'You guys aren't doing jack to manage this'

Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of the accompanying video from noted historian and Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. We’re witnessing the confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate of Donald Trump’s nominations. Many of them will not gain a lot of attention. Some did. The two most interesting, controversial, famous, infamous—were Pam Bondi as attorney general and Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. But before we get into them, very quickly, remember what Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said to the Democrat minority: This will be an occasion that we make the argument against the MAGA Trump people, and we can do it by these basically two unqualified nominees. So, Pete Hegseth went in. He was calm. He was relaxed. And apparently, his rope-a-dope strategy was unknown or unexpected by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, [D-Mass.], [Democrat] Sen. [Mazie] Hirono from Hawaii, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-R.I.], Sen. Adam Schiff [D-Calif.] I could go on and on, but their tactic was to scream and yell at him and focus on his private life. So, you had this Orwellian situation where senators who had been very friendly with Kamala Harris’ husband, who impregnated his nanny, and Bill Clinton, who conducted oral intercourse—I’ll be blunt—right out of the White House’s Oval Office. These same senators were then damning Pete Hegseth for an extramarital affair that he shouldn’t have engaged in but which he’s apologized for, and he’s asked for forgiveness. And of course, compared to the average Senate life, unfortunately, it’s not unknown in Washington. But then when they started to ask him questions about defense, he answered every question spectacularly, and they got very, very angry. And it was all emblematic, at one moment, when Elizabeth Warren—who’s clever by half—she kept hammering and yelling and interrupting. Excuse me, I’m not a sexist, but it sounded so shrill. And at one point, she said, “Well, you vote that generals should not be in the revolving door.” And he has, and I think people are righteously skeptical of a general who comes from Raytheon like Lloyd Austin and, no doubt, will go back to Raytheon. And so, she said, “And now you’re a hypocrite because you won’t condemn it.” And he said, “I’m not a general, senator.” End of story. So, he, in one word, kind of demolished her. Apparently, their perception was: These people are unqualified; they’re not sober, judicious, and skilled, and intelligent like we are. But they have no idea who they [the nominees] were. Anybody who followed Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth know they were experts in television. They look good on TV. They go on Fox News, nightly, daily. Their whole forte is extemporaneous repartee—ask me any question, I’m on air in front of 4 million people, I can do it—that’s what they do. So, they came in here as the experts, and the rookies were the people interrogating them. And the more and more inept they seemed, the angrier and angrier—and they doubled down. It was a disaster for them, and it made Pete Hegseth an automatic confirmation. Very quickly, Pam Bondi came in. They thought that she had been Trump’s lawyer; [they thought] she was a lightweight, she was a MAGA person. They started asking her questions. And then something very eerie happened. They started projecting what Merrick Garland and [Joe] Biden had done: “So, are you going to weaponize the DOJ [Department of Justice]? Are you going to think of the crime first, and then find the victim?” And, as cool as a cucumber, she said, “Well, that’s what you do. So, I’m not going to target Donald Trump and then make up crimes to embarrass him or nullify his candidacy—crimes which we would never have indicted anybody for had they either been not Donald Trump or had Donald Trump chosen not to run again.” Final thing, while this was going on and the American people saw these people hit their head against the wall and ensure the confirmation of Bondi and Hegseth—and by association, probably Kash Patel and others to come, like RFK Jr.,—we had the Los Angeles fires. And it was, unfortunately, a catastrophic exposure of the whole bankruptcy of the radical Left. From the timber not being harvested, from the hillsides not being cleaned, from the dams not being built, from the dams being blown up, to the fire chief, the fire chief’s assistant, the mayor, the deputy. I could go on and on, but it was a case study of why you do not want those people in charge. And then finally, we had the exit of Joe Biden, pardoning 1,500 people, pardoning people from the death penalty who were gruesome killers, pardoning his son when he had promised not to. So, put all that together, and then the protectors and defenders of all of [those terrible things] were going after two skilled nominations of people who’d spent their whole life either in the military, as in the case of Pete Hegseth, or in the courtroom, like Pam Bondi. [They] were not just familiar, but perfectly at home under the lights. It was a bad day for the Democrats, and it will help all of Trump’s nominations to be confirmed quickly. Thank you very much. This is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. The post Screaming and Yelling: My Takeaway From Democrats’ Behavior During the Hegseth, Bondi Confirmation Hearings appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Members of Congress get a number of generous benefits from their positions. They earn $174,000 annually (nearly three times the salary of the average American), they are provided with a sizable per diem for lodging and meals during their travels across the nation and abroad, they have the best health insurance that money can buy, and many will eventually benefit from a solid pension–among other benefits. However, an additional benefit has garnered the interest of and angered many Americans in recent years. It seems to be the case that many members of Congress trade stocks based on non-public information without repercussions. A recent report by Unusual Whales, a platform tracking stock disclosures from lawmakers, found that at least 20 members of Congress had returns greater than Standard and Poor’s 500, at least five had returns of over 100%, an additional two members earned a return of more than 95%, and an additional four earned a return of over 70%. Contrary to popular belief, members of Congress trading stocks based on insider information is, in fact, illegal. Following a 2011 “60 Minutes” segment that accused members of Congress of using insider information for stock market gains, former President Barack Obama signed into law the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012, which established disclosure obligations for Congress members regarding stock trades conducted within 30 to 45 days of each transaction. And to leave no doubt about its intentions, it explicitly stated that members of Congress are not exempt from insider trading laws. Has that prevented members of Congress from trading on nonpublic information? The evidence appears to indicate that they continue to do so. In February 2020, former Sen. Richard Burr, then chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, divested stocks valued between $628,000 and $1.7 million merely one month prior to the market collapse triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, after a confidential Senate briefing on COVID-19 in January 2020, divested her and her husband’s stocks valued between $1.275 million and $3.1 million prior to the pandemic. In 2020, Rep. Mike Kelly’s spouse acquired shares in Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., a steel manufacturer, just prior to the Commerce Department’s announcement of a proposed rule that could have benefited the company. Many instances exist of Congress members engaging in timely trades involving companies that would either benefit or suffer from legislation under their committees, or who may have disclosed nonpublic information to members of those committees. Obama didn’t go far enough when he signed the STOCK Act. Congress members should be unequivocally prohibited from engaging in stock trading. Justifying this is not particularly challenging when one considers that Congress members, the ones who pass our laws, should never give an appearance of impropriety in the work that they do. When a member of Congress engages in stock trading, it raises the question of whether the transaction was influenced by information they acquired, even if it was a completely legitimate trade. It also makes people question whether they acted the way that they did in the interest of their constituents and not their stock portfolio. Public servants must not exploit the information they gained on the job for personal financial gain. It undermines their motivations and diminishes overall trust in our legislature. If there is no financial incentive to act a certain way on an issue, such as stock trading, the public would have greater confidence that public servants advocate for legislation for the benefit of their constituents rather than for personal financial gain.  While some members of Congress benefit from insider trading, their constituents, on average, endure the consequences of escalating costs for essential household items. The actions of these members of Congress are criminal. Literally. While they engage in insider trading and evade penalties, the average American who does the same would face imprisonment for up to 20 years. Members of Congress engage in this conduct so brazenly, as they believe themselves to be above the law. And they’re not wrong. They are above the law in that the most critical evidence required for prosecutors to obtain a conviction against a Congress member would be entirely unavailable to them due to the speech and debate clause of the Constitution. By way of example, in a 2015 case, the speech and debate clause forced the Securities and Exchange Commission to drop substantial portions of its subpoena aimed at a staff member who disclosed nonpublic information to a lobbyist. Americans are suffering while Congress members are getting rich. How can we trust our legislators to prioritize the interests of the American people when they are profoundly incentivized to act otherwise? Congress needs a fix. The incentives of money need to be taken away, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later. 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 The Insider Trading Game on Capitol Hill Must Stop appeared first on The Daily Signal.

This is a lightly edited transcript of Tony Kinnett’s interview with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Tony Kinnett: Welcome back to the Tony Kinnett Cast here on The Daily Signal nationally syndicated first on 93 WYBC. It’s a pleasure to be joined again by Sen. Ted Cruz, this time, not on the phone dashing from one place to another. I know you’re really busy how those Senate confirmation hearings going.Ted Cruz: Well, they’re moving well. We have had hearings now for half of President Trump’s Cabinet, and we will see—I believe the entire Cabinet will be confirmed, every one of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees. I think it’s going to make it through the Senate. And I think we’ll have them all in place within the first 30 days. The first couple will be in place on Jan. 20, on Inauguration Day. And I think within 30 days, all of them will be in place.Kinnett: Now, states like Texas, they have tough Senate races because the Texas voters, they pay attention to what you guys are saying. Cruz: Yeah. Kinnett: And then I look at the Senate confirmation hearings and things like the Senator from Hawaii and her interesting statements. And I just wonder how close some voters must be paying attention. How do you have a bridge of your nose left? I would be pinching that just completely off out of exasperation. Cruz: Well, listen, unfortunately, there are some of my Democrat colleagues who embrace really radical policies. You know, if you want to ask yourself, how did things get so bad over the last four years? How did how did we embrace policies of wide-open borders to allow an invasion at our southern border with 12 million illegal immigrants coming into this country? How did the Democrat Party get to the point where they look the other way at Americans being murdered, at women being raped, at children being brutalized by violent, criminal, illegal aliens they were releasing every day into America? How did we get to such an extreme point that that that you have Democrats advocating boys playing in girls’ sports and sterilizing and mutilating little boys and little girls to try to alter their gender. Those are extreme positions. How did we get so bad that you’ve got Democrats undermining Israel and anti-Semitic protests erupting at colleges across the country, so much so that Jewish students don’t feel safe going to school? All of that is the fruit of the radicalization of the Democrat Party. And I think what is clear, what the voters made absolutely clear in November is their policies aren’t working. We’ve got a mandate for change. That’s why we’ve got a new president, a new administration, a Republican Senate, a Republican House. And now, Tony, we’ve got to deliver. We’ve got to roll up our sleeves, and we’ve got to deliver on our promises. That’s what my focus is every day. Kinnett: That’s why I wanted to have you on again because it’s a lot of frustration for the average American seeing a House and a Senate that’s more concerned about peacocking, that’s more concerned about posturing and preening in front of all of us than getting to work. We have the Laken Riley Act on crime and immigration. Now we have the bill protecting women in and high school and college sports. We’re actually seeing a bit of progress from the Senate side though, at least from where you are in your position, what is getting work done look like for this Senate in the coming year? Cruz: Listen, I’m very optimistic about the Senate. The voters have given us 53 Republicans that—I’m very glad it’s 53 and not, say, 51, which is barely a majority. Kinnett: Right. Cruz: Fifty-one, you’re worried about losing one or two votes and having everything go down. With 53, you’ve got a little bit of a margin for error. And so, the first thing on the plate is confirming the president’s Cabinet, because under the Constitution, the Senate has a responsibility to provide advice and consent. And that’s an important check-in balance between our branches. That is going to consume a lot of time the first couple of months. In terms of what we have to accomplish, the very first thing we have to accomplish is we must secure the border. That is the clearest and most overwhelming mandate from this election. Kinnett: Hmmm. Ted Cruz: It’s what we’re going to do. Donald Trump is going to come in on Jan. 20, and on Jan. 20, catch and release will end. We will no longer be apprehending illegal immigrants and just letting them go in every community in this country. And you are going to see President Trump arresting, detaining and deporting criminal, illegal aliens going and finding the murderers, the rapists, the gang members, and getting rid of them. That’s going to happen immediately. And Congress is going to follow up by appropriating significant funds in the neighborhood of $100 billion dollars to fund the wall, to build the wall, to hire more Border Patrol agents, to hire more ICE agents, to build more detention facilities and more detention beds, to provide materiel, like fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and drones and infrared, so that we could accomplish this task. We’re going to do that. Kinnett: Hold on just a second here. Cruz: Beyond that, there’s a clear mandate to unleash American energy. Kinnett: Ah. Cruz: We’re going to do that as well, and we’re going to unleash jobs, lower prices, and bring the economy roaring back. Kinnett: Excuse me, just a second Senator, you said $100 billion dollars in the neighborhood for border spending all of that for here, usually for that kind of money, we have to send it to Paraguay or something. Cruz: Yeah. Yeah. But that’s all right here in the U.S. of A. Much of it will be on our southern border in Texas. Of our 2,000-mile southern border, 1,200 of those miles are right along in Texas. And we are going to secure not just Texas, but the entirety of our southern border and our northern border. Look, we are seeing terrorists coming in over the border from Canada. I met with a senior Canadian official just this week, and made very clear that the president is absolutely serious about using every lever tool we have with Canada and with Mexico to make sure those two nations are active participants in securing the border, because we’re not going to allow this invasion to continue even one day longer. Kinnett: You know, it’s always good to hear senators talking to officials from other states, even if they’re future 51st states in this particular instance. You ended your conversation about the resources made for the border, talking a little bit about bringing back some jobs. I know obviously Americans are concerned with the whole nomination process because the central focus, at least as the public relations and media aspect of government, isn’t as focused at the second on the grocery prices, on the job market, on the economy. That doesn’t mean that it’s out of sight, out of mind necessarily, though. What do you see the Senate doing, at least in vague terms, if you can’t give us any specific details, on bringing the American economy back? Cruz: Well, in terms of legislation, there’s quite a lot. I have this week introduced legislation, number one, to reverse Joe Biden’s ban on offshore drilling for much of the American coastline. That is something he’s done in these waning weeks. I’ve got to say, I’ve never seen an outgoing president do what Joe Biden is doing, demonstrate such contempt for the voters, such anger for the voters that decided to change the path we’re on. and every day Biden is issuing another policy that is basically a screw you to the voters. It is the opposite of what the voters said in November, and it’s an effort to hamstring President Trump and the incoming administration—well, I’ve introduced legislation to reverse that, because I think one of the clearest mandates of November … Kinnett: Well said. Cruz: … is unleash American energy. We are going to be energy dominant. We are going to lower energy prices. We’re going to lower prices of food and clothing and everything else. And so that’s legislation I introduced this week. Another piece of legislation I introduced this week is my bill to have no taxes on tips, to eliminate taxes on tips. That’s going to impact all sorts of people who are working and climbing the economic ladder, from waiters and waitresses to barbers and hairstylists to people working in nail salons to bartenders to taxicab drivers. And I got to say, my legislation is bipartisan. We’re going to get that done. And we are going to pass legislation, number one, as I said, funding securing the border, number two, unleashing American energy, number three, rebuilding the American military to defend this nation, and number four, extending the Trump tax cuts, which expire at the end of this year. Kinnett: Absolutely. Cruz: We’re going to make them bigger and bolder, and that is going to unleash small businesses and economic growth. Kinnett: You’re like a hop skipping a point over where I want to go next. It’s just, oh there’s so much content, the last time that you were on I asked you if Heidi would let you have a throw pillow in the house that said drill baby drill and after hearing this actually if a listener to the show actually ended up cross stitching drill baby drill on to something, so, I got to tell you it’s gonna happen we’re gonna get the drill baby drill throw pillows out there and really unleash the energy independence and homes across the country. Cruz: That’s awesome. And if you want to share the pillow, I can tell you I will happily put it in my office. I don’t have nearly the sway to be able to put it in the house. There are some things that Heidi would put her foot down on, and that’s clearly in the category. Kinnett: That’s very fair. Moving to some of the conversation, obviously we saw with the future Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in his confirmation hearing, a little less on the room of questions about America’s future, threats that America is facing than I would expect in a confirmation hearing about the secretary of defense. I was really disappointed that we spent so much time on frivolous, debunked theories rather than actually discussing America’s policy towards China, towards the Middle East, towards Western and Eastern Europe, instead asking Hegseth to get out his flashcards and name economic alliances. What do you think? Cruz: Well, look, I think that’s exactly right. This is this is a topic I discussed in depth in one of my latest episodes of my podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz.” I do that three days a week, and we’ve analyzed this week each of the different confirmations, what’s happening, the issues that came up. If you look at Pete Hegseth, you know and Tony, I don’t know if you’re a poker player, but if you play poker, there’s something that’s called a tell. And a tell is when someone has either good cards or bad cards and something about the face, how their body language reveals what they have. That’s called a tell. Well, the Democrats have a tell. And they have a tell, which is when they don’t want to talk about the actual substantive job that someone has been appointed to do. Kinnett: They put [Sen. Mazie] Hirono on the confirmation hearing. Cruz: Yes, instead, what do they want to do? With Pete Hegseth, they wanted to go into the gutter. They wanted to engage in personal accusations, almost all of which have been made by anonymous accusers who won’t put their name to it, who have no evidence for what they’re saying, but the Democrats seemed eager to go into the gutter and just throw as much slime as they could. Kinnett: Right. Cruz: What you didn’t hear Democrats talking about is why Pete Hegseth was nominated. He is a decorated combat veteran. He was deployed abroad, leading soldiers, fighting the bad guys, protecting America. He’s devoted his entire life to advocating and fighting for our veterans and for our active-duty military. And I believe Pete Hegseth, number one, he will be confirmed. But, number two, his principal objective is to get the Department of Defense back to its core mission. And that core mission is supporting the warfighter and being prepared to defeat and, if necessary, kill the enemy. That’s the job of the Department of Defense. And we’ve seen, under Joe Biden and Barack Obama before him, the Defense Department run down all of these politically correct woke ideologies and focus on every other damn thing on Earth, other than supporting the warfighter and being prepared to defeat the enemy. And here’s a prediction I’m going to make for you. When Pete Hegseth is confirmed as secretary of defense, we are going to see enlistment numbers rise dramatically. There’s right now a crisis where under Joe Biden, young men and women are not signing up to serve in the military. That’s going to change, because I think if you ask a young man or woman or a young patriot, hey, do you wouldn’t want to be part of this left-wing social justice crusade? Kinnett: Right. Cruz: A whole bunch of people say, no, thanks. I’m going to do something else with my life. If you ask them, do you want to defend America? Do you want to be a hero and keep this great country safe? There are a lot of men and women who step forward and say, ‘Yes, sir, that is my duty.’ That’s what I want to do. Kinnett: Well said. I’m looking at the live transcript here and I didn’t see you mention anything about pronouns or admirals in dresses. So that, hey, if what a plus, Sen. Ted Cruz from Texas. Cruz: Ah. Kinnett: Thank you so much for joining us a little bit and good luck at the rest of the confirmation hearings. Cruz: Take care. Kinnett: We‘ll be back in just a second. Don‘t go anywhere. It‘s the Tony Kinnett here on The Daily Signal. The post ‘I’ve Never Seen an Outgoing President [Show] Such Contempt for the Voters,’ Ted Cruz Says of Joe Biden appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Too Good to Check: Trump Reportedly Considering Off Shore Wind EO

A man being sought in a massive manhunt was shot by police and died in a dumpster on Wednesday, according to law enforcement. Sean Christopher Davis shot and killed Brazoria County Sheriff's Office Deputy Jesus Vargas at a shopping center on Stella Link Road in Houston. Vargas was serving a warrant against the 56-year-old at about 11:30 a.m. at a Dollar Tree earlier that Tuesday. The K-9 dog is named Rocky and was airlifted for medical treatment after he was shot. Davis was found by a K-9 dog, who alerted officers to his presence in a dumpster not far away from where the officer was killed. Davis shot and wounded the dog before getting shot by police, according to KHOU-TV. KHOU reported that the man had a long history of criminal violence, including a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a teenage girl in April and a charge of aggravated assault from Brazoria County in October. Vargas was shot in the head by Davis as he and other members of the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force were approaching him to serve him a warrant. The K-9 dog is named Rocky and was airlifted for medical treatment after he was shot. "This afternoon, we lost a local hero, Deputy Sheriff Vargas from Missouri County Sheriff's Office, working a U.S. Marshal Task Force, attempted to apprehend a repeat violent offender here on the streets of Houston, and he lost his life," said Houston Mayor John Whitmire.Vargas was a 17-year veteran of the force and was married with three children. Images of the suspect and the dog can be viewed on the news video report from KHOU-TV on its YouTube channel. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

If there’s anyone you can count on to find a reason to blame Donald Trump for something he obviously had nothing to do with, it’s a liberal late night host. And after wildfires have ravaged California, that’s exactly what they’re doing. “If there’s one thing that we have an endless supply of, it’s good, old fashioned, made in America blame. And of course, one of the country’s leading blame producers is Donald Trump,” a host of “The Daily Show” said smugly before playing a clip of Trump discussing the water situation in California. Trump explained in the clip that much of the water in California has been being utilized to preserve the life of the endangered Delta smelt rather than for the thousands of citizens who are now without their homes. “Right now, why not focus on the people who are completely incompetent when it comes to the California wildfires. There are lots of people to blame, including the mayor and the governor, and these hosts won’t go near them,” host of “Hollywood in Toto” Christian Toto tells Jill Savage and Matthew Peterson of “Blaze News Tonight.” “They don’t want to do that. They want to blame the guy who wasn’t around during the catastrophe,” Toto adds. “That’s where their focus is. It’s sad, and it’s not remotely funny in any capacity.” Late night host Jimmy Kimmel has also torn into Trump in light of the flames spreading through California, telling his audience that he didn’t want “to get into all the vile and irresponsible and stupid things our alleged future president and his gaggle of scumbags chose to say during our darkest and most terrifying hour.” "The fact that they chose to attack our firefighters who currently aren’t white enough to be out there risking their lives on our behalf,” Kimmel continued, adding, “it's disgusting, but it’s not surprising." “You know, Jimmy Kimmel said, ‘I don’t think late night TV will be around in 10 years,’” Toto comments, “but I think if they keep going the way they’re going, maybe it’s five. Maybe it’s four.” Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Stock market analyst Jim Cramer gave his assessment of the Biden administration as it relates to the business world, and it was not a good one. Cramer said that the administration was "needlessly antagonistic" to businesses, and the incoming Trump administration is likely going to be far better. Biden gave a farewell address on Wednesday just days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. 'I think that a president should develop a good relationship with the business community.' "Look, maybe it didn't matter. Everything turned out to be just fine. Could it have been even better? Of course. Maybe it will be with President-elect Trump, but maybe it won't," said Cramer. "Ultimately, I think that a president should develop a good relationship with the business community," he added. "Biden was, indeed, needlessly antagonistic."Cramer said that business leaders told him that Biden was reluctant to meet with them, and this had a negative effect on the success of the economy during his term. Cramer defended Biden on the basis that the stock market has reached historic highs and employment is strong. "Business is not hated in this country. It doesn't need to be loved. But something in between? Maybe everyone would've done better," Cramer added. Americans consistently said in polling that the economy was a major concern that effected their vote in the election. Many blamed the Biden administration and Democrats for the high rates of inflation that slammed budgets and lowered standards of living. Trump has promised to institute policies that might jumpstart the economy by cutting down on regulations and encouraging more investment into the U.S. More controversial is his plan to punish foreign countries with high tariffs. Critics say tariffs could lead to damaging trade wars. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Mental health issues have been on the rise among American youth since the mid 2000s. Ask anyone why that is, and they’ll probably tell you social media is the culprit. And they’re not totally wrong. The use of social media has risen in tandem with adolescent depression and anxiety. However, according to physician, psychologist, and best-selling author Dr. Leonard Sax, this trend “is confined to kids in the English-speaking world in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia.” “Kids in Greece, kids in Russia are just as likely to have smartphones and just as likely to be on social media, but the rise in anxiety and depression has not been seen there,” he tells Allie Beth Stuckey. Why the discrepancy? The answer, Dr. Sax says, lies in our toxic culture. “It's important for parents to understand that the smartphones, the social media are vectors. They are spreading this toxic culture, but they are not themselves the cause,” he explains. “What is toxic about American culture, about English-speaking culture — that is driving this rise in anxiety and depression.” What’s so toxic about English-speaking culture? Well, the list is long, but Dr. Sax says studies have pinpointed the crux of the problem. Interestingly, the answer can be found in the evolution of children’s television shows. Dr. Sax points to a study conducted by UCLA, as part of which researchers “looked at the most popular TV shows marketed to children and teens every 10 years starting in 1967 and analyzed these TV shows based on what the show is teaching kids about what's important.” According to the study, in 1967, the most popular family television show was “The Andy Griffith Show”; in 1977 it was “Happy Days; in 1987 it was “Family Ties”; and in 1997 it was “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” “The researchers found that each of those shows (1967 through 1997) was communicating the same message: that the most important thing is to do the right thing — to tell the truth even if it hurts, to be a good friend even when that's not easy,” says Dr. Sax. By 2007, however, that message had been tossed out and replaced with something vastly different. Instead of doing what’s right, the message that was communicated via popular shows like “American Idol” and "Survivor" was that winning and being famous were the most important things. “Doing the right thing — that’s gonna get you voted off the island,” says Dr. Sax, explaining the cultural shift. What caused American culture to shift is the next obvious question. Dr. Sax says that’s a three-part answer. 1. Social Media “Social media transformed American culture. Suddenly it became all about having likes and followers,” says Dr. Sax, adding that this spawned “a culture of envy” that fosters discontentedness and resentment, hence the rise in mental health issues among adolescents. Like any generation, today’s youth hunger for greatness. But social media has taught them that the answer lies in fame and recognition. This mentality stands in direct opposition to what greatness once meant to the average person. 50 years ago, greatness was defined by a different set of standards. It wasn’t about popularity or winning; it was about values. The culture of the past is captured in Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quote: “Anybody can be great because anybody can serve,” says Dr. Sax. Today, only a tiny percentage of social media users become influencers, leaving the vast majority feeling perpetually disappointed and inadequate. 2. Culture of disrespect Our modern culture, Dr. Sax explains, has normalized children disrespecting and defying their parents. “These shows on the Disney Channel teach kids that it's cute and funny to be defiant, to be disrespectful,” he says. Popular music does it too. Songs like Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” captures this widespread air of defiance. “Can’t nobody tell me nothing,” the song says eight times. “That’s the culture of disrespect in a nutshell,” says Dr. Sax, noting that this attitude among our youth “breaks the bonds across generations,” making kids less likely to attend church and less interested in spending time with older people who have wisdom to offer. 3. 'Normophobia' “15 years ago, American girls wanted to be effortlessly perfect,” says Dr. Sax. Today’s girls and young women, however, perceive perfection as boring. “Now, you’ve got to have something wrong with you,” he says, noting that having depression, anxiety, and even being transgender are popular labels. “'Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed,'” says Dr. Sax, quoting C.S. Lewis’ “The Magician’s Nephew.” Girls today are “substituting anxious or depressed for ‘stupider,’” he explains, noting that Lewis’ children’s proverb has proven itself true. It turns out that believing you are anxious or depressed makes you legitimately anxious or depressed. The fear of being normal coupled with the coining and circulation of new language, such as gender-conforming vs. gender-nonconforming and neurotypical vs. neurodivergent, has encouraged kids to attach their identities to negative language. Belief then turns this negative language into actual conditions. To hear more of Dr. Sax’s research on this subject, watch the episode above. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

WH Twitter Drops Dumb Video of Biden Stumbling Through Farewell Tour ... 'Where's My Hoveround?' Edition