The Moynihan Report

Tonight, Michael starts solo with a look at U.S. interest in Greenland and what it means today. Mid-show, journalist and historian Eli Lake joins to dig into Iran, focusing on how the 1953 overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh is often misunderstood and misused in current debates. Their discussion draws on Eli’s Free Press article, The Wrong Lessons from Iran’s PastRead Eli’s piece hereEli's Podcast "Breaking History"Subscribe to the YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maduro is in a Brooklyn jail cell, but Venezuela is far from free.In this episode of The Moynihan Report, Moynihan returns to the mic to unpack the historic arrest of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. While the Trump administration is taking a victory lap, the reality on the ground in Caracas suggests the celebration is premature and potentially dangerous. We are joined by exiled Venezuelan journalist Germania Rodriguez Polio (formerly of Vox and the Daily Mail) to discuss why the removal of one dictator might have simply cleared the path for a more ruthless, efficient operative: Delcy Rodriguez.While the New York Times and other mainstream outlets are busy branding Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as a shrewd operator with leftist credentials who is softening her tone, Germania reveals the terrifying truth. Delcy isn't a reformer; she is a SEBIN (secret police) operative and the architect of the draconian "Law Against Hate." We analyze why Western media consistently falls for the reformer narrative in socialist regimes and why Delcy’s rise could mean a darker chapter for Venezuelan human rights.Germania shares her shocking personal story of being escorted out of the Daily Mail after refusing to delete a video criticizing the New York Times’ coverage of the Venezuelan regime. We dig into the concept of Venezuela’s "fake opposition," figures who play the part of democrats while maintaining the status quo, and how major media organizations silence dissenting voices to maintain access or appear objective.Why are some American conservatives defending a socialist dictatorship? Moynihan reacts to a bizarre clip of Tucker Carlson defending the Maduro regime, exposing the growing fracture in the American Right. We discuss the absurdity of the "Horseshoe Theory," where the far-left and far-right unite in their hatred of the West, leading figures like Tucker to confuse a brutal, impoverished police state with a traditionalist society.Finally, we ask the hard question: Will Trump save or sell out Venezuela? With the administration already eyeing Venezuela’s oil reserves, there is a real fear that the US will accept a "stabilized" dictatorship under Delcy Rodriguez in exchange for energy deals. We discuss what needs to happen next, including the release of over 900 political prisoners, to ensure this intervention doesn't end in betrayal.Subscribe to the YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Devon Archer explains what it was like to be caught between Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump, and how power, access, and consequences actually played out behind the scenes.In this extended interview, Archer speaks firsthand about his relationship with Hunter Biden, the reach of Joe Biden’s influence, and how the Trump era changed the legal and political stakes. He reflects on business dealings, loyalty, fallout, and what happens when proximity to power turns into liability.This conversation is not about accusations or defenses. It’s about the real-world consequences of political access and what it feels like to be caught in the middle as alliances shift and scrutiny intensifies.Subscribe to the YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode features journalist and author Jamie Kirchick, who dissects the rise of the populist, far-right movement on both sides of the Atlantic and the accompanying decay of mainstream conservative politics. The discussion focuses on the rapid ascent of parties like Germany's AfD, noting that their success is driven by failure to integrate immigrants and the subsequent Danish model adopted by mainstream parties to curb their influence. Domestically, Moynihan and Kirchick characterize figures like Tucker Carlson as "the most dangerous antisemite in America right now" and a fusion of "every awful ideology," exploring his influence over politicians like JD Vance and the MAGA wing's adoption of pro-Russian, anti-capitalist, and isolationist foreign policy that demands a revisionist view of World War II. Finally, the episode touches on historical revisionism, previewing an interview with the grandson of Holocaust denier David Irving, and questions the utility of debunking misinformation in the current, high-speed digital environment.Subscribe to the YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a wide-ranging, candid chat where Michael Moynihan and guest columnist Eli Lake dive deep into the messy overlap of culture and politics today.They start with a fun intellectual detour, dissecting the punk rock ethos and suggesting that the anti-authoritarian, norm-defying spirit actually makes Socrates the original punk. This cultural lens is quickly applied to modern politics, where they discuss how the rise of figures like Nick Fuentes and his followers is basically a political version of punk rock. They argue that this shock-jock, transgressive style is a direct reaction to the illiberal social pressures of recent years (think: Black Squares and trigger-happy social media bans).The conversation then hits the controversial shift of Tucker Carlson, pointing out his "horseshoe" alignment with figures from the radical left, like Noam Chomsky. They suggest Tucker's appeal comes from his genuine rejection of his old Washington world.Finally, the talk gets serious about the Constitution, as Moynihan and Lake criticize the Trump administration's foreign policy; specifically the unauthorized use of the military in Venezuela against drug boats. Lake argues this overreach, done without Congressional approval, is a dangerous move that could undermine the foundations of the Republic by setting a precedent for presidents to start wars without a proper legal or democratic say.Subscribe to the YouTube!Subscribe to the YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Freston's story is a compelling journey of media creation fueled by unconventional experiences and a zeal for the non-mainstream. His memoir, Unplugged Adventures: From MTV to Timbuktu, chronicles his life, from an eight-year stint in India and Afghanistan on the hippie trail where he was a businessman running a successful clothing empire (a venture eventually destroyed by Carter administration tariffs), to his pivotal role in creating global media powerhouses. MTV, his defining legacy, was born in 1980 out of a desire to create a specialized "narrow caster" for music fans, reflecting a passionate, low-budget, no-experience culture similar to Vice Media's early days. The channel became a culture leader for over two decades, achieving success despite initial resistance from cable operators and record companies, famously using the "I Want My MTV" campaign featuring stars like David Bowie and Mick Jagger. This innovative spirit continued as MTV pioneered the reality TV boom with The Real World and when Freston's team launched Comedy Central out of competitive brashness against HBO, nurturing future comedy icons. Freston's career at the top of Viacom ended abruptly when Sumner Redstone fired him, famously for not buying MySpace, a moment that underscored the disruptive force of the digital revolution. Later, Freston got involved with Vice Media, drawn to its edgy, chaotic, and fun sky's the limit culture, only to witness its struggle with growth, overspending, and a missed opportunity to be acquired by Disney. Through it all, Freston believes his success stemmed from his confidence, ability to attract talent, and a commitment to having creative people in charge of his networks.Subscribe to the YouTube!Subscribe to the YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Michael Moynihan chats with Nathan Livingstone, the Aussie filmmaker who found himself in the crosshairs of the "most Googled man," Andrew Tate. Nathan details his journey from a forklift driver fired over COVID mandates to a leading chronicler exposing Tate's "unique evil"; a mission that's now landed him in a major defamation lawsuit he calls "lawfare," where the "process is the punishment." But the conversation doesn't stop at Tate. Nathan and Michael dive deep into the "conspiracy rabbit hole" defining the new Right, tackling Tucker Carlson's "softball" interviews with Tate and Nick Fuentes, the "schizophrenic" theories of Candace Owens regarding the Charlie Kirk assassination, and the alarming rise of Nick Fuentes and his "groypers." It's a fascinating look at the battle for "team reality" and the high price of exposing the internet's most controversial figures.Subscribe on YouTube!Subscribe to the YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Moynihan Report, host Michael Moynihan dives right into the 2025 Election Day action, covering the NYC mayoral race with Zohran Mamdani and the big governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey. He also gets into the political reactions surrounding Dick Cheney's death, calling out a pretty disrespectful tweet from NYC Councilman Chi Ossé. Then, he shares the story of his recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher alongside Marjorie Taylor Greene, giving his take on her whole "Rothschild's Space Lasers" comment and her surprisingly friendly welcome on The View. The episode also tackles the "civil war" splits happening in both parties, from drama on the right to Gavin Newsom's changing tune on "woke" issues. To wrap it all up, Democratic strategist Don Calloway joins the show, giving his on-the-ground read of the Virginia race (predicting a Spanberger win) and discussing how economic populism is showing up in unexpected places, from Mamdani to Republicans like Josh Hawley.Subscribe to the YouTube!Subscribe to the YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.