#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…
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