Overview of Right-Wing Theater Kids
This Dispatch roundtable (host Steve Hayes with Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Megan McArdle) covers recent domestic and international flashpoints: the killing of Alex Preddy in Minneapolis and the Trump administration’s personnel and narrative response; the broader debate over immigration enforcement, “sanctuary” jurisdictions, and the contrast between theatrical tactics and professional law‑enforcement practice; and escalating mass repression in Iran and the limited, risky U.S. options. The episode ends with a lighter “not worth your time” segment on odd, funny, and “old man” injuries.
Key topics discussed
- The Alex Preddy shooting in Minneapolis
- How the White House initially shaped narratives (claims of a “domestic terrorist,” etc.) and then moved personnel/policy in response to public backlash.
- The role of video evidence, competing narratives, and the administration’s haste to defend agents.
- Debate over whether present moves by Trump represent tactical retreat or a real policy shift.
- Two competing approaches inside the administration on immigration
- “Spectacle” wing (e.g., Stephen Miller/Kristi Noem style): theatrical, intimidating tactics intended to scare people and project toughness.
- Professional enforcement wing (e.g., Tom Homan): experienced administrators who focus on lawful, prioritized, less‑performative enforcement.
- Sanctuary cities / state-city pushback
- Legal/constitutional limits on federal commandeering of state/local agencies; collateral public‑policy tradeoffs of non‑cooperation with ICE.
- Policy levers to address illegal immigration
- Suggestion to target employers (criminal penalties, e‑verify) and improve administrative casework instead of theatrical raids.
- Iran protests and state massacre
- Reports of thousands killed in crackdown; discussion of moral and practical responses, including the limits and risks of U.S. kinetic options (decapitation strikes, punitive raids).
- Concerns about U.S. credibility and whether Trump’s maximalist rhetoric followed by backing down helps or harms America’s position.
- Lighter “not worth your time” segment: amusing/strange injuries and personal anecdotes from the panel.
Main takeaways
- The administration initially favored spectacle and quick narrative control; public outrage and visible video evidence forced a recalibration toward more conventional, professional enforcement messaging (e.g., Tom Homan’s role).
- Rapid “print the legend” narrative tactics (asserting a preferred story before facts are checked) still occur but have diminishing returns in the era of ubiquitous video.
- There are real tradeoffs between theatrical enforcement (which can inflame localities and undermine legitimacy) and sober professional enforcement (which can pursue the same goals with less collateral damage).
- Substantive immigration progress is likelier from administrative competence (target employers, e‑verify, prioritized removals) than from intimidation theater aimed at inducing self‑deportation.
- Iran’s crackdown is a grave humanitarian crisis; U.S. options are limited and risky—decapitation or punitive strikes could have unpredictable aftermaths and would require long‑term commitments the U.S. may be unwilling to make.
- Trump’s habitual use of extreme rhetoric followed by tactical retreat undermines both credibility and alliances; unpredictability can sometimes yield gains but often produces wasted soft power.
Notable quotes & insights
- Jonah Goldberg: the administration tries to “print the legend” — assert the preferred narrative quickly to make events contestable instead of allowing a consensus based on video.
- Megan McArdle: Trump will back off when the public revolts because he cares (politically) about not being widely hated; that explains personnel changes after PR disasters.
- Kevin Williamson: the real problem is using the wrong people for the job — for example, sending Border Patrol/ICE to do urban policing they are not trained for.
- Practical enforcement test: “You’ll know they’re serious about immigration enforcement when a white Republican general contractor goes to prison for hiring hundreds of undocumented workers.” (i.e., enforcement against employers, not only workers)
- On Iran: the regime’s mass executions are morally comparable to large-scale state murder; estimates likely undercount the true toll.
Policy recommendations & actionable points raised
- Replace theatrics with professional enforcement leadership and clearer rules of engagement for agents operating in urban settings.
- Prioritize administrative reforms:
- Implement/expand e‑verify and employer penalties to remove the economic incentives for illegal employment.
- Focus deportation resources on convicted criminals (logistically simpler and politically more defensible).
- Improve training and selection standards for ICE/Border Patrol to avoid sending ill‑suited personnel into urban policing roles.
- For U.S. foreign policy toward Iran:
- Recognize the moral imperative to condemn and press for accountability but be realistic about what unilateral military action would achieve.
- Consider whether credible deterrent posture and sustained allied cooperation would be more effective than episodic threats.
Lighter segment: “Not worth your time” — injuries
- The panel closes with personal anecdotes about odd or embarrassing injuries: slips on ice, “turtling” with a heavy backpack in a stream, a deer knocking Jonah off and causing bruising, a burn from misused butane, and other “old man” injuries.
- Recurring practical advice implicit in the stories: be cautious with fire/flammables, don’t insert yourself into volatile situations carrying firearms, and accept that clumsy injuries happen to everyone.
Who’s speaking
- Host: Steve Hayes
- Panel: Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, Megan McArdle
- Produced by The Dispatch (sponsored segment promoting members-only “Dispatch Voiced” feed)
Summary conclusion The roundtable frames recent violent incidents and policy decisions as a clash between spectacle and sober administration. The short‑term PR moves and narrative battles matter, but the panel emphasizes the importance of institutional competence (training, enforcement priorities, employer penalties) and sober foreign‑policy realism in responding to crises at home and abroad. The episode mixes serious policy analysis with humanizing, funny personal anecdotes to close.