Dennis Prager is a syndicated conservative talk radio host and columnist. He is the author of six books and taught Russian and Jewish history at Brooklyn College. In 2011, he founded Prager University, an organization that puts out a series of five-minute videos meant to convey the best thought in political science, history, philosophy, religion, economics, and psychology. Prager visited Hillsdale College Sunday for a live filming on Book TV’s “In Depth” on C-SPAN2.
Have you ever been to Hillsdale before?
I was here once before, in fact 10 years ago, maybe a drop more. And I did speak to students. I think a family related issue. So this is only my second visit.
What are your thoughts on Hillsdale students compared to other public university students in your experience?
Well, I am a big believer in Hillsdale. I advocate Hillsdale on my radio national show. Look, what Hillsdale is trying to do is unbelievably necessary and pretty lonely because the campuses have ceased to be liberal arts. They have become left-wing campuses, where the purpose is to indoctrinate rather than educate. And while obviously Hillsdale has a philosophic agenda, as is perfectly right, it still prefers to educate.
As far as how this election goes, what does it mean for this country’s relationship with the nation of Israel?
There are many reasons to fear the Democratic Party and the left generally, and one of them is a broken moral compass. I recognize that a lot of these people are sincere, but a party that could have a member of the committee that writes its platform at the Democratic convention, a man that accuses Israel of war crimes and other horrors and apartheid state and a whole host of other things, and is a member of the platform writing committee. America is one of the most decent countries in the world, just like America is one of the most decent countries in the world. And the left vilifies America and Israel more than any countries in the world.
If you could go into why are you not in the “Never Trump” camp and why are you actually campaigning against that?
Well, I have many reasons why I’m not in the “Never Trump” group, but I think I first have to say that I was opposed to Trump during the entire nomination period. I wrote column after column against him. He was my 17th choice of 17 candidates. So I just want to make clear that I was not a Trump supporter, when there was a choice. There is no choice now. There is no choice. The only choice is four more years of left-wing rule in the United States. It would mean the end of the Supreme Court for the next 40 years or 30 years minimally. People think that’s an exaggerated figure. One appointment means it’s almost always 5-4 left-right. If that appointment person is 40, that person will be 75 in 35 years. It’s young today. Look, Bernie Sanders is over 70, nobody gave a hoot. In fact, his greatest supporters were young people. So imagine what 75 will be 35 years from now — it will be middle age. So the court is lost. And that’s almost everything because the left doesn’t need Congress.
In light of all the things you just said, what should a younger person — particularly the young students here at Hillsdale College, who are probably 17, 18 to 21, 22 — what should they do in light of the things you just said today?
Well in light of what I said, if I made sense, then it makes perfect sense for you to campaign for the Republican ticket. That’s what makes sense. And to answer these arguments. We have a moral issue here, and therefore by the way, it makes it hard for you because you have to then make the argument for the destructiveness of the left, which people are often very uncomfortable about doing because most people have such people in their family. I do, and I understand that discomfort, but you don’t abandon your deepest principles because your brother-in-law is on the other side. This is just the way this works, so we need you very badly. And you need this victory very badly.