In this Substack Live, David Pakman speaks with V Spehar of Under the Desk News about parenthood, politics, and the challenge of navigating an increasingly toxic political and media environment. The conversation begins with how becoming a parent can change the way you think about politics and the people children look to as role models, before turning to the unusual influence Natalie Harp appears to have within Donald Trump’s inner circle and why questions about her access to the president matter more than speculation about their personal relationship.
The discussion then broadens to the growing role of independent creators in politics and the ways social media algorithms reward anger, fear, ideological purity, and conflict. David and V discuss how online political discourse can distort perceptions of what voters actually care about, particularly when creators become consumed by callouts, infighting, and accusations that someone isn’t sufficiently left-wing. They emphasize the importance of separating internet discourse from real-world political organizing, building resilience to online criticism, and remembering that most voters are far less plugged into social media battles than the people creating political content.
