Latest news with #AndrewSchulz
New York Times
6 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Our Regression on Gender Is a Tragedy, Not Just a Political Problem
When Donald Trump stormed into the White House in 2016, horrified Americans debated, almost endlessly, whether the shocking result was an expression of widespread racism (backlash to a Black president resulting in the election of a birther) or economic anxiety (the industrial Midwest especially feeling abandoned by globalization and the China shock). Each was probably a factor, then, and each strand is still present in the Trump coalition, reflected in tariff wars and efforts to redirect civil rights law on behalf of whites. But in 2025, MAGA seems much more distinctively molded by gender politics. Gender backlash is here, and before we think through the implications for partisan politics, we need to recognize it as a phenomena that goes beyond them. On the surface, the Trump coalition might appear powered by an unapologetic, rakish U.F.C. party-bro energy — think of the glimpses we've gotten of Pete Hegseth's naked torso or the way his confirmation hearings were meme-ified as a hard-ass man, accused of sexual assault, staring down a hectoring panel of hysterical grandmas. Or for that matter, the time when the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, invited her Instagram followers to observe her working out in a sports bra. And there may not be a more representative clip about the vibe shift of 2024 than the comedian and podcaster Andrew Schulz explaining his supposed defection from the Democrats by explaining that he liked the dudes that have sex — using a crude term for female anatomy — and say whatever they want. Of course, in the aftermath of Dobbs, Republicans have pushed further to limit reproductive rights, state by state, and a bill recently introduced in Congress could ban online pornography outright. With a case threatening sites like Pornhub pending at the Supreme Court, 17 states have already instituted pre-emptive blackouts of the site. Questions have risen as to whether the White House intervened to lift travel restrictions on Andrew Tate, who faces rape and human-trafficking charges in Britain and a trafficking and money laundering investigation in Romania. More recently Trump didn't rule out a pardon for Sean Combs. 'It's so odd how there are internal contradictions that are explained by 'powerful men get to do whatever they want with impunity,' is there a word for this,' the writer Irin Carmon noted sarcastically in December. In case you missed her meaning: 'It's called patriarchy.' It's not just in policy or party leadership where you see the shift. In 2022, fewer than 30 percent of Republican men believed the proposition that 'women should return to their traditional roles in society,' according to the Views of the Electorate Research Survey assessed by a group of political scientists writing for The Times. Two years later, that number was 48 percent. Republican women underwent a similar surge — from 23 percent in 2022 to 37 percent in 2024. And over the past few years, Democrats, too, have been trending in the wrong direction, though those shifts have been smaller. Today, the political scientists note, 79 percent of Republican men and 67 percent of Republican women say they believe American society has gotten too 'soft and feminine,' with 43 percent of the country overall agreeing. (In 2023, the number got as high as 48 percent.) According to Pew, the share of Republicans who say American society has gotten too accepting of men taking on traditionally female roles — like nurses, presumably, or schoolteachers — has grown by 40 percent since 2017. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Sanders knocks Democrat establishment's strategic use of 'identity politics' to vilify Bernie bros, podcasters
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., compared the Democratic establishment for demonizing his supporters in the 2016 election to how male podcasters are being vilified today. Sanders spoke to Andrew Schulz and Akaash Singh of the "Flagrant" podcast on Monday, agreeing that the Democratic Party has robbed their constituents of their right to participate in the democratic process. After discussing how the 2016 primary nomination was stolen from Sanders for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Schulz asked, "Could we not also say, ostensibly, there hasn't been a fair primary for the Democrats since 2008, are they not also a threat to democracy?" he asked. "Yes," Sanders replied. But another key element about the 2016 election was how Sanders' supporters, then referred to as "Bernie bros," were condemned by the Democratic establishment and the media in 2016. Singh recalled claims that they "have a racism problem, a misogyny problem," and asked, "do you think that's a super PAC thing behind that?" "That was the Democratic establishment," Sanders replied, arguing he had a diverse grassroots base. "They were sitting there - We had a lot of young people, we had people-of-color and, you know, they create this kind of myth with the help of the corporate media and all that stuff." "You know it's kind of interesting, to that note, is during this election, the podcast space which the Democrats largely avoided, they feel had some influence in the election and um they started to label us 'the podcast bros' and said that we were sexist, and we were racist and bigoted," Schulz recalled. "It's almost like it's the exact same strategy to get you out of there." "Yeah," Sanders replied, agreeing that's what the "liberal elite" does. The Vermont senator went on to argue that there is a clear distinction between working against "all forms of bigotry" versus engaging in "identity politics." "'You're Black? You're wonderful, you're tremendous. You're gay? You're the greatest human being on Earth,'" Sanders said, criticizing the identity politics. Sanders argued advocates of identity politics are failing to ask the real question, "'What do you stand for?' You're gay? That's fine, who cares? But what do you stand for?" Sanders continued, "You know, is every gay person brilliant and wonderful and great? No, of course not. Everybody's a human being. So the issue is 'What you stand for?' which gets you back to what we discussed earlier. Class politics, in the sense of 'Which side are you on?' Are you going to stand with working families? Are you going to raise the minimum wage to a living wage or not? Are you going to guarantee - fight to guarantee - healthcare to all people or not? Are you going to demand that the wealthiest people stop paying their fair share of taxes or not? Those are the issues, and no one cares what color you are, you know, what your gender is etc. etc."
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Bernie Sanders agrees Democratic Party is 'threat to democracy,' removed process from its constituents
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., agreed with comedians Andrew Schulz and Akaash Singh on Monday, who argued that the Democratic Party has completely robbed their constituents of the democratic process and that the party is a threat to democracy. "Over the last four elections, Democrats, we felt that we didn't have a say on who could be president," Schulz said on his "Flagrant" podcast. "We talk a lot about the Republicans being autocrats and oligarchs and taking over democracy. But from the Democrat perspective, and I'm a lifelong Democrat, I felt like the Democratic Party completely removed the democratic process from its constituents. And I think they need to have some accountability of that." The progressive senator agreed, adding, "no argument here." The Vermont senator has been touring the country with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour that's drawn large crowds. Schulz said he felt the party stole the nomination from Sanders in 2016, when he narrowly lost the Democratic primary to establishment favorite Hillary Clinton, who went on to lose to Donald Trump. "And I'll be honest, it broke my heart when you supported them," Schulz told Sanders. "In the world that I live in, you've got a choice. And I know a lot of people, including my wife, agree with you, but you're down to a choice," Sanders said. "Is it going to be Hillary Clinton? Or is it going to be Donald Trump? Not a great choice." Singh posed another question to Sanders about the Democratic Party being a threat to democracy. "Could we not also say, ostensibly, there hasn't been a fair primary for the Democrats since 2008, are they not also a threat to democracy?" he asked. Sanders replied, "yes." "Fair enough," he added. "I'm not going to argue with that point. And that's why I'm proudly an Independent."
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Bernie Sanders Agrees Democrats Are 'Threat to Democracy' on Podcast
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Senator Bernie Sanders agreed the Democratic Party is a "threat to democracy" in a new podcast interview, accusing party leaders of rigging primaries, ignoring working-class voters, and instead relying on wealthy donors and out-of-touch consultants. Speaking on an episode of Andrew Schulz's popular "Flagrant" podcast released Monday, Sanders agreed with co-host Akaash Singh's claim that Democrats had not held a fair primary since 2008 as Singh asked him if the party was a threat to the democratic process. "Yes," Sanders replied. "Fair enough. That is... yeah. I'm not gonna argue with that point. And that's why I'm proudly an Independent." WATCH: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) admitted that the Democrat Party is a 'threat to democracy,' as some argue they have not had a fair primary election since 2008, conceding this point during an appearance on Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh. BERNIE "NO ARGUMENT HERE"… — 🇺🇸⭐️OUR-VOICES⭐️🇺🇸 (@iswho) May 19, 2025 The Context The Vermont senator's criticisms aren't new. Despite caucusing with the Democrats in the Senate, Sanders has long spoken out against the influence of wealthy donors and consultants in Democratic politics. Over the past year, Sanders has repeatedly blamed high-paid political consultants for failing to connect with working-class voters and for contributing to Harris's loss in 2024. Since February, Sanders and New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been touring districts that Joe Biden won in 2020 but where Republicans won House seats in 2024. Their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, which has been drawing huge crowds across the country, aims to address this shift. What To Know In the hour-and-a-half-long unscripted conversation, Sanders said the party establishment has blocked grassroots movements and sidelined candidates who challenge its leadership. "The establishment did not want to open the door," he said, describing how his campaign events drew thousands of young and working-class people, while official Democratic Party functions were dominated by "older, whiter, wealthier" attendees. He criticized Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign for being shaped by political consultants who aligned her messaging with the Biden administration, a strategy he believes helped sink her chances. "I know Kamala: she's a friend and she's very smart. But that was what her bloody consultants told her to say," Sanders said. "I begged them." Sanders, who since 2024 has been a regular guest on long-form podcasts — including some that make up the so-called manosphere on the right — addressed hard questions, including his support for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election after losing the Democratic primary, which podcast host Andrew Schulz called heartbreaking. Senator Bernie Sanders speaks with comedian and Flagrant podcast co-host Andrew Schulz during a wide-ranging interview on politics, inequality and the Democratic Party. Senator Bernie Sanders speaks with comedian and Flagrant podcast co-host Andrew Schulz during a wide-ranging interview on politics, inequality and the Democratic Party. Flagrant Podcast "You're down to a choice. Is it going to be Hillary Clinton or is it going to be Donald Trump? Not a great choice," Sanders said. "But I'm an elected official. I can't turn my back on [the people]." Sanders argued that both parties are controlled by billionaires and the super PACs that now dominate political campaigns in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's landmark Citizens United ruling in 2010. "You have consultants who are really way out of touch with reality who make a whole lot of money in campaigns, and the working class is ignored," he said. He also warned that campaign donors use super PACs to shut down dissent within both parties. "Right now, you're a Republican... You got Trump, enormously popular within the Republican base. Elon Musk has unlimited sums of money. It is very hard for any Republican to stand up and authentically speak their mind." Sanders, who is Jewish, pointed to attacks on progressive candidates like Jamaal Bowman, the former congressman from New York, saying groups like AIPAC fund campaigns to unseat lawmakers critical of U.S. military aid to Israel. "They didn't say one word about Israel," Sanders said. "The argument was he's a bad Democrat." He agreed that these tactics erode the public's trust in both parties. "If you are turning your back on slaughtering children in Gaza... why the hell am I gonna trust you on everything?" he asked. Sanders said his movement is training thousands of people to run for office, many of them as independents. "They don't want a government of billionaires," he said. "They're gonna stand up to authoritarianism." He ended the interview by calling on Americans to challenge the political system. "What the oligarchs and the ruling class want you to believe is that you're powerless," Sanders said. "And once you accept that, they win." What People Are Saying Sanders, speaking to the Flagrant podcast: "The Democratic establishment is funded by wealthy people. You have consultants who are really way out of touch with reality who make a whole lot of money in campaigns, and the working class is ignored." Singh, co-host of the Flagrant podcast: "Could we not also say, ostensibly, there hasn't been a fair primary for the Democrats since 2008? Are they not also a threat to democracy?" Schulz, co-host of the Flagrant podcast: "We talk a lot about the Republicans being autocrats and oligarchs and taking over democracy. But from the Democrat perspective... I felt like the Democratic Party completely removed the democratic process from its constituents." What Happens Next Sanders is scheduled for a speaking gig in London on May 30.
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Theo Von, Andrew Schulz, Joe Rogan: A ‘Manosphere' Just Asking Questions
Theo Von, Andrew Schulz, Joe Rogan: A 'Manosphere' Just Asking Questions A conversation about the comedians and podcasters who have created a new media mainstream for actors, musicians and politicians. Hosted by Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli. Engineered by Nick Pitman. Edited and produced by Pedro Rafael Rosado.
