In this mind-opening episode of Impact Theory, Tom Bilyeu sits down with Stephen Bonnell, known online as Destiny, one of the most prolific and thought-provoking political streamers of our time. Destiny, with his razor-sharp logic and fearless approach, challenges Tom—and the audience—to reevaluate their assumptions about what it will take to “make America great.” Together, they tackle the roots of America's dysfunction: division, distrust, debt, inequality, and the myth of political heroism on both sides of the aisle. The first half of this two-part conversation digs into the realities of America’s fiscal crisis, cycles of Republican and Democratic leadership, the real drivers behind national debt, and the impact of partisan policy on America’s economic future. Tom and Destiny debate the measurable KPIs of economic pain, the role of tax cuts and deficits, and the endlessly controversial question of “who’s to blame” for America’s budgetary freefall. They draw hard lines between rhetoric and reality, examining how populism, money printing, and the culture of “free stuff” have become major obstacles to meaningful reform. With both men refusing to pull their punches, this Part 1 episode is packed with sharp exchanges, nuanced economic breakdowns, and a relentless search for practical solutions in an era of political theater. SHOWNOTES01:05 – Setting the Stage: Debt, Deficit, and “Making America Great”17:10 – The Limits of Leadership: Biden, Trump, and the Decline Question27:23 – Are There Any “Shining Star” Leaders?31:24 – Trump, Tariffs, and Drawing Hard Lines: Pros and Cons43:15 – The Limits of Information & the Dilemma of Too Much Freedom FOLLOW STEPHEN “DESTINY” BONNELL:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/destinyKick: https://www.kick.com/destinyTwitter: https://twitter.com/TheOmniLiberal CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to ⁠https://www.vitalproteins.com⁠ and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Allio Capital: Macro investing for people who want to understand the big picture. Download their app in the App Store or at Google Play, or text my name “TOM” to 511511. iTrust Capital: Use code IMPACTGO when you sign up and fund your account to get a $100 bonus at ⁠https://www.itrustcapital.com/tombilyeu⁠  SleepMe: Visit ⁠https://sleep.me/impact⁠ to get your Chilipad and save 20% with code IMPACT. Try it risk-free with their 30-night sleep trial and free shipping. Jerry: Stop needlessly overpaying for car insurance - download the Jerry app or head to ⁠https://jerry.ai/impact⁠ Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at ⁠https://shopify.com/impact⁠ What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business:⁠ join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER⁠ SCALING a business:⁠ see if you qualify here.⁠ Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox:⁠ sign up here.⁠ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast,⁠ Tom Bilyeu’s Mindset Playbook⁠ —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS:⁠ apple.co/impacttheory⁠ ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/⁠ Tik Tok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/tombilyeu⁠ YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices