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dramatic music

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[Hind]               
       Why would a school be used

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as a location           
        to hold ISIS members?

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[gunfire]

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Last January, the SDF claimed

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hundreds of ISIS militants    
         had attacked a prison.

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Human rights organizations,    
           Kurdish officials,

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they say that the prison     
              was a risk.

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Hundreds of people died.

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There hasn't been         
       a successful breakout.

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[Nate] To defend          
     the great American middle,

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you have to defend         
            their values.

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[Gianna]   Gen Z and millennial   
             intellectuals

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are reframing what it means    
          to be conservative.

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[Thomas] If the conservative    
         movement is smart,

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they'll make a place for them.

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[Amala] What up, guys?

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Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

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We're talking about        
     whether or not 4-year-olds

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can choose their gender.

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We're not gonna surrender     
              to woke.

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[cheers and applause]

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dramatic music

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[screaming]

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[indistinct chatter]

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[officers]             
        speaking native language

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We're with the federal police   
          in northern Iraq,

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not too far            
     from a city called Kirkuk,

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in an area that we know      
       ISIS remains active in.

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Today, they're targeting      
      members who they believe

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are hiding out           
         near the riverbed.

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These operations happen      
             regularly.

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But they're very dangerous,

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because ISIS is going       
      to still target and kill

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both civilians           
     and Iraqi security forces.

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At its height,          
      the Islamic State, or ISIS,

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encompassed nearly 40% of Iraq

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and a third            
          of Syrian territory.

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It was known for conducting    
      and inspiring deadly attacks

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well outside of the region,

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in Africa, Europe,        
         and the United States.

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-[siren wailing]          
             -[gunfire]

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ISIS recruited          
         thousands of fighters

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using online propaganda

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and through breaking       
         like-minded extremists

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out of prisons.

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In 2014,             
       Operation Inherent Resolve

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was launched           
         to combat the threat.

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Local forces supported      
        by a U.S.-led coalition

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reduced their territory      
          to nothing by 2019.

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Former President Trump      
            declared the end

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of the so-called caliphate,

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yet U.S. allies in the region   
          continue to face off

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against the remaining       
           followers of ISIS,

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who are carrying out attacks   
         across Syria and Iraq

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to this day.

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In July, six officers       
      of the Iraqi Federal Police

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were killed in an attack     
                by ISIS.

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ISIS used to control        
       all of this territory.

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But it remains           
    a strategic location for them

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because they can hide out     
          in the mountains,

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and they also can use       
   these valleys to hide as well.

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So what the Federal Police     
      does in these operations

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is they just burn out the area 
              to stop ISIS

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from using them again.

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[officer] Fire! Fire! Fire!

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[both]   speaking native language

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[Hind]   One of America's      
            strongest allies

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in the fight against ISIS

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is the Syrian           
       Democratic Forces, or SDF.

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Months after declaring      
            the end of ISIS,

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Trump abruptly announced

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the withdrawal of U.S. troops   
              from Syria,

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and funding            
      towards combating the group

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was significantly reduced.

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speaking native language

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[Hind]   Whilst U.S.-led       
           training exercises

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and air support continues,

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the SDF argues          
      that American disengagement

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has left them vulnerable.

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[officer]             
        speaking native language

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Today's test day.

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Everything you've been doing

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for the past 12, 13 days

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comes down to this,        
       this moment right here.

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[Hind]   We're at          
        a Kurdish military base.

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And these guys, members      
     of the Kurdish-led police,

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are being instructed        
        by coalition forces.

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The primary role         
     of the U.S. in Northeast Syria

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is an advisory one.

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But when ISIS does attack,

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then they can get involved    
              militarily.

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And that's why           
          Kurdish officials

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are so keen to ensure

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the future             
      of American forces here.

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[all]   speaking native language

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[Hind]   The SDF currently      
         oversees the detention

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of 10,000 captured        
            ISIS militants,

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mainly from Iraq and Syria.

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But that number includes     
         many foreign fighters

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disowned by their countries,

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essentially making the SDF

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the jailers of the world.

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These imprisoned militants    
              are exposed

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to further radicalization     
              behind bars,

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representing an eager army    
               in waiting

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should things go wrong.

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And last January, they did.

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[explosion]

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[people]              
        speaking native language

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[booming]

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[Hind]   This footage of the SDF

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fending off an ISIS attack    
          on al-Sina'a prison

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is part of nearly two hours    
               of footage

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they provided to Vice.

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The terror group ISIS attacking

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a prison facility in Syria.

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[reporter]   This morning,      
            scores are dead

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after a mass prison break     
               at a jail

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holding suspected         
        ISIS fighters in Syria.

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[reporter]   This is the most    
      serious attempted jailbreak

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since the fall          
      of the so-called caliphate.

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[person]              
        speaking native language

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[Hind]   It was the largest     
          and deadliest attack

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in three years,          
           an attempt to free

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around 4,000           
       suspected ISIS militants,

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and resembled           
       the type of prison breaks

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the terrorist group was known   
        for nearly a decade ago.

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[booming]

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Exactly how it happened      
            remains unclear.

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Vice News partnered

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with investigative researchers 
               at Airwars

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in an attempt           
       to reconstruct the events

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of the January 20th        
             prison break.

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[gunfire]

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At the time of the attack,

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the prisoners were kept      
        in these five buildings,

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including one block where     
      around 700 teenage detainees

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were being held          
          despite the protests

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of human rights organizations.

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Around 7:20 p.m.,         
        a group of fuel tankers

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were set ablaze,         
     putting a cover of thick smoke

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over the prison compound,     
        obscuring the attackers

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from coalition aircraft.

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Nearby, a car bomb attacked    
             the main gate,

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demolishing a section       
             of blast wall,

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and further south,        
        a second vehicle rammed

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into another gate,        
         indicating the attack

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was planned well in advance.

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SDF prison guards bore      
        the brunt of the attack,

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with many dying within moments 
       of the initial onslaught.

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One of the administrators     
           on guard that day

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was Malak Ma'esh.

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speaking native language

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[Hind]               
       When was the first moment

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that you realized         
        something was wrong?

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Where were you?

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[Hind]   As Ma'esh shielded     
      himself from the ISIS attack

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at the prison gates,       
          what he didn't know

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was that the prisoners inside   
            had coordinated

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a simultaneous breakout.

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[crowd shouting]

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[explosion]

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[people shouting]

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[gunfire]

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[Hind]               
     Ma'esh and his colleagues fled

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to the floor above.

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With nowhere to run, they used

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their one remaining rifle

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to shoot at ISIS prisoners

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trying to reach them.

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[Hind]   Ma'esh remained       
            trapped upstairs

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for a total of five days.

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When they were          
          eventually rescued,

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their skin was blackened     
             by an attempt

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to burn them           
       out of their hiding place.

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[Hind]   In total,          
      the fighting lasted 10 days,

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spreading into          
     the surrounding neighborhoods.

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[person]              
        speaking native language

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[Hind]               
       The SDF eventually managed

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to round up the majority     
              of inmates,

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but scores            
      of suspected ISIS militants

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are believed           
            to have escaped.

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121 SDF guards were killed,

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along with hundreds        
           of ISIS prisoners

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and an unknown number       
            of the children

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who were detained         
             at the prison.

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In the days after,        
            the SDF claimed

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a large force           
           of ISIS militants

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had taken part in the attack   
             from outside.

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[Nawroz]              
        speaking native language

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[Hind]   The SDF account       
          of the prison break

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has come under scrutiny      
          from those who argue

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that it took much fewer men    
             to compromise

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what should be          
      a maximum security facility,

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pointing to a vulnerability    
         in the prison itself.

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This British inmate        
      was at the al-Sina'a prison

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while the attack took place.

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He only agreed          
            to speak with us

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if he could remain anonymous.

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Other ISIS prisoners?

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[Hind]   None of the eyewitnesses 
           Vice News spoke to

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00:10:11,694 --> 00:10:15,072
saw militants from outside    
     the prison enter the compound.

204
00:10:15,114 --> 00:10:16,532
tense music

205
00:10:16,574 --> 00:10:18,034
Airwars analyzed         
         the available footage,

206
00:10:18,075 --> 00:10:20,411
tracking down           
     the presence of suicide vests

207
00:10:20,453 --> 00:10:22,330
typically worn          
           by ISIS militants

208
00:10:22,371 --> 00:10:23,748
when attacking targets.

209
00:10:23,789 --> 00:10:25,499
From the information       
               available,

210
00:10:25,541 --> 00:10:27,793
they found no evidence      
          of external fighters

211
00:10:27,835 --> 00:10:30,087
entering the prison buildings.

212
00:10:30,129 --> 00:10:32,632
They documented at least 10    
           external attackers

213
00:10:32,673 --> 00:10:34,759
outside the walls,        
         with reports of around

214
00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,428
another 20 killed         
     in surrounding neighborhoods.

215
00:10:37,470 --> 00:10:39,013
All estimates are far fewer

216
00:10:39,055 --> 00:10:41,390
than the hundreds         
          claimed by the SDF.

217
00:10:41,432 --> 00:10:43,768
This suggests           
       a massive security failure

218
00:10:43,809 --> 00:10:45,978
by the prison administration.

219
00:10:46,020 --> 00:10:48,773
Siyamend Ali           
        is the SDF spokesperson.

220
00:10:48,814 --> 00:10:51,525
He claims the number of      
      outside attackers was large,

221
00:10:51,567 --> 00:10:53,152
but says             
         that the prison itself

222
00:10:53,194 --> 00:10:57,031
was never even meant to detain 
       such dangerous militants.

223
00:10:57,073 --> 00:11:00,201
speaking native language

224
00:11:02,995 --> 00:11:07,166
Why would a school be used     
            as a location

225
00:11:07,208 --> 00:11:09,669
to hold ISIS members?

226
00:11:35,194 --> 00:11:37,488
[Hind]   In the three years     
      leading up to the breakout,

227
00:11:37,530 --> 00:11:39,448
Congress was repeatedly warned 
             about security

228
00:11:39,490 --> 00:11:41,701
at al-Sina'a prison        
          in quarterly reports

229
00:11:41,742 --> 00:11:43,953
from Operation          
           Inherent Resolve.

230
00:11:43,994 --> 00:11:46,664
In this footage released     
       exclusively to Vice News,

231
00:11:46,706 --> 00:11:49,667
ISIS militants in their cells   
          at al-Sina'a prison

232
00:11:49,709 --> 00:11:51,293
were brazenly planning      
               a breakout

233
00:11:51,335 --> 00:11:52,503
at least two months

234
00:11:52,545 --> 00:11:54,922
before the prison break      
           actually happened.

235
00:11:54,964 --> 00:11:58,384
[prisoner]             
        speaking native language

236
00:12:04,390 --> 00:12:06,183
[Hind]               
     Whilst the intelligence points

237
00:12:06,225 --> 00:12:07,727
to a persistent ISIS threat,

238
00:12:07,768 --> 00:12:09,937
the SDF response         
       is still largely dependent

239
00:12:09,979 --> 00:12:12,481
on U.S. financial support     
          and decision-making

240
00:12:12,523 --> 00:12:14,692
at the very top          
        of the U.S. government.

241
00:12:14,734 --> 00:12:17,403
James Jeffrey is the former    
       special presidential envoy

242
00:12:17,445 --> 00:12:19,155
for the coalition against ISIS

243
00:12:19,196 --> 00:12:21,949
and former advisor        
      for President Donald Trump.

244
00:12:21,991 --> 00:12:24,452
You had thousands         
           of ISIS members

245
00:12:24,493 --> 00:12:27,621
in insecure locations       
     located in northeast Syria.

246
00:12:27,663 --> 00:12:29,415
-And that--            
   -I wouldn't call them insecure.

247
00:12:29,457 --> 00:12:31,542
I would say            
        inadequately secured.

248
00:12:31,584 --> 00:12:33,002
Well, the Kurdish authorities--

249
00:12:33,043 --> 00:12:34,920
[James] Because they're all--   
      they're all still there.

250
00:12:34,962 --> 00:12:38,382
So there hasn't been        
       a successful breakout.

251
00:12:38,424 --> 00:12:41,594
This was not a major priority.

252
00:12:41,635 --> 00:12:43,095
We basically did a triage.

253
00:12:43,137 --> 00:12:46,015
This seemed to be         
     less worrisome than others.

254
00:12:46,056 --> 00:12:47,016
-Do you regret that?        
            -[James] No.

255
00:12:47,057 --> 00:12:48,809
Because nothing bad        
            has happened.

256
00:12:48,851 --> 00:12:50,770
There was             
    the hundreds of people killed

257
00:12:50,811 --> 00:12:52,104
earlier this year.

258
00:12:52,146 --> 00:12:54,899
Uh, there was a breakout.

259
00:12:55,649 --> 00:12:56,734
It failed.

260
00:12:56,776 --> 00:12:58,611
Human rights organizations,

261
00:12:58,652 --> 00:13:00,196
Kurdish officials,

262
00:13:00,237 --> 00:13:01,906
intelligence that we've seen,

263
00:13:01,947 --> 00:13:03,073
all of them say differently.

264
00:13:03,115 --> 00:13:04,909
-All of them say--         
         -What do they say?

265
00:13:04,950 --> 00:13:06,994
[Hind] They say          
     that the prison was a risk,

266
00:13:07,036 --> 00:13:09,079
that there were thousands     
          of dangerous men,

267
00:13:09,121 --> 00:13:11,624
that ISIS is known         
         to target prisons,

268
00:13:11,665 --> 00:13:12,833
that that remained a risk,

269
00:13:12,875 --> 00:13:14,627
and that something         
   should have been done about it.

270
00:13:14,668 --> 00:13:17,379
I could care less         
            about the SDF

271
00:13:17,421 --> 00:13:18,672
and human rights groups

272
00:13:18,714 --> 00:13:22,802
because there were 50 or 60    
        different complaints

273
00:13:22,843 --> 00:13:24,303
about what we were doing.

274
00:13:24,345 --> 00:13:25,429
It is a laundry list

275
00:13:25,471 --> 00:13:27,097
of all of the things        
         that can go wrong.

276
00:13:27,139 --> 00:13:30,810
It is not a useful tool      
         for a policy person

277
00:13:30,851 --> 00:13:34,480
because all I know is they're   
     bitching about everything.

278
00:13:34,522 --> 00:13:36,232
So you go in,           
   and you look at the commander,

279
00:13:36,273 --> 00:13:38,692
and you say, okay,         
    we got 20 minutes, commander.

280
00:13:38,734 --> 00:13:41,028
What are the things        
    you want me to do right now?

281
00:13:41,070 --> 00:13:45,366
The prisons made the list     
              for sure.

282
00:13:45,407 --> 00:13:46,742
But so did other things.

283
00:13:46,784 --> 00:13:49,620
soft music

284
00:13:49,662 --> 00:13:52,456
[Hind]   As the U.S. shifts     
       its focus away from ISIS,

285
00:13:52,498 --> 00:13:54,667
the risk of their resurgence   
                 grows,

286
00:13:54,708 --> 00:13:56,710
and so does the possibility    
         that they can rebuild

287
00:13:56,752 --> 00:13:58,921
a base from which         
         to conduct and inspire

288
00:13:58,963 --> 00:14:01,507
attacks around the globe.

289
00:14:01,549 --> 00:14:04,176
For now, the SDF         
          and men like Ma'esh

290
00:14:04,218 --> 00:14:07,513
will continue to bear the cost 
        for keeping ISIS at bay.

291
00:14:55,060 --> 00:14:58,230
dramatic music

292
00:15:00,316 --> 00:15:01,734
[indistinct chatter]

293
00:15:01,775 --> 00:15:04,737
upbeat percussive music

294
00:15:13,287 --> 00:15:16,081
We're walking into         
    the American Economic Forum,

295
00:15:16,123 --> 00:15:18,834
not exactly            
        a rowdy Trump rally.

296
00:15:18,876 --> 00:15:20,836
This is where young people

297
00:15:20,878 --> 00:15:23,005
who like reading policy briefs 
                  go.

298
00:15:23,047 --> 00:15:24,924
You know, if you want       
        to understand the ideas

299
00:15:24,965 --> 00:15:27,801
that could reshape         
    conservatism in our country,

300
00:15:27,843 --> 00:15:30,387
this is where you come.

301
00:15:31,096 --> 00:15:32,556
[Jim]   More working-class voters

302
00:15:32,598 --> 00:15:34,224
are ditching           
          the Democrat party.

303
00:15:34,266 --> 00:15:36,268
It turns out that         
       working-class Hispanics

304
00:15:36,310 --> 00:15:39,980
also don't like open borders,   
             inflation,

305
00:15:40,022 --> 00:15:41,899
and gender ideology.

306
00:15:41,941 --> 00:15:44,568
[Gianna]   Across the U.S.,     
      tens of thousands of voters

307
00:15:44,610 --> 00:15:46,695
are flocking           
        to the Republican Party,

308
00:15:46,737 --> 00:15:48,906
and many Gen Z          
      and millennial intellectuals

309
00:15:48,948 --> 00:15:51,742
are capitalizing on that     
              by reframing

310
00:15:51,784 --> 00:15:53,577
what it means           
           to be conservative

311
00:15:53,619 --> 00:15:55,871
with the help           
     of former Trump officials.

312
00:15:55,913 --> 00:15:58,207
This is not the old        
        Republican establishment

313
00:15:58,248 --> 00:16:01,293
of corporate tax cuts       
        and fighting terrorism.

314
00:16:01,335 --> 00:16:03,253
Instead,             
      these guys are talking shit

315
00:16:03,295 --> 00:16:05,714
about wars overseas        
             and big banks.

316
00:16:05,756 --> 00:16:07,549
[panelist]             
     Wall Street's like oxygen.

317
00:16:07,591 --> 00:16:08,592
You're gonna die without it,

318
00:16:08,634 --> 00:16:10,635
but you can die          
       of too much of it too.

319
00:16:10,678 --> 00:16:12,680
And we have overdone it.

320
00:16:13,347 --> 00:16:15,516
[Gianna]   This departure      
       from the GOP establishment

321
00:16:15,557 --> 00:16:18,978
is fueled by the economic     
      concerns of young Americans

322
00:16:19,019 --> 00:16:22,189
who have seen housing       
     and college prices skyrocket.

323
00:16:22,231 --> 00:16:25,109
Who are you guys?         
   Who's making up this movement?

324
00:16:25,150 --> 00:16:26,777
-Angry Americans.         
          -Angry Americans.

325
00:16:26,819 --> 00:16:27,861
Just--yeah.

326
00:16:27,903 --> 00:16:29,571
I mean, I won't be as wealthy

327
00:16:29,613 --> 00:16:30,614
or successful as my parents.

328
00:16:30,656 --> 00:16:31,865
Most people won't be my age.

329
00:16:31,907 --> 00:16:32,866
We can't afford homes.

330
00:16:32,908 --> 00:16:34,535
We see people who are

331
00:16:34,576 --> 00:16:36,412
taking advantage         
             of the system.

332
00:16:36,453 --> 00:16:38,454
[Gianna]   One            
     of the most popular guys here

333
00:16:38,497 --> 00:16:39,664
is Nate Hochman.

334
00:16:39,707 --> 00:16:40,874
He's just 24,

335
00:16:40,915 --> 00:16:42,960
and his widespread        
           political writing

336
00:16:43,001 --> 00:16:44,752
has made him           
          a kind of influencer

337
00:16:44,795 --> 00:16:47,506
for the brainier side       
           of this movement.

338
00:16:47,548 --> 00:16:49,299
[Nate] Hey, dude.         
           How you doing?

339
00:16:49,341 --> 00:16:51,427
[Gianna]   Tonight, he's       
     grabbing drinks with buddies,

340
00:16:51,468 --> 00:16:54,637
some of whom, like him,      
     grew up in liberal households

341
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,848
and have become          
           more conservative

342
00:16:56,890 --> 00:16:58,183
than their parents.

343
00:16:58,225 --> 00:17:02,646
One of the really valuable     
    things that Trump did in 2016

344
00:17:02,688 --> 00:17:04,982
was to completely bust open

345
00:17:05,024 --> 00:17:06,942
the horizons of possibility

346
00:17:06,984 --> 00:17:08,736
for what it meant         
         to be conservative.

347
00:17:08,777 --> 00:17:10,112
What do conservatives care     
               about?

348
00:17:10,154 --> 00:17:13,032
The family, you know,       
          social cohesion.

349
00:17:13,073 --> 00:17:17,202
And how do we actually use     
       economics, for example,

350
00:17:17,244 --> 00:17:20,289
or a cultural agenda        
        to serve those ends?

351
00:17:20,330 --> 00:17:21,832
Like promoting           
         paid family leave?

352
00:17:21,874 --> 00:17:24,918
Paid family leave,         
      child tax credits, right?

353
00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:27,796
Like, a variety of ways      
         to sort of organize

354
00:17:27,838 --> 00:17:29,298
a kind of conservative       
           welfare state.

355
00:17:29,339 --> 00:17:31,675
And is it fair to say, like,    
          you see the value

356
00:17:31,717 --> 00:17:34,094
in some government regulation

357
00:17:34,136 --> 00:17:38,307
that can create sort of, like,   
         economic equality?

358
00:17:38,348 --> 00:17:39,099
Sure, yeah.

359
00:17:39,141 --> 00:17:40,476
I would probably use        
          a different word

360
00:17:40,517 --> 00:17:42,061
than equality, but economic

361
00:17:42,102 --> 00:17:43,937
sort of broad-based prosperity.

362
00:17:43,979 --> 00:17:46,065
But is the old guard        
    gonna get on board with that?

363
00:17:46,106 --> 00:17:48,609
Like, that's what I have      
     trouble sort of believing.

364
00:17:49,860 --> 00:17:51,028
Probably not.

365
00:17:51,070 --> 00:17:53,322
But there's a real desire

366
00:17:53,363 --> 00:17:55,991
to sort of retire         
       a lot of those people.

367
00:17:56,033 --> 00:17:57,993
[light chiming]

368
00:17:58,035 --> 00:18:00,079
[Gianna]   Paid family leave     
         and child tax credits

369
00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:01,789
sound pretty liberal.

370
00:18:01,830 --> 00:18:03,832
But for young conservatives    
               like Nate,

371
00:18:03,874 --> 00:18:04,958
they're a way to support

372
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:06,502
a socially conservative      
                agenda.

373
00:18:06,543 --> 00:18:08,462
[Nate]   I think everyone here,   
             more or less,

374
00:18:08,504 --> 00:18:10,422
probably supports         
           a ban on abortion,

375
00:18:10,464 --> 00:18:13,884
but they also understand that   
     a point that the left makes

376
00:18:13,926 --> 00:18:16,011
is that banning abortion      
       isn't gonna stop women

377
00:18:16,053 --> 00:18:17,429
from having abortions outright.

378
00:18:17,471 --> 00:18:20,224
If you really want to end     
        abortion in America,

379
00:18:20,265 --> 00:18:22,976
it has to be building       
      an entire infrastructure

380
00:18:23,018 --> 00:18:24,978
that supports children       
            and families

381
00:18:25,020 --> 00:18:27,022
more than I think American     
       policy does right now.

382
00:18:27,064 --> 00:18:28,899
I've spent time          
      with, you know, families

383
00:18:28,941 --> 00:18:30,859
who have trans kids in Texas.

384
00:18:30,901 --> 00:18:32,903
They're part            
        of the working class.

385
00:18:32,945 --> 00:18:34,780
Do those families not count

386
00:18:34,822 --> 00:18:36,657
in the policies          
     that you're talking about?

387
00:18:36,698 --> 00:18:37,908
Well, all families count.

388
00:18:37,950 --> 00:18:39,827
We want to support families.

389
00:18:39,868 --> 00:18:42,371
I think the debate         
    over the transgender issue--

390
00:18:42,412 --> 00:18:44,498
which is obviously         
   incredibly fraught right now--

391
00:18:44,540 --> 00:18:47,501
has to do with this        
    radical shift in the culture

392
00:18:47,543 --> 00:18:50,879
over the last five years or so, 
        where we have really,

393
00:18:50,921 --> 00:18:53,006
really rapidly shifted       
          our understanding

394
00:18:53,048 --> 00:18:54,341
of what gender means.

395
00:18:54,383 --> 00:18:56,844
[Gianna]              
      I keep meeting young people

396
00:18:56,885 --> 00:18:58,720
who are formerly liberal,

397
00:18:58,762 --> 00:18:59,972
who grew up            
        in that environment,

398
00:19:00,013 --> 00:19:02,057
who are now turning        
          to this movement.

399
00:19:02,099 --> 00:19:03,142
Why is that?

400
00:19:03,183 --> 00:19:04,935
You have a lot of people

401
00:19:04,977 --> 00:19:07,729
who have genuine          
       and legitimate concerns

402
00:19:07,771 --> 00:19:10,274
about any number of aspects

403
00:19:10,315 --> 00:19:14,236
of left-wing cultural pieties

404
00:19:14,278 --> 00:19:16,280
who know              
      that they will encounter

405
00:19:16,321 --> 00:19:19,408
serious social consequences    
             and stigma

406
00:19:19,449 --> 00:19:22,244
for even gingerly broaching    
        a lot of these topics

407
00:19:22,286 --> 00:19:24,746
around race, gender, sex.

408
00:19:24,788 --> 00:19:25,998
[Gianna]              
     And many of those young people

409
00:19:26,039 --> 00:19:28,292
are now going to podcasts     
              and YouTube

410
00:19:28,333 --> 00:19:30,669
to find more           
         skeptical perspectives

411
00:19:30,711 --> 00:19:32,588
across the political spectrum.

412
00:19:32,629 --> 00:19:34,715
Using the kind of ideas

413
00:19:34,756 --> 00:19:36,425
and motifs of cancel culture,

414
00:19:36,466 --> 00:19:38,969
that we can't have open,      
          fair discussions

415
00:19:39,011 --> 00:19:41,346
around race, gender, sexuality.

416
00:19:41,388 --> 00:19:43,265
[Gianna]   And in the more      
         conservative corners,

417
00:19:43,307 --> 00:19:45,851
the phrase "woke"         
             is everywhere.

418
00:19:45,893 --> 00:19:47,811
Corporate America's embrace    
            of wokeness--

419
00:19:47,853 --> 00:19:48,937
The woke indoctrination--

420
00:19:48,979 --> 00:19:50,272
Not even the military is immune

421
00:19:50,314 --> 00:19:52,149
these days             
       from all this wokeness.

422
00:19:52,191 --> 00:19:53,275
[Gianna]   It started as a phrase

423
00:19:53,317 --> 00:19:55,068
for Black             
        political consciousness.

424
00:19:55,110 --> 00:19:56,695
It's now become          
            a catch-all term

425
00:19:56,737 --> 00:19:59,990
for liberal culture issues    
      related to gender and race.

426
00:20:00,032 --> 00:20:02,951
And one media company       
            has gone all-in

427
00:20:02,993 --> 00:20:04,369
on these issues.

428
00:20:04,411 --> 00:20:07,039
We're at PragerU,         
          which is a group

429
00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:08,207
that finds young talent

430
00:20:08,248 --> 00:20:11,126
and develops them         
    into conservative influencers

431
00:20:11,168 --> 00:20:12,711
that rack up           
           millions of views.

432
00:20:12,753 --> 00:20:14,296
And when you're walking      
     through the offices, you know,

433
00:20:14,338 --> 00:20:16,715
you're seeing, like,       
         a lot of 20-year-olds,

434
00:20:16,757 --> 00:20:17,966
22-year-olds, 25-year-olds.

435
00:20:18,008 --> 00:20:20,385
It's a super young        
             employee base.

436
00:20:20,427 --> 00:20:22,137
They target            
          young people online

437
00:20:22,179 --> 00:20:24,181
who are dipping their toes    
        in conservative waters.

438
00:20:24,223 --> 00:20:25,349
Hi, everybody, and welcome...

439
00:20:25,390 --> 00:20:27,059
[Gianna]   Radio host        
        Dennis Prager founded it

440
00:20:27,100 --> 00:20:28,227
more than 10 years ago,

441
00:20:28,268 --> 00:20:31,063
and CEO Marissa Streit      
            helped grow it.

442
00:20:31,104 --> 00:20:33,315
While it's not          
         an actual university,

443
00:20:33,357 --> 00:20:35,192
it's a hub            
        for conservative content

444
00:20:35,234 --> 00:20:37,236
that's helped build        
              influencers

445
00:20:37,277 --> 00:20:38,862
like Candace Owens.

446
00:20:38,904 --> 00:20:39,738
Their goal?

447
00:20:39,780 --> 00:20:41,323
To get their message anywhere

448
00:20:41,365 --> 00:20:43,659
young people consume content.

449
00:20:43,700 --> 00:20:44,868
Their sleek videos capture

450
00:20:44,910 --> 00:20:48,080
Gen Z eyeballs          
        on Istagram and YouTube.

451
00:20:48,121 --> 00:20:49,831
There is a big difference

452
00:20:49,873 --> 00:20:51,500
between mild global warming

453
00:20:51,541 --> 00:20:54,086
and catastrophic         
            global warming.

454
00:20:54,127 --> 00:20:55,629
[Gianna]              
        Some feel more academic.

455
00:20:55,671 --> 00:20:57,172
Others are flashy,

456
00:20:57,214 --> 00:20:59,466
catering perfectly        
             to teenagers.

457
00:20:59,508 --> 00:21:03,095
We merge these older ideas,    
      these conservative ideas

458
00:21:03,136 --> 00:21:06,014
with a youthful audience      
        and a youthful staff

459
00:21:06,056 --> 00:21:08,392
that knows how to bring it     
          to young people.

460
00:21:08,433 --> 00:21:10,727
And that's really         
            the secret sauce

461
00:21:10,769 --> 00:21:11,979
behind PragerU.

462
00:21:12,020 --> 00:21:13,105
[Gianna]   PragerU's funding,

463
00:21:13,146 --> 00:21:14,898
mostly from            
          conservative donors,

464
00:21:14,940 --> 00:21:17,359
went from $11 million in 2017

465
00:21:17,401 --> 00:21:19,987
to $55 million last year.

466
00:21:20,028 --> 00:21:21,029
They're now investing

467
00:21:21,071 --> 00:21:22,656
in their youngest viewers.

468
00:21:22,698 --> 00:21:25,325
What happened in her homeland   
         that made Ayn Rand

469
00:21:25,367 --> 00:21:27,953
need to escape           
        and move to the USA?

470
00:21:27,995 --> 00:21:29,454
The rise of communism.

471
00:21:29,496 --> 00:21:31,456
That is correct.          
   It was the Communist takeover.

472
00:21:31,498 --> 00:21:34,334
We've really widened the type   
      of content that we make.

473
00:21:34,376 --> 00:21:36,837
So now we start making content   
           for 4-year-olds

474
00:21:36,878 --> 00:21:38,630
all the way to 104 years old.

475
00:21:38,672 --> 00:21:43,093
We bring alternative solutions   
     and perspectives on things.

476
00:21:43,135 --> 00:21:45,721
Every time the left claims     
           that the right

477
00:21:45,762 --> 00:21:47,889
is a journey into the future

478
00:21:47,931 --> 00:21:50,017
of   Handmaid's Tale         
           here in America

479
00:21:50,058 --> 00:21:52,352
is when we garner         
         a larger audience.

480
00:21:52,394 --> 00:21:54,354
What role does,          
         you know, PragerU,

481
00:21:54,396 --> 00:21:56,356
organizations like this, play

482
00:21:56,398 --> 00:21:59,901
in this sort of          
          new conservatism?

483
00:21:59,943 --> 00:22:01,194
Incubator.

484
00:22:01,236 --> 00:22:05,657
We can identify          
    young, talented individuals,

485
00:22:05,699 --> 00:22:09,619
and we can turn them into new   
    role models for our society.

486
00:22:09,661 --> 00:22:11,496
[Gianna]              
      We got to see this firsthand

487
00:22:11,538 --> 00:22:14,499
as Marissa and her staff     
          judged eager Zoomers

488
00:22:14,541 --> 00:22:17,210
vying to be PragerU's       
               next star.

489
00:22:17,252 --> 00:22:18,503
I think I would make

490
00:22:18,545 --> 00:22:20,339
a wonderful            
          PragerU personality

491
00:22:20,380 --> 00:22:22,215
because I've really been     
           on the front lines

492
00:22:22,257 --> 00:22:24,176
the past three years       
        on this college campus.

493
00:22:24,217 --> 00:22:26,595
I've been a TikToker,       
      making conservative content

494
00:22:26,636 --> 00:22:28,638
over there for, like,       
         a year and a half now.

495
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,223
And I've been banned       
              nine times.

496
00:22:30,265 --> 00:22:33,185
I don't quite understand      
             her story,

497
00:22:33,226 --> 00:22:34,561
like, her personal story.

498
00:22:34,603 --> 00:22:35,896
You know,             
       she talked a little bit

499
00:22:35,937 --> 00:22:36,813
about being banned,

500
00:22:36,855 --> 00:22:38,231
but everybody's being banned.

501
00:22:38,273 --> 00:22:40,525
Yeah, it's great when       
    they have the story day one,

502
00:22:40,567 --> 00:22:42,944
but it's not always        
         an immediate, like,

503
00:22:42,986 --> 00:22:44,112
you know, deal breaker,

504
00:22:44,154 --> 00:22:45,989
because we can build it      
            out of them.

505
00:22:46,031 --> 00:22:47,491
-So...               
               -Yeah.

506
00:22:47,532 --> 00:22:49,368
[Gianna]   It seems like       
       the fastest way to stardom

507
00:22:49,409 --> 00:22:51,995
here is getting ostracized    
              by liberals,

508
00:22:52,037 --> 00:22:53,330
AKA canceled,

509
00:22:53,372 --> 00:22:55,707
or disillusioned         
         by left-wing politics.

510
00:22:55,749 --> 00:22:59,169
And that's exactly what      
      happened to Amala Ekpunobi,

511
00:22:59,211 --> 00:23:01,838
a 22-year-old           
     who, up until a few years ago,

512
00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:03,382
was a liberal teen activist.

513
00:23:03,423 --> 00:23:05,050
After posting videos on social

514
00:23:05,092 --> 00:23:06,635
about her new           
          conservative views,

515
00:23:06,676 --> 00:23:09,429
she went viral          
       and caught Marissa's eye.

516
00:23:09,471 --> 00:23:13,308
[Amala] We're talking Keke     
      Palmer and gender theory.

517
00:23:13,350 --> 00:23:14,768
soft music

518
00:23:14,810 --> 00:23:17,479
Four-year-old trans kid.

519
00:23:17,521 --> 00:23:19,356
Yo, yo, yo. What up, guys?

520
00:23:19,398 --> 00:23:20,524
Unapologetic live.

521
00:23:20,565 --> 00:23:22,150
I'm your host, Amala Ekpunobi.

522
00:23:22,192 --> 00:23:23,527
Taylor's in the producer's bay.

523
00:23:23,568 --> 00:23:26,780
Is a new army school        
         getting real woke?

524
00:23:26,822 --> 00:23:29,324
[Gianna] What is it about that   
   sort of, like, woke generation

525
00:23:29,366 --> 00:23:31,576
or woke movement          
        that drives you nuts?

526
00:23:31,618 --> 00:23:33,578
The fact              
      that it just takes people

527
00:23:33,620 --> 00:23:36,748
and boils them down        
   to what are really superficial

528
00:23:36,790 --> 00:23:38,250
identity characteristics.

529
00:23:38,291 --> 00:23:40,293
So much of my work         
       when I was on the left

530
00:23:40,335 --> 00:23:44,339
was just revolving         
   around my race, being a female.

531
00:23:44,381 --> 00:23:46,007
It completely dictated       
          everything I did

532
00:23:46,049 --> 00:23:47,092
as a young person.

533
00:23:47,134 --> 00:23:49,719
So now that I'm seeing       
         other young people

534
00:23:49,761 --> 00:23:52,389
who are being subjected to     
   the same narrative that I got,

535
00:23:52,431 --> 00:23:55,225
I go hard on that one,       
        just to try and help

536
00:23:55,267 --> 00:23:56,351
and give              
       a different perspective

537
00:23:56,393 --> 00:23:59,104
that maybe saves them       
           from believing

538
00:23:59,146 --> 00:24:00,188
that victimhood mentality.

539
00:24:00,230 --> 00:24:01,690
And what would be an example    
             of a video

540
00:24:01,731 --> 00:24:03,191
that you would do         
      on one of those subjects?

541
00:24:03,233 --> 00:24:05,235
I could talk            
    about how affirmative action

542
00:24:05,277 --> 00:24:06,319
harms everybody.

543
00:24:06,361 --> 00:24:08,697
What you are doing         
           is essentially

544
00:24:08,738 --> 00:24:12,284
"fixing" past discrimination    
    with present discrimination.

545
00:24:12,325 --> 00:24:14,619
And the people           
     who are non-people of color

546
00:24:14,661 --> 00:24:16,204
watching these people       
         get to look at them

547
00:24:16,246 --> 00:24:18,248
and go, "Well, I don't know    
         if she got that job

548
00:24:18,290 --> 00:24:21,042
because of who she is       
   or because of what she's done."

549
00:24:21,084 --> 00:24:23,837
And it sews seeds of mistrust   
              all over.

550
00:24:23,879 --> 00:24:28,049
How do you think this kind of   
   new wave of young conservatism

551
00:24:28,091 --> 00:24:30,051
will change            
      the political landscape?

552
00:24:30,093 --> 00:24:31,636
I just think we're gonna see

553
00:24:31,678 --> 00:24:34,097
a lot more young people come    
           to conservatism

554
00:24:34,139 --> 00:24:35,307
before they come          
          to progressivism.

555
00:24:35,348 --> 00:24:37,267
The only reason          
    that people don't do that now

556
00:24:37,309 --> 00:24:38,643
is because they have an idea    
          of what it means

557
00:24:38,685 --> 00:24:41,062
to be a conservative        
       that's not true at all.

558
00:24:41,104 --> 00:24:44,274
[Gianna]   While the culture wars 
     often seem pretty ridiculous,

559
00:24:44,316 --> 00:24:47,068
they do tap into the anger    
        folks feel toward people

560
00:24:47,110 --> 00:24:48,820
they see as "elite."

561
00:24:48,862 --> 00:24:51,573
There's a real shift that     
      shows Democrats have started

562
00:24:51,615 --> 00:24:54,826
to do way better among      
      folks with a college degree

563
00:24:54,868 --> 00:24:56,286
than without one.

564
00:24:56,328 --> 00:24:57,913
Thomas Frank has written     
              extensively

565
00:24:57,954 --> 00:25:00,499
on the shift among Democrats   
              in the '80s,

566
00:25:00,540 --> 00:25:02,417
from being a party        
          of the working class

567
00:25:02,459 --> 00:25:05,337
to a party            
        of the highly educated.

568
00:25:05,378 --> 00:25:08,256
Young people            
    are the lowest-hanging fruit

569
00:25:08,298 --> 00:25:09,841
for liberals,           
         or they should be.

570
00:25:09,883 --> 00:25:12,511
But where are liberals       
        kind of screwing up,

571
00:25:12,552 --> 00:25:14,721
to where some of these       
        young people aren't?

572
00:25:14,763 --> 00:25:16,097
You know, I am a liberal,     
               right?

573
00:25:16,139 --> 00:25:17,557
And I vote--            
        I vote for Democrats.

574
00:25:17,599 --> 00:25:20,060
And I'm pretty far         
         to the left, right?

575
00:25:20,101 --> 00:25:22,812
And there came a point

576
00:25:22,854 --> 00:25:24,940
when I just...

577
00:25:24,981 --> 00:25:27,067
I got sick of righteousness.

578
00:25:27,108 --> 00:25:28,985
I got fucking sick         
          of righteousness.

579
00:25:29,027 --> 00:25:30,570
I couldn't stand it anymore.

580
00:25:30,612 --> 00:25:32,822
-I--                
     -What specifically was it?

581
00:25:32,864 --> 00:25:35,450
You know those yard signs     
           that would say,

582
00:25:35,492 --> 00:25:37,619
"In this house, we believe..."

583
00:25:37,661 --> 00:25:40,830
And then they have         
          a list of causes.

584
00:25:40,872 --> 00:25:42,207
Like science.

585
00:25:42,249 --> 00:25:43,667
"Science is real"         
           is one of them.

586
00:25:43,708 --> 00:25:45,293
"Black Lives Matter"        
           is one of them.

587
00:25:45,335 --> 00:25:47,128
I would look at these signs,   
            and I'd be like,

588
00:25:47,170 --> 00:25:48,463
why do these signs        
              irritate me?

589
00:25:48,505 --> 00:25:49,798
I agree with everything      
                on them.

590
00:25:49,839 --> 00:25:51,383
And I thought about it      
       for a while, and I'm like,

591
00:25:51,424 --> 00:25:53,635
because they've left       
             one cause out,

592
00:25:53,677 --> 00:25:57,389
and that's anything        
      having to do with labor,

593
00:25:57,430 --> 00:25:58,682
anything having to do       
             with work,

594
00:25:58,723 --> 00:26:01,226
anything having to do       
           with economics.

595
00:26:01,268 --> 00:26:04,646
Look,               
     this liberalism has evolved

596
00:26:04,688 --> 00:26:06,898
into a movement of scolding

597
00:26:06,940 --> 00:26:11,319
that just absolutely rubs     
        people the wrong way.

598
00:26:11,361 --> 00:26:13,572
That's not how you build      
             a movement.

599
00:26:13,613 --> 00:26:16,575
You don't just exclude people   
    off the bat for being wrong.

600
00:26:16,616 --> 00:26:18,368
I mean, that's very satisfying.

601
00:26:18,410 --> 00:26:22,455
But it will--it's poison      
      to a left-wing movement.

602
00:26:22,497 --> 00:26:24,916
It's--that poison feels      
        like it's everywhere.

603
00:26:24,958 --> 00:26:26,585
And maybe that's media,      
           maybe it's not.

604
00:26:26,626 --> 00:26:28,211
But there are a lot of people   
           being canceled.

605
00:26:28,253 --> 00:26:29,546
There are a lot of people     
           being scolded.

606
00:26:29,588 --> 00:26:33,258
And I wonder            
    where those people are going.

607
00:26:33,300 --> 00:26:35,093
I mean, they're going       
        to one of two places.

608
00:26:35,135 --> 00:26:36,928
They become apolitical,      
              or they--

609
00:26:36,970 --> 00:26:39,556
I mean, if the conservative    
         movement is smart,

610
00:26:39,598 --> 00:26:41,766
they'll make a place for them.

611
00:26:41,808 --> 00:26:44,269
What we are missing        
            in this country

612
00:26:44,311 --> 00:26:48,273
is a traditional         
          working-class left.

613
00:26:48,315 --> 00:26:50,900
And so what fills that space?

614
00:26:50,942 --> 00:26:53,528
Well, one thing          
          is the culture wars.

615
00:26:53,570 --> 00:26:56,531
[Gianna]   Young political stars   
     like Ron DeSantis and JD Vance

616
00:26:56,573 --> 00:26:58,908
are now on the road        
        testing talking points.

617
00:26:58,950 --> 00:27:01,536
The formula for now        
       is to take on big business

618
00:27:01,578 --> 00:27:04,664
in the name of culture      
       to make more Americans see

619
00:27:04,706 --> 00:27:08,668
the culture wars as crucial    
      for the country's survival.

620
00:27:08,710 --> 00:27:12,213
[crowd chanting indistinctly]

621
00:27:12,255 --> 00:27:14,674
[JD] Thank you. Thank you.

622
00:27:14,716 --> 00:27:15,884
We do not have to live       
             like this.

623
00:27:15,925 --> 00:27:18,053
We do not have to let       
          the Chinese steal

624
00:27:18,094 --> 00:27:19,346
our manufacturing base.

625
00:27:19,387 --> 00:27:21,931
We do not have to let       
     the pharmaceutical industry

626
00:27:21,973 --> 00:27:25,518
force a product on us       
    in order for us to get a job.

627
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:26,978
[cheers and applause]

628
00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:30,565
No movement would succeed if    
    it didn't have a good reason,

629
00:27:30,607 --> 00:27:31,775
if it didn't answer something

630
00:27:31,816 --> 00:27:34,819
that was a deep need       
           that people have.

631
00:27:34,861 --> 00:27:38,031
It's all based           
         on this mind virus

632
00:27:38,073 --> 00:27:39,616
called woke ideology.

633
00:27:39,658 --> 00:27:43,078
That is what's infecting all    
    these different institutions.

634
00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:46,331
What is that link between     
     class war and culture war?

635
00:27:46,373 --> 00:27:48,792
The culture wars          
        are endlessly amusing

636
00:27:48,833 --> 00:27:51,795
because they give you       
      this feeling of persecution,

637
00:27:51,836 --> 00:27:53,755
that you,             
         the average American,

638
00:27:53,797 --> 00:27:56,007
your values are being insulted   
               by TV,

639
00:27:56,049 --> 00:27:58,593
and they can be invented     
              constantly.

640
00:27:58,635 --> 00:28:01,596
[Ron] We will fight woke      
          in the classroom.

641
00:28:01,638 --> 00:28:03,973
We will fight woke         
           in businesses.

642
00:28:04,015 --> 00:28:06,518
We will fight woke         
       in government agencies.

643
00:28:06,559 --> 00:28:09,521
We're not gonna surrender     
              to woke.

644
00:28:09,562 --> 00:28:10,563
We are gonna stand,

645
00:28:10,605 --> 00:28:13,024
and we're gonna keep        
          our country free.

646
00:28:13,066 --> 00:28:16,194
[cheers and applause]

647
00:28:16,736 --> 00:28:19,698
tense music