David Hogg was thrust into the national spotlight in 2018 after surviving the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

At the time, he was just 17 years old, and he quickly became one of the most recognizable and outspoken advocates for gun reform in America. Today, he’s a Harvard grad, political organizer, and recently elected Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the legacy of Parkland, the failures of the Democratic Party, why young men are shifting right, the return of Trump, whether Hogg and other progressives overreached post-2020, and how Democrats aim to reconnect with working-class voters and win online.

⏱ Chapters

00:00 Intro – Who is David Hogg?

01:15 John Oliver saved me!

02:17 From student journalist to activist after Parkland 04:08 Developing extreme discipline as a teen

07:55 Guns, family background, and the Second Amendment

12:08 The trauma and backlash of overnight fame

16:16 Why David never backed down

17:43 How COVID shifted Gen Z rightward

23:32 Did progressives go too far?

26:36 Reflecting on past rhetoric and growth

29:02 On Biden, the 2024 campaign, and Democratic messaging

33:23 The inner circle problem in politics

38:53 Why David ran for Vice Chair of the DNC

42:58 Fixing the Democratic Party’s social media strategy 47:41 Why better communicators need the mic

49:05 Can progressives reach the manosphere?

51:36 Spectacle vs substance in modern politics

55:45 Why “democracy is at stake” isn’t working

57:37 Final thoughts and a quote to remember

🎧 Full episodes available on:

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/sDq9N

Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

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