On this edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words,” Hanson explores the historical roots and evolution of the 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) movement. Understand the unique strategies Donald Trump employed to unite diverse groups and achieve political success.
Please go to https://victorhanson.com/ for Victor's lastets content!
“First of all, remember, it's not all that different, in its core, from doctrinaire republicanism, in this sense. It, professes to be fiscally sound. It wants low taxes, limited government, and conservative values, in the sense of culture and tradition, patriotism.”
“Donald Trump added to it was: We were not going to nation build abroad. We're not taking people out of East Palestine, Ohio and sending them over to spend billions of dollars, and lose their lives in God awful places, like Fallujah ,where people don't appreciate it.”
“In fact, when we have 16% of the population that's foreign born, and that's almost 55 million people, he has called for a reduction or at least a breathing spell in legal immigration. That's ignited another tension or paradox or conflict between the MAGA people, who do not want any more than, say, 200,000 legal immigrants, and the Silicon Valley converts who want these work visas for skilled coders and people in Silicon Valley.”
Last week, McMaster sat down with Michael Moynihan at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia for an in-person Free Press Book Club event to discuss it all. They talk about his moments of tension with Trump, his understanding of Trump’s foreign policy, and how Trump’s rhetoric toward adversaries was actually good, despite being villainized by the press. And also, as McMaster puts it, Trump can be “so disruptive, he often interrupts his own agenda.”
They also get into the president-elect’s current cabinet picks—ones who McMaster sees as good, like Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, but how good picks do not ensure a harmonious administration. They discuss Trump’s options for handling Russia, Iran, and Hamas in his second term, and why McMaster is surprisingly and cautiously optimistic about Trump 2.0.
If you liked what you heard from Honestly, the best way to support us is to go to TheFP.com and become a Free Press subscriber today.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute in Washington, D.C. FDD’s experts conduct in-depth research, produce accurate and timely analyses, identify illicit activities, and provide policy options—all with the aim of strengthening U.S. national security and reducing or eliminating threats posed by enemies of the United States and other free nations. Learn more at FDD.org.
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Frank Trentmann’s Out of the Darkness: The Germans, 1942-2022(Knopf, 2024) traces the moral concerns and clashes of a nation re-building, re-constituting, and re-imagining itself from the depths of World War II to Chancellor Scholz’s Zeitenwende (‘new era’). Key elements of modern German identity, including the memory of the Holocaust, the nature of the Sozialstaat, the tensions between an energy-intensive export nation and a deep-rooted environmental consciousness, and the legacy of the East-West divide are explored through the contemporary experiences of a range of voices and the detailed tracing of trends and events over 80 years. Trentmann invites us to look closer at Germany’s postwar moral landscape and figures through the lens of ‘conscience, compassion and complicity’, the better to understand Europe’s most consequential nation.
Frank Trentmann is Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London, and an associate at the Centre for Consumer Society Research, Helsinki.
Matt Fraser is a freelance writer and podcaster based in Berlin, Germany.
Negotiators announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had reached a temporary ceasefire deal to pause the 15-month war in Gaza and return some Israeli hostages. President Biden celebrated the news of the deal in comments at the White House, though it still has to be ratified by Israel’s government. The ceasefire is set to go into effect Sunday, but it doesn’t guarantee a permanent end to the war. Ultimately, it will be up to the incoming Trump administration to make sure both parties uphold their end of the agreement. Crooked’s Tommy Vietor, co-host of ‘Pod Save the World,’ explains what happens now.
And in headlines: Confirmation hearings continued for President-elect Donald Trump’s clown car of a cabinet, South Korean officials apprehended and detained the country’s impeached president, and the Supreme Court signaled it might be OK with a Texas law requiring age verification to view online porn.
We're talking about a breakthrough after 15 months of war in Gaza: Israel and Hamas have reached a deal to put fighting on hold.
Also, we'll tell you what President Biden warned about in his farewell address and how more of President-elect Trump's cabinet picks handled the hot seat on Capitol Hill.
Plus, the FDA is banning an ingredient often used in candy, soda, and more. Hip-hop star Drake is suing his record label. And what's behind one of the biggest travel trends of 2025?
Those stories and even more news to know in about 10 minutes!
Join us every Mon-Fri for more daily news roundups!
From Pop-Tarts to Peeps, Red #3 artificial food coloring is now banned… 40 years too late.
JPMorgan just had its best quarter in 200 years… so it’s time to kill the most hated fee in banking.
There’s a hot new side-hustle that can make you $30k/year… Job Referrals as a service.
Plus, male and female Instacart shoppers pick out food differently… so should you be able to choose the gender?
$KO $GIS $K $JPM $CART
Want more? Check out the latest episode of our weekly deep dive show, The Best One Yet. This week’s episode is on Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: “From Frog Salesman to Candy Mogul” 🥜 Subscribe at Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinks to listen.
“The Best Idea Yet”: The untold origin stories of the products you’re obsessed with — From the McDonald’s Happy Meal to Birkenstock’s sandal to Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers to Sriracha. New 45-minute episodes drop weekly.
Parks and Recreation changed the trajectory of actor Jim O'Heir's career. He landed a small part as Jerry Gergich on the NBC sitcom, ultimately becoming a series regular. Now, 10 years after the show wrapped, O'Heir is out with a memoir, Welcome to Pawnee. In today's episode, he speaks with NPR's Juana Summers about the moment the character clicked for him, the "Parks" family group text, and whether the series could work today.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
The Southern California wildfires are devastating large swathes of Los Angeles, destroying homes and businesses and displacing thousands. In the state's strained insurance system, homeowners who can't get fire coverage from traditional insurers are left with just one option—the FAIR Plan.
Today on the show, we explain how the FAIR Plan works and the existential problems it now faces as the wildfires put new pressure on California's insurance market.
