Eeyore Is Dead: Real Hope For America

Summary

The Victor Davis Hanson Show: "Eeyore Is Dead: Real Hope For America"

Release Date: February 6, 2025

Hosts: Victor Davis Hanson, Jack Fowler
Guest: Unnamed Guest
Additional Contributors: Sammy Wink

---

Introduction

The episode begins with Victor Davis Hanson welcoming Native Path as the podcast's sponsor, highlighting their high-quality collagen products. Shortly after, Jack Fowler introduces the co-host and guest, setting the stage for a discussion on pressing political and social issues.

---

Chuck Grassley Releases FBI Whistleblower Records

Timestamp: [06:24]

Jack Fowler brings attention to a significant development reported by John Solomon's Just the News. The headline discusses Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley releasing whistleblower records that implicate a former FBI agent in anti-Trump activities related to Jack Smith's 2020 election interference case.

Key Points:

• Senator Grassley and Senator Ron Johnson have released internal FBI emails and records.
• These documents suggest former FBI agent Timothy Tebow Bolt was pivotal in shaping the false elector case against Trump.
• The guest emphasizes Bolt's role in suppressing evidence related to Hunter Biden's laptop, alleging political motivations within the FBI.

Notable Quote:

"The point is that he was the person that was coordinating that and the suppression of the news about the authenticity of that laptop with social media to repress the story like in the New York Post and stuff."
— Unnamed Guest [08:06]

---

Internal Conflicts within the Kennedy Family

Timestamp: [12:31]

The conversation shifts to the Kennedy family's internal strife, focusing on Caroline Kennedy's public attack on her cousin, Robert Kennedy Jr. Caroline accuses him of being hypocritical in his stance on vaccinations, suggesting personal enrichment from his anti-vaccine crusade.

Key Points:

• Caroline Kennedy alleges Robert is "addicted to attention and power" and hypocritical about vaccination.
• The guest challenges these claims by highlighting the Kennedy family's long history of internal conflicts and controversial actions.
• Discussion touches on historical instances of recklessness within the family, such as JFK Jr.'s tragic airplane crash.

Notable Quote:

"I can't imagine why she would do that, especially given the, and she was almost blaming all of the Kennedy pathologies on Bobby, which made no sense because most of the older generation had worse appetites even than Bobby's generation."
— Unnamed Guest [15:00]

---

Military Recruitment Challenges and Strategica Issue

Timestamp: [26:55]

Victor introduces the new issue of Strategica, focusing on military recruitment. The guest delves into the alarming shortfall of 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers over the past three years and critiques the Pentagon's responses.

Key Points:

• The military faces significant recruitment shortages despite competitive wages.
• Traditional recruitment arguments like unemployment rates and physical fitness have not resolved the issue.
• The guest argues that the military has subtly lowered recruitment standards to meet targets, undermining the quality and prestige of military service.
• Highlighted is the erosion of the military's strategic effectiveness due to politicization and internal conflicts over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Notable Quote:

"What happened is that the grandmother that you go talk to, and I talk a lot of military history. And as I said to Sammy, you get these people ask, well, you know, my, my dad, he, he, he served in World war. My granddad served in World War II..."
— Unnamed Guest [32:09]

---

Media Bias and Funding Concerns

Timestamp: [49:09]

The discussion turns critical of public broadcasting entities like NPR and PBS, accusing them of inherent left-wing bias and questioning the sustainability of their funding models.

Key Points:

• The guest argues that NPR and PBS have deviated from their original, non-political missions, becoming politically biased institutions.
• Criticism is directed at their reliance on taxpayer funding, suggesting that their content no longer fills a unique market niche.
• The guest advocates for reducing or eliminating federal support for these institutions, positing that their content can be accessed through other means without government subsidies.

Notable Quote:

"I just don't think people 40 or 40 years after their creation is going to put up with it anymore, especially Trump."
— Unnamed Guest [54:47]

---

Security Concerns for Public Figures

Timestamp: [73:35]

Victor and the guest discuss the importance of security details for public figures, referencing past experiences and the current climate of threats against pundits and commentators.

Key Points:

• The guest shares personal anecdotes about receiving threats and the lack of adequate security support.
• There's a critique of inconsistent government policies regarding security details, highlighting discrepancies based on financial status and political involvement.
• The conversation underscores the growing hostility faced by public figures and the need for better protective measures.

Notable Quote:

"All of us have problems with security. And it's not just pundits. It's p. Everybody does."
— Unnamed Guest [67:34]

---

Conclusion and Listener Feedback

Timestamp: [78:06]

As the episode winds down, the hosts reflect on media experiences and listener interactions. Listener feedback is highlighted, praising Victor's humor and insightful commentary.

Key Points:

• Allison B. from Sonoma County, California, commends Victor for his dry humor and engaging discussions.
• The hosts encourage listeners to subscribe to Victor's newsletter, follow him on social media, and engage with his various platforms for more content.

Notable Quote:

"Professor Hansen makes me laugh. His humor is so dryly hilarious and his impromptu impressions are a riot."
— Listener Allison B. [79:16]

---

Final Thoughts

The episode "Eeyore Is Dead: Real Hope For America" delves deep into intricate political and social issues, highlighting internal governmental conflicts, media biases, and challenges within military recruitment. Through incisive dialogue and personal anecdotes, Victors and his guests paint a nuanced picture of the current American landscape, advocating for transparency, integrity, and respect for foundational institutions.

---

For more insights and discussions, visit victorhansen.com or subscribe to The Victor Davis Hanson Show on your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Victor Davis Hanson]

Hello everyone. I'm excited to welcome Native Path to the Victor Davis Hanson Show. I use personally their products and the PM Kelagen with melatonin and electrolyte and amino acid drink mixes when I work out are my favorite. Native Path is made with only type 1 and 3 collagen fibers. These are the two most important types as they make up about 90% of the collagen in the body. Found in our cartilage, bone, skin, hair, nails, gut and more. A lot of other brands use a rainbow of fibers and fillers, but all you really need for maximum Benefits are types 1 and 3. Native path is a single ingredient, collagen. No fillers, no additives, no artificial sweeteners and they are third party tested for heavy metals. It is also completely flavorless so you can put it in anything. Coffee, smoothies, soup, you name it. Because Native Path's recipe is a peptide formula, it's more bioavailable, meaning it's absorbed into the body more easily and mixes much better than other brands. No clumping at all. And best of all, Native Path offers really amazing bundle deals that are only available with our special link where you can get three and six packs at a fraction of the price of of other collagen brands. Native Path has sold over 5 million jars of collagen, has over 1 million happy customers, has over 6,000 5 star reviews and a 365 day no risk guarantee. So visit getnativepath.comvictor and start your transformation today. That's G E T N A T I V E p a t h.com Victor V I c T O R and we're happy to have Native Path as a sponsor of the Victor Davis Hansen Show.

[Jack Fowler]

Hello ladies. Hello gentlemen to the already giggling duo of Victor Davis Hansen and Jack Fowler.

[Sammy Wink]

Welcome to the victory.

[Unnamed Guest]

I'm happy Trump won. I'm happy. I don't. I don't have to apologize.

[Jack Fowler]

That's right.

[Unnamed Guest]

Eeyore is dead.

[Jack Fowler]

Never say never. Hey, welcome folks. This is the Victor Davis Hansen show where you're recording on Saturday 1st February. This episode will be up on the 6th. The Victor Davis Hansen is the Martin and Ely Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Wayne and Marsha Busky Distinguished Fellow in History at Hillsdale College. And he's got a website, the Blade of Perseus. The web address there is victorhansen.com more on that later. Lots to talk about culturally. New issue of Strategic, some Kennedy family stuff. But we're going to start off the show today to get Victor's views on a little bomb Chuck Grassley Senator Grassley dropped on the FBI, and we'll get Victor's thoughts on that when we come back from these important messages.

[Sammy Wink]

History, economics, the great works of literature, the meaning of the U.S. constitution. Did you study these things in school? Probably not. Or even if you did, maybe it's time for a refresher. Time and technology have changed a lot of things, but they've not changed the basic fundamental truths about the world and our place in it. Hillsdale College is offering more than 40 free online courses. That's right, more than 40 free online courses. Learn about the works of C.S. lewis, the stories in the Book of Genesis, the meaning of the US Constitution, the rise and fall of the Roman Republic, or the history of the ancient Christian Church with Hillsdale College's free online courses. Personally, I'm enjoying Hillsdale's course the Second World wars taught by Victor Davis Hanson and Hillsdale's President Larry Piarn. This free seven lecture course will help you understand this massive and complex conflict in a new way. It will give you a clear picture of why the war was fought and how the allied powers ultimately triumphed in order to save the west from a new form of tyranny. The course is self paced so that you can start whenever and wherever. Go right now to Hillsdale Edu VDH to enroll. There's no cost and it's easy to get started. That's Hillsdale Edu VDH to enroll for free Hillsdale Edu VDH this Valentine's Day, elevate your gift giving with a gesture that goes beyond the ordinary. Treat your sweetheart to to Wire to Fish Coffee Wire to Fish Coffee is not just a great cup of coffee which your partner will 100% enjoy. We're also committed to turning your coffee enjoyment into a force for good. Wire to fish Coffee contributes 25% of its profits to vital causes like clean water initiatives, conservation efforts and faith based missions around the world. Make a statement that isn't just some superficial gift for your Valentine by showing your love for your partner and the planet simultaneously. It's the perfect blend of something you can both enjoy combined with a purpose. This Valentine's Day, make it about your love and making a difference. Shop coffee combos including a Just the News special offer and Valentine's Gift Packs or subscribe today for exclusive savings. Enjoy a special 10% off your your first order with the discount code Just News. Visit Wired to Fish Coffee and gift your favorite coffee lover a great brew that supports something they love we are.

[Jack Fowler]

Back with the Victor Davis Hansen Show. Victor, here's a headline from Just the News. By the way, Just the news dot com. That's John Solomon founded that excellent site.

[Unnamed Guest]

John Solomon does wonderful work as a.

[Jack Fowler]

Investigative reporter and it's the mothership of this podcast.

[Unnamed Guest]

It is, it is.

[Jack Fowler]

Which is also now it's also on video on Rumble. You can check it out any which way. Here's the headline. Grassley drops FBI whistleblower records that show anti Trump Agent was Behind Jack Smith 2020 case and victim. Just read very quickly here the beginning of the article. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley on Thursday, which I think would have been January 30th released a series of whistleblower records that allegedly show a former FBI agent who was known for being anti Donald Trump played an important role in Jack Smith's 2020 election interference case. Grassley and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson, who's a senator from Wisconsin, claimed that internal emails and records show that former FBI agent Timothy Tebow Tebow T I Bolt B A U L T who was fired in 2024 for violating the Hatch act, sent us a board in an email that included the language from what ultimately became Smith's false elector case. I believe Victor Thiebow came up once.

[Unnamed Guest]

Before, maybe came up many times before he did.

[Jack Fowler]

But Tony Bobaliewski was, I think he was the, he interviewed with him or talked to him and he never want.

[Unnamed Guest]

To hear, he didn't want to hear the truth. He was the one that shepherded the FBI's effort to squash all of the evidence that implicated the Biden consortium in quid pro quo bribery with Ukraine, Romania, China. But he was most prominent, as I remember, I'm doing this by memory, that he was the point man on suppressing the, the existence of the Hunter Bide top laptop which the FBI confiscated and they held for over a year. And they had post facto, we know they knew that it was authentic and they, they not only knew that the 51 intelligence authorities who signed that letter and then said it had all the hallmarks of Russian information and we've talked about that. They didn't use the word disinformation because they wanted to say, well, we're lying and we know we're lying and they're going to catch us. So then we'll just say we just said it was information, not disinformation and the same thing, but hallmarks of rather than is. But they were lying, all of them. And, but the point is that he was the person that was Coordinating that and the suppression of the news about the authenticity of that laptop with, you know, with social media to repress the story like in the New York Post and stuff. So he's gone because he was so flagrant in using his office for political purposes. They got him under the Hatch act and that whole eighth floor, I mean that, that's one of the things Cash Patel had said. And they went after him. They said, did you say you were going to fire the whole eighth floor there? Yeah, I did. He's going to have to. But everybody should remember, as I said to Sammy, there are literally hundreds of old hands at the FBI who did not like what is going on under. They didn't like under Mueller, they didn't like it under Comey, they didn't like under McCabe, they didn't like it under Ray, they didn't like the DI and they are probably in their 60s and they're willing to come back and you know, be his top echelon and straighten out the FBI for three or four years. And I hope they do come back. They need them.

[Jack Fowler]

You know, Victor, we, we, we've talked so many hours about the, about the FBI and disparaged. What requires being disparaged but, but a weak FBI, ineffective, misplaced, whatever is not good for America. It does. It does.

[Unnamed Guest]

I don't know what it was. It got into the intelligence gathering and I didn't understand that right after 911 Comey and those people got it in there. Robert Mueller. And we have. The Director of National Intelligence is supposed to coordinate, but we have the National Security Agency, we have the Defense Intelligence Group, we have the CIA, we have all of these intelligence. What we don't have is investigatory experts. And the old job of the FBI was to a. When there was a federal crime and the feds had jurisdiction, they flew in and they looked at the murder scene or whatever and they had the sterling reputation for their forensic labs and everything. And then they also helped local law enforcement and they had a registry of most wanted. That was what the FBI did really well. But when they got into the counter terrorism globalism, they put agents all over the world and they got full of themselves and they got politicized and weaponized. As many of the people should remember that the intelligence community is mostly left wing. They draw out of universities like Harvard, Yale, Princeton to go into the CIA. I've met a lot of people in the CIA. I haven't met too many that are conservative to tell you the truth. They're kind of like officers or any Officer who's a general or an admiral who's a four star person and spent a long time in Washington, discovered very quickly that the Congress likes you, the left wing Congress, because you have a chain of command that can green light or fuel social, cultural change, trans abortion, go get the generals in here. They can get it implemented. They don't have the storm and Drang of Congress and they tend to make the necessary adjustments politically.

[Jack Fowler]

Well, Victor, let's, let's talk about an old American family, the Kennedys. So again that we're recording on February 1st, this shows up on the 6th and for all I know, Victor, by the time the show airs, the vote to committee vote for Robert Kennedy to move him ahead or the full Senate vote, they may have, may have happened. But Caroline Kennedy is famous first cousin and she's put out a, I think a quite vicious, vicious attack on him. And here's, here's the beginning of a story on it. In a letter obtained by the Washington Post and sent to lawmakers ahead of Kennedy's confirmation hearings, the former ambassador to Australia and Japan, that's Caroline Kennedy, alleges that her cousin, quote, is addicted to attention and power, end quote, and has given hypocritical advice to discourage parents from vaccinating their children while vaccinating his own. She alleged that his, quote, crusade against vaccination has also served to enrich him. I have known Bobby my whole life. We grew up together. Caroline Kennedy wrote it's no surprise he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator. I thought the Kennedys all stuck together.

[Unnamed Guest]

Victor, but it's really disturbing. I mean, we all have people in their family that disagree with us and I sure do. I think I'm the only Trump person in my immediate family. But I can't imagine them if I were to get an appointment and heaven forbid I would never want one. But I can't imagine them coming out and writing that. I'm surely that I wouldn't do that. I love my brothers. I wouldn't do that. Even though we disagree. I can't imagine why she would do that, especially given the, and she was almost blaming all of the Kennedy pathologies on Bobby, which made no sense because most of the older generation had worse appetites even than Bobby's generation. Talking about the chronic alcoholism of Ted Kennedy, his culpability with, you know, the bridge and the death of Mary Jo Campechne. I'm talking about the philandering of very young interns by JFK. I'm talking about.

[Jack Fowler]

Grandpa Joe.

[Unnamed Guest]

I really like JFK Jr. John. John. But he did something very reckless when he did not know how to fly by instruments. And he took up his wife and her sister. That was very reckless to be flying at night without an instrument rating. So there were things that had nothing to do with Bobby and he's never mentioned all that stuff. And I noticed as soon as he opened his, announced his candidacy as a third party, remember they started. That was when we heard the bear story and all of this stuff about he had a parasite in his brain and then he kept trying to preempt the stories and come out and explain it. That was all coming from the Kennedys. So, you know, and then you asked Caroline, what have you done? What have you done? You were, you used your name. You married somebody who's very wealthy. Are you a great writer? Are you a great politician? Are you just a Kennedy that people give you things because of your name? Did you really study Australia? Do you really know about the outback? You know, Perth and Melbourne and Sydney, Canberra, you know, the Australian people. That's why they selected you. And then you, you strengthened ties with Australia during the Obama administration? I don't think so.

[Jack Fowler]

Remember on the political side of things, Victor, she was, gosh, I forget now what happened. Maybe it was Hillary Clinton. Why was there a New York Senate seat open? But she was talked about as the person to be appointed.

[Unnamed Guest]

That was good to remind me. Remember that interview with her? It just, it was like a crazy. It was within 10 minutes of her interview. The sympathetic interview was basically saying, we gotta stop this because if you open your mouth one more time, you're going to confirm that you're an idiot. And they. She didn't know anything. Remember that? She couldn't even articulate an answer. I was really shocked by that. I thought, wow, you grew up in a political family, you went to all these finishing schools, you must have had an education. But she knew nothing. Nothing. And so that was the end of her political aspirations. Yeah, the kindy family. Your other question is so large now and it's so, it's so distant from jfk. That was the only president. You know, there was a Senate, two senators, three senators, JFK, the three brothers. And there was the tragedy at Joseph. Joseph Jr. Kennedy was supposed to be the star of the family, was killed in a war bombing accident, piloted a radio controlled bomber and got killed. And there was a lot of tragedy in that family, but there was a lot of recklessness too. And Bobby Kennedy, he's got one mission and we'll see if he sticks to it. If he tries to tell the country that diabetes and an obesity are killing us. Much more than three or four hundred people dying of measles that don't get vaccinated. It's not even that high. If he can do that and change the way we look at, you know, if he can do it in a way different than Michelle Obama, she just lectured, lectured and pontificated. If he can do it in a way like he said the other day, if you want to have your occasional hamburger, go ahead and all that. But if he can do that and cut the obesity rate and the diabetes, especially for minorities in California, one out of every three people who go into the hospital for any cause is found out to have prediabetes or diabetes. It's epidemic among the Hispanic community. It really is the immigrant community and he could do a great service. And something's wrong with hhs. The guy who's there is just a joke. I mean, I don't even know who he is. He's in California.

[Jack Fowler]

Is he from California?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, he's a Hispanic guy. He hasn't done anything. All I remember is that, you know, he didn't, he's very left wing and I mean it's just, it's kind of a, I don't know, there are the elements underneath that are very important. CDC, NIH, FDA, Medicare, Medicare, Medicare. And you've got, you've got Dr. Oz on that one, you've got Jay on the NIH and you've got. I'm trying to remember who the CDC. Oh, is it Marty Makari? He's the CD, either the FDA or CDC and I hope in Scott Atlas, I mean they haven't used him yet, but he would be a wonderful scientific advisor. You know, tech. Every president has a science advisor, right? Scott is his great strength. He's blunt and he's candid and he'll tell anybody the truth and sometimes that rubs people the wrong way. And maybe where he really belongs is attached to the White House where Trump can say, you know Scott, because he's, he's got a photographic memory. I've known him for 20 years, he's a colleague of mine and he's, he's extremely bright and extremely knowledgeable. So he would be the type person if Trump said, look, what's the deal on the MRNA vaccination? What do we do? Or what is it on? Can you find something about AI or he has contacts with all the people in silicon. He would be wonderful and he wouldn't be out in the public very much. He'd just be a good advisor for the president as a tech science advisor, medical advisor, hoping something like that would emerge for him because he's a talent that hasn't been used yet and he's very pro Trump.

[Jack Fowler]

Well, I've got to follow up on that, but first I want to take a moment for our sponsor, Quince. Quince has all the must haves, like Mongolian cashmere crewneck sweaters from $50, iconic 100% leather jackets, versatile flowknit activewear, and so much more. The best part, all Quint's Items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quint cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. That means you too. And Quint only works with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices, along with using premium fabrics and finishes. I love that indulge in affordable luxury. Go to quince.comVictor for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Quince Q U I N C E dot com Victor to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comVictor we thank the good people of Quince for sponsoring the Victor Davis Hanson Show. Victor, about Scott Atlas N.J. like Scott.

[Unnamed Guest]

Boy, oh boy.

[Jack Fowler]

He'd been to Helen, back again.

[Unnamed Guest]

Does he want to return?

[Jack Fowler]

And with Jay, I'm just curious. Jay Bhattachary, have you, have you seen.

[Unnamed Guest]

Him or talked to him since, you know, nobody. I haven't seen him on campus. I think he's just so busy preparing, you know, I don't know if he said. Has he had his confirmation hearing yet? I don't know.

[Jack Fowler]

I don't think so.

[Unnamed Guest]

I don't think so. He'll be confirmed. He is one of the most personable, charismatic guys in the world. I've never met anybody that doesn't like Jay. He's very knowledgeable and had they listened to him and Scott, we would have had a different lockdown. But that was Fauci and Burke's. But no, I think Scott Wood. I think Scott doesn't want to be. I'm speaking. I'm not speaking for him, so this is my impression, but I think he doesn't like administrative work. You know what I mean? He likes science and medicine. And so when he was a direct advisor on the lockdown, he was talking directly to the president about his knowledge of medicine. But he didn't have to supervise people. Jay's got a $50 billion budget. Of research and that's mostly academic research. And he's going to, I think if he fills his mission statement will stop the DEI 30%. That's a distortion of what that agency was founded for, is actual pure research. Things like cancer and diabetes and stuff, cardiac problems. But Scott I think wants to participate. And I was thinking the other day, this is just, he would be every president, I don't know if Biden did, because what good would it do to Biden to have a scientific advisor? You know, from what Mike Johnson said, he said, why did you close down the oil terminals that were, I mean the liquid natural gas? He said, I didn't do it. Well, you signed it, I didn't do it. So it would be superfluous to have one for him. But Trump is so busy, he needs a guy just to scan the cuts that are coming, scan the scientific, scan the health, especially the health. And he'll have Bobby there and Bobby, trust me, they'll go after Bobby as you will never believe once he's confirmed. And Scott will be a liaison there. And he knows Jay like that. They're best friends and he knows everybody. Marty Makari knows him, he knows Oz. So he would be a wonderful kind of behind the scenes advisor because he's got such expertise. He wrote the textbook on neuroradiology and I remember when my mother had a brain tumor, I, I later looked, read it very carefully. It's an edited book. It's wonderful and it really gives you methodologies how to diagnose problems of the brain and spine. And he was the world's expert in it. So he's very exactly going to make.

[Jack Fowler]

The world healthy again. That's good.

[Unnamed Guest]

Stanford, you know, it's funny, isn't it? I wrote an article once that said this was ironic that Stanford, when the COVID crisis came, they had the four people in the world that were the best on just general health policy and how the government should react and spend its dollars on health crisis. Scott had written about that for well beyond his field. He was an expert in health policy as he had been in neuroradiologist. Then you had Jay. And Jay had been writing about the economics of health. He had a PhD in economics, he had an MD degree. And then you had the brilliant John Ioannidis, the immunologist and he was the one that broke the whole Theranos scam when he looked at the evidence of that crazy little iPhone. You drop one Doppler blood and we're going to give a complete readout. And he said that is impossible under today's technology. That one little tiny drop would give you enough blood, given the variations in blood throughout the body. And he broke that. And then you had Michael Levett, the, the Nobel Prize winner and all four more at Stanford. And they censored Jay and they censored Scott and they took, I don't know if they censored John Ioannidis or not, but they, they took, they tried to take Scott's medical license away. And so they, they took their greatest asset is what I'm saying, and they blew it. And then they had a chance to rescind the censor of Scott and, but especially, yeah, Scott and Jay. And you know what they said? It was in late October. They said, well, basically they said, yeah, it was kind of wrong, but we're not going to lift the censure because that would help Donald Trump before the election. That's the kind of faculty we have at stanford. I taught 21 years at Cal State and I found the Cal State faculty more commonsensical. Just as good as the Stanford faculty, believe it or not.

[Jack Fowler]

Dang. Well, Victor, Stanford is where Hoover is located. Hoover has a publication that you oversee. It's called strategica. It's got a new issue out. And when we, when we come back from these important messages, we're going to talk about the new issue. And now here are our important messages.

[Sammy Wink]

Elevating my style used to mean breaking the bank. But with Quince, I get high end, versatile pieces at prices I can actually afford. Now I can upgrade my style by snagging killer luxury essentials that sync with my vibe and my wallet. Quint has all the must haves, like Mongolian cashmere crew neck sweaters from $50, iconic 100% leather jackets and versatile flowknit activewear. The best part, all Quint's Items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quint also cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to, to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices along with premium fabrics and finishes. I love that. And those were the exact words. I love that, my wife said when I opened my latest Quince shipment. This time an all day neoprene black backpack. It is handsome, has plenty of room for laptops and all your essentials, and I'd like to testify that I have used it. But my wife grabbed the new delivery and she is now happily using it. So I'm ordering another Quince backpack. Hey, indulge in affordable luxury. Go to quince.comVictor for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Quince Q U I N C E.comVictor to get free shipping and and 365 day returns. Quince.comVictor New Year fresh Start Optimize your nutrition this year with Factor. Factor has chef made gourmet meals that make eating well easy. They're dietitian approved and ready to heat and eat in two minutes so you can fuel right and feel great no matter what life throws at you. Factor arrives fresh and fully prepared, perfect for any active, busy lifestyle. Hey lose up to eight pounds in eight weeks with Factor Keto Meals based on a randomized controlled clinical trial with Factor Keto. Results will vary depending on diet and exercise. With 40 options across eight dietary preferences on the menu each week, it's easy to pick meals tailored to your goals. Choose from preferences like Calorie Smart or Protein plus or Keto Factor can help you feel your best all day long with wholesome smoothies, breakfast Grab and go snacks and more add ons. Reach your goals this year with ingredients you can trust and convenience that can't be beat. Eat smart with Factor get started@factor meals.com Victor 50 off and use the code Victor 50 off Victor 50 off to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. That's code Victor 50 off@factor meals.com Victor50OFF to get 50% off plus free shipping on your first box we are back with the Victor Davis Hansen Show.

[Jack Fowler]

We are recording on Saturday the 1st of February. This episode is up on the 6th, I know on the 7th and the 8th. The great Sammy Wink and Victor will ensuing podcast will talk about the politics that surely will have happened in the intervening period from when we're talking now Victor's got a website. The blade of Perseus victorhansen.com $656.50 a month to subscribe discounted for the full year $65. Why would you subscribe? Because if you're a fan of Victor, he writes two articles a week exclusively for the Blade of Perseus and he also does one exclusive video there. Meanwhile, hey, you'll find the archives of these podcasts, links to every Victor's many other appearances on other podcasts, other shows, links to his books, his weekly essay for American greatness, his weekly syndicated column It's a It's a cornucopia of Hansen. So go there the Blade of Perseus Victor Hansen.com and do subscribe Victor, the. As you know, because you are the. You are the boss of Strategica. Issue 96 just came out and it's on military recruitment, which you've talked about at some length before.

[Unnamed Guest]

You told me you were at an event lately and yes, people got very.

[Jack Fowler]

Into it, but some. Yeah, let's talk about the new issue and things related to it. Go ahead.

[Unnamed Guest]

Well, we had two authors. I assign the topics. Then my managing ever, David Berkey, is he. He rounds up the assignments and he and Bruce Thornton edit them. So we have a team that operates. But we wanted to talk about recruitment because it's been in the news so much. And the subtext is that the last three years we've been short 40 to 50,000 soldiers in total. And when you look to the Pentagon for answers, both active generals and admirals and retired, you get arguments that don't seem rational. And the arguments are something to the effect. Well, the unemployment rate is 3.5 the last 10 years, so we can't compete with the private sector. But military wages are almost 83% of civilians now. And that's not computing, housing and health. It's not like the 70s with it when they were very below paid. Number two, they'll tell you, well, they're out of shape, they're obese. That's true, but that's been true for 20 years. So you just wonder what is the new element, the new factor, the new criterion that is explaining these. But before I say what that article found, what the military has been doing given this crisis in recruitment, rather than to have this public relations disaster keep going and have people like myself and you and other pundits suggest they know why people are not joining the military, they have lowered what they need. So very subtly, without much discussion, somebody will come up to me, well, Victor, you're just completely. That's just a civilian you don't know anything of. I've been in the military 20 years and we made all our recruitments and then you say, well, yeah, because you said you had needed 40,000 less soldiers. Well, it's more complicated than that. What they basically been doing is lowering the requirement of recruitment and then the lower recruitment meets it and then they announce to all of us we're not short, but they are short. And why are they short? And if you try to tell people in the Pentagon are right about it, that the combination of humiliation and Kabul and the humiliation of the inability to achieve strategic results, and I'm not talking about tactical brilliance, a military boy, when you get to sergeant Captain, Major, lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, One story, those guys are improvised. They're brilliant, brilliant. But when you go and bomb Libya or you have all these installations in Syria, or you try to nation build for 20 years Iraq, or you try to do the same, you can't turn that into strategic resolution in our favor. And the Israelis are having the same problem. I wrote an article in Mosaic explaining why this was in part. So you don't, you don't get an answer from them why people are not recruiting. Then you say, well, they don't. They're afraid that they're going to go out there and get killed in something in Anbar province or in Fallujah and then you're not going to win. And then their family is going to see it was wasted. And then the second thing is when the number of women shot from 2 or 3% to 16 or 17%, and then you deliberately, deliberately, but you really put emphasis on commercials that you were going to facilitate pregnant women in flight suits, you were going to give abortions on federal property and red states that had outlawed abortion under many circumstances, you were going to appeal to trans, you were going to have the dei, Hispanics, black and all that. Then you went the next step after George Floyd and you did what the faa, you started having repertory promotions and retention. So white males were, came to the collective conclusion that they were not going to be promoted on the basis of their military record on the battlefield. What does that mean? So if they were a captain and they were in charge of a carrier and they had a high percentage of their planes landing on the second cable on the first try, just what you want. That wouldn't be a criteria. They would be asked to what degree did you have diversity in the control room, how many black navigators right here, all that. So they, they were angry at that. And then under the Biden, it came to a head. We had that infamous 2020, remember that is it Admiral Gilead. And then we had Millie and then Austin and they were actually recommending us to read this Marxist diatribe by Kendi, anti racism. And then they were talking about Austin said that he was going to check through the ranks and find out about white privilege, white rage, white supremacy. And they did. They ran a witch hunt. And then In December, in 2023, they did like a little peep. They waited right before Christmas and the Pentagon issued. Well, kind of, sort of. We didn't find anything. There is no organized cabal of white rage, white conspiracy. Well, yeah, we could have told you that. So what happened is that the grandmother that you go talk to, and I talk a lot of military history. And as I said to Sammy, you get these people ask, well, you know, my, my dad, he, he, he served in World war. My granddad served in World War II. My dad served in Vietnam. My husband served in the first Gulf War. My oldest son fought in Iraq. I am not going to let my grandson go into that military because they'll get them killed in some far off place and nobody will care. And he'll hit a roadblock. He will hit a roadblock. And you tell the military and they deny that. And then you look at certain statistics and I've had this conversation three or four times. You say to a general, I'm really worried about the military because you guys compile gender, sexual orientation, race on every type of promotion, every type of unit. But you don't do it on the dead. But I did look at the dead and they're in the high middle 70% of those who died in Afghanistan and Iraq in combat units. And then I did the second thing and I looked at which particular group that you are so meticulously chronicling their race and gender and sexual orientation has not met their traditional percentages. It's not gays, it's not Hispanics, it's not blacks. It's white males. And do you think there is a connection between all the things you're doing and the message you're sending white males? And do you think, secondly, that is important because whether it was fair or not, you depended on white male volunteers, mostly from rural places like upstate New York or the south or San Joaquin Valley, to volunteer in numbers at twice their demographics and then to die in combat units at twice their percentages in the population. And now they're not doing it. And when you say that, Jack, it is like you should see the face of the command. They get so angry at you. Oh, that's so racist.

[Jack Fowler]

Have you been publicly.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, I've been attacked.

[Jack Fowler]

I don't want to reveal too much.

[Unnamed Guest]

But I don't want to talk about it. But I have been ostracized. I have. I've had a commanding officer walk. I've been walking across the street. He walks on the other side of the street when he sees me. I've had one of my assistants tell me that this person wants me to knock it off. I've had another military officer. It said a high ranking officer at the Pentagon said, you better stop it. But the point is, these were op eds. I'm a historian, but we finally got the expert, Owen west, the son of Bing west. And he's very close. He's not. Has no ax to grind.

[Jack Fowler]

He's military. He's. He's formerly.

[Unnamed Guest]

He was in the Pentagon. He was a brave. He was in the military, in the Marine Corps. Combat veteran like his father, who my God, Bing west has been everywhere, one of the bravest man men alive. So he did this study with a colleague and he found out that he was meticulous and he showed that the Pentagon's DEI practices and their less than spectacular strategic record, not their tactical excellence has hurt recruitment. And it's pretty devastating. And it will be much more credible than me saying it because he is a combat veteran and this was his area of specialty and he spent a great deal and he shared that recognition research with us and he's published it elsewhere.

[Jack Fowler]

Who co wrote this lead piece?

[Unnamed Guest]

I'm trying to remember.

[Jack Fowler]

Kevin Walston.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes, Kevin Waltz. Yeah, yeah. So he's got really great people that wrote that. And then there are some supporting articles that we have in the issue as well. And we're going to discuss that at our. We have on March 7, we have our hundred people, we fly them in from all over the world, we get a big roundtable and we have controversial topics that's closed to the public and the media. And I think this one will be one in session will be do nuclear weapons still detour people? And we lowered the threshold of using them. And another one will be why can't we turn strategic resolution, tactical brilliance into strategic victory? And we're going to have a lot of great things going on. We've got generals have got admirals, we've got enlisted men, we've got special services, we've got historians like Andrew Roberts, Neil Ferguson, retired generals like General Mattis, General McMaster. We've got a lot of historians there as well, Stephen Kotkin, Barry Strauss. So it's a really good group of people and there's no rules. I'm the chairman of the discussion, Ed Lutwak and we had the late Angelo Cordovia. He was wonderful. And it's a free for all. I have no rules except you can't quote what you say and you can't personally insult somebody. You have to be polite about it. Other than that, it's a lucha libre in the middle of the arena.

[Jack Fowler]

Yeah. Some people have asked us before, could we we do another show on wrestling? But we'll think about that another time. Victor. I want to recommend to our listeners to visit the Hoover website and search for Strategica or Google Strategica, it's issue 96. And I'll just say that an important point in the lead piece by Owen west and Kevin Walston to me was how central the family, the military family conduit is to our military. And it's been disrespected.

[Unnamed Guest]

And it's very important people should realize that the reason that the US Military works so well is that there is a small percentage of the population that generation after generation after generation join the military and they just don't do it for job training, they do it for combat. They feel because of their ancestors, their parents, their culture, that they feel they want to go over and in what I would call the ninth ring of Dante's Inferno, and fight some of the most despicable, mean creepy people in the world and beat them for their country. And they are a very precious resource. And if you tamper with that multi generational devotion to the military in any slight way, you're going to turn them off. And if you turn them off, you're not going to find anybody else who's willing to go there and die at twice their numbers. So you have to treat them with respect. Not more than any other people, just the same. But you have to acknowledge that that is the backbone of the combat units in the US army and US Marines especially. And why we did why we. Millie was lecturing about reading Professor Kendi and Austin was talking about white rage. And Pete Hecseth is going to shake things up. And I know for a fact that he is going to reach out to this demographic and says, you have been insulted by us and you will no longer be insulted if you talk about what Pete Hexseth has talked about. He came out here and did a At My Farm and did a documentary on classical education, but his book was being written at the time and I was talking just for a few minutes and he touched on all the issues that appeared in this book. But I mean, that is why there was so much anger at him. If he gets his way, he's going to really radical. It's not going to be this huge overhead. There's going to be a different type of procurement. He's going to widen the field of people who offer weapons, more weapons and cheaper weapons. And he's going to take a hard look at Raytheon, General Dynamics, Lockheed, Northrop, these are great companies. But he's going to say you have to diversify, you have to partner with startups, got to get more competition and we're not going to have generals that revolve right out to the Pentagon to these boards are going to have to wait a bit and we're going to enforce a uniform code of military justice. You're not going to get a federal pension and still be subject to recall and violate Article 88 and just call the president a Hitler or Mussolini or like General Hayden did, that he's creating Auschwitz like camps. And then Hayden did, remember when Trump was president time man of the Year, General Hayden, who is subject to Article 88 of the Military code, he put on X a picture of Hitler as man of the year in 1933 or 4. In other words, he was saying that his commander in chief, that he has given an oath as an active officer and he's subject to that oath if he's still in retirement and receiving a pension and subject to recall was Hitler. And so then that's not going to. I think Pete will just say, look, he'll call them all in and say the next person who calls the president of the United States publicly a Hitlerian, Mussolini, liar, pathological, should be removed before an election is going to be subject to 88. And if you read it very carefully, it says they're subject to court martial and they're subject even if they retire. And so I think there's going to be a big change. I really do. And one of the things he will do is make bring back meritocracy to the military and bring back some of these families that have been, you know, estranged.

[Jack Fowler]

I like that he took Millie's picture down. Now, Victor, it's February 1st in Milford, Connecticut, where I am right now. I think it's about 15 degrees out there. Just because it's cold outside, dear listeners, doesn't mean you need to stop grilling. Not if you have the right grill. And that would be a Solaire Infrared grill. Solaire Infrared grills heat up in just three minutes, perform equally well in the cold of winter as in the heat of the summer. And they grill food much faster. The Solaire Infrared grills heat your food directly, not the air around the food like conventional grills do. The intense heat also results in the juiciest food you'll ever taste from any kind of grill, gas, charcoal or otherwise. To get the great taste. It's all the heat in solaire infrared from besthotgrill.com it gets hotter than anything you've ever experienced during the season. Try the infrared Solaire Infrared Grill now with the Demo program. Don't be left out in the cold. Learn more about the USA made Solaire infrared grills at best hot grill.com that's besthotgrill.com and we thank the good people at Solaire for sponsoring the Victor Davis Hansen Show. And I know Victor has a Solaire and I do.

[Unnamed Guest]

And I have my I have a little camera on the deck of my little Sierra home and I check to see if there's a Bobcat or something. And I see my solar grill there sitting on the deck waiting to be turned on very quickly.

[Jack Fowler]

I wonder if it'll how Bobcat would taste.

[Unnamed Guest]

Keep away from it.

[Jack Fowler]

Hey, Victor, we're going to talk about one other thing before we head into the final, final section. And there's so much media stuff happening. But let's stay on political and media and that we all know how much our taxpayer dollars are involved in some degree of media, public television, pbs, NPR and our mothership here at the podcast, which I think we talked about before for on this podcast or the previous one, John Solomon's Just the News has a story. Npr, PBS and Voice of America eyed for defunding reform amid reported bias concerns. And here's just one little paragraph from a story, and it involves Michael Pack. And Michael, you interviewed Michael a few weeks ago on a special edition of the Victor Davis Hansen Show. And Michael's also he, he produced that phenomenal documentary on Clarence Thomas. Just, just terrific. Anyway, he's the president of Manifold Productions and he told Just the news on January 14, two weeks ago, three weeks ago, that his Iraq war documentary, it's titled the Last 600 Meters, was principally funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The corporation provides funding to both PBS and npr. However, after initially accepting the documentary for air, PBS declined to air it for being, quote, unquote, too pro military PAC said. Anyway, Victor, it's just one example of many things cited in the article why these things need to be hacked.

[Unnamed Guest]

I think we should just tell the truth. The people at PBS and NPR are hard left. There's no doubt about it. Both of those stations were envisioned in the late 70s when you basically had a choice between ABC, CBS and NBC commercial television. And so PBS started out wonderfully. Brian Lamb was a saint with Book Talk and C Span and all of that. And NPR started out as an alternative to commercial AM and FM radio. Okay. Now we are well, we're 40 years later and you get your DIRECTV or your streaming station and there's 150 channels. And if you think that PBS offers great documentary, you can get them on a documentary channel if you think they have great English melodramas or crime stories. You can find it on Amazon. The same thing I like endeavor. I really like that to watch it. You can go on Amazon right now and get it. If you think you want to listen to type of radio there, you can go onto a podcast. There's hundreds of podcasts on every different topic history. So my point is to keep NPR and PBS in a special category immune from market forces. And the idea that they should not be political, that's unsustainable now. And then they're going to say to us, well, we are political, but we fulfill a need that no one else does. And that's no longer true. So what good are they if other outlets, some commercial free, offer the same product without the bias or with bias on the left and bias on the right? Why do we have to subsidize these people? And they usually get pretty high salaries and they're not subject to market forces. So they compete with local TV a lot. And local TV has to survive in our market environment and they don't. And they're propagandistic. So every statistic that has tried to monitor their content comes out with 60, 70, 80, 90% prejudice for the left. So I just don't think people 40 or 40 years after their creation is going to put up with it anymore, especially Trump.

[Jack Fowler]

But it's an important brand to a lot of people to say, I listen to npr.

[Unnamed Guest]

It is, and I understand that. I've been on NPR a lot and I've been on PBS and I enjoy it. But at some point when you're driving and you turn it on and it says, I just wanted to talk, here I am with the news and there's a really interesting phenomenon occurring at UC Berkeley campus. There's a transgendered movement, but it's a little different. It's about people wearing purple hair and being transgendered and not wearing shoes. And they have kind of fused with the radical Palestinian movement in a force multiplying effect. Can you report on this? That's what we hear. And no one wants to hear it. And the group people that do want to hear it can find it somewhere. Yeah, but we don't have to subsidize it. So I think there's two things that Trump could do. He can either abolish it or he could give it a little shove and say, you know what? You are a semi quasi da da da da, and you will be 100% supported. And look, Sam the Bankman Frieds gave $60 million in the last Soros gave 80 million and 2020. Mark Zuckerberg bear gave 419 million. Mike Bloomberg spent a billion dollars. You look at those oligarchs. They have enough money. If they really want it, why don't they just fund it?

[Jack Fowler]

Totally agree, Victor, that like the top 20 philanthropies in America, all left wing, they're more concerned with growing their, their, you know, the bottom line than they are with distributing. But they could easily fund this. It's couch change.

[Unnamed Guest]

And they really got into the. Me too. I mean, I don't know whether Garrison Keillor was handsy or what, but in the great scope of things, whatever he did, he apologized. But they just went into a Stalinist mood with him, remember? And I'm speaking of a person on the left. I'm not a big fan of his. I think he's talented, but they just banned his books and they made him a Persona non grata. They just took everything he did off the air. You can't get it. It was like he had tried to depend, dehumanize him. And they did that with a lot of people. Charlie Rose got Charlie, the same thing. I mean, these people were these icons. And then they hit the di and now nobody, I mean, it's just, it's for a particular university, bicoastal elite, professional class in law, medicine, law, insurance, capital media, but especially academic academia. Everybody, you know, listens to it. If I had, I haven't done it in a while, but I, I did, you know, I used to do Talk of the Nation with Neil Conan. Remember him? And I do. And then people come up. You got on npr. Oh, wow, that is so wonderful. And you could go on Limbaugh, nobody would say a word. But it. So what? They're very biased. When Trump first came in, NPR asked me to come on the San Francisco station, but it was, it was a national. And they asked me about the Trump cages. Remember the Trump cages? Oh, sure. And I said, the Trump cages. They had a Hispanic guy who was very radical at the border saying, these people are in cages. Like, you know, like Mike Hayden said, all that stuff. I said, those were built by Obama. He was the first person that lost track. Then under public pressure, he had to start deporting. As of right now, he was able to deport more than Trump has because you did not dare tell him not to deport because he was your iconic figure. Now all of a sudden you say that Trump is Hitler or what. I was saying this and this guy was arguing. And then I said, thank you. Get Off. And then when I got off, he started attacking me, which is not protocol. When I got off the air. Well, that was kind of a right wing something, you know, like that. And so the producer called me, very sweet and said, thank you for being on. I said, I just listened to that. I was driving, I got in my car. There was a, you know, you had an advertisement. I got in. They do have advertisements. And I started being attacked by. I'm never going. She said that? Yes. I, I didn't want to bring that up. That was unprofessional. I said, I'm never ever going to go back on your show. I had, you know, it's a good rule to have. I was once on Bill Maher's show and a producer called me and said, you know, the Iraq war is in the surge. And I had just been operated on. A got back from Libya, so I was really ill. And she said, if you go on. I said, I don't want to go on, Bill. More. I know that was when he was. Hate Bush, hate Bush. And he had gandalf on Ian McClellan and another left wing guy, I can't remember. And I said. So he said, no, no, no, no, Bill, Bill. He's disinterested. He wants just to see what the surge is like. And I got on there and he said, here's Victor Hansen. He's out in Fresno. He's a Chinese war guru. And then Gandalf said, I can't believe he's a professor. Hear that? No professor. He's not a legitimate. And it was just vitriol. And I just said to the person, I'm never ever going to go on that show again. And I never have. I've been asked once or twice, I'm never going to go on that show. It's good to do that. Just because you know what they are. And I've been. I did the New Yorker magazine, Isaac Choitiner, and he, he did this and he said he was going to have a transcript and I could look at to check whether he was going to edit it. He never sent me the transcript. He did not tell the truth. He cut and pasted. He didn't. Anyway, I said, I'll never go to the New Yorker again. I'll never talk to you. Because he did the same thing to Michael Warren. What?

[Jack Fowler]

Yeah, we were both misquoted in the New Yorker. The piece about Sarah Palin.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes, I was too. And the New York Times. I used to write op eds and they did the same thing to me. The Other day, a guy named Baker called me for a quote about Trump. And I said, I said to him, I had, he had done that before and I don't know if he remembers, but I said, I don't want the editorialized. He said, no. So he wrote, no, no, we just want to get, just give me a quote. So I said about the Biden Trump transition and whether Trump has exceeded his constitutional authority. So last week or the week before, I said Joe Biden vastly expanded the prerogatives of the presidency to enact by executive order, policies that were on popular. Donald Trump inherited that new ability to enact policies that were popular, like the border clothing. And he broke his word. He printed that. And then right underneath mine, he says, of course, the pardons were not popular January 6th. So he editorialized in a way that, you know, so I'm not going to do that anymore. And if you get a call, if I get a call from cnn, I just got one the other day. I don't do it. Nothing. Because, you know, you get a certain point in life and you know who you're dealing with. You're dealing with some 20 something, 30 something smart, blank blank who thinks they're smarter than anybody and they're partisans and they're going to get some older conservative guy and they're going to entice him and flatter him, then bring him on and then try to sabotage him. Life's too short to do that anymore. I have nothing but contempt for those people, I really do, that are in the New York Times and New Yorker. I had a woman, they ran an article on me in the Washington Post that Dick Cheney was reading some of my books. This is 2003. And so this woman called me from the Boston Globe, said, I'd like to come out. I hear you're a farmer. I said, no, I don't want to talk to you. No, no, I'll come out. She flew all the way out and spent the day with me. Oh, this is so great. And then she wrote this article. We can't believe that a vice president, only a vice president like Cheney would talk to this hick guy who lives in this house out in the middle of nowhere as a raising farmer. He, you know, then a guy from the LA Times called up and said, I, I'm not like her. I want to write a whole thing on you. Can I go? And I said, you know, I'm really busy. Said, I'm just going to drive up. And I said, I have to go speak to an evangelical church. Today and I'm too busy, I'll go with you. I said, okay, you spend it. So he spent the day and sure enough, Victor Hansen spouted out right wing to an evangelical right wing church audience. And it was just so typical. Why do it? This, the LA Times, Chicago Tribune that I, you know, I, they syndicate. They used to syndicate, now it's Tribune. And I would send a column in and they'd say, well, they'd fact check. And I said, that is not necessarily not true, but it needs context, context. And then they would. About every three years they go, well, we don't know how to ask you this, but, but you're getting people very angry. And we've got a lot of Stanford professors and underneath your byline it says, victor Davis Hanson, senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, comma, Stanford University. Now, I know you wouldn't lie to us, but they claim yet you're not Stanford affiliated and you're speaking for them. I said, what do you want? They said, well, can you send us your pay stub? And I said, now what would be needed on my pay stub? We need the name Stanford University. I said, I'll be happy. And I did that every two or three years. And it was always professors that were so angry to see Stanford University with anybody affiliated with anybody that didn't have their views. Well, Victor, if it was medieval times, I would have been burned at the stake. I bring this up, Jack, because just to finish, yes, we went through this with Sammy. They took the security details away from Brian Hook, Pompeo, John Bolton, Fauci. And I said at the time that they were distinct cases, the people who were involved for a long, long time fashioning the Iran deal in Soleimani. And that was Brian Hook and Pompeo. Bolton came in later. I can see that. I think they should. I don't know what their circumstances are, but I thought I said, and maybe somebody wrote me a not and said, you're wrong. But it was my impression that neither one of them had a lot of income and that that was wrong because they would not be able to afford private security. But I did say that. I know that for a fact. John bolton had a 7 million dollar pack. And I know people who give lavish amounts of money. So I said, John Bolton has private means. And I know that Anthony Fauci and his wife were the highest paid couple, you know, almost 900,000. And they were being paid by the NIH, the security detail. And it was Biden that cut it off, not Trump. But my point was this Trump was right. Nobody gets lifetime security details. Nobody. Mark Milley doesn't. Nobody should. And in cases where they made courageous decisions that put them in danger, they got. They got security details for four or five years, three or four years. And Trump is doing more for them than the security details alone because he is warning Iran, if you dare touch a person's hair, you're going to regret it. And Biden didn't do that. So he is deterring them. And the Iranian president confirmed that about a month ago. He gave an interview and said, no, no, no, no, no, we do not assassinate anybody. Now, he may have been lying, but he felt he had to say that. So they know that if they touch any of those people, they're going to be killed, and they will be killed. So my point was just, if they have a lot of money, why would the government keep giving them security details? And then the people who didn't have money and were involved to a much greater degree in the decision to kill. So, like Pompeo or Brian Hook, I think that they probably should get some more details. But the other thing I said was, go ahead.

[Jack Fowler]

The inner city mom in Chicago deserves a private protection detail. You know?

[Unnamed Guest]

Exactly. And I said that, you know, if you. If you're in the arena and you write stuff or what we're talking about today, you're going to get a lot of hate mail. And I said to Sammy, I had a guy who said he was going to kill me when I got to Washington. And I printed that letter, and somebody who was a Texas federal prosecutor wrote me and said, I found out who that guy is. And I wrote him a note that that was a felony. And then I've had another guy parked out on my almond orchard. He wouldn't leave. He just. And I had that a lot. I would say, once a month, somebody shows up at my house. 99% are wonderful. The 1% is not. Or if I go to an airport and somebody confronts you, 99% is. Or wonderful. One person hit me in the back of the head, like cowardly, and then ran away. But my point is this. All of us have problems with security. And it's not just pundits. It's p. Everybody does. And, yeah, you know, there was. I won't mention a pundit, but every time I read him, he said, somebody threatened me. And I'm. I'm writing. I'm courageous because somebody. No, I thought, no, this is part of the job. Everybody threatens you. You write stuff, people threaten you. And I get, you know, my angry Reader. I. I just let it pile up, and I usually it's all fu. And this. You're an idiot. And I publish it. And if they put their name there, I put their name there.

[Jack Fowler]

You got some nutcases there.

[Unnamed Guest]

Hey, Victor, I got. I got a backlog. I got to get to the angle.

[Jack Fowler]

No, no, that'll bring the Eeyore out. Let's, let's. Let's close the show, Today's show, by talking about a pundit who is pulling a mea culpa. And get your thoughts on that, and we'll do that when we come back from these final, important messages. We are back.

[Unnamed Guest]

We haven't talked about this. You're not talking about Brett Stevens, are you?

[Jack Fowler]

No, no, I'm not. Mayakopa Chris Saliza. But. Oh, you can talk about Brett Stevens also if you know.

[Unnamed Guest]

And Sammy and I talked about Brett.

[Jack Fowler]

Oh, okay. Well, Chris Celiza, who was a Washington Post journalist. And then, yeah, on his own, he. He put a very. Out a very long X tweet thing.

[Unnamed Guest]

What?

[Jack Fowler]

I can't even know what the hell called Post with a thread. Um, back. I screwed up. That's how it begins. Back in May 2020, I wrote how Anthony Foushee had crushed Donald Trump's lab leak theory for COVID 19. The CIA said over the weekend they now believe this virus leaked from the lab. So a few thoughts, and then he had many.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, they. Why are they saying that now? Because they know that the research all along said that. But they were in trouble because people like Chris, Eliza and the media, even Jon Stewart, remember, he got on. They got angry at him for saying it. He just got. I wrote. I think it was for Salon or Slate. I can't remember. I mentioned that to Sammy that I wrote in. I think in March or April of this whole thing. That was just logical. Here's the Wuhan lab. Here is the first patient near the Wuhan lab. There's no bat or pangolin found anywhere near that's infected. There has never been an animal found that was infected before a human was infected, meaning that it didn't come from an animal. If there was a rare animal that had Covid, it came from a human. The Wuhan lab was under the Auschwitz of the People's Liberation Army. They did not release all of the genetic information like they promised. People who were involved in the escape and were worried disappeared. We don't know where they are. Anthony Fauci broke the law of 2014 and routed $600,000 through Echo Health. Peter Dasak to the lab, and not even that he allowed transfers of expertise, visits from scholars and instrumentation to go there. And the moment he heard that Wuhan was the center of this outbreak, he and Francis Collins had a flurry as Ryan Paul exposed of emails worried that it might be misinterpreted that their subsidy of this lab and their interest in gain of function biology, which was outlawed in the United States, could be misinterpreted as supporting what went on in the Wuhan lab. And then they cooked up Peter Dasak to get the. The venerable Lancet magazine, the, you know, New England Journal of Medicine version in Britain, and to ruin its reputation by rounding up a bunch of hacks that goes over there and gets communist propaganda and then writes, oh well, it didn't come from here. The commies told us it didn't come from here. Then they had to retract that. So they all embarrassed themselves. And everybody listened to this, knew it because it was just common sense. They tried to suppress it. The only mystery is twofold. We still don't have the answer to that. Was it an accident, how it escaped one, or was it deliberately? And I only say that because there were rumors that I don't know if they've ever been confirmed that they were working on types of vaccinations of the types of viruses they were creating. And I don't know if that's. They came out very quickly, almost as quickly as we did with the vaccination. And then second of all, why was it under. Very quickly under the auspices of the People's Liberation army and when they were. Were they thinking that gain of function research had a military component in it? And I don't understand that they tore up Robert Kennedy because he had said that the virus was designed to be more infectious to immune differences between races. Remember that? And they really got him on that. I had a very close friend who is a PhD and worked for our intelligence agencies and worked for the government and grew up in China, fluent in Chinese. And one of his tasks is he reads local newspapers in China every day. And he said to me, off the record, I'm not going to identify him years ago. And I didn't believe it. He said he was very disturbed because there were some articles writing that gain and function research, and he reads medical journals and everything could have a component where they could be designed to target more successfully particular groups. So Robert Kennedy didn't dream up that conspiracy theory. It was floating around. I don't know if it's true. I think it's False. But there were elements in China that advanced that. And that was picked up by American intelligence. And that was discounted as kind of a thread or a fantasy. But it didn't mean that Bobby Kennedy just made it up out of his head. And some racist.

[Jack Fowler]

I guess, Victor, I'm sure he wasn't.

[Unnamed Guest]

Like Reverend Wright, was he? Remember, Reverend Wright said that the Israelis had an anti Arab missile that had a guidance system that could find Arabs and kill them.

[Jack Fowler]

You think if you can have sickle cell because you're black, maybe you could be white and have sickle cell. But there is some evidence out there of. Of medical badness affiliated with race.

[Unnamed Guest]

It is with COVID with blood type. We know that certain blood types, I think O or some more than A. And there's. There's a greater immunity for particular type of blood types vis a vis Covid. And we know that certain, you know, people that are. There's very. A lot of. I don't believe that. I don't know if they've been substantiated. But early on in the epidemic, people were talking about the role of nicotine, especially nicotine gum. Cigarettes were problematic because the tar would weaken the lungs as much as nicotine might have prevented the infection. But there were all sorts of scientific studies that talked about which particular groups were more vulnerable. There was a long article I read the other day that women are much more vulnerable because they have more sensitive immune system to long Covid. I think 75% of people have long Covid are women. And there was a big article here that. Yeah. And when Covid broke out, there was a lot of worry about the Hispanic community because statistically they had a higher incidence of diabetes and obesity and that those were two cofactors for Covid.

[Jack Fowler]

Don't say it, though. Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

So people were talking about this and they were talking about it not in racist terms, but in scientific terms. And they go after Bobby Kenny anyway.

[Jack Fowler]

Well, the wrong. People were talking about racial things. It says the other side can do it whenever they want. But you.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes, Scientific. Yes.

[Jack Fowler]

All right.

[Unnamed Guest]

Can do it whenever he wants. He can have a nose cone that has a little sensor on the nose or a camera and it's tells as he. He used the word dm. Dim Jews. I can't talk to Barack anymore because dim Jews keep me from him. Remember that?

[Jack Fowler]

Oh, my gosh, what a.

[Unnamed Guest]

God bless America. No, no, no. God blank America. Chickens. Chickens coming home to roost. Chickens coming home.

[Jack Fowler]

Italians also.

[Unnamed Guest]

And then Barack Obama asked about an interview in the Chicago Sun Times you surely. Are you really a member of that congregation? Yes. Haven't missed a service. Haven't missed a service, he said. And then they said later. Well, that means you heard him when he said that. No, I was never there. Well, he married you. No, I wasn't. I wasn't there on those occasions. Gosh, what a liar. Not that he believed all that, but he thought it was valuable politically.

[Jack Fowler]

Well, he made up his head, you know, he made up his life in his memoirs. So why should he make up everything he does?

[Unnamed Guest]

Right.

[Jack Fowler]

Composite.

[Unnamed Guest]

Well, it's like Hillary said when he made that slip of the tongue and he said, my Muslim faith. And then they asked Hillary and she said, do you think he's a Muslim? And she was running against him at the time and she said, he says he's not. We can't.

[Jack Fowler]

This is not even a rabbit hole. This is the Holland Tunnel. We can go down with him.

[Unnamed Guest]

I don't want to go down with Rock Obama. Yeah, I don't want to. He's made his peace with the world. Well, he's got, he's made his peace. He's got his four mansions and his, his multi millionaire lifestyle.

[Jack Fowler]

Well, we've got to head to the exits. But just to say that Chuck Todd is out at NBC.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh my gosh, he was my favorite Chuck Todd, that brilliant mind on. Was it Face the Nation or was it used to be me, the press.

[Jack Fowler]

Yeah, he used to be the, the poobah there. So I remember him just shaking his finger. You know that people from back in 2020.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh my God, think of those old days with. I know they were biased but my God, when you look at Chuck Todd compared to John Chancellor, Eric Sevri, even Cronkite, they were just pathetic compared to those old guys.

[Jack Fowler]

Well, Victor, so many people take means to con. Communicate with us or about us. So on Apple they folks can rate this show 0 to 5 stars. Practically everyone gives it 5 stars 4.9 plus average over the over 7000 plus 8000 plus votes. So thanks folks who do that. Some people leave comments. We read them, read them all. I cry at some of them because I'm such a weenie, but. And people leave comments also on Victor's website and I grabbed one from that today. And this is from Allison and it's she, she writes Professor Hansen makes me laugh. His humor is so dryly hilarious and his impromptu impressions are a riot. I'll be listening intently to a serious topic and then he hits us with a remark like Confederacy of Dunces and it Cracks me up. I wish I had the opportunity to be a student, but I'm certainly grateful for the podcast. Thank you, Professor. Thank you, Sammy. Thank you. Jack. Allison B. From Sonoma County, California. And Alice, thank you.

[Unnamed Guest]

You're not very far. Alison B.

[Jack Fowler]

In his previous life, Victor was a stand up comedian. He is, he is a very funny man. Whether he's happy Victor or Eeyore. Victor, he's funny.

[Unnamed Guest]

If you want to. I'll just finish by. There was one person who could have been a stand up comedian and a impersonator and that was Rush Limbaugh. Oh yeah, he was funny and he could he when he did Ross Perot, it was just funny.

[Jack Fowler]

I liked him.

[Unnamed Guest]

Johnny comes around. Yeah, he was, he was funny. We miss him. I miss him every day.

[Jack Fowler]

Yeah, he's very kind to me.

[Unnamed Guest]

Gotta say, very kinder. One of the kindest people I've met with people.

[Jack Fowler]

Yeah. Hey, Victor, let me just say I write Civil Thoughts, a free weekly email newsletter for the center for Civil Society that every Friday it provides 14 recommended readings. Here's an excerpt here. Links great pieces, interesting pieces I've come across the previous week. I think you'll like it. Not selling your names. So go to civilthoughts.com and sign up. Go to victorhansen.com and sign up. Subscribe there. If you're on Twitter, Victor's handle is at Vdhansen. And on Facebook there's the Victor Davis Hansen Fan club, which is a friendly group recommend that to you. Victor's got his, his VDH's morning cup on on Facebook and on Rumble. Check it out on Rumble there's this podcast is there. And Victor's also got Victor's Everywhere. The daily sick. Overexposed Victor.

[Unnamed Guest]

Overexposed Victor. Everybody's getting sick of me. I'm overexposed.

[Sammy Wink]

Not enough.

[Unnamed Guest]

Skeletor's got to go back into his hole.

[Jack Fowler]

Oh my gosh. Skeletor stuff. All right, Victor, you've been terrific. Skeletor, you've been terrific. Thanks so much. Thanks folks for listening, watching, whatever, however you're taking this in, we thank you and God bless. And we will be back soon with another episode of the Victor Davis Hansen Show. Bye bye.

[Unnamed Guest]

Thank you everybody for taking the time to listen. I, I really appreciate it. Thank you.

[Sammy Wink]

This Valentine's Day, elevate your gift giving with a gesture that goes beyond the ordinary treatment. Your sweetheart to wire two Fish Coffee Wired to Fish Coffee is not just a great cup of coffee which your partner will 100% enjoy. We're also committed to turning your coffee enjoyment into a force for good. Wired to fish Coffee contributes 25% of its profits to vital causes like clean water initiatives, conservation efforts and faith based missions around the world. Make a statement that isn't just some superficial gift for your Valentine by showing your love for your partner and the planet simultaneously. It's the perfect blend of something you can both enjoy combined with a purpose. This Valentine's Day. Make it about your love and making a difference. Shop coffee cup combos, including a Just the News special offer and Valentine's gift packs, or subscribe today for exclusive savings. Enjoy a special 10% off your first order with the discount code Just News. Visit Wired to Fish Coffee and gift your favorite coffee lover a great brew that supports something they love.