Hey There Rubinites,
Hope you all are having a great week! Welcome to the twenty-first issue of The Rubin Recap! I’m thrilled to continue sharing facts, insights, and more while always hearing your thoughts on all things Rubin Report. Let’s get into it!
This Week on The Rubin Report:
On Monday, I covered Bill Maher’s brutal takedown of Democrats on Real Time with Bill Maher, sparking an intense reaction from his audience as he called them out for losing to Trump. ABC News’ Sarah Isgur added to the conversation, pointing out that the liberal elite’s reaction proves they haven’t learned much since the last election. Over on Morning Joe, Axios’ Jim VandeHei shared why mainstream media isn’t as relevant as legacy hosts think, highlighting how Joe Rogan’s podcast and Elon Musk’s X are becoming more powerful platforms. I discussed Van Jones telling CNN that Democrats were outplayed by Republicans’ strategic use of podcasts and influencers to reach more voters, a reality that left some on the left feeling blindsided. Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly gave a sharp critique of failed celebrity endorsements from Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and Oprah Winfrey, pointing out that star power isn’t moving the needle as expected. And to wrap up, I shared Argentina’s Javier Milei’s thoughts on politicians obsessed with approval ratings rather than actual results.
On Tuesday, I jumped into Elon Musk’s fiery response to Sam Harris’ meltdown over Trump’s win on the Making Sense podcast. Sam Harris didn’t hold back, taking aim at Joe Rogan for letting comedians like Dave Smith discuss foreign policy on his show. Trump’s new border czar, Tom Homan, addressed criticisms head-on from The View’s Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro, defending his approach to border security. Over on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart admitted he was wrong about the election, while former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau shared surprising internal polling data from Biden’s camp on Pod Save America. I also highlighted Joe Rogan and Theo Von’s reactions to Trump’s election night win, which they discussed on Rogan’s podcast.
On Wednesday, things got heated as CNN’s Abby Phillip had to intervene when Jay Michaelson had an outburst at Shermichael Singleton over Americans’ lack of support for trans athletes in women’s sports. Dana Bash on CNN attempted to catch James Blair in a “gotcha” moment about Trump’s campaign ad on trans rights, but it didn’t go as planned. Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough finally acknowledged that “woke” politics might be hurting the Democratic Party’s appeal to Black and Latino voters. I discussed Comcast’s plans to sell MSNBC as mainstream media continues its struggles, while CNN is reportedly preparing for major layoffs. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were officially tapped to lead the DOGE initiative, aimed at reducing government waste, and Pete Hegseth, now Secretary of Defense, talked on Shawn Ryan’s show about strategies for purging CRT and DEI from the U.S. military. I rounded off the day with a special Q&A on The Rubin Report Locals community, taking questions on a range of topics from fans.
On Thursday, I joined Megyn Kelly to break down her accurate election predictions, discuss Kamala Harris’ challenges that the mainstream media isn’t addressing, and explore why the freedom to talk about controversial topics is drawing audiences away from traditional outlets. We dove into whether MSNBC’s Joy Reid or The View’s Sunny Hostin has stirred more controversy, and speculated on Elon Musk’s potential future in the Trump administration. I also joined Piers Morgan Uncensored featuring David Pakman, Brian-Tyler Cohen, Ben Ferguson, Brianna Wu, and Lindy Li. To finish it all up, I headed to Phoenix to join Jordan Peterson for his 500th episode—big congrats to Jordan!
Get ready because today we have an incredible roundtable discussion featuring the one and only Michael Knowles and Gad Saad!
Looking Ahead:
If you’ve been following my Locals channel you probably know I’m getting ready to release my own Tequila brand! I’ll be announcing the name, details, and more soon so keep tuning into my newsletter where I’ll give you all the first looks!
Also check out my newest merch, available only on my site today!
To watch our full interviews make sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel or become a supporter of The Rubin Report on Locals!
Dave’s Fave’s and Insights:
My fave’s for the week have got to be those incredible cabinet picks Trump is nominating. It’s so refreshing to see sanity taking back the White House in this Crazy World! Who has been your favorite Cabinet Pick? Let me know in the comments.
Also check out our dinner from Jordan's 500th episode featuring Dr. Oz!
Weekly Motivation:
Let’s end the week off with some motivation. I like this one and thought I’d share it with you all.
Failure is an option here. If things are not failing you are not innovating enough.” - Elon Musk
Signing Off:
Well, that's all folks. Well, that's all folks. Make sure to share this newsletter with friends and family and continue to hop on every Friday for my weekly updates. Let me know what you guys want to see on the show or in my newsletter next!
Until next time, stay sane and keep the conversation going!
Bye, Ciao, Stay Hard,
Dave Rubin