on key issues (immigration, crime, policing), Trump’s positions are more mainstream than those of his critics.
  • He identifies the establishment’s problem as being both their policy positions and their "arrogance"—what he dubs "Pete Buttigiegism."

• Transformation of the Democratic Party:

  • Hanson traces how wealth concentration among the bicoastal elite, the radicalization of universities, demographic engineering via open borders, and identity politics have all conspired to shift the Democratic Party away from the middle class.
  • Quote [45:32]:
    “How did the Democrats go crazy?... The Democratic Party said, we don't need the middle class. We are the wealthy people, but we're the good wealthy people...”
  • Notes that this leftward lurch and top-down cultural engineering is backfiring, producing serious inroads by Trump among working-class Black and Hispanic men and younger voters.

4. The NFL’s Woke Moves & Cultural Change

[31:23 - 35:56]

• Male Cheerleaders in the NFL:

  • Hanson views the introduction of male cheerleaders as a top-down, ideologically driven effort that ignores actual consumer demand.
  • Quote [33:27]:
    “Who is the constituency for male cheerleaders?... It's not a market-centered proposition. It's not a fan-generated phenomenon. It's a top down PC cracker barrel solution.”

• Broader Point:

  • Ties to a society out of touch with tradition, etiquette, and actual public sentiment, referencing the decline in civility and shifting social mores.

5. James Comey and the Culture of Unaccountability in Federal Government

[58:19 - 62:52]

• Background:
  Declassified memos indicate Comey authorized leaks of classified information, but DOJ declined to prosecute, despite his statements to Congress.

• Hanson’s View:

  • Describes Comey as a broken public figure, emblematic of a class of elite, unaccountable bureaucrats, including McCabe, Clapper, Brennan, and Fauci.
  • Quote [58:19]:
    “He lied by saying basically he did a kind of a plead the Fifth Amendment by saying I don't know... He's a completely broken person.”
  • Critiques the failure to hold these figures to account as evidence of politicized and unequal law enforcement.
  • Suggests bringing them back to testify, confronting them with their own words and contradictions.
  • Quote [62:52]:
    “What do you do with these liars? That's the question... If you go after them, then it's retribution. If you let them go, then they're higher than the law.”

6. Immigration, Truck Drivers, and California’s Decline

[70:07 - 78:23]

• Marco Rubio Freezes Visas for Truck Drivers:
  • Rubio paused issuance of work visas for commercial truck drivers after a fatal crash caused by an illegal immigrant with a commercial license.
  • Hanson uses this story to illustrate the larger failures of California and the U.S. immigration system, arguing that rules are bent for those in favored political categories at the expense of public safety.
  • Quote [71:03]:
    “When you have the most illegal aliens in the United States... they don't just stay in California. They go everywhere. And... can cause a lot of damage.”
  • Hanson laments the decay of social norms and civic responsibility, both on the roads and in public life.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Selective Justice (Bolton, Comey, etc.):
  “If you can make the argument that these people broke the law... and they were given a free hand, a de facto clemency amnesty during the Biden four years... if you can do that, I think it'll be fine...” – Hanson, [09:35]

• On Cracker Barrel and Elite Contempt:
  "We're just going to get this kind of white nationalist barrel out... and we'll just have a... who can object to a logo. They really do think people are stupid." — Hanson, [20:07]

• On the Democratic Party’s Evolution:
  "The Democratic Party said, we don't need the middle class. We are the wealthy people, but we're the good wealthy people." — Hanson, [45:32]

• On Cultural Double Standards:
  "If you had reversed that and somebody said that, their career would be over... But, you know, Jesse Watters said on national TV, 'well, I can list a lot of things white people [have done].'" — Hanson, [24:00]

• On Decline of Decorum:
  "It's really shocking about the decline. I was thinking... if you think what you see—that menagerie you see on planes with people dressed in yoga pants and halter tops... eating chilly boats. There's no decorum." — Hanson, [66:02]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [05:55] – Bolton investigation, personal reflections, political ramifications
• [17:47] – Cracker Barrel, corporate wokeness, and middle America backlash
• [31:23] – NFL male cheerleaders, market vs. ideology
• [36:39] – Trump’s policing intervention in D.C., left’s reflexive positions
• [45:32] – Deep dive: The transformation of the Democratic Party
• [58:19] – Comey, classified leaks, elite unaccountability
• [70:07] – Marco Rubio blocks visas for truck drivers, California’s lawlessness
• [66:02, 70:07] – Broader commentary on social decline and responsibility

Tone, Style, and Structure

• The conversation blends historical analogy, cultural references, and pointed political critique.
• Victor Davis Hanson’s language alternates between analytical and conversational, with asides, personal stories, and a mix of earnest warning and dry humor.
• Jack Fowler supplements with journalistic insights and personal anecdotes.

Summary Takeaways

This episode surveys the growing divide between elite and popular opinion in American politics and culture. Whether discussing the weaponization and selectivity of justice (Bolton, Comey), corporate virtue signaling (Cracker Barrel), or policy failures in immigration and urban safety, Hanson highlights a rising backlash against arbitrary power and cultural disdain from the ruling class. The discussion repeatedly returns to the need for accountability, transparency, and a return to shared civic norms—across party, class, and racial divides.