Victor Davis Hanson: Impeach Hegseth? You Should Be Thanking Hegseth

Podcast: Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Host: Victor Davis Hanson, with co-host Sammy Wink
Date: December 13, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Victor Davis Hanson and co-host Sammy Wink discuss political theater surrounding proposed impeachments of Pete Hegseth and RFK Jr., cultural developments in military recruitment, immigration controversies, and the historical significance of the B-29 bomber in World War II. The conversation blends historical perspective, sharp political critique, and Hanson’s personal anecdotes, offering listeners both current analysis and reflective commentary on broader American trends.

Key Discussion Points

1. Impeachment Proposals: “A Political Stunt”

Segment Start: 02:21

• Context: Some House Democrats (Rep. Sri Thanedar and Rep. Haley Stevenson of Michigan) have filed to impeach Pete Hegseth for murder and RFK Jr. for policy changes.
• Hanson’s Dismissal: He describes these filings as grandstanding since Democrats do not control the House or have the votes in the Senate.
  • “They're not going to get an impeachment majority vote and there's no way in the world they're going to get 60 senators to vote.” (05:03)
• The Real Aim: Raising the profile of otherwise obscure congressmembers by headline-chasing.
• Historical Double Standard: Hanson contrasts Hegseth’s alleged offenses with actions by Obama and Bush, highlighting the selective outrage depending on political affiliation.
  • “[Obama] killed over 550... I haven’t heard Pete Hegseth joke about it... The very people who joked about it under Obama are now wanting to impeach [Hegseth].” (06:28–12:56)

2. American Military Recruitment & Cultural Politicization

Segment: 05:00–13:43

• Recruitment Crisis:

  • The U.S. military faced a shortfall of 45,000 recruits, partly due to the expulsion of 8,000+ service members for refusing mRNA vaccines.
  • Hanson criticizes the policy: “They were telling the US Military, you got to get an experimental, unproven Moderna or Pfizer vaccination. But the people coming from Latin America... don’t have to.”

• Targeting of Conservative Demographics:

  • “How do we get rid of these conservative people in the ranks?... These were some really good veterans, great people.” (07:59)
  • DEI/identity politics initiatives further discouraged rural, white, and conservative recruits.

• Restoring the Military Pipeline:

  • Hanson credits Hegseth and Trump for reversing recruitment crises and eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.

• Weapon Procurement Reform:

  • Hegseth is praised for breaking the defense contractors' monopoly: “Why not a million drones?... So that's what they're doing. They're trying to break up that monopoly and get on the shelf practical quantity as well as quality.” (12:38)

3. The RFK Jr. Impeachment & Public Health Policy

Segment: 15:39–21:28

• Democratic Anger Toward RFK Jr.:

  • Hanson attributes it to RFK’s perceived betrayal of the Kennedy legacy and stance on vaccinations.
  • “[Democrats] hate RFK because they feel that he polluted the Camelot name...” (15:39)

• Vaccination Skepticism:

  • Hanson shares personal negative experiences with vaccines but supports targeted vaccinations (e.g., measles).
  • He critiques the inconsistency of condemning RFK Jr.’s vaccination policy while ignoring lack of health screenings at the border:
  • “One of the impeachment catalysts for RFK is the measles vaccination. Right? And I’m for the measles vaccination. But... letting in 12 million people across the southern border with no audits... I didn’t hear a peep out of any of those people saying, ‘we’ve got to stop this because we might have measles.’” (18:23)

4. Trump Pardoning Henry Cuellar

Segment: 21:28–25:59

• Case Details: Trump pardoned former Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was convicted of bribery, laundering, wire fraud, and being an unregistered foreign agent.
• Hanson’s Analysis:
  • The prosecution is portrayed as politically motivated, especially because Cuellar opposed the open border policies.
  • Trump expected loyalty in return, but Cuellar “went right back to his Democratic roots. And Trump said he was disloyal…” (24:08)
• On Trump’s Rhetoric vs. Institutional Crudeness:
  • “[Trump’s] rhetorical crudity... what they do to actual people’s lives and institutions is crude.” (27:23)

5. Leadership Changes in D.C. & Media

Segment: 27:48–34:07

• Police Chief Pamela Smith’s Resignation:

  • Despite falling crime rates (attributed to federal intervention), Smith is stepping down, leading Hanson to highlight political tensions between local and federal authorities.

• CNN Shake-Up by David Ellison:

  • Victor lauds media disruptors like Barry Weiss and discusses Larry Ellison’s optimism about the Trump-era economy and his influence through his son David’s leadership at CNN.
  • Key quote:
  • “We’re in a golden age… We’re going to see a new type of American military. And it’s the most exciting time I’ve ever seen to see all these patriotic CEOs who want to help create a national defense.” (Larry Ellison, paraphrased by Hanson at 32:59)

6. The B-29 Bomber: Engineering Triumph and Tragedy

Segment: 35:53–52:50

• Why the B-29 Mattered:

  • Designed for ultra-long-range bombing in the Pacific Theater, carrying 20,000 lbs of bombs over 1,700 miles at 300 mph.

• Engineering Challenges:

  • Overly complex with experimental features (pressurized cabins, computerized turrets).
  • New “right double cyclone” engines, made with magnesium parts, often failed catastrophically.
  • “All new, no test… they were all crashing… My father was the one that they thought they were going to get rid of. So they said, you can either quit… or… go to a new experimental program where you will die.” (39:35)

• Tactical Innovations:

  • Under Curtis LeMay, the bombers switched from high-altitude precision bombing to low-altitude napalm area bombing, devastating Japanese industrial targets.

• Casualties and Outcomes:

  • Enormous losses: 350+ B-29s lost in a few months, with 11 crew per plane.
  • “They were all crashing because all of these things didn’t work very well... but it did win the war.” (50:55)
  • The B-29 was also the only American plane capable of delivering atomic bombs.

7. Public Health, Immigration, and the Welfare State

Superflu & Public Health: (52:50–59:14)

• Hanson reflects on his own vulnerability to flu and COVID, the unpredictability of disease progression, and the challenges of mitigating risk.
  • “I don’t know what you can do… Every time I got Covid or… the flu, I was flying.”

Immigration and Welfare Use: (59:14–65:34)

• The study’s findings:
  • 54% of Somali households in Minnesota use food stamps, 73% are on Medicaid, 89% of those with children receive welfare.
• Hanson criticizes political/media cover-ups and the effect of non-assimilating, high-benefit immigration on civic trust.

Civic Education and Assimilation Failure:

• He states the current crisis is due to mass immigration paired with a lack of assimilation and civic education, made worse by DEI dogma:
  • “It could only have worked if we had civic education as in the past… But you add that many people with DEI and no civic education…” (64:51)

Birthright Citizenship Debate: (67:17–69:41)

• Discussion about upcoming Supreme Court hearings.
• Hanson suggests a compromise: children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants could be resident aliens until adulthood rather than automatic citizens.

8. Iran’s Drought Crisis

Segment: 69:41–71:33

• The prospect of evacuating Tehran due to water shortages is discussed.
• Israel’s potential military role rejected; Hanson criticizes the Iranian regime for misallocating resources to proxy conflicts instead of infrastructure.

9. Closing Comments: Trucking, Academics, and Practical Skills

Segments: 72:03–80:27

• Hanson recounts harrowing experiences with unqualified truckers, particularly illegal or poorly assimilated immigrants, highlighting regulatory failures and public safety threats.

  • “I’ve never heard of anybody… taking a semi truck at 78 miles an hour and got in the left lane on Pacheco Pass…”

• Listener feedback segment: A listener critiques the “PhD class” as lacking common sense, to which Hanson agrees and contrasts the practical intelligence of farmers and skilled tradesmen with academic insularity.

  “After farming for much of my life and being in academia for 50 years, it’s not even close as to who can do more.” (75:30)

Notable Quotes and Timestamps

• “They’re not going to get an impeachment majority vote... That’s what it’s for: now you mentioned these guys’ names and now I know them.” (Victor Davis Hanson, 05:03)
• “How do we get rid of these conservative people in the ranks?... Well, let’s really push the trans/gay/DEI agenda.” (VDH, 07:59)
• “He solved that problem. Pete Hegseth. There is no shortage now. All of them are back.” (VDH, 11:55)
• On vaccination mandates vs. border policy: “You got to get the mRNA vaccination... but the people coming from Latin America... don’t have to. They’re more entitled than you are.” (VDH, 06:32)
• “They hate RFK because they feel that he polluted the Camelot name... so they went out and got the whole Kennedy fourth-generation clan to attack him.” (15:40)
• “We’re in a golden age... We’re going to see a new type of American military. And it’s the most exciting time I’ve ever seen.” (Larry Ellison, paraphrased, 32:59)
• On the B-29: “You’re designing an unproven test bomber... and you want these 11 guys to get in this unproven plane and you want them to fly... over nothing but ocean… They said yes.” (VDH, 41:50)
• “They did the impossible... they made people very angry about legal immigration.” (VDH, 64:51)
• “After farming for much of my life and being in academia for 50 years, it’s not even close… as who can do more.” (VDH, 75:30)

Tone and Style

The episode is conversational, analytical, and richly anecdotal, marked by Hanson's concern for historical perspective and plainspoken skepticism of elite consensus. There's biting humor, personal storytelling (especially regarding WWII and his family), and candid critique of both left and right political actors.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:21 – Discussion starts: Impeachment proposals
• 05:00 – Hegseth, military policies, and left vs. right approaches
• 13:43 – Advertisement break
• 15:39 – Critiquing RFK Jr.’s impeachment and public health policy
• 21:28 – Trump’s pardon of Henry Cuellar
• 27:48 – Discussion on D.C. police chief and local governance
• 31:05 – Shake-up at CNN, Larry Ellison’s vision
• 35:53 – Introduction to the B-29’s history and impact
• 52:50 – University of Austin segment; transitions to flu, public health, and personal anecdotes
• 59:14 – Immigration and welfare usage (Somali case study)
• 64:51 – Civic assimilation and the shifting public opinion on immigration
• 67:17 – Birthright citizenship legal debate
• 69:41 – Iran’s drought and strategic implications
• 72:03 – Trucking dangers and the consequences of lax standards
• 75:30 – The value of practical vs. academic knowledge

Memorable Moments

• Hanson’s family anecdote about his father flying B-29 missions under dangerous experimental conditions, including surviving multiple near-fatal takeoffs and missions over Japan.
• The detailed breakdown of how DEI initiatives and politicization allegedly contributed to recruitment crises in the military.
• The vivid comparison between Trump’s “rhetorical crudity” and what Hanson calls the institutional “refined crudity” of the left.
• The implicit call for renewed focus on assimilation and merit in both immigration and education systems.

Summary

This episode blends rapid-fire political commentary with historical depth and personal reflection, providing listeners with a broad survey of current political theater (impeachment motions against Hegseth and RFK Jr.), military reform, immigration controversies, media shake-ups, and a vivid narrative about the B-29’s development and legacy. Victor Davis Hanson’s signature perspective—skeptical of elite narratives, pro-meritocracy, and drawn to historical analogy—anchors the discussion throughout.