Podcast Summary
Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words – “I’m Not Racist for Saying Somalis Stole a Billion Dollars”
The Daily Signal | December 20, 2025
Host: Jack Fowler | Guest: Victor Davis Hanson

Episode Overview

This episode features Victor Davis Hanson responding to listener questions spanning military history, the film "Heat," ancient Greece and Rome, cultural shifts in America, and the contentious issue of assimilation among immigrant communities. Hanson addresses accusations of racism, reflects on the historical significance of assimilation, and considers how history will record the Trump era.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Favorite Wars and Battles in History ([03:59]–[17:21])

   • Cortez vs. the Aztecs: Hanson highlights the remarkable Spanish conquest as a technological and tactical triumph, contrasting European colonialism confronting an equally brutal Aztec imperialism.
     • “How did he do it? ... Spanish steel, Toledo steel, the best in the world...But it was largely the Tlaxcalans … tired of the annual tribute. They were sacrificing 25 or 30,000 people a day.” [04:56–06:17]
     • On the paradox of Aztec sports team names: “Why would you want to name a team that oppressed indigenous people like that?” [06:24]
   • Theban War against Sparta (371–362 BC): The “kinetic” Battle of Leuctra marked the fall of Sparta through innovative tactics and leadership under Epaminondas.
     • “They had the best infantry…They massed in column…mass everybody on this side of the battlefield 50 shields deep...and they killed the king.” [13:51–15:55]
   • The Battle of Rorke’s Drift: British defenders with inferior numbers and single-shot rifles hold out against thousands of Zulu warriors; praised for tactical discipline and geography.
     • “They were opposed by 4,000 Zulus…they survived with Martini Henry rifles...very deadly at 500, 600, 800 yards.” [09:05–10:10]
   • Comparisons to Little Bighorn: Tactical errors and underestimation of indigenous forces repeat in both the Zulu War and Custer’s Last Stand. [11:31–13:51]

2. Ethnic Identity in Ancient Greece ([19:05]–[22:47])

   • Greece’s city-states spoke mostly the same language, distinguished by dialect, geography, and patron gods, but ethnic differences were shaped by geography and local traditions.
     • “We know from DNA that they were pretty much the same people and they spoke the same language. But Greece is…cut off. So every ring of mountains created, sort of like…the Cherokee, the Apache, different tribes.” [19:05]
   • The “Macedonian Question”: Debates over whether Macedonians were Greeks—ancient and modern perspectives. [20:48]

3. Film Analysis: Why ‘Heat’ Resonates ([24:56]–[34:09])

   • Michael Mann’s crime classic "Heat" praised for realism, tragic overtones, and the recurring theme of having to “drop everything and move on a dime.”
     • “The dialogue never is phony. It’s quick...Al Pacino made that character kind of crazy…dialogue is brilliant. The plot is really good too. You don't know who to root for.” [24:56]
   • Comparison with Mann’s other works (Thief, Collateral) and Tony Scott’s style (Man on Fire).
   • Tragic dignity of doomed outlaws, echoed in classics like "The Wild Bunch": “He has an ability to convey tragedy in a way that’s ennobling…There’s a certain dignity about it.” [31:39]

4. Imagining a Visit to Ancient Greece or Rome ([36:21]–[43:44])

   • Hanson would choose either the tumultuous transition from Republic to Empire (Caesar to Augustus) in Rome, or Athens during the Golden Age of Pericles.
     • “You’d be in the Forum…Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Cicero…Cleopatra…that saw the transition, you'd see…the assassination of Caesar…It would be very exciting, but very dangerous.” [36:34]
   • For safety, Hanson echoes Gibbon’s praise of the 2nd-century Pax Romana as the “most tranquil peace in human history.”
   • Parallels drawn from ancient civic decline to modern California’s loss of community, security, and small farming.

5. Assimilation, Immigration, and the “Somali Billion” Comments ([45:00]–[49:41])

   • Responding to accusations of racism for mentioning Somali criminal cases, Hanson criticizes leaders like Ilhan Omar for failing to urge assimilation and gratitude.
     • “Somali(s) stole millions of dollars, probably a billion. I’m not a racist for saying that.” [45:12]
     • “If your spokesman is saying something happened on 9/11 ... you’re not going to get the leadership you need.” [45:40]
     • Praises Japanese-American assimilation as contrast; warns that U.S. cities with persistent enclaves are losing the “single culture democracy” necessary for national unity.
     • “If you want a Dearborn Michigan ... or London under Mayor Khan ... the whole idea of a multi ethnic, multiracial, but single culture democracy doesn’t work.” [49:29]
   • Warns that entitlements without acculturation produce dysfunction, referencing debates with Milton Friedman.

6. How Will the Trump Era Be Remembered? ([51:43]–[61:01])

   • Predicts left-leaning academia will malign Trump for a generation, but results will prove lasting.
     • “Accomplishments stand the test of time, no matter who or what the interpretations are. They’re independent of bias.” [51:53]
   • Details potential major Trump-era achievements: immigration control, energy production, foreign investment, and foreign policy.
   • Contrasts Obama’s reputation with Trump’s: “Obama had everything. Everybody said he was a genius. Does anybody believe in 30 years that Obama deserved the Nobel Prize and Trump did not?” [53:32]
   • On media bias and historical memory: “They can try to warp [reality], but they can’t change it.” [55:47]

7. Notable Quotes on Race, Crime, and Historical Narratives ([60:21]–[61:01])

   • Hanson pushes back on norms about discussing crime demographics, citing crime statistics and lamenting the impossibility of open discourse: “...53% of all violent crime is committed by 6% of the population, African American males between the ages of 15 and 40. That’s a fact.” [60:19]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Colonialism and Empire:
  • “Yes, it’s European colonialism, but it’s European colonialism attacking Aztec colonialism and imperialism. ... It’s a classic case of technology...against scattered irregular troops.” [07:22]
• On the Myth of Unification in Ancient Greece:
  • “There’s no word in the classical Greek language for nation...They never could unite. And that’s what Alexander tried to do.” [22:01]
• On American Cultural Decline:
  • “It was a one, two punch when you let in millions of people, which is fine if you want to integrate and assimilate, but if you don’t and you suggest that they’re victims on top of that…” [47:43]
• On Assimilation:
  • “The Japanese community...were the most loyal, wonderful Americans. There was nothing like a Dearborn, Michigan.” [48:33]
• On Modern Political and Academic Culture:
  • “What does the president of Harvard mean anymore after Claudine Gay [a] plagiarist? ... That means nothing.” [55:47]
• On Endurance of Achievement:
  • “Achievements can’t be whitewashed or blackwashed...away. And that’s encouraging.” [61:01]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:59] – Listener Questions: Favorite wars and battles
• [19:05] – Greek city-states: ethnicity, dialect, and gods
• [24:56] – Why Michael Mann’s “Heat” is a masterwork
• [36:21] – If you could visit any era in Greece or Rome
• [45:00] – On assimilation, immigration, and Somali welfare fraud
• [51:43] – How will history judge Trump?
• [60:21] – Crime statistics and open discourse
• [61:58] – Listener comments, memory and age, closing reflections

Summary Tone and Style

Hanson employs a direct, sometimes blunt style, eschewing politically correct euphemisms. The episode is frank about cultural and political anxieties and punctuated by reflections on lost worlds—historical, cinematic, and personal. Hanson mixes erudition with populist skepticism toward academic and media orthodoxies.

Usefulness & Takeaways

For history and political junkies, the episode offers incisive reflections on the cyclical nature of greatness and decline, both in ancient worlds and contemporary America. Listeners will find both historical fairness and polemic—a defense of discussing uncomfortable realities and a belief that achievements survive partisanship.

End of Summary