Bad Faith Episode 540 - How Tony Dokoupil Made The Cut & Dropped the Ball (w/ Daniel Maté & Matt Lieb)
Jan 8, 2026
Daniel Maté and Matt Lieb, co-hosts of the Bad Hasbara podcast, bring their comedic flair to discussions around Tony Dokoupil's awkward debut on CBS Evening News. They critique his approach and personal disclosures, including an eyebrow-raising recount of adult circumcision. The conversation shifts to the Gaza situation as a moral litmus test for the left, and they tackle the contradictions within the Republican stance on interventionism, especially regarding Venezuela. Plus, they delve into the philosophical themes in Apple TV's 'Pluribus' and the implications of a hive-minded society.
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Episode notes
America First Often Masks Empire
- Venezuela exposes how the 'America First' right repackages imperialism as pragmatism.
- Matt Lieb and Daniel Maté note the America First frame often supports regional control when it benefits U.S. power.
Antiwar Postures Break At The Hemisphere Line
- Right-wing 'antiwar' rhetoric fractures when regime change yields resources.
- The guests highlight hypocrisy where some cheer intervention in the Western Hemisphere but opposed Middle East wars.
Dokoupil's Debut: Softballs And Dead Air
- Tony Dokoupil's CBS debut revealed soft, patriotic framing and production flubs.
- Daniel Maté and Matt Lieb argue his interview style and technical dead air betrayed weak editorial rigor.
