Trumpism is Fracturing (with Sam Harris)
Summary
Preet Bharara interviews Sam Harris on the decline of good-faith debate, blaming social media silos and the "slopification" of discourse. They analyze Donald Trump as a demagogue exploiting tribalism and discuss the Democratic Party’s confusion regarding progressive extremism. Harris argues that tribalism, dogmatism, and lying are destroying democratic norms, while Bharara emphasizes the need for legal structures over informal norms to check executive power.
Topics discussed
Intro, sponsors, and welcome to Stay Tuned
Sam Harris on social media, fragmentation, and tribalism
Confirmation bias, Dr. Fauci, and the unraveling of expertise
Weaponizing criminal prosecution and political asymmetries
J.D. Vance, Watergate, and Trump as a celebrity imbecile
Left-wing confusion, DSA, and the rise of Trumpism
Lying as the worst sin and the decline of hypocrisy norms
Moral reform, cancel culture, and the need for codified rules
Norms vs. laws, emoluments clause, and flooding the zone
Trumpism unraveling, celebrity physics, and crypto corruption
Shoring up institutions and the Obama vs. Trump hatred
Attorney General Todd Blanche on DOJ independence
Judicial independence, special counsels, and judge dicta
Outro, listener questions, and final sponsor reads
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