On Thursday’s episode of the PBD Podcast, political strategist and Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt joined Patrick Bet-David in the Vault for a discussion about successful campaigning and the legacy of Donald Trump.
Schmidt, an outspoken critic of the former president, spoke at length about his experiences in the political world … including his efforts to stop Trump from winning a second term. Schmidt also discussed rising political violence in the United States, leading to one of the most heated debates in PBD Podcast history.
Here are some of the main takeaways from Friday’s episode:
1. “An MRI for the Soul” – Steve Schmidt on Political Campaigns
As a longtime political strategist, Schmidt worked on the election campaigns of George W. Bush, John McCain, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Campaign managers are “people who try to bring order to the craziness,” Schmidt said.
After decades in close proximity to some of the biggest names in politics, Schmidt has seen how the political system really operates … but he still maintains that “the establishment” doesn’t exist.
Subscribe to PBD’s YouTube channel today for every episode LIVE or On Demand!
2. “A Philosopher of F**k-You-ism” – The Political Power of Donald Trump
Despite his longstanding dislike for the former president, Schmidt claimed that his opposition wasn’t personal. As Schmidt stated, he doesn’t hate Trump, but rather what Trump stands for. However, that didn’t stop him from unabashedly accusing Trump of being “a con man,” “a grifter,” and “a terrible businessman” who “screws the little guy.”
However, from his role as a political strategist, Schmidt also reluctantly gave Trump credit for his success in the 2016 election. As a vessel for the average person’s economic and cultural frustrations, Trump became an electoral middle finger to the institutions people blamed for their suffering. “Donald Trump is a philosopher of f**k-you-ism,” Schmidt said. “He’s a world-class demagog, but he has dangerous ideas about who should lead.”
But as Schmidt learned while running the Lincoln Project, opposing Trump’s agenda doesn’t necessarily mean you’re on the right side of the issue.
3. “Anti-Trump Isn’t Better Than Trump” – The Rise and Fall of the Lincoln Project
After its founding in 2019, the Lincoln Project worked to prevent Trump’s reelection in 2020 … but soon after Joe Biden’s election, things fell apart for the organization. Beginning with sexual harassment allegations against co-founder John Weaver, the Lincoln Project found itself at the center of increasingly negative media coverage. Soon after, Schmidt stepped down from the organization’s board of directors based on what he called “integrity issues.”
Two years out from his departure, Schmidt described how the modern Lincoln Project barely resembles what it was at its founding. Accusing the entire organization of being a giant political grift, Schmidt described how “everyone there just wants to be famous,” compromising its core values.
“Being anti-Trump doesn’t mean you’re better than Trump,” he said.
4. “You’re a F***ing Whackjob” – A HEATED Debate on January 6th
One of Schmidt’s most controversial statements in recent years was his claim that the January 6 Capitol riot was worse than the terrorist attacks on 9/11. While the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon claimed more lives in the short term, Schmidt worried that the undermining of America’s peaceful transfer of power will inflict an even higher death toll.
Schmidt accused Trump of accelerating violence, antisemitism, and White Supremacy with his rhetoric before the riot … but not everyone shared that assessment.
In a fiery, no-holds-barred debate, Vinny and Schmidt clashed over the contested facts of January 6 and its effect on the nation’s future.
But that wasn’t the end of Steve Schmidt’s heated debate with the PBD Podcast Home Team.
For more on the 2024 Republican candidates, the “globalist establishment,” and a vision of America under Hillary Clinton, watch the full episode by clicking HERE.
I just paid to be a member just to comment on this ultimately disappointing episode. I’ve claimed to be your biggest fan for over a year, telling everyone I know to listen to your show, but you failed so badly here and missed so many critically important opportunities, I don’t even know where to start. you literally cowered to this pos. For the first time I’m feeling PBD is actually bought and paid for, YOU SAID NOTHING! you didn’t support Vincent Oshana at all!!! I can’t believe it. I am greatly disappointed, and when I thought you were a leader for our side, a voice of our generation for good, for God, for liberty against evil, YOU SAID NOTHING.
I honestly thought you were smarter than you showed on this show. all you could say is “but Hillary Clinton”, “but BLM”… are you serious? that was your best response/counter to this absolute betrayal of anything resembling integrity, this POS Michael Schmidt? You didn’t call him out on any of his lies and accusations, you seemed to patronize him, like you wanted him to feel good, you agreed with him. I was hoping you were teeing something amazing up, and NOTHING. and your weak, zero value adding co-host ADAM is so bad, so unintelligent, so embarrassing. Have me on next time so SOMEONE can actually go to bat against the real issue, the 1 thing that our country is fighting against, you mentioned it for a second then completely dropped the ball, the deep state. never followed up, never even made a coherent argument for what we know to be absolutely true. you let this guy own you
you interviewed Tate, you claim to know about the matrix and deep state and federal corruption, etc. yet you didn’t even seem to see that this guy is not only completely owned by the matrix, he’s PEDALLING THE GUISE, THE LIE, THE SYSTEM on your show, and you not only allowed it, you almost embraced it. Get rid of Adam, he’s killing you. and quit being so damn diplomatic and democratic, SPEAK UP, FIGHT! PLEASE! We’re at war, this guy represents the internal enemy they protect with their new favorite word “democracy”. their democracy is America’s death nail