#454 — More From Sam: Minnesota, Greenland, Iran, S**thole Countries, and More
Sam Harris discusses the Trump administration's domestic enforcement actions, particularly criticizing ICE operations and the killing of Renee Good as unjustified violence. He also analyzes Trump's confusing Greenland acquisition push and expresses concern about democratic norms deteriorating.
Summary
Harris begins by strongly condemning recent ICE operations, describing them as featuring poorly trained, unprofessional agents using excessive force against both immigrants and citizens without probable cause. He focuses extensively on the killing of Renee Good, arguing it was completely unjustified and that the subsequent lies from Trump administration officials calling her a 'terrorist' represent a new level of governmental dishonesty. Harris argues this represents 'fascist-style governance' and compares the federal overreach to incidents like Ruby Ridge and Waco that previously outraged conservatives. He notes the irony that people who were upset about the 'Twitter files' are now defending much more severe government overreach. On immigration policy more broadly, Harris acknowledges that border security and vetting immigrants makes sense in principle, but criticizes the current implementation under Stephen Miller's influence. Regarding Greenland, Harris expresses bewilderment at Trump's acquisition push, noting that the US already has full strategic access through Denmark, a loyal NATO ally that has supported America in unpopular wars. He argues the policy makes no strategic sense and risks damaging NATO relationships. Harris suggests Trump's actions are generally unpopular according to polls and may benefit Democrats in midterm elections.
About this episode
<p>In this latest episode of the <em>More From Sam</em> series, Sam and Jaron dive into the chaotic start to 2026. They discuss the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, the Trump administration's response and rhetoric, the "evil Chauncey Gardiner" approach to acquiring Greenland, the potential fracture of NATO, the humanitarian crisis in Iran, Sam's upcoming conversation with Ben Shapiro, the radicalization of Scott Adams, and the unrecoverable error Democrats are making regarding trans activism.</p> <p>If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at <a href="http://samharris.org/subscribe" rel="noopener" target="_blank">samharris.org/subscribe</a>.</p>
Key Insights
- Harris argues that ICE agents are using excessive force against citizens and immigrants alike, representing an unprecedented level of federal overreach that should outrage conservatives who previously opposed government intrusion
- The author claims the killing of Renee Good was completely unjustified and that administration officials telling 'impossible lies' about her being a terrorist represents a dangerous new level of governmental dishonesty
- Harris contends that current events represent 'fascist-style governance' where the administration treats political opponents as 'an enemy within' deserving of violent suppression
- The speaker argues Trump's Greenland policy makes no strategic sense because the US already has full access through Denmark, a loyal NATO ally, and the policy risks damaging crucial alliance relationships
- Harris suggests there's an irony in conservatives defending current federal overreach when they were previously radicalized by incidents like Ruby Ridge and Waco involving much less severe government actions
Topics
Transcript
Welcome to the Making Sense Podcast. This is Sam Harris. Just a note to say that if you're hearing this, you're not currently on our subscriber feed, and will only be hearing the first part of this conversation. In order to access full episodes of the Making Sense Podcast, you'll need to subscribe at samharris.org. We don't run ads on the podcast, and therefore it's made possible entirely through the support of our subscribers. So if you enjoy what we're doing here, please consider becoming one. So if you want to see Sam now is the time to do it. While touring can be a lot of fun, it's also hard work, not to mention you have to stand up…
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to AccessMore from Making Sense with Sam Harris
#485 — The New Science of Cancer
Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses major advances in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment since his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, emphasizing that cancer is not one disease but hundreds of distinct genetic entities. He highlights the emerging role of AI in drug discovery and clinical trials, while addressing the challenges of liquid biopsy false positives through Bayesian reasoning and the importance of risk stratification.
#484 — Artificial Intimacy
Sam Harris and Paul Bloom discuss AI's rapid development and its psychological impact on human connection, particularly regarding artificial intimacy, loneliness, and the question of whether AI companions can fulfill genuine human needs for mattering and social connection.
#483 — The Knots We Tie Ourselves Into
Alain de Botton discusses how secular societies have lost the psychological and communal functions that religion provided, particularly around rituals, ecstasy, and meaning-making. He argues that modern culture needs to creatively reconstruct what religions did well—such as orchestrating emotional transitions and normalizing intense experiences—without reviving religious belief itself.
#482 — More From Sam: The Iran Deal, College in the AI Age, Mamdani's DSA, and More
Sam Harris discusses topics crowdsourced from his Making Sense community, including his evolved views on world government, consciousness and materialism, philosophy's intellectual value, meaning and purpose, wealth inequality, AI's impact on careers, and the value of college education.
#481 — Sam Harris Receives the 2026 Richard Dawkins Award
Sam Harris receives the 2026 Richard Dawkins Award in a ceremony hosted by the Center for Inquiry, followed by a wide-ranging conversation between Harris and Dawkins covering consciousness, AI, morality, democracy, Trump, and the legacy of Christopher Hitchens. The discussion spans philosophy of mind, the moral landscape, political corruption, and the challenges of navigating misinformation in the digital age. The event concludes with audience Q&A touching on persuasion, psychedelics, and Carl Sagan's warnings about pseudoscience.