Censorship, War, and a Little Economics
Main Discussion Topics
Former Trump Critics Who Are Now Sycophants
Michael opens with a clip featuring prominent Republicans who once called Trump a delusional narcissist, a con artist, a kook, and someone who had never read the Constitution
The group now defending Trump includes Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Glenn Beck, and Lindsey Graham
Michael raises the core question: were they lying then, or are they lying now? Either way, their judgment cannot be trusted
Michael put it plainly: "If they were lying then, then we can't believe them now. And if their judgment was terrible then, why would we trust their judgment now? There has been no great change in Trump's behavior that would justify the big turnaround."
On Glenn Beck specifically: "He used to call Trump supporters brown shirts. These are the brown shirts, this is the French Revolution. Interesting that once he got elected president, now they're all just on board with him. I think they're lying. I think they're dishonest and I think they know exactly what he is."
Trump and the Supreme Court
Trump posted to Truth Social complaining that the Supreme Court ruled against him on tariffs, stating the court knew how badly he wanted the victory
Michael challenged the underlying premise that the court should care how badly Trump wants something
Michael responded directly: "The court is supposed to interpret the law and interpret the constitution, not cater to your juvenile whims. That was the first thing I wanted to address: this idea with Trump that the Supreme Court ought to be doing his bidding, much like he thinks the Justice Department should be doing his bidding."
FCC Threats Against the Press During Wartime
FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned broadcasters that airing what he called "hoaxes and news distortions" could jeopardize their license renewals
The threats came in response to media coverage of Iranian strikes on US assets during the Iran war
Trump accused the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and others of intentionally misleading headlines, and stated that media outlets could face treason charges, a crime punishable by death
Michael drew out the constitutional implications: "Threats from the federal government have a dimming effect. They have a suppression effect because people know what could come, so they alter their behavior accordingly."
He pressed the audience on what this means for those who have already discounted the Constitution in favor of supporting the war effort: "For all my friends who have said the Constitution is just not relevant because the war is so important, what do you say to this? Once you have said the Constitution doesn't matter, you've discounted it. You've thrown out the principle as a guide. The Constitution is now off limits to you. So how do you fight then?"
On the treason framing specifically: "The penalty for treason is death. So are you telling me that when the president of the United States says that, it doesn't have a chilling effect on the media? What are we fighting for if it is not for the United States of America and the principles upon which it was founded?"
Michael noted that Trump's two cited examples of media dishonesty, the claim about damaged US aircraft and the claim about a 250,000-person pro-Khomeini rally, were both things the mainstream media did not actually misreport. The planes were hit and damaged, not destroyed. The rally did happen. "So Trump is upset with the media for telling the truth."
"It's Arguable We Shouldn't Even Be There"
Trump, speaking as commander in chief of a military actively at war, stated on camera that "you could make the case we shouldn't even be there" regarding US presence near the Straits of Hormuz
Michael broke down what that means in practice: "How would you feel if you're in the military, sent into a zone where you could be killed, and your commander in chief is saying, well, it's arguable we shouldn't even be there? And by the way, Trump wants all these other countries to go there and help clean up the mess, meanwhile he's been telling them for years how much they suck, how awful they are, how they're ripping us off. Now he's in a jam and he wants help."
The Importance of Principled Consistency
Michael argued that the pattern of selective constitutionalism is precisely what makes the current situation so dangerous
He referenced the concept from Leonard Peikoff's writing that once you act contrary to your principles, you have thrown them out as a guide
Michael: "If we want a free country, if we want a country based on individual rights, we have to advocate such on principle. Not only when it's convenient. We can't throw these things out because we want to fight the left. We can't throw these things out because we want to fight Iran. We must follow our principles. Following principle is not putting considerations above reality. It's the insistence that we adhere to reality."
On the broader problem of pragmatism: "The United States Constitution is relevant, not because it's words on paper, but because the parts we are referencing here are the principles necessary for a free society to function. Separation of powers, checks and balances, rule of law. Without them, you have nothing."
Exit and Voice: Tax Flight and Political Accountability
Michael discussed economist Albert Hirschman's framework of "exit" versus "voice" as responses to institutional decline
Applied to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who relocated from Washington State to Florida amid a new state wealth tax
Michael noted that California has lost a net 200,000 people while Texas continues to gain population
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was cited as another example of exit, having reportedly left New Zealand amid a broader emigration trend
Michael on what the framework reveals: "When you tax billionaires, they leave. I'm not going to put this down as an iron law, but it does happen, and it happens enough to make a difference."
He also connected it to a broader point from Hirschman's PhD thesis: "Economic growth sows the seeds of laziness. People don't really need to pay attention because they've got their iPhone, their automobile, their big screen TV. They're fed. So they don't really have to pay attention to all the infringements on liberty that are taking place. I think there's definitely some truth to that."
The 2024 Election Fraud Claims
Michael addressed audience questions about claims of stolen elections and the film 2000 Mules
He noted that Dinesh D'Souza was sued for libel and lost, that 15 to 20 separate investigations found no fraud that would have changed the outcome, and that Trump's own private investigator Ken Block found nothing
30 lawsuits heard on the merits also found nothing
Steve Bannon was cited as having stated before the election that Trump would claim it was stolen even if it wasn't
Michael on trying to reason with those committed to the narrative: "You didn't see it with your own eyes. You may believe it. But that's not accurate, because it did not occur."
JD Vance and Patrick Deneen
In response to audience questions about potential future candidates, Michael flagged JD Vance's intellectual influences as disqualifying
Vance has publicly cited Patrick Deneen, who has argued that the Enlightenment, liberalism, and individualism were mistakes
Michael's assessment: "That is who influenced JD Vance: the anti-capitalist Patrick Deneen. We can expose that."
Building a Movement That Can Disagree
Michael argued that any viable pro-freedom political movement has to tolerate principled disagreement on policy application
He used his relationship with James Valliant as an example: they disagree on the Iran war but remain aligned on fundamental principles and continue working together
Michael: "If we simply say we agree on the same principles, but every time you disagree with me on a particular policy, forget it, we're gonna lose. There has to be allowance for disagreement. You can't just disavow everybody who dares to disagree with you."
Is the War Moral vs. Is It Moral for the US to Carry Out?
Persephone raised the distinction between these two questions, noting that many people collapse them
Michael agreed that the Iranian regime deserves to be removed but stressed that justice alone does not make an action in America's interest
Michael: "Just because it would be just to do something, just because somebody deserves something, doesn't mean it's in our interest to do it in all cases. In order for me to know that, I would have to be able to trust the people making the case, and right now nobody is making the case."
Persephone: "A lot of people collapse the two. Is the war moral? And is the war moral for the United States to carry out? They go, it's justice, therefore the question is settled. They're not taking the America angle into account when they ask that question."
UAE Businessmen's Letter to Trump
Persephone brought up a letter from UAE business leaders challenging Trump's authority to involve the Gulf region in a war with Iran
Michael's response: "How dare them. Are they sending letters to the Iranian government? How dare you sponsor terrorism. How dare you support Hamas and Hezbollah. No, they're sending it to Trump because they view America as civilized and the Iranians are not, and they want to play on that to guilt somebody."
Notable Quotes
Michael on political flip-flopping: "Glenn Beck used to call Trump supporters brown shirts. Once Trump got elected and given a little time, now they're all just on board with him. It doesn't seem a coincidence. I think they're lying."
Michael on the Constitution as principle: "The United States Constitution is relevant, not because it's words on paper. It's relevant because specifically the parts that we are referencing here are the principles that are necessary for a free society to function. Separation of powers, checks and balances, rule of law. Without them, you have nothing."
Michael on the threat to the press: "When you are threatened with death, that might have an impact on what you're willing to report."
Michael on principled governance: "There's a third option: being the happy warrior who absolutely fights for objective principles, who sticks to principles regardless of what people say, do, or think, who understands that reason is our means to survival and our only means of knowledge."
Persephone on the war question: "A lot of people collapse the two. Is the war moral? And is the war moral for the United States to carry out? They go, it's justice, therefore the question, is it moral? They're not taking the America angle into account."
Michael on election fraud claims: "You didn't see it with your own eyes. You may believe it. But that is not accurate, because it did not occur."
Referenced Works and Figures
Albert Hirschman - "Exit, Voice, and Loyalty" (PhD thesis and economic framework)
Leonard Peikoff - referenced in relation to the principle of not abandoning principles once stated
Ayn Rand - emotions as non-tools of cognition
I.A. Soman - upcoming guest, constitutional law expert
Ken Block - Trump's own private investigator who found no evidence of election fraud
Patrick Deneen - anti-Enlightenment philosopher cited as a key influence on JD Vance
Dinesh D'Souza - referenced critically for 2000 Mules, sued for libel
Key Themes
The chilling effect of executive threats on press freedom during wartime
Principled adherence to the Constitution versus expedient abandonment of it
Political tribalism and the dishonesty of converted sycophants
The distinction between moral justification for an action and whether it is in America's national interest
Tax flight, federalism, and the economic consequences of wealth taxation
The necessity of building a movement that tolerates principled disagreement
Capitalist Thought of the Day
"My Capitalist Thought for the Day is simple: don't trust the government. Don't trust the government when it comes to the economy. Don't trust the government when it comes to war. Don't trust what they say. Don't believe what they tell you they're going to do. Always be skeptical of them. I'm not saying governments are necessarily evil. We need government. We need objective law. But the only way that we can ever get that is if we hold these people accountable, and we cannot hold them accountable if we just buy every line of bullshit that they sell." - Michael