Recorded live on Jan 24, 2026
Season 12, Episode 19
AMA & Hangout with Contributors (Jan 2026) | Yaron Brook Show

ICE, Trump, and the Battle for America’s Soul | Freedom, Masculinity & the Enlightenment Under Fire

Federal agents in the streets. Allies treated like enemies. Intellectuals sidelined while power politics reign.

In this wide-ranging live AMA & Hangout with Contributors, Yaron Brook takes on the growing authoritarian impulse in America—from ICE actions in Minneapolis to Trump’s erratic foreign policy threats against Canada, Iran, and beyond. The conversation expands into deeper territory: the collapse of intellectual culture, the meaning of heroic masculinity, the Enlightenment’s role in preserving freedom, and whether the American experiment itself is nearing a breaking point.

Expect unfiltered analysis, tough moral questions, and direct engagement with supporters asking what reason, courage, and defiance demand right now.

📌 Topics include:
* ICE, civil disobedience, and federal power vs. local authority
* Trump’s tariffs, threats, and incoherent foreign policy
* Authoritarianism vs. the Enlightenment tradition
* Masculinity, joy, and moral confidence in dark times
* Immigration, borders, and the rule of law
* Whether America is losing its identity—and what that means for the world

🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtube.com/live/XwiURn9TirM
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⏱️ MAIN TOPIC TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Introduction & show opening
1:02 – ICE incident in Minneapolis & legal open carry in Minnesota
3:21 – Iran, military action
4:12 – Ideologies: dictatorships, anarchism & power
12:30 – Political turmoil & competing views on ICE
25:50 – Near-term predictions
29:31 – Trump, authoritarianism & Europe’s response
32:25 – Joy in life & myths about masculinity
37:13 – Heroic masculinity & the triumph of good over evil
41:35 – Freedom, Israel & public defenders
49:20 – The adversarial legal system & the American experiment

🎙️ LIVE AUDIENCE QUESTIONS
51:13 – Is the American experiment coming to an end?
51:48 – Why do so many people seem to enjoy the suffering of others—was it always this way?
54:33 – Are ICE units becoming America’s Gestapo? What happens after the midterms?
57:06 – How do you stay close to family who are hardcore MAGA supporters?
1:03:01 – Should we worry about Canada’s growing ties with China?
1:05:02 – “Defiance, not obedience”—what would Ayn Rand demand today?
1:23:32 – Why is mysticism and “consciousness primacy” gaining ground again?
1:26:14 – Is America losing its identity—and does the world depend on it?
1:27:35 – Machiavelli, Robert Greene, and power politics: useful or corrupting?
1:28:58 – Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Canada—serious policy or reckless bluster?
1:33:01 – Is oppression always rooted in fear?
1:35:35 – Should Objectivists be willing to get arrested resisting ICE?
1:36:24 – Is Trump mentally and physically deteriorating—and could pressure force him out?
1:52:39 – Are we closer to authoritarianism under Trump than under FDR?
1:56:28 – Does the adversarial court system best protect the innocent?
1:58:43 – Open immigration vs. open borders—what’s the real difference?
2:05:33 – Is rising hatred toward immigrants driven by modern Volkism?
See Yaron's timestamped comment for full questions 

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