Tucker’s New MAGA Party, El-Sayed Wins Michigan & Perez Hilton Hospitalized | PBD Podcast #840

We’ve got Antonio Sabàto Jr. in the house—General Hospital, Calvin Klein, Janet Jackson. But this isn’t a nostalgia lap. We’re talking Tucker’s message, AI politics, affordability, family, Hollywood, and what happens when somebody at the top gets pushed aside.

Working with Herb Ritts was a good time, man. You met face to face; you got hired or fired to your face. I came from Italy in 1985, and citizenship meant something. My mom escaped communism in Prague; her family survived Auschwitz. Kids need that history.

Tucker’s ten words—fair, sovereign, productive, beautiful, healthy, honest, optimistic, wise, decent, united—sound agreeable. But after that buildup, I expected a program. People squeezed by prices need to hear exactly what changes in their pocket.

Political people sit at cozy tables and tell everybody else how to live. Follow the law, be decent, leave people alone. I backed Trump and ran for office; it cost me agents, work, the whole thing. Fine. I’ll build my own studio. I’m owned by God, not them.

I thought Tucker might unveil an independent-party platform. Instead, it was broad feelings without policy. “Optimistic” and “wise” are fine, but where’s the mechanism—legislation, priorities, tradeoffs? The buildup created much higher expectations.

I’m not gonna explode on Tucker; I’ll bring receipts. His MAGA favorability has fallen, and his circle looks pushed out of the movement. “Honesty” conflicts with clips contradicting his denials; “optimism” conflicts with selling collapse; “united” is hard from a divisive voice.

We kicked around a 2028 run. I’m only twenty to thirty percent convinced. He has reach, but national coalitions require serious people beyond your base—builders, business leaders, operators. Otherwise the market decides whether you’re really the alpha.

I’m putting my chips down: he runs. Ego is big in that world. Some people run to put themselves on a pedestal. He needs people saying, “You’re the king.” Trump sits with smart people because he wants to learn. That’s the difference.

The next danger is 2028 as the first full AI election: bots in a candidate’s voice, synthetic voters testing messages, and a firehose shaping what looks popular or true. Even language-model answers may become part of the battleground.

AI can help with persuasion tools and simulations. The scary part is fake amplification: thousands of likes and comments can make tiny sentiment look enormous. A false story spreads, gets treated as fact, and hardens before platforms can correct it.

Both parties will spend billions, but who controls the people controlling the parties? Media has shaped outcomes for years, and young voters can follow a Pied Piper right off a cliff. Stop waiting for government; demand morals, truth, accountability.

AI comes down to Y-O-U. They’re coming for your mind. We’re moving from the information age into a validation age. You might be fighting a bot, bro. A bot can admit it’s a bot and still persuade people. Stop, think, verify.

A labeled AI visualization can be useful; the same tech can put words in somebody’s mouth and go viral. Older people get fooled by fake Amazon or IRS calls, but young people aren’t immune. Verify twice before deciding it’s real.

We laughed at a politician’s social feed, then got serious about his Michigan primary win. Turnout was unusually high, but the race stayed close despite polls predicting a larger margin. Beneath the headline, he still has voters to win over.

When you run, money is reality. I won my California primary, but the other side had donors and checks everywhere while the party barely supported us. And polished answers with that little smirk? Somebody coached every line.

The Perez Hilton story was heartbreaking. Reports said he was hospitalized after a livestream where he appeared to harm himself. Whatever you think of his past work, that’s a human being at his darkest point—not content to repost. Pray, show concern, get help.

I knew him a little. He had a huge early voice, but addiction and recovery are serious. You don’t just thank God and everything is fixed; recovery takes work and time. I hope family is with him and people stop making pain entertainment.

I had red carpets, private flights, movies, agencies, award shows—then I spoke my mind and people acted like I didn’t exist. It’s never over. I’ll keep making movies. You get one life, so don’t be afraid of it.

Burrito-gate sounds ridiculous, but it’s about basic life feeling out of reach. People should make smart choices, yes. But food prices have risen faster than incomes in a lot of lived experience. Understand the pressure, then challenge better decisions.

A burrito is easy: warm tortilla, beans, chicken, salad, done. People pay crazy money because a fancy place made it fashionable. Make your own food sometimes. Don’t follow the herd and complain you paid for the brand.

Republicans mocking the student missed the opening. It’s not literally about a twenty-dollar burrito. My college-age daughter sees prices every day. “Quit whining and eat ramen” is not a winning answer. Acknowledge affordability, then offer specifics.

Family matters more than anything. Living with parents isn’t automatically bad; work, help, respect the home, give back. The problem is entitlement—blaming everybody, expecting the world to carry you. Be optimistic, take responsibility, try again.

Bitterness is a virus because people don’t know they caught it. My dad lives with me because he’s positive and adds value; he refuses to become a burden. Family is two-way: help your parents, but don’t let resentment or pressure destroy your marriage and kids.

I live with my mom now, and I love being close with family. We came to America together—my dad, mom, sister, me. There’s nothing wrong with doing life together when there’s dignity, gratitude, and everybody contributes. That’s respect.