Matt, this was a very well done Firehose, it was needed, it summarized a very turbulent time and I appreciate you taking the time to do this. You always cite sources and that is wonderful. ❤️
Never apologize for "Ranting", your rants have more substance than most journalist's reasoned arguments.
I have a concern though, has Peter always looked that old? Should we start to worry about him?
Megyn’s brain might be starting to melt. Do you have to give some consideration to going on that show once a month now? Please keep an eye on her. Is she becoming a crackpot? She has for many years since leaving Fox always made the point that she is not on any particular side. That has changed. She has been in Batya territory for a while. She does still point out things she thinks the administration is doing wrong. But if she is wading into Candace territory…? If she thinks that Moynihan has been duped by Candace clips that were used when taken out of context, then she doesn’t seem to understand who she has been talking to for the last few years, and I don’t know how hard she is doing her homework anymore.
I appreciate that she has been kind to TFC and promotes them. I'm sure that they are well compensated for going on her show. But she has become a partisan hack. It was just revealed that Tom Homan ( the latest Border Czar, after Kamala) may have taken a $50,000 bribe from the FBI. Megyn's response is that she "doesn't care" because he is a "national treasure". She is a joke. There are plenty of responsible fair minded people on the right side of the spectrum. She isn't one of them.
I don't think she is a crackpot. I think she is dishonest.
We are not compensated for going on that or most any other show, with the exception of Bill Maher (a modest sum), and one time I got some dough going on a CNN game show for some reason.
Agreed. She's someone whose business model is predicated on outrage and hyperbolic tribal propaganda. That she gives space to TFC monthly gives some hope that portions of her audience may be swayed by principled positions rather than the ever shifting partisan rhetoric. Unfortunately for MK, she rarely capitulates on her own show to someone giving her a dissenting view. In this week's episode, during one of her longer monologues, I forgot the guys were still on the air with her. It's the least I think I've heard Matt talk on a show ever! I really appreciate the screen shot included in the Firehose!
I was slightly surprised that she was critical of Bondi's free speech antics but the cynical side of me questions whether her interest in replacing Bondi may outweigh her blind fealty to the Trump/MAGA coalition... At a minimum perhaps she understands that, once in place, a hate speech law would eventually be wielded directly at her and her golden goose.
I wasn't able to listen to the super paywalled episode, as I fly coach, but I listened to her program with TFC and the Thor episode, as well as Saturday's episode. As much as I didn't like Megyn Kelly before (because of her speaking over her guests, and her shrill rants, and her mindlessly carrying water for Trump) she went even lower in my esteem this time. She is disingenuous and dishonest, especially when it comes to her friend Candace Owens. She isn't stupid, but claiming that Owens is taken out of context is inexcusable. Maybe she really heard all of it and is just lying for her friend. That is laughable for someone who claims to speak the truth. Owens is a crazed, virulent Jew hater and Kelly can't admit it. She is a phony. Fuck her.
I’ve liked Megyn often. I don’t like this direction with Candace and Max fucking Blumenthal?!! She claims that she’s busy and doesn’t have the time to listen to every episode, but every time she’s looked into something she sees Candace being taken out of context?! The woman is a walking blood libel! Does Megyn not have the time to ask her good friend Ben Shapiro (who came out hard against the FCC and administration for their strong arming) what he thinks of Candace? That motherfucker has receipts and can probably rattle off about 68 vile antisemitic statements from Candace in about 2 minutes in between an ad read for a VPN and gold investment.
I listened to Michael's discussion with Colby Hall on his show right before getting this. My God the discussion on the definition of Fascism was frustrating. It's this just a thing we do now, redefine words to support our argument? Actually, it totally is now that I think about it. I'll be here shaking my fist at the clouds with Michael.
That he was attempting to use the "academic definition" of fascism, by which he meant, "people I disagree with." And then saying people who weren't using this definition were doing so because their listeners were too dumb to know what it means, when in reality, he's counting on his listeners/readers to be too dumb to know what it means. Yes, as said below, smarmy git.
My conclusion was that Colby Hall is a Fascist - based on the academic definition of the word. Whatever he is, in this instance, I'm anti. Hell, Colby Hall is even worse than Hitler.
Add me to the "Thor episode was really cool," I like hearing from parts of the world I'm not thinking about every day, and hearing perspectives that aren't your usual "CIA's fault!" stuff.
Josh Zipps recently did an episode as well about the South Pacific, focusing on the challenges some parts of the world still have getting clean water, and how climate change is likely to make stuff worse. I recommend it to anyone who liked the Thor episode for the aforementioned reasons.
Your camera setup for the Reason Roundtable and Megyn Kelly show was bad. It sets you up like you are about to go Bernie Goetz on someone. That 1 minute clip was perfect. Do more of the latter.
It's always interesting watching Kmele go on a mainstream show and break a liberal minded person over the issue of race. Watching that woman respond to him with utter confusion made me feel good.
Though I disagree with a lot of the Fifth's takes, especially on public education, our one resounding commonality is the importance of free speech. I play rugby and some guys I play with have awful political takes, but every Saturday I willingly risk my body to support them on the pitch. They're good players, yes, I think celebrating the death of a PODCASTER is bad, BUT, I defend anyone's right to express that view. The Trump administration, actively censoring people is bad and is unconstitutional, though I am reading a book about FDR that points out his attacks on free speech.
For better or worse we have public radio airwaves that are regulated by the FCC. Those licenses are FREE to a select few. Those licenses are like ATM’s for the select few. The deal is They MUST serve the public good and adhere to some basic point of view fairness and decency Standards. You don’t get to use a license to endlessly propagandize for the democrat party anymore. They have had probably 30 fucking years of running room which some can consider an in kind contribution to the democrat party worth billions. But since it’s so imbedded nobody gives a shit and we just take for granted that ABC, CBS. NBC ,NPR can manipulate the political landscape, the culture, the news, the perceptions of science and education and race etc. for most of my lifetime license holders have had thier own self appointed aperture on the Overton window. That said I wish Carr kept his mouth shut and let the ABC affiliates do their thing with properly canceling Kimmel on the merits or lack there of. Now Kimmel looks a free speech martyr.
The Megyn Kelly issue is so interesting. I think her talent as a journalist and debator can be a double edged sword for her. She can always win an argument but it doesn’t make her correct. I like Megyn 70% of the time but sometimes her deep dives into irrelevant topics like the one she did with TFC doesn’t make her look like a serious commentator. She dips into crackpot territory.
Well Kimmel is back on the air. So much for the administration “silencing” free speech. I think this is a great development.
Hopefully the Trump admin will just shut up ( as they should have at first) and let Kimmel continue to self immolate and shrink his audience further and further. His show is unwatchable.
The govt has no business weighing in on the content of a TV show. Carr really needs to reevaluate his job and actually do what he is supposed to do and not bloviate on a podcast.
I disagree with Moynihan's stance on using qualifiers to talk about individuals in the news such as "This is someone that has very different views with me and I don't agree with them on many issues" before then condemning an attack on them. This could be an assassination attempt, government censorship, otherwise unfair media treatment, etc. Rather than detracting from a commitment to first principles, I think it helps to strengthen them. It's fine to outright condemn an act or activity but when you do so while highlighting that individual has oppositional views or values, it shows strength of character.
The problem with the “qualifiers “ is that it becomes cliche . Much like “thoughts and prayers” from individuals who have never in anyway acted religiously, discussed faith in any other context. It rings hollow.
Free speech advocates on TV would have a long track record and dont need to explain or try to bolster their justification. It is clear its legit.
The qualification usually is from someone who really isnt a true believer in free speech in the same way “thoughts and prayers “ people probably never actually pray.
Look at the clips from CNN anchors/panelists on government suppression 2021 vs 2025 and you see they arent 1A advocates at all. The cherry pick.
The qualifier explanation maybe is helpful if the person is challenged on their bone fides after laying out the 1A marker. Even then the better answer is:
It doesnt matter what I think of XXX , the principle is the same. The first amendment applies to all speakers not just ones I support.
Point taken on the format being cliche and therefore losing meaning.
If people are working in a disingenuous matter, then they're not really interested in first principals thinking anyway.
Unfortunately, free speech does need to be explained more often than before as the movement against it continues to gain traction. In that sense, qualifiers can still be useful to properly frame an idea.
The movement against constitutional rights is ongoing and has been ever since the Amendments were passed.
There are rare administrations which did not actively seek to undermine them.
Since Clinton on its pretty clear every administration had it fingers in the effort to diminish our rights.
The real travesty is the legal profession ( and law schools) have completely abdicated teaching that jurisprudence and high schools and colleges plus the ACLU just went 180 on the very concept.
As such you are right. Very few people have an inkling of how it is supposed to work.
Arch, I told you he would use it!
Matt, this was a very well done Firehose, it was needed, it summarized a very turbulent time and I appreciate you taking the time to do this. You always cite sources and that is wonderful. ❤️
Never apologize for "Ranting", your rants have more substance than most journalist's reasoned arguments.
I have a concern though, has Peter always looked that old? Should we start to worry about him?
It’s probably all of the Negronis.
That may be what’s keeping him alive at this point. 😂
I love Peter, good guy.
Megyn’s brain might be starting to melt. Do you have to give some consideration to going on that show once a month now? Please keep an eye on her. Is she becoming a crackpot? She has for many years since leaving Fox always made the point that she is not on any particular side. That has changed. She has been in Batya territory for a while. She does still point out things she thinks the administration is doing wrong. But if she is wading into Candace territory…? If she thinks that Moynihan has been duped by Candace clips that were used when taken out of context, then she doesn’t seem to understand who she has been talking to for the last few years, and I don’t know how hard she is doing her homework anymore.
I appreciate that she has been kind to TFC and promotes them. I'm sure that they are well compensated for going on her show. But she has become a partisan hack. It was just revealed that Tom Homan ( the latest Border Czar, after Kamala) may have taken a $50,000 bribe from the FBI. Megyn's response is that she "doesn't care" because he is a "national treasure". She is a joke. There are plenty of responsible fair minded people on the right side of the spectrum. She isn't one of them.
I don't think she is a crackpot. I think she is dishonest.
We are not compensated for going on that or most any other show, with the exception of Bill Maher (a modest sum), and one time I got some dough going on a CNN game show for some reason.
You should be, if only for your inherent value as the great guests that you are.
“May have” accepted money is a pretty important qualifier. I’m withholding judgement until more facts come out.
It is. That is why i said that. The way she phrased it, it appears that she didn't care if he did or not.
Agreed. She's someone whose business model is predicated on outrage and hyperbolic tribal propaganda. That she gives space to TFC monthly gives some hope that portions of her audience may be swayed by principled positions rather than the ever shifting partisan rhetoric. Unfortunately for MK, she rarely capitulates on her own show to someone giving her a dissenting view. In this week's episode, during one of her longer monologues, I forgot the guys were still on the air with her. It's the least I think I've heard Matt talk on a show ever! I really appreciate the screen shot included in the Firehose!
I was slightly surprised that she was critical of Bondi's free speech antics but the cynical side of me questions whether her interest in replacing Bondi may outweigh her blind fealty to the Trump/MAGA coalition... At a minimum perhaps she understands that, once in place, a hate speech law would eventually be wielded directly at her and her golden goose.
I wasn't able to listen to the super paywalled episode, as I fly coach, but I listened to her program with TFC and the Thor episode, as well as Saturday's episode. As much as I didn't like Megyn Kelly before (because of her speaking over her guests, and her shrill rants, and her mindlessly carrying water for Trump) she went even lower in my esteem this time. She is disingenuous and dishonest, especially when it comes to her friend Candace Owens. She isn't stupid, but claiming that Owens is taken out of context is inexcusable. Maybe she really heard all of it and is just lying for her friend. That is laughable for someone who claims to speak the truth. Owens is a crazed, virulent Jew hater and Kelly can't admit it. She is a phony. Fuck her.
I’ve liked Megyn often. I don’t like this direction with Candace and Max fucking Blumenthal?!! She claims that she’s busy and doesn’t have the time to listen to every episode, but every time she’s looked into something she sees Candace being taken out of context?! The woman is a walking blood libel! Does Megyn not have the time to ask her good friend Ben Shapiro (who came out hard against the FCC and administration for their strong arming) what he thinks of Candace? That motherfucker has receipts and can probably rattle off about 68 vile antisemitic statements from Candace in about 2 minutes in between an ad read for a VPN and gold investment.
Agree. Fuck Megyn.
I don’t think Megyn Kelly
Is ever “shrill”. She has a very good speaking voice which is on the low side for a woman.
you are correct, i misspoke. What I hear is her raising her voice when she is overriding a guest to make her point.
stop stealing my thoughts, man!
Every time I hear Kmele wax poetic about race, I'm right there with him until I recall that, in fact, Clarence was the fifth Beatle.
I listened to Michael's discussion with Colby Hall on his show right before getting this. My God the discussion on the definition of Fascism was frustrating. It's this just a thing we do now, redefine words to support our argument? Actually, it totally is now that I think about it. I'll be here shaking my fist at the clouds with Michael.
Yeah. MM is right though, the people that constantly scream fascism really just want to call Trump “Hitler” without calling him Hitler.
That he was attempting to use the "academic definition" of fascism, by which he meant, "people I disagree with." And then saying people who weren't using this definition were doing so because their listeners were too dumb to know what it means, when in reality, he's counting on his listeners/readers to be too dumb to know what it means. Yes, as said below, smarmy git.
My conclusion was that Colby Hall is a Fascist - based on the academic definition of the word. Whatever he is, in this instance, I'm anti. Hell, Colby Hall is even worse than Hitler.
Hall was basically insulting all of the moynihan report listeners. Absolutely a smarmy git.
Add me to the "Thor episode was really cool," I like hearing from parts of the world I'm not thinking about every day, and hearing perspectives that aren't your usual "CIA's fault!" stuff.
Josh Zipps recently did an episode as well about the South Pacific, focusing on the challenges some parts of the world still have getting clean water, and how climate change is likely to make stuff worse. I recommend it to anyone who liked the Thor episode for the aforementioned reasons.
Seconded on Thor episode. I'm no fan of Zipps but I'm interested in the topic. Thanks for the rec.
This was an extensive Firehose, well done Matt!
Your camera setup for the Reason Roundtable and Megyn Kelly show was bad. It sets you up like you are about to go Bernie Goetz on someone. That 1 minute clip was perfect. Do more of the latter.
It's always interesting watching Kmele go on a mainstream show and break a liberal minded person over the issue of race. Watching that woman respond to him with utter confusion made me feel good.
Though I disagree with a lot of the Fifth's takes, especially on public education, our one resounding commonality is the importance of free speech. I play rugby and some guys I play with have awful political takes, but every Saturday I willingly risk my body to support them on the pitch. They're good players, yes, I think celebrating the death of a PODCASTER is bad, BUT, I defend anyone's right to express that view. The Trump administration, actively censoring people is bad and is unconstitutional, though I am reading a book about FDR that points out his attacks on free speech.
Camera broke.
Appreciate your prompt attention to this IMPORTANT matter. Blessings!
Linking the Mayo Clinic was really a way to kick this bad boy off
Great Firehose, Matt. Really enjoyed it.
For better or worse we have public radio airwaves that are regulated by the FCC. Those licenses are FREE to a select few. Those licenses are like ATM’s for the select few. The deal is They MUST serve the public good and adhere to some basic point of view fairness and decency Standards. You don’t get to use a license to endlessly propagandize for the democrat party anymore. They have had probably 30 fucking years of running room which some can consider an in kind contribution to the democrat party worth billions. But since it’s so imbedded nobody gives a shit and we just take for granted that ABC, CBS. NBC ,NPR can manipulate the political landscape, the culture, the news, the perceptions of science and education and race etc. for most of my lifetime license holders have had thier own self appointed aperture on the Overton window. That said I wish Carr kept his mouth shut and let the ABC affiliates do their thing with properly canceling Kimmel on the merits or lack there of. Now Kimmel looks a free speech martyr.
On the Jonah Goldberg bingo card are his perorations on friendship being corrupting; Megyn Kelly is the quintessential example of that.
I can't get enough of Kmele arguing that race is dumb. Never stop, Kmele!
The Megyn Kelly issue is so interesting. I think her talent as a journalist and debator can be a double edged sword for her. She can always win an argument but it doesn’t make her correct. I like Megyn 70% of the time but sometimes her deep dives into irrelevant topics like the one she did with TFC doesn’t make her look like a serious commentator. She dips into crackpot territory.
You like Megyn Kelly because you like what she has to say. I like Megyn Kelly because she's an absolute babe. We are not the same, fifdom.
Well Kimmel is back on the air. So much for the administration “silencing” free speech. I think this is a great development.
Hopefully the Trump admin will just shut up ( as they should have at first) and let Kimmel continue to self immolate and shrink his audience further and further. His show is unwatchable.
The govt has no business weighing in on the content of a TV show. Carr really needs to reevaluate his job and actually do what he is supposed to do and not bloviate on a podcast.
I disagree with Moynihan's stance on using qualifiers to talk about individuals in the news such as "This is someone that has very different views with me and I don't agree with them on many issues" before then condemning an attack on them. This could be an assassination attempt, government censorship, otherwise unfair media treatment, etc. Rather than detracting from a commitment to first principles, I think it helps to strengthen them. It's fine to outright condemn an act or activity but when you do so while highlighting that individual has oppositional views or values, it shows strength of character.
The problem with the “qualifiers “ is that it becomes cliche . Much like “thoughts and prayers” from individuals who have never in anyway acted religiously, discussed faith in any other context. It rings hollow.
Free speech advocates on TV would have a long track record and dont need to explain or try to bolster their justification. It is clear its legit.
The qualification usually is from someone who really isnt a true believer in free speech in the same way “thoughts and prayers “ people probably never actually pray.
Look at the clips from CNN anchors/panelists on government suppression 2021 vs 2025 and you see they arent 1A advocates at all. The cherry pick.
The qualifier explanation maybe is helpful if the person is challenged on their bone fides after laying out the 1A marker. Even then the better answer is:
It doesnt matter what I think of XXX , the principle is the same. The first amendment applies to all speakers not just ones I support.
Point taken on the format being cliche and therefore losing meaning.
If people are working in a disingenuous matter, then they're not really interested in first principals thinking anyway.
Unfortunately, free speech does need to be explained more often than before as the movement against it continues to gain traction. In that sense, qualifiers can still be useful to properly frame an idea.
The movement against constitutional rights is ongoing and has been ever since the Amendments were passed.
There are rare administrations which did not actively seek to undermine them.
Since Clinton on its pretty clear every administration had it fingers in the effort to diminish our rights.
The real travesty is the legal profession ( and law schools) have completely abdicated teaching that jurisprudence and high schools and colleges plus the ACLU just went 180 on the very concept.
As such you are right. Very few people have an inkling of how it is supposed to work.