The #1 Threat to America Right Now (And It’s Not What You Think) | Tom Bilyeu x Mike Baker

Video Description

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://impacttheory.co/ShopifyApr ITU: Ready to breakthrough your biggest business bottleneck? Apply to work with me 1:1 - https://impacttheory.co/SCALE Do you need my help? STARTING a business: join me here inside ZERO TO FOUNDER (https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder) SCALING a business: click here to see if you qualify (https://tombilyeu.com/scale) Get the exact systems, mindset shifts, and principles that built a $1B brand delivered straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free (https://tombilyeu.com) Check out our Video game - Project Kyzen: (https://projectkyzen.io/) Catch Me Streaming on Twitch - (https://twitch.tv/tombilyeu) Link to IT discord: https://discord.gg/TZKJ2etPbT Tom's Favorite Things List: https://amzn.to/41Ftt7e Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In this thought-provoking episode, Tom sits down with Mike Baker—former CIA officer, security expert, and host of the President’s Daily Brief podcast—to dissect some of the most pressing issues facing America and the world today. Together, they dive deep into the real threats posed by China, from cyber warfare and TikTok’s influence, to intellectual property theft and military ambitions in the South China Sea. Mike shares his insider perspective on just how vulnerable the U.S. population is to manipulation and misinformation, and why America’s short-term focus could leave us blindsided by powers playing the long game. The conversation doesn’t stop there. Tom and Mike tackle America’s mounting debt crisis—why it could be our biggest existential danger—and break down the hard realities of realpolitik, from uneasy alliances to the sometimes ugly calculations behind foreign policy. They take an unflinching look at the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel and Gaza, and the cultural and geopolitical tensions threatening to reshape the global order. With candid stories, sharp analysis, and a willingness to question popular narratives, Mike and Tom challenge us to confront the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. If you’re ready to move past the headlines and get real about the forces shaping our future, this episode is for you. 00:00 China's Influence and Manipulation 19:27 Counterintelligence: Targeting and Loyalty Challenges 24:05 China's View on Ukraine & Taiwan 39:15 Flexible Pandemic Response Debate 45:27 Debt: The Biggest U.S. Threat 01:01:32 Career Politicians and Wealth Accumulation 01:05:43 Putin Stalling Amid Peace Talks 01:15:55 Economy Concerns Over Foreign Issues 01:24:56 Iranian Regime: Root of Conflict 01:39:28 Phosphate Mining Debate in Florida 01:43:51 University Activism: Passion or Organization? 02:02:37 Border Security and Deportation Debate 02:05:27 "Fast-Moving Organization's Risky Strategy" 02:17:20 "Life Decisions: Do Your Best" China, US-China relations, TikTok, disinformation, economic espionage, South China Sea, intellectual property theft, Cold War, Taiwan, Russia-Ukraine war, US debt, reserve currency, rare earth minerals, cyber warfare, drone warfare, realpolitik, Saudi Arabia, border security, immigration, cartel trafficking, American decline, NATO, political polarization, populism, Middle East conflict, Hamas, Israel-Palestine, Iran nuclear deal, European defense, social media influence