PodcastsEducationDad Saves America

Dad Saves America

John Papola
Dad Saves America
Latest episode

196 episodes

  • Dad Saves America

    The SPLC’s Hate-Hoax Playbook Turns Normies Into Assassins

    02/05/2026 | 1h 14 mins.
    The White House Correspondents’ Dinner was cut short last Saturday by yet another assassination attempt against President Trump. A Caltech-educated game developer armed with two guns charged the Secret Service checkpoint, ending in a brief shootout that injured one Secret Service agent.
    This attack followed the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center over allegations of funding the very hate groups it fundraises against. A decade of radical rhetoric from celebrities, activists, and institutions like the SPLC has broken the brains of even relatively intelligent people. The same group that shaped FBI threat assessments, debanked homeschool moms, and labeled classical liberal thinkers as white supremacists was apparently running a grift the whole time.
    _____________________________________
    Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/the-splcs-hate-hoax-playbook-turns?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
    _____________________________________
    Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/
    Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zRtD98JPKlw
    Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
  • Dad Saves America

    How Gavin Newsom Ran California Into The Ground - Joel Kotkin

    30/04/2026 | 2h 15 mins.
    I sat down with Joel Kotkin to discuss how California’s utopian ideology and Gavin Newsom’s disastrous governance have the turned the state into a cautionary tale.
    Joel breaks down how one-party rule became the norm in California, with the Democratic Party tying itself to both Silicon Valley oligarchs and public sector unions and leaving the middle class to fend for itself.
    With welfare fraud scandals in the news and Newsom’s likely 2028 presidential run, Joel warns America about what’s at stake if California’s institutional and cultural failures go national.
    _____________________________________
    Follow Joel Kotkin on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/joelkotkin
    Learn more about Joel’s work: https://joelkotkin.com/
    _____________________________________
    Outline:
    [0:00] California’s ideology and culture
    [9:43] How Republicans lost California
    [21:45] Why can’t California have a sane election?
    [27:41] Hollywood stopped trying to appeal to people
    [34:43] Silicon Valley’s military origins
    [39:38] Was Silicon Valley’s utopianism inevitable?
    [43:46] The oligarchs and unions run California
    [51:58] How Gavin Newsom failed up
    [1:02:50] California’s fraud epidemic
    [1:07:02] The feedback loop of radical politics
    [1:15:49] Is there anything good about Newsom?
    [1:18:53] Can we restore the political center?
    [1:20:53] Is the Iran war worth the cost?
    [1:24:54] Trump was necessary crazy
    [1:35:26] Where’d the curious students go?
    [1:42:26] Can we have freedom without religion?
    [1:50:27] Community is physical, not abstract
    [1:54:12] What makes Judaism different
    [2:07:37] Are we in a civilizational clash with Islam?
    _____________________________________
    Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/
    Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zFfNbw63_Jc
    Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
  • Dad Saves America

    Hasan Piker: “I’m Pro-Stealing From Big Corporations”

    24/04/2026 | 1h 4 mins.
    Communist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker stopped by the New York Times's "The Opinions" podcast to promote shoplifting, terrorism, and Chairman Mao. Joining him was staff writer for the New Yorker Jia Tolentino, who justified stealing from Whole Foods (rebranded as “micro-looting”) and banning private schools.
    Of course, the same people who espouse Marx’s “labor theory of value” often went to private schools themselves and can easily afford Whole Foods prices. The New York Times has been running cover for communism since the 1930s, but they’re barely trying to sanitize the pitch this time around.
    _____________________________________
    Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/hasan-piker-im-pro-stealing-from?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
    _____________________________________
    Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/
    Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g2pISPIcVzw
    Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
  • Dad Saves America

    John Stossel: I Exposed Mainstream Media Fear-Mongering From the Inside

    23/04/2026 | 1h 44 mins.
    I sat down with libertarian reporter John Stossel to discuss his journey from pro-regulation consumer watchdog to small-government debunker of liberal economic dogma. We cover his accidental entry into journalism, his libertarian awakening, and why liberty is such a hard sell to the average person.
    John is a long-time critic of media fear-mongering, creating the 1994 ABC special “Are We Scaring You to Death?” His more than 50-year career has taken him from Portland local news to ABC, Fox Business, and now his independent venture, Stossel TV.
    _____________________________________
    Follow John Stossel on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/JohnStossel?s=20
    Watch Stossel TV on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@stosseltv?si=IYpeyB-fUcmL9JNz
    _____________________________________
    Outline:
    [0:00] How John ended up in journalism
    [4:10] Has journalism changed over the years?
    [7:00] Liberty isn’t intuitive for most people
    [10:44] Exposing media fear-mongering
    [14:30] Was the media ever really trustworthy?
    [16:47] Is “corporate greed” actually dangerous?
    [21:40] The great communicators of economics
    [23:39] Conservative vs libertarians vs liberals
    [31:34] Steel-man the other side, then debunk it
    [34:38] Why government is so inefficient
    [39:07] Will we ever learn the lesson of communism?
    [42:03] Social media has revolutionized citizen journalism
    [46:19] The challenges facing Gen Z
    [48:47] Bad news makes a better story than good news
    [55:38] Rethinking the libertarian view on immigration
    [1:01:25] John’s conflicted views on President Trump
    [1:08:12] Kids should be working
    [1:14:12] John’s upbringing and religious background
    [1:19:42] How John approaches his interviews
    [1:21:41] The iconic mustache and marriage
    [1:28:03] Fatherhood should be playful
    [1:29:21] Transitioning from TV to YouTube
    [1:33:01] Should we be scared of AI?
    [1:36:04] Dealing with the mess of the healthcare system
    [1:39:56] Dads and moms have different strengths
    _____________________________________
    Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/
    Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dYSTrFWHyqs
    Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
  • Dad Saves America

    First They Tax the Billionaires, Then the Millionaires, Then You.

    17/04/2026 | 58 mins.
    Zohran Mamdani spent Tax Day celebrating New York City’s new tax on luxury second homes. It was sold as a fix for the city’s $5 billion budget deficit, but only covers at most 10% of the gap. At the same time, Mamdani is promising a whole new set of expensive programs that would dig the hole even deeper.
    California is in the same boat, pushing a 5% wealth tax on billionaires as the state budget collapses under the weight of pension promises they never planned how to pay for. Across the country, blue state politicians are doubling down on soaking the rich even as millionaires and billionaires flee to Florida and Texas.
    This is the communist spiral to hell: tax more, spend more, repeat.
    _____________________________________
    Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/first-they-tax-the-billionaires-then?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
    _____________________________________
    Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/
    Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uWtHet5j5lQ
    Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe

More Education podcasts

About Dad Saves America

Proud papa, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and arm-chair philosopher John Papola explores the biggest issues facing our country through the lens of fatherhood, releasing exclusive interviews and deep dives every week. We need to make sure the next generation of Americans is raised to thrive in a free society and be champions of civilization. Dad Saves America has hosted all sorts of experts in the studio, including Jonathan Haidt, Dr. Drew, Michael Shellenberger, Bret Weinstein, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Adam Carolla. www.dadsavesamerica.com
Podcast website

Listen to Dad Saves America, Begin Again with Davina McCall and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features

Dad Saves America: Podcasts in Family