Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. There’s been quite a controversial article by one Jacob Savage in the conservative magazine Compact. In it, he describes the destruction of a whole generation, career-wise, of white males, particularly in the entertainment industry, screenwriting, journalism, the humanities, academia. And his thesis is tri-part. He says that, traditionally, white males had dominated these fields, as they did others. And that was a part of demography. After all, until about 1965 or ’70, 90% of the country was so-called white, but as immigration increased and there was more emphasis on feminism, civil rights, the white male hierarchy decided to help people who otherwise would not be encouraged to apply to these marquee jobs. And this was sort of a proto affirmative action. And then it was reified by the government. And so, we saw the beginning in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s of affirmative action, and this reduced the number of white males from their demo from being overrepresented, let’s say 70%, when their demographic now is 35, down to the millennium proportionality. There was no disproportionate demographics. They were more or less proportionate in screenwriting and writing and movie scripts, etc. Right before and then especially after George Floyd, there was something, I guess we would call it reparations or repertory hiring, admissions. In my case, I watched Stanford University go down to 9% white males were admitted to their freshman class, even though that demographic is about 35% of the population. And this radically changed journalism, screenwriting, academia. And as Mr. Savage points out, some of the exclusionary actions were outright and unabashed, I would call it, racism. He doesn’t, he says prejudicial behavior. So, you would get down to 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12% white males. That meant there was almost no opportunity. And instead, women and minorities were hired. He ends the article by suggesting that if you get rid of meritocracy—and all of these fields, forget about the tribal affiliations of those who were in them, they did have meritocratic standards. So, I guess I came away from his article thinking, if you don’t think the movies are very good today, the “Star Wars” franchise has gone downhill, the “James Bond” franchise has gone downhill, the entertainment at the halftime shows are pretty bad, Disneyland is not very welcoming anymore, you know the scenario. It’s because we destroyed standards and we replaced them with tribal chauvinism. Where I think some of you are gonna disagree with this very powerful and well-written article is that he allots no anger, no blame. He says that the white male hierarchy that implemented these changes on another generation, i.e., his generation, it is not to blame, and the people who took advantage of these repertory or race-based or gender-based hiring should not be faulted either. They just took advantage of a welcoming position. And then, rather than being defined, he sort of shrugs his shoulders and says, I told my children maybe I didn’t succeed. It was kind of tragic. I do blame the older white hierarchy, mostly liberal professors, liberal journalists, liberal directors, liberal actors, liberal screenwriters. They all had nice cushy jobs. They earned them. Then they decided in their utopian generosity that they were going to admit people into their guilds without the same criterion that they had had because it made them feel better. In other words, they didn’t accept Tom Sowell’s or Shelby Steele’s advice or Jason Riley’s that says, when you do that, you’re going to encourage mediocrity and opportunist, and you’re going to deprecate the work of African Americans or Hispanics that are very talented. But that’s what you’re going to do just to gratify your own sense of ego and shame. And that’s exactly what happened. So, I do blame that group because all they had to do is say, they could have said: “We have to have a radical change at Disney Pictures. We have to have a radical change at sitcoms. We have to have a radical change in screenplays. And because we have seven white males in the journalism room and we’re all 70, we’re making great money, one of us is gonna have to retire and give our slots to other white males that are young, and then we can hire additional ones.” They didn’t do that. It was all, I’m going to experiment on these Guinea pigs without any exposure of my title, my job, my salary, my benefits. And they destroyed a whole series of genres. The other thing that I would say is I do blame the people who took advantage of that, especially those who knew they were not qualified. And then to stay in those positions when they did not have the meritocratic criteria, they had to perpetuate the idea of systematic racism. What do I mean by that? Anybody, to take one example, who listened to Joy Reid on MSNBC, “The ReidOut,” or whatever her show was, knew that she was A) not truthful, B) paranoid, C) hypocritical, D) ignorant. I don’t care where she went to school or what kind of degree she got, she was not qualified for that job. She tanked all of their ratings. People did not wanna watch her. And I don’t think that she was an innocent victim. I think she took advantage of that goodwill, especially when she was supercharged after the death of George Floyd to take advantage of that situation and to voice, I think, opinions that were objectively racism. So, not everybody, but I do think people took advantage of this system. What did he end up with, Mr. Savage? He sort of said this was so unfair and so tragic. We lost such talent. It was so unfair. Yes. But I would urge all of you listeners to read a little essay in response by Jeremy Carl. He said, no, no, that’s not—you’ve got the diagnosis right, but you don’t have the therapy right. We don’t just shrug our shoulders and say that was unfair, and it’s tragic, and millions of lives were destroyed. We fight back. And that’s what President Donald Trump has done with the destruction of DEI. And Jeremy Carl said it’s racism. Whether it’s white on black or black or white, or white on minority or minority on white, doesn’t matter. You don’t address a perceived injustice by creating a greater injustice. You don’t destroy the lives of a whole generation of people for the goodwill of your own spirit or something to make you feel good. No. These people were culpable. They did great damage, and they have to be held accountable. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post The War on White Men Is Real—Here’s the Proof appeared first on The Daily Signal.

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said Tuesday that navigating Washington’s hard-left culture requires a constant search for grace. The Trump administration has achieved positive economic results as the Consumer Price Index showed inflation easing to a 2.7% year-over-year increase in November from 3.0% in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Speaking with Brian Kilmeade on “The Ingraham Angle,” Kennedy said the media chose to ignore President Donald Trump’s achievements. “I’ve said before, I don’t hate anybody. I look for grace wherever I can find it. But there’s some days when I walk to my office in the Capitol and I give myself a pep talk and I say today, ‘Kennedy, you’re going to follow Jesus.’ But by 10, I want to follow Jesus still, but I want to slap somebody,” Kennedy said. “But I love my job, and this Christmas I’m not thinking about grievances. I’m thinking about gratitude. I’m thinking about grace. I’m thankful, in addition to my God and for my family.” ‘I Want To Follow Jesus Still, But I Want To Slap Somebody’: John Kennedy Seeks Grace And Gratitude In Hard Left DC https://t.co/gshycWMd5m via @dailycaller— European American ?? ?? (@Veritas86511) December 24, 2025 Kennedy said the past year tested his patience. “This year, in some ways, Brian, has been frustrating in the sense that nothing that the Trump administration does, no matter what it is, even if it’s something very, very, very positive, he’s not given credit for it by many members of the media,” Kennedy told Kilmeade. “That’s aggravating. I’ve said this before, but it’s frustrating sometimes that Washington, D.C., you know it, it’s a Democratic town, not just the Democrats in Congress, but the think tanks, the academics, the bureaucrats, and that can be frustrating.”  Harvard economics professor Kenneth Rogoff told CNN News Central co-host Kate Bolduan that the latest Consumer Price Index data amounts to “positive news” for the economy. “I was surprised. It was a better number than anyone was expecting,” Rogoff said. “Look, inflation’s been very high, it’s stayed high and it’s not been coming down.” At the start of Trump’s second term, Democrats blamed him over costs of goods—most notably eggs, which climbed sharply between November 2023 and March 2025 after an avian influenza wave wiped out large portions of the nation’s poultry supply, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Trump countered those attacks in a Wednesday night address, as the White House pointed to easing prices across everyday goods, including groceries, household products, and fuel. Price pressures ballooned during former President Joe Biden’s tenure, when inflation reached levels not seen in decades, peaking in mid-2022. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The post ‘I Want to Follow Jesus Still, but I Want to Slap Somebody’: John Kennedy Seeks Grace and Gratitude in Hard Left DC appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A small group of lawmakers recently flew over 5,000 miles to Nigeria to send a clear message to the leaders of the African nation where Christians are facing severe persecution.   “I wanted to do a trip to make a statement that we’re watching, that we’re paying attention, that we’re in solidarity with the Nigerian people,” Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., told The Daily Signal. Huizenga spent about 30 hours on the ground in Nigeria over the weekend in a whirlwind trip accompanied by Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., Keith Self, R-Texas, and Jefferson Shreve, R-Texas. The congressmen met with multiple Nigerian leaders during the brief trip. General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the Nigerian minister of defense, is a Christian himself, the Congressman says, and after learning that the members of Congress planned to attend a church service outside Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, Musa joined the delegation for the service.   “I think this may have been one of the most important things that happened on the trip, was having … Minister Musa come and hear directly, and hear the support for him” from church leaders, Huizenga said.   Attending the service and worshipping alongside the Nigerian people and minister of defense was a “powerful” experience, Huizenga said. He added that he believes the minister’s appointment to the position just earlier this month is good step in the right direction toward addressing the violent persecution of Christians.   It was incredibly moving to join my brothers and sisters in faith today at Lighthouse CRC in Abuja, Nigeria. Christians in Nigeria are continuing to peacefully practice our faith despite seemingly being the targets of both killings and religious violence by radicalized… pic.twitter.com/W95f0khpcv— Rep. Bill Huizenga (@RepHuizenga) December 21, 2025 Huizenga says he plans to meet with President Donald Trump “directly” in the future to discuss the trip and next steps to address the violence in Nigeria.   Radical Islamic Muslims and Fulani Muslims have killed more than 50,000 Christians in Nigeria since 2009, and about 7,000 in the first half 2025 alone, according to Genocide Watch.    Christians have faced persecution in Nigeria for more than two decades, but violence against followers of Jesus grew far worse with the rise of Boko Haram in 2009, according to Global Christian Relief.  Fulani Muslims are also carrying out attacks against Christians in Nigeria, though these attacks are driven, at least in part, by socio-economic tensions.  The trip Huizenga led to Nigeria represents the second congressional delegation to the African nation within the past 40 days. Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. V., led a trip to Nigeria in November. Moore said that he had a “frank, honest, and productive discussion with senior members of the Nigerian government regarding the horrific violence and persecution Christians face and the ongoing threat terrorism poses across Nigeria.”   The persecution of Christians in Nigeria has drawn attention from lawmakers, political leaders, and celebrities alike.   At the end of October, Trump announced he was designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern.” Trump also asked members of Congress to look into the issue of Christian persecution in Nigeria and report back to him.    The message now to the Nigerian government is “we’re not going away,” Huizenga said. The U.S. won’t accept the claims some in the Nigeria government have made discrediting the violence or even claiming it is not happening.   “We’re paying attention,” Huizenga says.   The post ‘We’re Watching’: Members of Congress Travel 5,000 Miles to Send Clear Message to Nigeria’s Leaders   appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Christmas season is filled with busy schedules, parties, decorations, and joy. It is arguably the most special time of year.   Unfortunately, the secular nature of the holiday has dominated its celebration to such a large degree that we can too often neglect to remember the religious roots of the season. Of course, we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, but we can also learn from the real Santa Claus on how best to celebrate the coming of the Son of God. St. Nicholas (270-345) was a real historical person. When he was a young boy his parents were very involved in giving aid to those who were sick in their community. Their service to the poor and ill ultimately cost them their lives when they contracted a disease from those they were giving aid to. Their wealth was left to their son, Nicholas. He later became a Bishop of Myra off the coast of Turkey and was known for his love for the poor and care for those in need. What he became most well-known for was his anonymous gift-giving in the middle of the night. Nicholas first performed this act of charity to the family of a widower who had three daughters. The tradition says that the father was worried that if he died his daughters would be sold into slavery in order to survive due to his poverty. Nicholas left gold coins through the window of their home on three consecutive nights in order to provide for their needs. St. Nick’s charitable heart and desire to give to those in need in a secretive way later gave rise to the tradition of Santa Claus. This name and practice of gift-giving originated in Holland, where he was called Sinterklaas (a Dutch variant of the name St. Nicholas). As the Dutch came to America, the tradition was carried with them and later took off across the world as a tradition of giving gifts anonymously at night. The reality that we celebrate on Christmas today truly arose from the combination of the gift of all gifts: God becoming one of us in order that we may know Him personally and that He may save us—along with providing each other with gifts in a way that would transmit our love for each other. In this way, we can learn from the real St. Nick as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. First, we can learn the meaning of the notion of gift. For Christians, this is communicated through the word “grace.” This comes from the Greek word charis. It can literally be defined as “free gift” or “that which gives joy.” When it comes to the grace that God gives, it is something that is undeserved and it communicates His very life. In that sense, God’s grace enlivens the human spirit and allows one to be joyful even in the face of trials. Grace also reminds us that, like the gifts of St. Nicholas, it is the reception of gifts that we don’t deserve that are the most special. The anonymous nature of St. Nick’s gifts as well as his willingness to do this at night brought the sense to his receivers that they were special enough to be taken care of by someone they did not even know. Parents love their children like this. We seek to bring great joy and surprise to our kids by giving them special gifts on their birthdays or at Christmas. The surprise nature of the gift is meant to show that our kids deserve to be loved above and beyond what they could imagine. God desires to love us in the same way, but on an infinite level. That is why He takes on human flesh. That is why He was born in the middle of nowhere to peasant parents. God’s ultimate Christmas gift is that He comes so close to us that He becomes one of us. When we provide gifts of a special quality to our loved ones, or those in need during the holidays, we can love like God does. Second, grace and gifts provide joy. The gifts that St. Nick gave always had a human connection. They were meant to reveal that even those who thought they were insignificant were loved and being taken care of. This is a major challenge for us in modern times. Normally, our gifts are items that are not essential to the human condition. While there can be creativity in what we give, perhaps this Christmas, St. Nicholas is challenging us to consider how we can give to those who have nothing. Maybe there is a winter clothing drive near us or a church that organizes meals for those in need during Christmas. Whatever the act of good grace is this season, we can all give like St. Nick. Because the real reason for all the gifts is to share the good news that God became man so that man might become like God—there is no greater gift than that. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Meet the Real St. Nick appeared first on The Daily Signal.

CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi raged against the network’s Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss when she delayed her story on how the Trump administration deported illegal immigrants from Venezuela to a “notorious” prison in El Salvador. Weiss wanted more reporting and more rebuttal from the Trump administration in it. “If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a ‘kill switch’ for any reporting they find inconvenient,” Alfonsi complained in a memo leaked to the media. “We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state.” The targets of a story shouldn’t have a veto, but it’s not unreasonable to let them rebut “notorious” allegations. The hilarious piece of this argument is that “60 Minutes” deserves the term “investigative powerhouse.” Back on Feb. 17, Alfonsi gushed over German officials fining and jailing people for “hate speech” on the internet. Alfonsi let them claim that punishing people for what they say online is “protecting democracy and discourse by introducing a touch of German order to the unruly world wide web.” She asked one censor: “You’re doing all this work. You’re launching all these investigations. You’re fining people, sometimes putting them in jail. Does it make a difference if it’s a worldwide web and there’s a lot of hate out there?” This is being a “stenographer for the state,” literally. Scott Pelley’s interviews with President Joe Biden did not demonstrate an “investigative powerhouse” at work. In 2022, Pelley warmly nudged Biden: “You have lived a long life of triumph and tragedy. In November, you’ll be 80. And I wonder what it is that keeps you in the arena.” Seconds later, Biden pulled out his rosary ring so Pelley could tout him as “Catholic and devout.” In October of 2023, he helped paint Biden as a constructive foreign-policy player. Pelley told viewers the president was “asking for billions of dollars for Israel and Ukraine, Congress is paralyzed. Hard-right Republicans are obstructing the election of a speaker of the House.” He asked Biden: “Does the dysfunction that we’ve seen in Congress increase the danger in the world?” Why, yes, Biden replied, the Republicans are terrible. Biden was painted as the family man who visited German death camps: “Mr. Biden told us images of Oct. 7 reminded him of the Holocaust—which he has studied—taking his family to the Dachau death camp in Germany. This is 2015. The man in the wheelchair is a Dachau survivor. Behind Mr. Biden is the president’s granddaughter.” It’s stenography. Two weeks earlier, Pelley gently asked Attorney General Merrick Garland about how nonpartisan he was. He even asked: “Two of your ancestors were murdered in the Holocaust. Is that why you devoted yourself to the law?” At the end, Pelley added, “If democracy is an emotional subject for Merrick Garland, maybe it’s because he has witnessed how suddenly it can be threatened, in Oklahoma City (in 1995) and Washington D.C. (Jan. 6).” Pelley asked Garland, “When the history of this extraordinary time is written, what is the best that Merrick Garland can hope for?” For many years now, “60 Minutes” has painted itself as an “investigative powerhouse” when it’s going after Republicans, but they often sound like their show could be called “Syrupy Minutes” when they’re interviewing their ideological allies, from the Clintons to Obama and Biden. This is why they are offended by the oversight of Weiss. She represents those repulsive people who expect some fraction of balance or fairness from CBS. They don’t want any “corporate interference” in the machinations of their propaganda factory. COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post ’60 Minutes’ Offers ‘Syrupy Minutes’ for the Left appeared first on The Daily Signal.