Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words Episode: Did Trump Just Lure Democrats Into a Trap With Epstein Files Switch? Date: November 21, 2025

Overview

In this podcast episode, Victor Davis Hanson—historian, author, and political commentator—delivers his hallmark Friday news roundup with co-host Sammy Wink. The pair examine and debate the most pressing news of the week, including foreign policy with Saudi Arabia, new revelations about the attempted Trump assassin, the political minefield of the newly-released Jeffrey Epstein files, the ongoing left-right culture wars, fallout in New York and California politics, and more. Hanson offers both historical context and pointed critique, particularly focusing on the media, institutional decay, and current Democratic strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Saudi Prince’s Visit & U.S. Foreign Policy

• Main focus: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) Washington visit, U.S. arms deals, and Trump’s international investment strategies.
• Victor’s Take:
  • MBS is “the de facto royal son who's running the government... involved in the order to kill Khashoggi. And Trump basically said when he was asked, ‘this is a good man’. That wasn’t the right thing to say…” [03:11]
  • The U.S. wants Saudi cooperation regarding the Abraham Accords and oil production.
  • Debate over selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia—concern from Israel, but expectation that U.S. models surpass export versions.
  • Trump’s strategy is to secure massive investment from Saudi Arabia for U.S. jobs and to maintain regional equilibrium without starting new wars.
  • Trump’s media strategy is to deflect from controversies and focus discussion on economic achievements.
• Quote: “It’s much better than calling them a pariah state like Biden did, and then going over there and begging them before the midterms, as he did in 2022, to pump oil.” [05:55]

Media Bias and Trump’s Relations with Reporters

• Victor criticizes media double standards: “They canonize Obama, Biden, and then Trump they act like they’re real journalists for a change.” [07:44]
• Trump’s adversarial style with press seen as justified given the level of media partisanship.
• Victor describes biased interviews with foreign (German) journalists, always framing Trump as a threat to the Constitution. [08:30]

2. Attempted Trump Assassination – Thomas Matthew Crooks

• Topic: New findings regarding Thomas Matthew Crooks, the attempted Trump assassin.
• Key Facts:
  • Crooks initially portrayed as right-wing; in reality, had extensive social media presence espousing threats and extremist ideology.
  • Engaged with left-leaning subcultures (“furry site,” “they/them” pronoun identity), echoing a pattern among recent assailants of unstable sexual or gender identity.
• Victor’s Analysis: Suggests a taboo correlation between unstable identities, online radicalization, and recent violent attacks.
  • “If you would collate all the recent mass shootings… you would see far more people represented than their actual demographic in the population.” [10:03]
• Criticizes FBI for downplaying Crooks’ communications and failing to detect warning signs.
• Broader Point: A hostile political climate labeling Trump “Hitler” or “fascist” is fueling radicalization among unstable people. [12:20]

3. Release of the Epstein Files—A Political Trap?

• Core Question: Did Trump outmaneuver Democrats with the timing and management of Epstein file releases?
• Key Details:
  • New revelations of Democratic Rep. Stacey Plaskett communicating with Epstein during congressional meetings.
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene claims files have politically damaged MAGA as well as Democrats; Larry Summers resigns amid scandal.
• Victor’s Analysis:
  • Files were suppressed for years by Democrats despite aggressive efforts to expose Trump elsewhere.
  • No substantive evidence found against Trump, explaining why files weren’t used politically against him.
  • Trump now appears to control the narrative—by delaying release, he’s pressured both sides and exposed Democratic figures first, potentially luring opponents into demanding a disclosure that undermines them.
• Quote: “I think the Democrats stepped in it. That’s what happens when you are driven ideologically. Their ideology is Trump Derangement Syndrome. Anything he does, we’re going to…” [19:45]
• Broader point: Epstein’s web of influence spanned both parties, but he functioned as “a blackmailer” leveraging sexual abuse for financial and social gain. [21:00]
• On Ghislaine Maxwell: “I hope to God… that they do not pardon his partner, Maxwell Giselle. From what we can tell from some of the affidavits, she was knee deep in the sexual exploitation.” [22:55]

4. Societal and Educational Decay

• Manipulation of Young People: Universities articulate dogma rather than teaching inductive reasoning, making students susceptible to ideological influence. [26:07]
• Breakdown of Family Structure: Absence of traditional family and school-based training in life skills and etiquette undermines resilience and rationality in youth. [27:29]
• Quote (on secondary education): “We were taught how to make a distinctive signature that would be our own imprint. We were men. Senior Problems.” [28:30]

5. COVID-19 Origins and Cover-up Allegations

• Topic: Kash Patel’s assertion that FBI agents were paid to suppress lab-leak origins of COVID.
• Victor’s View: Agrees evidence strongly points toward a lab origin, highlights early scientific assessments and the Chinese student pipeline as vectors for intellectual property theft and potentially dangerous collaboration. [34:11]
• Quote: “They have literally saved trillions of dollars in research and development... Instead, they just leapfrogged over and had that whole body of technology sent electronically home.” [36:35]

6. Pacific Palisades Fires & Rebuilding – Bureaucratic and Ideological Barriers

• Issue: Federal and state mismanagement, progressive policies thwarting efficient recovery, environmental missteps, and DEI hiring.
• Victor’s Criticism:
  • State downplayed and mishandled arson aftermath, hindered private clearance of brush, failed to maintain water reserves, and is using the disaster to force demographic and density changes in Pacific Palisades.
  • Political leaders, especially Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom, are accused of ideological obstruction, using crises to reshape affluent neighborhoods for “equity” and “inclusion.” [41:14]
• Quote: “They're waging psychological warfare under the pretense that we have to do it right this time. And they want basically low income, high density housing right in the middle of this picturesque, beautiful neighborhood.” [44:03]

7. Media, Antisemitism, and Conservative Infighting

• Tucker Carlson vs. Mark Levin: Recent episode highlighted Carlson’s attacks on fellow conservatives and accusations of antisemitism. [49:54]
• Hanson’s Perspective: Laments the loss of consensus in conservative media after the departures of luminaries like Rush Limbaugh, Charlie Kirk (referring to Kirk’s influence when alive), and the recent direction of Tucker.
• Quote: “The Tucker that I knew and the Tucker that most people knew wouldn’t… He would be on the other side of the issue with Tito. Excuse Tito Fuentes. Nick Fuentes… ” [54:30]
• Critiques both sides for doubling down, predicts instability and internal conflict on the left and right.

8. Democratic Party Strife in New York & California

• New York:

  • Internal party war between Gov. Kathy Hochul and left-wing figures (Mandawi) over tax policy, welfare expansion, and state-directed markets. [60:15]
  • Victor: New York and California push higher taxes and more socialism despite declining revenues, mass exodus, and mounting dysfunction.

• California/Gavin Newsom’s 2028 Prospects:

  • Politico hails Newsom as frontrunner for 2028; Victor ridicules media for ignoring his destructive record.
  • Quote: “Gavin Newsom wants to do to the United States what he did to California… Half of all the homeless... Highest gasoline taxes, highest insurance costs, largest exodus of any state…” [67:50]
  • Newsom’s privileged background and ‘nepo baby’ trajectory detailed as symbolic of the west coast ruling class. [80:26]

9. Climate Change, Alternative Energy, and Policy Hypocrisy

• Listener Comments: Discussion on new nuclear technologies, AI power needs, and the reality-check facing progressive billionaires.
• Victor’s Analysis:
  • Nuclear and fossil fuels will rebound in prominence as renewable energy proves insufficient for growing needs (e.g., AI).
  • China’s role in dumping subsidized renewables to weaken western economies is highlighted.
  • Quotes: “It’s like this year in California, it’s wet. So we only have about 140 years of accurate record company, the planet’s 4 billion years old…” [76:15]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “It’s much better than calling them a pariah state like Biden did…” [05:55] -- Victor Davis Hanson
• “If you would collate all the recent mass shootings and assassination attempts… you would see far more people represented than their actual demographic in the population.” [10:03] -- Victor Davis Hanson
• “Media canonizes Obama, Biden… then acts like real journalists for a change with Trump.” [07:44] -- Victor Davis Hanson
• “I think the Democrats stepped in it. That's what happens when you're driven ideologically…” [19:45] -- Victor Davis Hanson
• “He was a blackmailer. … He wanted to know all the celebrities. So he started out by getting these young girls… and then making a web, and he was a spider.” [21:00] -- Victor Davis Hanson (on Epstein)
• “Society has lost the extended family and the school as training grounds for life.” [27:29]
• “They have literally saved trillions of dollars in research and development…” [36:35] -- On Chinese students and technology theft
• “They're waging psychological warfare under the pretense that we have to do it right this time.” [44:03] -- On Pacific Palisades recovery
• “Gavin Newsom wants to do to the United States what he did to California…” [67:50] -- Victor Davis Hanson

Important Segment Timestamps

• Saudi Prince / U.S. Policy: [03:11] – [07:24]
• Media Bias & Reporter Relations: [07:24] – [09:20]
• Trump Assassination Attempt / Crooks: [09:20] – [12:01]
• Epstein Files Political Fallout: [16:06] – [26:07]
• Influence on Youth, Family, and Education: [26:07] – [32:20]
• COVID-19 Origin / China Student Pipeline: [32:50] – [38:12]
• Rebuilding Pacific Palisades & State Failings: [41:14] – [49:54]
• Tucker Carlson / Conservative Media Infighting: [49:54] – [59:12]
• Democratic Infighting, NY & CA Politics: [60:15] – [72:03]
• Climate/Energy Policy, Listener Comments: [72:03] – [79:56]

Tone & Style

The tone is incisive, at times sardonic, with Hanson's signature blend of historical gravitas and cultural critique. The discussion oscillates between sharply analytical and conversational, with a focus on the contradictions and failings of current leadership, media, and institutions.

Summary Takeaway

This episode highlights Victor Davis Hanson's deep skepticism about the honesty and effectiveness of current U.S. governance, media, and the political class—especially the left and the modern Democratic Party. Through a historical lens, he argues that misplaced ideology, media manipulation, and legacy institutional habits are leading America into avoidable crises—while also critiquing Republican shortcomings and strategic errors.

For a complete and unfiltered perspective, listen to the full episode of "Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words."