Podcast Summary

Podcast: Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Episode Title: The Fallacy at the Heart of Ken Burns' 'American Revolution' Documentary
Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Victor Davis Hanson (with co-host Jack)
Source: The Daily Signal

Episode Overview

In this episode, historian Victor Davis Hanson provides incisive commentary on the state of U.S. politics, border policy, the influence of socialism, the crisis in Mexico, and—centrally—the controversies surrounding Ken Burns’ new PBS documentary on the American Revolution. Hanson critically examines the assertion that the Iroquois Confederacy was foundational in shaping the U.S. Constitution, characterizes the left’s approach to history and politics, and reflects on topics ranging from illegal immigration to higher education’s decline.

Key Topics and Insights

1. Political Developments and Military Obedience

• Trump’s Response to Senators’ Military Comments (05:18–12:51):

  • The discussion begins with Donald Trump’s reaction to a video by six Democrat senators, which encouraged military members not to follow “illegal orders.” Trump labeled this as sedition and a profound crime.
  • Victor’s Analysis: Hanson contextualizes the left's outrage by comparing it to hypothetical Republican actions during the Obama era, arguing that both sides would react similarly when threatened.
  • Key Quote:
    • "Is it cruder? Yes. Is it uncouth? Yes. Is it hysterical? Yes. Is it any different than what they would have responded? No."
      (Victor Davis Hanson, 11:55)

• Obedience in Military Culture (12:51–14:24):

  • Hanson warns that urging soldiers to self-adjudicate orders presents dangers for discipline and national security.
  • Quote:
    • "It's a very dangerous thing to do and they know it."
      (Victor Davis Hanson, 12:58)

2. The Mexican Drug Cartel Crisis

• Cartels and U.S.-Mexico Relations (17:46–24:01):
  • Drug cartels have committed mass violence in Mexico and are responsible for significant American deaths—600,000 since 1990, almost matching Civil War losses.
  • Sheinbaum as President: Hanson notes that cartel influence on the Mexican government is profound, implying that Trump’s policies—border wall, remittance taxation, pressuring China—would threaten both the cartels and Mexico’s leadership.
  • Notable Quote:
    • "From 1990 ... they've killed 600,000 Americans. That's almost as many as we lost in the Civil War through fentanyl with the aid of the Chinese. But the cartels have, and they've gotten away with it. And nobody says a word about it..."
      (Victor Davis Hanson, 23:08)

3. Immigration and Social Dynamics

• Somali Deportations and Remittances (24:01–28:07):

  • Trump ended deportation protection for Somalis in Minnesota, highlighting the prevalence of fraudulent activities and the economic impact of remittance cultures.
  • Hanson’s View: The political left leverages immigrant populations as a voting bloc, shifting from former rhetoric condemning illegal immigration.
  • Reflective Quote:
    • "We let in people who come in illegally ... and when they create large enough constituencies ... they become a constituency that votes."
      (Victor Davis Hanson, 25:03)

• Demographic Shifts in Minnesota: Hanson humorously recalls family lore and regional history, illustrating the shifting ethnic landscape and political implications.

4. The Ken Burns 'American Revolution' Documentary Controversy

Main Segment: (30:10–46:00, with additional reflection through 54:59)

• Background: Recent criticisms, including Dan McLaughlin's, argue that the documentary overstates the Iroquois Confederacy’s impact on the Founding Fathers and the Constitution.

• Hanson’s Friendship and Respect for Burns: He credits Burns' 'The Civil War' series as genius, lauding its balanced, tragic, and un-melodramatic treatment.

  • Quote:
    • "The Civil War documentary was a work of genius... It was not melodrama propaganda, it was tragedy."
      (Victor Davis Hanson, 32:07)

• Critique of Iroquois Influence Thesis:

  • Hanson refutes the idea that the Iroquois Confederacy was a prime influence on the U.S. constitutional system, arguing that references in the Federalist Papers and by Benjamin Franklin were rare and incidental.
  • He stresses that the true intellectual sources were Greco-Roman thought, British common law, the Magna Carta, and Enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu.
  • Key Quote:
    • "If you collate ... the references to Cicero, the Greeks, the Roman Republic, the Magna Carta ... and you compare it to a reference to the Iroquois, it's about 99% to 1. It really is."
      (Victor Davis Hanson, 36:50)

• Larger Culture War Implications: Hanson contextualizes the elevation of the Iroquois thesis as part of a broader DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) push that assigns primacy to narratives of indigenous or minority innovation in U.S. history—often at the expense of nuance or historical weight.

• Memorable Critique:

  • "Anybody who says that ... it was a prime influence on Hamilton or Adams or Madison or Washington or Jefferson is sorely mistaken."
    (Victor Davis Hanson, 41:19)

• American Founding and Western Civilization Curriculum:

  • Hanson traces the culture wars, the credentials battles over Western civilization curricula in the 1980s-1990s, and the shift from affirmative action to diversity, leading to a contemporary climate wherein victimhood is a political resource disconnected from actual class or hardship.

5. Socialism and the Democratic Party

• Recent Congressional Resolution (61:49–68:59):

  • House Democrats voted nearly half against a simple resolution condemning socialism; Hanson distinguishes between the manipulative nature of socialism and the more violent coercion of communism.
  • Quote:
    • "Socialism relies on stupidity, that people will vote it in one time. Communism has to kill people and keep killing people."
      (Victor Davis Hanson, 64:02)

• Media Control and Creeping Socialism:

  • Hanson stresses the mechanisms by which socialist policies entrench themselves—e.g., government control of industry and information, regulatory capture, and the manipulation of polling and public opinion.
  • He illustrates the absurdities and dangers of heavy-handed government intervention—using the raisin industry as a personal example.

6. Reflections on Gratitude and Personal Health

• Thanksgiving Reflections (69:11–77:00):
  • Hanson expresses gratitude for the luck of being born in the United States, for his family, upbringing, health, and the kindness of strangers.
  • Personal anecdotes illustrate resilience in the face of serious injuries and illnesses over the years.

7. The Decline of Higher Education

• Cal State Fresno Experiences (80:30–85:38):

  • Hanson details the decline in student preparedness, engagement, and standards during his academic career.
  • Quote:
    • "I looked at my syllabus in 2004. I looked at the syllabus I had assigned in 1980 for ... Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Herodotus, etc. And I only had one third of the work assigned. ... It was just not the same student body."
      (Victor Davis Hanson, 80:30)

• He recalls the demoralization of seeing fewer truly outstanding students and administrative pressure to lower academic standards.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Ken Burns’ Civil War Series:
  "It was tragic how they had to fight. And the people who had slaves were not the vast majority of Southerners they may have, but they defended them. And Shelby Foote brought that out."
  (Victor Davis Hanson, 32:38)

• On History and DEI Narratives:
  "Oh, we owe Native Americans everything because, you know, they created democracy. No, that's not true."
  (Victor Davis Hanson, 40:31)

• On Resilience and Luck:
  "I'm very thankful that all of us won the lottery and were born in this country. For all of our faults ... it's the best place in the world ... there's nothing like the American people's generosity and affability."
  (Victor Davis Hanson, 70:17)

Timestamps of Major Segments

• Military Obedience and Trump’s Comments: 05:18–14:24
• Mexican Cartel Violence: 17:46–24:01
• Somali Deportation & Immigration Politics: 24:01–28:07
• Ken Burns & The Iroquois Controversy: 30:10–46:00 (threads through 54:59)
• Socialism in Congress: 61:49–68:59
• Thanksgiving Reflections: 69:11–77:00
• Higher Education Decline: 80:30–85:38

Tone & Style

Hanson blends scholarly authority with candid, conversational critique. His tone is sometimes acerbic and often nostalgic, especially when reflecting on personal experiences and the decline of academic standards. There’s a consistently skeptical, sometimes caustic view of contemporary left-of-center politics and cultural trends, leavened by warmth in discussions of family and gratitude.

Concluding Thoughts

This episode offers a wide-ranging, deeply opinionated, and historically informed critique of current U.S. cultural and political life. The central thread is Hanson’s challenge to a new orthodoxy in historical storytelling (as seen in Ken Burns’ latest documentary), but the conversation spans from border policy to the transformation of American academia, all grounded in vivid personal anecdotes and sharp historical analogy.