Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw

Wildly fun episode with comedian JP Sears joining Rep. Crenshaw for a conversation about using comedy to reveal truths and bridge political divides (a strategy which might come in handy at the Thanksgiving table). Along the way they also talk about JP’s prior career as a life coach, how evil captivates people, the Bill Burr joke that decimated the pro-choice argument, and – of course – how to survive bear/shark attacks. JP Sears is the author of the just-released children’s book “Chomp Chomp Chomp: The Snapfast Challenge”. Watch his insanely funny satire videos at AwakenWithJP on YouTube and Instagram.

Dr. Miriam Grossman explains the origins of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, the harm gender ideology causes children, and how to protect kids from school social transitions. They discuss the dark history of gender-transition surgeries, the manipulation of parents by trans activists, and the normalization of transitioning minors. Dr. Grossman offers guidance to parents and highlights the need for reliable studies on transitioning children.

Arthur C. Brooks returns to talk about the psychology of political movements, how fear is used as a tool to outrage and manipulate people, and how to preserve your happiness and sanity throughout all of it. Arthur explains why our brains are hardwired to emphasize negativity. He shows how politicians and influencers are exploiting that evolutionary trait to monetize your anger and gain power. He gives us some practical advice for how to disassociate yourself from outrage culture. And he gives us perspective on what real happiness should mean in work, school, family, and our purpose in life. Arthur C. Brooks is the co-author with Oprah Winfrey of the new book “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier.” He is the William Henry Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on happiness and leadership. He is the creator of the popular “How to Build a Life” column at The Atlantic, an acclaimed public speaker, and the author of numerous bestselling books, including “From Strength to Strength” and “Love Your Enemies.”

Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris is a distinguished professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of the foremost experts on the interplay of neuroscience and psychedelics. He studies how psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD and DMT can change the human brain and be used to treat various mental health challenges such as trauma disorders, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and addiction. Dr. Carhart-Harris joined Rep. Crenshaw to discuss the latest findings from clinical trials of psychedelic therapies, how the mind is affected by the different kinds of psychedelics, the legal landscape for these therapies, and the risks and benefits he sees in psychedelics, other prescription drugs, and alcohol. Follow Dr. Carhart-Harris on X at @RCarhartHarris.

The one-and-only Kevin Sorbo (aka Hercules) joined Rep. Crenshaw to talk about the culture war battles in Hollywood over conservatism, masculinity, and Christianity. They look at how morality and traditional archetypes have transformed in modern movies and tv. Kevin talks about the business of Christian independent filmmaking, policies that enable states like Georgia and Texas to attract film productions away from Hollywood, and just how the hell Netflix is able to churn out so many terrible new movies every month. They end with some advice for how conservatives can communicate their views more purposefully to persuadable liberals. Kevin Sorbo portrayed Hercules on the classic 90s tv show. Since then he has become one of the leading actors and filmmakers in Christian independent cinema. His first children's book, The Test of Lionhood, was just published with Brave Books. Follow Kevin's snarky conservative wit and insights on X at @ksorbs.

Foreign policy analyst Kim Breier joined Rep. Crenshaw to cover the recent history of diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico over migrant flows and what we can learn from them to build cooperation between the two countries in the war against the drug cartels. They talk about her experiences across multiple Mexican administrations going back to Vicente Fox and the devolution of the country over time at the hands of the cartels. And Kim gets into the history behind Mexico’s deeply embedded suspicions about the U.S. government’s motives.  Kim Breier was Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State under President Trump. She was previously the founder and Director of the U.S.-Mexico Futures Initiative, and the Deputy Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and served for more than a decade in the U.S. intelligence community as a political analyst and manager, primarily focused on Latin America.

Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, an expert on the Middle East, joins Rep. Crenshaw to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict, including the intelligence failures, power dynamics in the West Bank, and moral equivocation in the West. They also explore the history of Israel's occupation of Gaza, challenges of intelligence gathering in the Gaza Strip, and the sophistication of Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Christopher Rufo discusses the roots and spread of wokeism, the influence of the radical left on American institutions, and strategies to navigate woke culture. They explore the impact of social media on society and the importance of reclaiming societal norms through investigative reporting.

Congressman Steve Womack, former Chairman of the House Budget Committee, joined Rep. Crenshaw to explain in layman’s terms what is going on in Congress right now with the budget negotiations. They cover the tactical and strategic errors that got us into this mess and why the few GOP holdouts are pushing demands that will almost inevitably lead to more liberal spending bills. Rep. Womack also lays out the constitutional reforms he would like to see implemented to fix the budget process. And they cover the #1 problem that will drive America off a fiscal cliff: entitlement spending. Congressman Womack represents the 3rd District of Arkansas. He serves on the House Committee on Appropriations and serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. Follow him on X at @rep_stevewomack.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr joined Rep. Crenshaw to cover some of the important legal considerations in America’s efforts to defeat the Mexican drug cartels. How would a second term of the Trump Administration have dealt with the cartels? What are the costs and benefits of designating them as Foreign Terrorist Organizations? What is the U.S. capable of doing to stop a Mexican politician if we have strong evidence that they are working with the cartels? What would be the repercussions if the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is not renewed? All this and more in our second episode in the series documenting Rep. Crenshaw’s Task Force to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels. Bill Barr is the author of "One Damn Thing After Another: Memoirs of an Attorney General". He was attorney general twice under both President Trump and President George H.W. Bush.