Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch and author of more than 30 books, joins A.J. Rice on Dangerous Laughter for an Election Day conversation about political Islam, immigration, New York City, Europe and the cultural debates shaping Western democracies.

Spencer discusses New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose rise he criticized in his 2025 book Intifada on the Hudson: The Selling of Zohran Mamdani.

He explains why he believes Mamdani’s election has implications beyond New York and connects the mayor’s political rise to his broader arguments about Islamism and Western political institutions.

• Robert Spencer
• Jihad Watch
• Zohran Mamdani
• New York City politics
• Intifada on the Hudson
• Ilhan Omar
• Political Islam
• Islamism
• Jihad
• France
• Immigration and migration
• European politics
• Religious freedom
• Integration
• Western civilization
• Islamic history
• The Qur’an
• Political loyalty
• Spencer’s concept of “stealth jihad”
• Political satire
• Authoritarianism
• Election Day 2026
• American politics

Spencer also recounts his family history, including displacement from the Ottoman Empire during World War I, and discusses how his studies ultimately led to his work on Islam, jihad and political ideology.

The conversation examines the arguments behind several of his books, including:

Spencer’s critique of Islamic societies and the explanations Western institutions offer for their political and economic difficulties.

His critical examination of Mamdani’s rise in New York City politics.

An earlier work that helped establish Spencer’s public career writing about Islamic theology and politics.

The episode ultimately confronts a tension at the heart of liberal democracy:

How can governments challenge violent or anti-democratic ideologies while protecting the religious liberty of peaceful Muslim citizens?

Spencer and Rice debate where that distinction should be drawn and what Western governments should learn from political and demographic developments in Europe.

Subscribe to Dangerous Laughter with A.J. Rice for conversations about politics, history, religion, immigration, media, culture, free speech and perfectly timed derision.

Jihad Watch:
https://jihadwatch.org/

Website:
https://dangerouslaughter.com/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@UCTW30Wq7tiEbDXeo995xgbw

X:
https://x.com/DangerousLaughs

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dangerouslaughtershow

• (00:00:01) - Cold Open and Intro
• (00:01:36) - Welcoming Robert Spencer, Election Day Special
• (00:02:49) - Robert Spencer's Origin Story
• (00:06:07) - Family History: Greek Orthodox Roots in the Ottoman Empire
• (00:08:31) - How Islam Spread: Conquest, Not Conversion
• (00:11:15) - Europe's Oil-for-Migration Deal and Dhimmitude
• (00:13:06) - France Riots and the Islamic Ummah
• (00:15:56) - Break: The Curse of the Bearded Lady Promo
• (00:18:39) - Back from Break: Trans Mafia Bit Continued
• (00:19:46) - French Leftists, Jizya, and Looting Justifications
• (00:22:38) - Western Guilt and the Tragedy of Islam's Themes
• (00:26:40) - The Myth of the Islamic Golden Age
• (00:27:50) - Conquest of Spain and Tariq ibn Ziyad
• (00:31:06) - Minnesota's Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy
• (00:32:09) - Break: Crusaders Mascot and Promos
• (00:32:51) - Fictional Islamic Inventions and Achievements
• (00:36:29) - Break: Celebrity Endorsement Bit
• (00:38:48) - Comedy, Islam, and Intifada on the Hudson
• (00:40:32) - Abdul El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood
• (00:44:26) - Taqiyya and Lying for Islam
• (00:46:33) - Ilhan Omar and the Brother/Husband Controversy
• (00:51:44) - Jihad Watch and Closing Thoughts
• (00:54:40) - Sign-off

Peachy Keenan, author and satirist, joins A.J. Rice on Dangerous Laughter for a wide-ranging conversation about her new book, Supervillains: Architects of America’s Decline, Hollywood, political comedy, marriage, family and the political battles unfolding in California.

Keenan uses satire to examine people, institutions and cultural trends she believes have contributed to American decline.

• Peachy Keenan
• Supervillains: Architects of America’s Decline
• Hollywood politics
• Disney
• Jimmy Kimmel
• Late-night comedy
• Censorship
• Political satire
• Keenan’s career writing in Hollywood
• Disney live-action remakes
• Secular feminism
• Catholicism
• Marriage
• Motherhood
• Family formation
• Celebrity culture
• California politics
• Steve Hilton
• Xavier Becerra
• Gavin Newsom
• Karen Bass
• Nithya Raman
• Los Angeles politics
• Local activism
• School boards
• Political ridicule

Keenan discusses California’s 2026 political landscape as voters prepare to choose a successor to term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra advanced to the November 3 gubernatorial election.

In Los Angeles, incumbent Karen Bass faces Nithya Raman in the mayoral election.

Keenan offers her own assessment of those contests and discusses whether the political and cultural approach associated with California could influence other states.

The conversation also explores her transition from secular feminism to Catholic motherhood and why she now views marriage, children and family formation as important parts of the broader cultural debate.

Who ultimately shapes a civilization?

Politicians?

Hollywood?

Media institutions?

Or families and communities deciding what values they intend to preserve?

Keenan’s answer points away from political despair and toward local action, parenthood, community involvement and something particularly useful on Dangerous Laughter:

Ridicule.

Subscribe to Dangerous Laughter with A.J. Rice for conversations about politics, comedy, culture, media, books and perfectly timed derision.

Supervillains: Architects of America’s Decline
https://passage.press/products/supervillains

Website / Substack:
https://www.peachykeenan.com/

X:
https://x.com/keenanpeachy

https://ajricepr.com/

https://dangerouslaughter.com/

• (00:00:01) - Cold Open / Dangerous Laughter Intro
• (00:01:35) - Introducing Peachy Keenan
• (00:03:35) - Peachy Keenan's Origin Story
• (00:07:26) - Defining Super Villains and Their Mindset
• (00:10:40) - Red Pill Moments and Covid Crackdowns
• (00:14:21) - Picking the Villains: Chase Strangio and Others
• (00:16:30) - Break / Promo for Dangerous Laughter
• (00:17:31) - Curse of the Bearded Lady Promo
• (00:19:29) - Back on the Show: Book Imagery and Trump's Return
• (00:21:18) - Charlie Kirk's Assassination and the Trans Mafia
• (00:26:23) - Mockery as Weapon: Alinsky and Comedy's Power
• (00:29:59) - Jimmy Kimmel, His Wife, and Late Night Decline
• (00:32:05) - The Man Show Era and Entertainment Nostalgia
• (00:35:04) - Hollywood's Woke Turn: Disney, Frozen, Snow White
• (00:39:26) - Break / Celebrity Endorsement Bit
• (00:41:39) - Trickle Down Misery and Attacks on Family
• (00:43:34) - Husbosexual Life and Backlash to Big Families
• (00:47:22) - Divorce Influencers and Minor Super Villains
• (00:53:08) - Super Villain Lightning Round: Schwab, Newsom, Fauci
• (00:57:27) - Closing Message: Become a Superhero
• (00:59:08) - Where to Find Peachy Keenan and Sign Off

Willy Woke’s factory asks only one thing: accept whatever “truth” you’re served. But why do smart people keep ordering seconds?

Dr. Andrew K. Fox joins A.J. Rice on Dangerous Laughter for a sharp, irreverent conversation about woke culture, gender erasure, and the curious distance between having an education and exercising good judgment.

When does compassion become conformity? What happens when changing the language becomes a substitute for defending an argument? And why can people recognize manipulation everywhere except inside the ideas they applaud?

Fox, author of Truth in the Age of Applause: How Stupidity Is Ruining the American Dream, explores faith, identity, cultural pressure, and the increasingly awkward business of saying what you believe. Along the way, Rice brings the satire—and Willy Woke makes an appearance.

The vocabulary gets more sophisticated. Does the reasoning?

Listen to the full conversation, then decide: are we thinking for ourselves—or simply getting better at knowing when to clap?

Explore the book, featuring a foreword by Riley Gaines:
https://truthintheageofapplause.com

Connect with Dr. Andrew K. Fox:
https://drandrewfox.com

More Dangerous Laughter with A.J. Rice:
https://www.dangerouslaughter.com

A.J. Rice:
https://ajricepr.com

Follow Dangerous Laughter in your podcast app, and share this episode with someone who enjoys a question more than a comfortable answer.

• (00:00:01) - Cold Open and Self-Destruct Bit
• (00:01:36) - Intro to Dangerous Laughter and Guest Setup
• (00:02:59) - Dr. Andrew Fox's Origin Story: From UK to USA
• (00:05:54) - Becoming a US Citizen Post-9/11
• (00:07:26) - Fire Chaplaincy and the Realities of the Job
• (00:10:03) - Willy Woke and the Chocolate Factory Blog Controversy
• (00:12:06) - Legal Battle and Settlement with City of Austin
• (00:13:49) - Connecting with Riley Gaines
• (00:15:30) - Humor as Moral Warfare
• (00:18:32) - Break: Satirical Montage and Book Promo
• (00:21:56) - Bonhoeffer and the Philosophy of Stupidity
• (00:25:42) - Social Contagion and Modern Parallels to Nazi Germany
• (00:28:42) - Chaos in France and Immigration Crisis
• (00:31:37) - Assimilation vs Immigration Debate
• (00:34:24) - France's Revolutionary DNA and Cultural Decline
• (00:36:58) - French Stereotypes and Capacity for Immigration
• (00:38:37) - Break: Pope Comments and Book Promo
• (00:40:18) - Celebrity Endorsement Bit - John Gruden
• (00:42:05) - Western Civilization, Anti-Semitism, and Reality
• (00:45:10) - Mamdani, Voter Apathy, and Political Stupidity
• (00:46:17) - Western Elites and Immigration Motives
• (00:48:34) - Islamic Political Strategy and NYC Politics
• (00:50:45) - Dual Citizenship and Serving in Foreign Militaries
• (00:53:05) - Tucker Carlson Clip and October 7th Debate
• (00:58:12) - Hidden Message of the Book: Overcoming Fear
• (01:02:13) - Closing Remarks and Where to Find the Book