Trump’s Sparking Culture War Fights to Bury the Epstein Scandal
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to Raging Moderates. I'm Scott Galloway.
And I'm Jessica Tarliff.
Today, we're going to talk about how Trump stirs culture wars to distract from Epstein, Trump's economic pitch ahead of November elections, and if private school is worth it. If you aren't already, if you like what you hear, please subscribe to our YouTube page to get up-to-date coverage on everything happening, where you'll find hot takes you can only find on our YouTube page. So please, if you think of it, subscribe. All right, let's get into it. Over the weekend, two very different versions of America were on display.
How does Trump use culture wars to distract from scandals?
One on stage, Bad Bunny turned a major pop moment into a celebration of joy and unity, naming every country across the Americas and reminding audiences that America is bigger than any one flag or administration. At the same time, Donald Trump was doing what he's done for years, picking cultural fights. He went after an Olympic skier for expressing mixed feelings about representing the US, amplified a racist video depicting the Obamas, and once again leaned into grievance and division. And the timing matters, because as Trump fuels these outrage cycles, Congress is quietly reviewing unredacted Epstein files. We should put unredacted around in quotes. Jelaine Maxwell is publicly floating clemency for silence, and senior figures tied to Trump, including his Commerce Secretary, are facing bipartisan calls to resign over their Epstein ties.
Jess, before we get into Epstein, what stood out to you about the wave of culture war fights Trump picked over the weekend?
What really stood out to me is how ineffective I feel like he's become. Like, he's really lost his fastball. You know, I think they call it the weave that he does, right? Where he, like, finds a way to get a question that he doesn't like, and then he goes some other path. And, you know, somehow his base plus the extra 10% that voted for him or whatever, like, understands what he really meant and all is forgiven. Yeah. No, not at all. But it was really interesting to see prominent conservatives coming out and defending Bad Bunny's halftime show, including Alexis Wilkins, who's Kash Patel's girlfriend, the one that he's flying all over the country to see on our dime. But she said Republicans need to unite and get on better messaging because this branding is fantastic and allows all Dems to get behind it.
Also super aesthetic. Chris Ruffo, super white wing, defended it. Nick Fuentes, who does go through many phases, but he said, it's literally fake outrage, self-ghettoizing, being overly political, pretending to like the things. We have become the far left. That's about the obsession with, you know, the Kid Rock show. And he said, that looked like me, Familia. That's like all my cousins. I think I recognized a few people there. And on the horrible racist video of the Obamas depicting them as apes that came out, Laura Ingraham, who hosts the 7 o'clock show on Fox, had Caroline Leavitt on and asked her about it, said, can you really throw a staffer under the bus? And Leavitt tried this, oh, well, this is a leftist media narrative.
And she's staring at Laura Ingraham. Right? Saying that this is a leftist media narrative. So it feels like the bullshit is being called a bit more.
What was Bad Bunny's message during the Super Bowl?
I'm not predicting some downfall of the Trump administration, but it does feel like he is not... hitting his marks in the same way. And he's not able to dangle like one trans swimmer in front of people to get them to come over to his side. And the people are actually observing what's going on on the ground and formulating a not so positive view of Trump and co as a result. What did you think about the outrage over all the culture war stuff that's going on?
Well, first off, I have absolutely no interest in Bad Bunny. I couldn't name a song that he sings. But at the same time, I look at the economics of it. It was a brilliant move by the NFL. The NFL is investing in the future. Now, people under the age of 18, the majority are non-white. And this is the most popular artist in the world.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:05–0:38
2
How does Trump use culture wars to distract from scandals?
0:38–3:27
3
What was Bad Bunny's message during the Super Bowl?
3:27–5:08
4
What are the implications of the Epstein files review by Congress?
5:08–10:08
5
How is Trump's economic message shaping up for the midterms?
10:08–11:00
6
What do the latest polls reveal about Trump's approval ratings?
11:00–15:43
7
Why are NYC private school tuition costs skyrocketing?
15:43–16:03
8
What are the consequences of choosing private vs. public schools?
16:03–45:50
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov
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