Reflecting on Trump's First Year: A Retrospective Analysis

In this live episode from the LCI Greenroom, hosts Jacob Winograd and Cody Cook dissect the political landscape a year into Trump’s latest term. They revisit predictions made about Trump’s presidency, covering key areas such as foreign policy, immigration, economic policies, and the turbulent political atmosphere. They reflect on their own expectations and what has transpired, including discussions on Venezuela, Iran, and issues like tariffs and government spending. The conversation also navigates the personal impacts of their political journeys, the importance of maintaining hope and integrity, and the broader implications for libertarians and Christians engaging in politics.

In this episode of the LCI Greenroom, Doug Stuart and Jacob Winograd sit down with James Lindsay to explore whether the West — and Israel by extension — can escape what Lindsay calls the “trap of catharsis.” Drawing from his recent essay Civilization vs. Catharsis, James explains how our culture has replaced reason and moral responsibility with emotional release — a worldview that seeks justice through outrage and purification rather than truth and reconciliation. Together, the discussion unpacks how this mindset, rooted in critical theory and postmodern thought, shapes everything from social movements to the global narratives surrounding Israel, the West, and the meaning of civilization itself.

But this wasn’t a debate — it was an attempt to understand. Doug and Jacob press James on the taboos surrounding foreign policy discussion, the tendency to frame every disagreement as friend versus enemy, and whether defending the West from ideological decay risks mirroring the same tribalism it seeks to resist. The conversation wrestles with the spiritual and moral foundations of truth, liberty, and civilization — and asks whether any of them can survive without humility, repentance, and the courage to confront our own moral blindness.

How do we know what’s true in the age of digital media warfare? Tonight on the LCI Greenroom, we’re diving deep into the world of propaganda, psyops, and narrative control — and how easily our confirmation bias can be manipulated.

I’ll be joined by two guests for this important conversation: returning guest Mark Puls of the Knocked Conscious Podcast and Jason of the Drop the Mask Podcast. Together, we’ll explore how propaganda works in real time, how to separate truth from spin, and why critical thinking has never been more essential. We'll talk about the latest we know about the Charlie Kirk shooting, and also have a segment where we react to reels and headlines.