Podcast Summary: Victor Davis Hanson: DEI Is The Most ‘Toxic Ideology’ We’ve Ever Experienced

Podcast: Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Host: Victor Davis Hanson (and co-host, Jack)
Aired: December 26, 2025
Platform: The Daily Signal

Episode Overview

In this rich, candid episode, Victor Davis Hanson discusses contemporary American cultural and political crises through the lens of history and personal experience. Key themes include the consequences of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology, economic tensions like tax relief proposals and public debt, the crisis facing farmers both in the U.S. and Europe, and intense fissures within the conservative movement. Hanson delivers unfiltered historical context and keen analysis, drawing on his background as a farmer, classicist, and historian.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Victor Davis Hanson’s Health Update

• [01:10–02:59]

  • Victor candidly shares updates on his major health challenges, underlining the length and difficulty of diagnosis and treatment.

  • Appreciates the continued support of listeners, highlighting his commitment to provide honest commentary despite personal challenges.

    “It’s been a nine month odyssey... but I'll do my best for everybody. I think I have an obligation to all of our readers and listeners.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [01:40]

2. Economic Update: Tax Relief Proposal and National Debt

• [07:24–12:15]

  • Co-host Jack references headlines on potential tax refunds of up to $20,000 under a new proposal. Hanson doubts the specifics and impact due to lack of details, comparing it to prior military benefits.

  • Hanson notes persistent U.S. economic challenges: $37 trillion in national debt, ongoing large trade and budget deficits, and the inflation legacy of Covid-era policies.

  • He warns about the potential for renewed inflation if policies aren’t carefully managed.

    “We’re $37 trillion in debt... we have inflation went down to 2.7. By the way, Wall Street Journal experts have been consistently wrong.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [08:30]

  • Illegal Immigration’s Economic Impacts:
    Hanson explains how declining illegal immigration and improved hiring of U.S. citizens may improve tax revenues and social welfare balance.

    “More American citizens have been hired, fewer illegal aliens... The people who have been hired will be on the books and paying taxes.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [12:45]

3. DEI Ideology: Destructive Cultural Effects

• [15:40–21:12; 24:13–27:13]

  • Hanson offers a vigorous critique of DEI, denouncing it as “the most toxic ideology we’ve ever experienced.” He argues DEI undermines meritocracy, creates perpetual victimhood, and encourages fraud and incompetence across society.

    “DEI is the most toxic ideology we’ve ever experienced... It gave exemption to people to do things... and not be held accountable because of their race or sexual orientation or gender or whatever.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [15:40]

  • He discusses the real-world cost: administrative incompetence (e.g., Brown University), fraudulent behavior in the public sector, and erosion of standards in both education and government.

  • Highlights how DEI paradoxically harms upwardly mobile minorities by making achievement suspect.

    “When you give somebody special consideration, exemption from meritocracy and audit, the first thing they have to do... is say I am a perpetual victim because you were put there because you were a victim... and that’s going to continue...”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [18:10]

  • Hanson draws a sharp contrast with merit-based success stories (e.g., Tom Sowell, Condoleezza Rice) who succeeded without DEI patronage.

4. Meritocracy and Safety Failure: The Brown University Shooting

• [24:13–27:13]

  • Uses the Brown University campus shooting as a cautionary tale about undermining security and merit-based leadership, connecting it to DEI-style appointments and administrative priorities.

  • Criticizes university leadership for failing to prioritize student safety and for possibly dismantling security infrastructure for ideological reasons.

    “DEI... is a deadly ideology... whether it’s the pilot in the cockpit or the air traffic controller or the brain surgeon...”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [24:13]

5. Farmers in Crisis: Europe & U.S. Parallels

• [28:03–41:16]

  • Hanson, drawing from his experience as a farmer, describes the systemic exploitation and regulatory burdens facing farmers in both Europe and America.

  • Details historical government interventions (price supports, quotas), predatory middlemen, punishing inheritance taxes, and bureaucratic indifference.

  • Describes current farmer protests in Europe, offering an empathetic view of their plight and highlighting the societal dangers of neglecting the agricultural class.

    “For the people in Europe to do that to those people is shameless... There are certain barometers that you can assess the validity of a civilization’s morality... One of them is how they treat their farmers.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [38:00]

  • Stresses the critical importance of working-class respect, warning against elite society’s increasing disconnect from those who maintain physical infrastructure and essential services.

6. Conservative Infighting: Turning Point USA Conference

• [47:04–60:36]

  • Analysis of sharp ideological and personal clashes at the Turning Point USA conference among prominent conservatives (Shapiro, Carlson, Bannon, Owens, Kelly, Weiss).

  • Hanson identifies antisemitism and the Israel-Hamas war as a major dividing issue, with the Democratic Party splitting on Israel support, and Republicans mostly united.

  • He laments ascendant conspiratorial, anti-institutional voices within conservatism, the decline of rigorous scholarship, and the peril of losing clear moral boundaries on issues like antisemitism.

    “The issue, to cut to the quick, is antisemitism, Israel... conservatives have been the watchdog of antisemitism because... the left has allowed it to happen. And now it’s entrenched in the left...”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [47:04]

    “You don’t want to drive people out of the conservative movement, but you won’t have one if you allow that to happen.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [51:00]

  • Contrast made between past intellectual leaders and today’s social media-driven, polemical influencers:

    “The decline of the admiration of the thought leaders as opposed to the polemicists is a troubling thing for me, for modern conservatism.”
    — Jack (Co-host), [55:02]

    “We have these people that are oblivious... [they] don’t give an in-depth analysis of what’s going on. And you don’t need a degree to do it. You can learn by reading.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [59:00]

7. Epstein Files & Media Hypocrisy

• [62:44–68:24]

  • Hanson critiques media and leftist hypocrisy regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files, noting the difference in treatment for Democratic and Republican figures.

  • Asserts that if any evidence existed against Trump, the files would not have been suppressed; instead, they implicate Democratic elites like Bill Clinton.

    “If there was one finger exposed of Donald Trump in a hot tub, it wouldn’t have been leaked?... They had a lot of Larry Summers and Bill Gates and Bill Clinton.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [62:44]

8. Election & Media Integrity, Trump as Antagonist

• [65:50–68:24]

  • Revisits election integrity controversies, media manipulation, and ongoing revelations (Covid origins, January 6th FBI role, ballot irregularities).

  • Hanson likens Trump to Cassandra of Greek myth, warning that his unheeded warnings about institutional corruption are being progressively vindicated.

    “Trump was kind of like a Cassandra figure from mythology... This is a rigged election in Georgia. I really won. That Covid is the Chinese virus. Yeah.”
    — Victor Davis Hanson, [68:30]

Notable Quotes

• On DEI:
  “DEI is the most toxic ideology we’ve ever experienced... It gave exemption to people to do things... and not be held accountable because of their race or sexual orientation or gender or whatever.”
  — Victor Davis Hanson, [15:40]

• On Conservative Movement Infighting:
  “You don’t want to drive people out of the conservative movement, but you won’t have one if you allow that to happen.”
  — Victor Davis Hanson, [51:00]

• On the Value of Farmers:
  “There are certain barometers... One of them is how they treat their farmers.”
  — Victor Davis Hanson, [38:00]

Episode Timeline & Timestamps

• [01:10–02:59] — Victor’s health update and personal reflections
• [07:24–12:15] — Economic update: Tax refund proposal; analysis of deficits, impact of illegal immigration
• [15:40–21:12; 24:13–27:13] — DEI ideology: Origins, social consequences, meritocracy failures (Brown University)
• [28:03–41:16] — Farm crisis in Europe & U.S.: History, personal anecdotes, social ramifications
• [47:04–60:36] — Turning Point USA & conservative movement infighting; antisemitism, loss of intellectual leadership
• [62:44–68:24] — Epstein files and media double-standards; election integrity, Trump’s vindication as a “Cassandra”
• [71:41–72:47] — Listener well-wishes to Victor, closing remarks

Memorable Personal Anecdotes

• Stories from Hanson's own experience as a California farmer, the grind and dangers of agriculture, family stories illustrating dignity in manual labor, and how his mother, a judge, retained respect for farming work.

  “I picked [my mom] up... She had a day off. Appellate court judge. We drove over the Pacheco Pass... and here's my mom with overalls selling tomatoes, plums, peaches and having a great time with everybody.”
  — Victor Davis Hanson, [39:00]

Closing Notes and Tone

Throughout the episode, Hanson’s tone combines professorial gravity, dry wit, and deep personal conviction. His analysis is unsparing but not without hope, and he reiterates gratitude for listeners’ support and their shared concern for the country’s future.

For more in-depth historical analysis and Victor’s writing, visit victorhansen.com.

This summary is intended for listeners and readers seeking a detailed, faithful account of the episode’s insights and discussions.