Know Your Enemy What We Got Wrong (and Right) about the Right in 2025 [Teaser]
Dec 15, 2025
As the year winds down, there's a deep dive into the evolving dynamics of the American right. Buckets of doubt swirl around Trump's waning influence and approval ratings. Speculations arise about J.D. Vance's potential to unify a fractured MAGA movement. The hosts dissect Vance's Thanksgiving speech, revealing cracks in his appeal. They ponder whether intellectual prowess is a double-edged sword in populist circles, ultimately questioning the future of a party grappling with succession and internal strife. It's a captivating exploration of power struggles and ideologies.
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Trump As The Movement's North Star
- When Trump's authority weakens, MAGA's factions become rowdy and directionless.
- Matthew Sitman argues the movement fractures without Trump as a unifying North Star.
Succession Intensifies Factional Tension
- The prospect of a post-Trump future sharpens succession fights within MAGA.
- Matthew Sitman says this creates frenetic energy and intense scrutiny on potential successors.
Vance's Thanksgiving Talk As Comic Example
- Matthew Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell mock J.D. Vance's Thanksgiving talk as awkward and try-hard.
- They use his turkey riff to illustrate Vance's inability to charm a national audience.