Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words

Victor Davis Hanson: Is Marco Rubio the GOP’s Best Bet for 2028?

August 28, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Victor Davis Hanson’s Friday episode, recorded while he was on vacation, answers listener questions on a range of topics, from the structural proposals of the Democratic Socialists of America to the 2028 Republican primary contest between Marco Rubio and JD Vance. The throughline is a diagnosis of elite hypocrisy: the people who push radical policies, Hanson argues, are insulated from the consequences of those policies, and they pursue power rather than principle. The conversation moves from constitutional history to political strategy to Homeric translation, but the unifying thread is that the people who most loudly demand change are the ones least likely to suffer from it.

The DSA’s Unicameral Proposal and the Lessons of the Articles of Confederation

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (05:00) **DSA Agenda vs. the Articles of Confederation** - The host reads a question comparing the Democratic Socialists of America’s proposed unicameral system to the failed Continental Congress.
  • 2 (14:31) **Rubio vs. JD Vance for 2028** - The central comparison of the episode, analyzing why Marco Rubio currently polls better than Vice President JD Vance.
  • 3 (27:06) **Why Elites Push Destructive Policies** - Hanson explains why powerful Democrats advocate for policies (open borders, high taxes) that harm the general population.
  • 4 (36:15) **The Fauci Diary and Congressional Testimony** - A discussion on the strategic release of Dr. Fauci’s diary before his Senate hearing.
  • 5 (40:27) **The Abraham Accords and the Iran Dilemma** - Hanson addresses the stalled expansion of the Abraham Accords and the Gulf States' complex relationship with Iran.
  • 6 (48:06) **Was There a Real Homer?** - A deep dive into the historical Homer and the oral tradition of the Iliad and Odyssey.
  • 7 (52:37) **Best Translations of Homer and Hesiod** - Hanson recommends specific translations for reading the Greek epics.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Victor Davis Hanson

Show Notes

CORRECTION: “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, aired this morning. This was an error. This is the actual show for today, Aug. 28, 2026. We hope you enjoy it, and we apologize again for the error.

Marco Rubio’s strength heading into 2028, Victor Davis Hanson argues, is that he has the experience and foreign-policy toughness to advance Trump’s agenda while potentially broadening the movement’s appeal, particularly with Hispanic voters. 

“I think a lot of people are talking about recent polls about the 2028 presidential election. I don't trust any of the polls because they're all slanted.

“I do not believe, right now, that Pete Buttigieg is polling ahead of both Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance. That's not possible.

“But an Emerson poll said that Rubio polls anywhere from three to five points higher than J.D. Vance does against putative 2028 Democratic candidates Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gavin Newsom, etc.

“OK, so there's this sense now that Rubio's name keeps coming up. And we have to ask two questions: Why? And what are his strengths and weaknesses vis-a-vis Vance?” 

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Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words

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