
The Moynihan Report Deep state, chemtrails, & Trump: Eli Lake on the new GOP conspiracy | The Moynihan Report
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Dec 4, 2025 Eli Lake, a columnist and host of Breaking History, joins to discuss the chaotic overlap of culture and politics. He argues that Socrates embodies punk ethos, linking it to today's political transgressions. The conversation highlights the rise of figures like Nick Fuentes and the normalization of shock politics, exploring their appeal among young conservatives. Lake critiques the Trump administration's foreign policy, particularly unauthorized military actions in Venezuela, cautioning against executive overreach that threatens constitutional foundations.
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Socrates As Original Punk
- Eli Lake links punk's core to Socrates: defying norms, corrupting youth, and creative destruction.
- He argues Socrates' trial and calm acceptance of death embody punk's transgressive ethos.
Punk Politics Were Messy
- Punk's early politics were heterogenous and often antagonistic to mainstream left-right labels.
- Punk Magazine's 'bottom 99' shows founders disliked Russia, feminists, and liberals, complicating easy political classification.
Transgression Fuels Political Appeal
- The punk-like transgressive style explains part of Trump's early appeal as breaking elite orthodoxies.
- That shock value helped him stand out in a crowded 2016 field where others offered technocratic specifics.






