VDH Interviews Sebastian Gorka-gemini-2.5-flash-prompt_balladeer
by Gemini
15 min read
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz0Vk6goZ_w
Table of Contents
Verse 1
### The Ballad of the Builder from Queens
From Queens he rose, a builder grand,
With spirit keen and purpose true,
To shake the dust from off the land,
And forge a pathway fresh and new.
The halls of power, deep and vast,
Where old traditions held their sway,
He scorned the ways that long had passed,
And swept the cobwebs all away.
For generals, steeped in twenty years,
Who clung to old, familiar ease,
Would find their stars, mid rising fears,
Cashiered and scattered on the breeze.
The D.C. swamp, a stagnant fen,
Where 'thinkers' spun their useless lore,
He bypassed all those learned men,
And sought a stronger, truer shore.
No Hamptons gent, but Queens' own son,
He promised deeds, not empty words,
And when his mighty work was done,
He shamed the establishment's pale herds.
From treaties sealed in foreign lands,
To NATO's coffers, filled anew,
He worked with firm and purposeful hands,
Making old, forgotten visions true.
"Midnight Hammer's" swift, dark flight,
Through hostile skies, no shot returned,
A show of power, brave and bright,
A lesson swiftly to be learned.
Then tariffs rose, a global shift,
Beyond old Bretton Woods' decree,
A potent, economic gift,
To set our nation strong and free.
Old laws were struck, once deemed secure,
A sacred promise, long denied,
The border gates, he would ensure,
With justice on the people's side.
For foes abroad, with hate-filled eyes,
From Iran's proxies, dark and deep,
To ISIS remnants, in disguise,
He vowed to make their terror sleep.
No "stove-pipe" thought, but vision wide,
He saw the world through Iran's art,
And for America, turned the tide,
A counter-revolutionary's heart.
But deepest wounds, from foes within,
The "traitors" lurking, false and sly,
Who sought the President to spin,
A web of falsehood, reaching high.
No Milley's treason, cold and stark,
No Kelly's plot, to undermine,
A loyal team, to leave their mark,
United in a grand design.
For "common sense," his guiding star,
Against the "unaccountable's" disdain,
Who felt no pinch, near or afar,
Nor understood the common pain.
A leader bold, a builder true,
Who stood a Colossus, firm and tall,
To make America strong and new,
And answer freedom's righteous call.
From Queens he rose, a builder grand,
With spirit keen and purpose true,
To shake the dust from off the land,
And forge a pathway fresh and new.
The halls of power, deep and vast,
Where old traditions held their sway,
He scorned the ways that long had passed,
And swept the cobwebs all away.
For generals, steeped in twenty years,
Who clung to old, familiar ease,
Would find their stars, mid rising fears,
Cashiered and scattered on the breeze.
The D.C. swamp, a stagnant fen,
Where 'thinkers' spun their useless lore,
He bypassed all those learned men,
And sought a stronger, truer shore.
No Hamptons gent, but Queens' own son,
He promised deeds, not empty words,
And when his mighty work was done,
He shamed the establishment's pale herds.
From treaties sealed in foreign lands,
To NATO's coffers, filled anew,
He worked with firm and purposeful hands,
Making old, forgotten visions true.
"Midnight Hammer's" swift, dark flight,
Through hostile skies, no shot returned,
A show of power, brave and bright,
A lesson swiftly to be learned.
Then tariffs rose, a global shift,
Beyond old Bretton Woods' decree,
A potent, economic gift,
To set our nation strong and free.
Old laws were struck, once deemed secure,
A sacred promise, long denied,
The border gates, he would ensure,
With justice on the people's side.
For foes abroad, with hate-filled eyes,
From Iran's proxies, dark and deep,
To ISIS remnants, in disguise,
He vowed to make their terror sleep.
No "stove-pipe" thought, but vision wide,
He saw the world through Iran's art,
And for America, turned the tide,
A counter-revolutionary's heart.
But deepest wounds, from foes within,
The "traitors" lurking, false and sly,
Who sought the President to spin,
A web of falsehood, reaching high.
No Milley's treason, cold and stark,
No Kelly's plot, to undermine,
A loyal team, to leave their mark,
United in a grand design.
For "common sense," his guiding star,
Against the "unaccountable's" disdain,
Who felt no pinch, near or afar,
Nor understood the common pain.
A leader bold, a builder true,
Who stood a Colossus, firm and tall,
To make America strong and new,
And answer freedom's righteous call.
Img Prompt 1
An epic and romantic painting, reminiscent of Caspar David Friedrich's dramatic landscapes. In the bleak, twilight gloom, a vast, tempestuous sea stretches to a distant, obscured horizon. Jagged, ancient ice floes, monumental and sharp, choke the waters, creating a perilous, almost impassable labyrinth. A single, weathered sailing ship, dwarfed by the immense, frozen wilderness, navigates this treacherous passage. Its tattered sails are barely visible against the encroaching darkness. On a prominent, windswept ice peak in the foreground, an archetypal, genderless, featureless silhouette of a figure stands resolute, gazing out at the monumental challenge. Dramatic interplay of deep blues, greys, and icy whites, with slivers of fading, cold light breaking through heavy clouds, emphasizing isolation, determination, and the overwhelming power of nature. The scene evokes a sense of counter-revolutionary defiance and the arduous journey of a leader carving a new path through a calcified world.Video Prompt 1
A hyper-realistic, cinematic 6-8 second video. The scene opens with a sweeping drone shot, soaring high above a vast, ice-choked sea at dawn. The camera glides over immense, ancient floes, their surfaces sculpted by wind and time, reflecting the weak, steely light of the emerging sun. The movement is grand and revealing, showcasing the brutal beauty of the frozen expanse and the lone, struggling sailing ship navigating the perilous channels below. As the drone descends and arcs, it focuses on a towering, windswept ice peak. The shot smoothly tracks towards this summit, revealing an archetypal, silhouetted figure, standing motionless and resolute, gazing towards the distant, challenging horizon. The shot concludes with a tight focus on the figure, their form stark against the vast, dramatic landscape. The audio features a continuous, powerful Baroque orchestral piece, like Handel's Sarabande, building in intensity, seamlessly blended with immersive, stereo-panned natural sounds: the mournful howl of the wind, the creaking and groaning of shifting ice, and the distant, echoing crash of waves against the frozen shoreline.### Sonnet for Original Image
Upon the left, a smiling countenance, In solemn suit, 'fore banners starred and bold; His gentle gaze, a look of kind advance, As silent wisdom doth its thoughts unfold. Then to the right, with headset on his ear, An elder man, with glasses and shrewd mind, Doth lean to speak, his purpose sharp and clear, From checkered cloth, a truth he hopes to find. Through screens they meet, where books of ancient lore And modern thought line shelves in quiet grace; Engaged in talk, as minds begin to soar, Each seeking reason's firm and steady place. So from their wisdom, on solid ground they meet, And measure truth, from humble, knowing feet.
### Generated Image
Prompt:
An epic and romantic painting, reminiscent of Caspar David Friedrich's dramatic landscapes. In the bleak, twilight gloom, a vast, tempestuous sea stretches to a distant, obscured horizon. Jagged, ancient ice floes, monumental and sharp, choke the waters, creating a perilous, almost impassable labyrinth. A single, weathered sailing ship, dwarfed by the immense, frozen wilderness, navigates this treacherous passage. Its tattered sails are barely visible against the encroaching darkness. On a prominent, windswept ice peak in the foreground, an archetypal, genderless, featureless silhouette of a figure stands resolute, gazing out at the monumental challenge. Dramatic interplay of deep blues, greys, and icy whites, with slivers of fading, cold light breaking through heavy clouds, emphasizing isolation, determination, and the overwhelming power of nature. The scene evokes a sense of counter-revolutionary defiance and the arduous journey of a leader carving a new path through a calcified world.### Generated Video *Prompt:*
A hyper-realistic, cinematic 6-8 second video. The scene opens with a sweeping drone shot, soaring high above a vast, ice-choked sea at dawn. The camera glides over immense, ancient floes, their surfaces sculpted by wind and time, reflecting the weak, steely light of the emerging sun. The movement is grand and revealing, showcasing the brutal beauty of the frozen expanse and the lone, struggling sailing ship navigating the perilous channels below. As the drone descends and arcs, it focuses on a towering, windswept ice peak. The shot smoothly tracks towards this summit, revealing an archetypal, silhouetted figure, standing motionless and resolute, gazing towards the distant, challenging horizon. The shot concludes with a tight focus on the figure, their form stark against the vast, dramatic landscape. The audio features a continuous, powerful Baroque orchestral piece, like Handel's Sarabande, building in intensity, seamlessly blended with immersive, stereo-panned natural sounds: the mournful howl of the wind, the creaking and groaning of shifting ice, and the distant, echoing crash of waves against the frozen shoreline.YouTube Audio Analysis (from 0s)
### Video
The video features two men, Victor Davis Hanson and Seb Gorka, engaging in a remote video conversation. Both speakers are presented as talking heads, framed from the chest up, against backgrounds that appear to be personal studies or offices, complete with bookshelves and decorative items like a globe. The visual style is simple and direct, designed to focus entirely on the speakers and their discussion. During a brief musical interlude, an animated graphic of a golden eagle soaring against a blue sky, accompanied by stars, is displayed. The overall message is a conservative political discussion, primarily praising the actions of former President Donald Trump and contrasting them with previous administrations.
### Audio
### Part 1: Comprehensive Transcript
**Seb Gorka:** ...and one of the easiest way to get fired in his administration—I've seen this with three-star and four-star generals—is to walk into the Oval and the president says, "Why are we doing this this way?" And, and the general goes, "Uh, because that's how we've been doing it for 20 years, Mr. President." I mean, you know, you'll be cashiered and, and, and ripped off of your, your, your stars within minutes if you say that. He is here not to tow the line, not to help you maintain your sinecures for doing nothing at a quote-unquote thing tank. And worst of all, he's, he's the, the, the billionaire from Queens. He's not from the Hamptons, he's from Queens. And he has produced where the conservative establishment has failed for generations.
[Music Plays - 0:53-1:04]
**Victor Davis Hanson:** Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for the Victor Davis Hanson Show. I'm, I'm doing one of our interviews where Jack and Sammy are not with me today, but I'm honored to have my friend and colleague and a person that you all know from both his Newsmax show, but more importantly, his prior service during the first Trump administration and his current Zardom as the second administration's expert on counterterrorism at the National Security Council, as well as a deputy directly a counselor to the President. And we're going to get with Seb Gorka in a second, uh, right after these messages.
**Victor Davis Hanson:** And we're back with Dr. Seb Gorka, good friend of mine, and I think a, a media and scholar personality you're all familiar with. And Seb, uh, before we get into national security, what's your, um, historical assessment of the second administration say vis-à-vis the first? It seems to me that this time Trump is addressing symptoms rather than just manifestations of the progressive problem.
**Seb Gorka:** Well, first things first, Professor, absolute honor to be on your show. As I, uh, revealed to you and your team before we, uh, started recording and I don't want to make, uh, uh, the most esteemed historian strategist blush on his own show, but every morning as I drive from my home to the White House, to the campus here, I listen to your podcast with Jack and with Sammy. So, uh, it's quite a thing to be actually a, a, a subject of the podcast. And I just can't do better than reiterate what you have said in terms of putting this administration into the correct historic context. And I, I, I literally came from a bilateral meeting with a very close partner of ours in the Middle East, and I said to that delegation, literally minutes ago, the same thing I say to my colleagues across the US government in the intelligence community, the Defense Department, the State Department, I tried to give them a little bit of advice. They don't all appreciate the tectonic historic significance of the current presidency. I think you've labeled it a counter-revolutionary or an anti-Jacobin presidency, which it is. Uh, I and my colleagues live in a skiff in a secure classified information facility for, you know, 12 hours a day, and we come outside and we check our cell phones, which we have to leave outside the skiff, and we say, "Oh my gosh, what has the president done in just the last 30 minutes?" Is it the fourth or the fifth peace treaty? Is it, um, 5% NATO GDP spending? I cut my teeth 30 years ago on NATO issues. We dreamt of having partners spending 2%. The president has ratcheted that up to 5%, whether it's 1.6 million deportations or self-deportations, whether it's five trillion dollars bring back, brought back from the Middle East, whether, whether it is—I was in the sitroom. I was in the situation room during Operation Midnight Hammer, Professor. And to see the quintessence of a perfect military operation, the likes of which if you read in a Tom Clancy novel, you would say, "No, the credulity, I don't buy it. You can't have multiple US aircraft flying into Iranian airspace, dropping 14, 34,000-pound bombs and not one missile is launched against them, not one attack aircraft is launched by the Iranians." This is, this is a historic presidency if but for one reason alone: the tariff system. What the president is doing with tariffs is a complete rewriting of the global trade and economics environment, which will be as large as Bretton Woods for different reasons, or even bigger than Bretton Woods. So, yes, I'm biased. Yes, I've known the president for 10 years since I briefed him first as candidate Trump. But I think people do not understand, especially the quote-unquote experts in the Beltway around DC, that this man is changing history for probably the next 50, if not 100 years.
**Victor Davis Hanson:** I, I want to ask you, uh, a Thucydidean question between the real cause and the pretext, what he called the prophasis and the aitia. But because what he is doing is very disruptive to the post-war 80-year-old kind of calcified order. So when you talk, and I don't want to get into specifics because of the security, um, principles and, and ramifications, but when you talk to your counterparts or people in your field in different governments, are, do they see us as disruptive, chaotic, disruptive in a positive way, welcome relief? Is it a mixed bag? What is their reaction to what's going on in the United States?
**Seb Gorka:** Of, of the options you gave me, uh, welcome relief. Welcome relief. Uh, we have people, we have countries who we'd like to work together with. And I just, I don't mean just the allies of NATO, but very important non-allies who don't have security guarantees, but who are close partners, especially when it comes to disrupting and neutralizing, you know, the jihadi threat that is today global. And I can't tell you how many meetings I've been to in the last scant seven months, where they've said, "Honestly, Dr. G," uh, they call me Dr. G, "America has not been a good partner. You've either demanded much of us, uh, and not delivered anything in exchange, or the Biden administration scolded us and make made sure that we had, you know, gay pride parades in our capitals, which are mostly Christian or even Catholic." And, and then sometimes they just turned their back on us and weren't, America weren't partners. I, I had a head of a delegation this morning say, very diplomatically, uh, "Sometimes America has shifting priorities." And I said, "Sir, you should have an ambassadorial rank. You are such a diplomat." Because our friends were ill-treated. I said this before I came back into government. The Biden years saw our friends treated like enemies and our enemies treated like friends. Just the juxtaposition of Israel and Iran. Israel treated like a pariah. The Obama administration sends its lackeys into Israel to lobby and work against Netanyahu. And under the Biden administration, literally billions of dollars unleashed for the purposes of a murderous regime that preaches destruction of America from the pulpit every Friday as we are the, you know, the great Satan for the mullahs of Tehran. So most nations, if they live in the real world, if, if they are Thucydidean and understand fear, honor, and interest, are very, very happy that a strong America is back, and America which is predictable. I'm sure you are, are as frustrated as I am when the, the talking heads say, "Oh my gosh, Donald Trump, he's so unpredictable." Au contraire. He is the most predictable president we've had in generations. Why? Because if it's good for America, he will do it. If it's bad for America, he will stand in the breach like a colossus. Eminently predictable.
**Victor Davis Hanson:** That's a good reference to Julius Caesar's description in the play Julius Caesar. Remember everybody about Cassius or Brutus says, "He doth strode like a colossus and we, we are like pigmies beneath his feet." That was kind of cruel, it would be a cruel simile to apply it to the European people who are waiting outside his door, but it is accurate. Let me ask you if we have all of these insulations in Syria and Iraq and throughout the Middle East, given the rapid changing landscape or canvas of the Middle East because Hezbollah temporarily at least has been sort of inert or, uh, made inert by Israel. Ditto Hamas. I don't know how we would characterize the Houthis. They were attacked, I guess, yesterday by the Israelis or this morning. We, I shouldn't say attacked, in a response to their earlier provocative attack. And then there's Iran. What do you as a counterterrorism expert, if we were to look at the globe in general but particularly the Middle East, is our primary worry, Shia, Shia Crescent, uh,
### Part 2: Detailed Audio Analysis
* **Soundscape:** The audio features a consistent underlying low-frequency hum, likely room tone or equipment noise, present throughout the spoken segments. During Seb Gorka's initial speech, there are subtle mouth sounds and occasional clicks, suggesting a close microphone setup. The transition to and from the musical interlude is abrupt, indicating an inserted audio track rather than continuous background music. The environment for both speakers sounds like an acoustically treated room, such as an office or study, with minimal echo or external disturbances.
* **Music:** The music segment (0:53-1:04) is a powerful and majestic patriotic military march.
* **Genre:** Military March, Ceremonial Music.
* **Instrumentation:** Dominated by a full brass ensemble, including prominent trumpets, French horns, and trombones, which carry the main melody and harmonic support. A robust percussion section featuring a snare drum with crisp rolls, a bass drum providing a strong pulse, and crashing cymbals emphasizes the martial rhythm. There may be subtle contributions from woodwinds and strings, but they are not foregrounded.
* **Composition:** The piece is composed with a clear, anthemic melody, characteristic of traditional marches. It evokes a sense of grandeur and determination, building in intensity towards its conclusion. The tempo is a stately allegro moderato, maintaining a dignified pace.
* **Emotional Tone:** Triumphant, inspiring, and majestic, conveying a strong sense of national pride, military strength, and historical significance. It aims to instill confidence and evoke heroic imagery.
* **Voice Quality:**
* **Seb Gorka:** Seb Gorka speaks with a distinct British accent, often delivering his points with an energetic and authoritative tone. His voice has a slightly gravelly texture, contributing to a sense of conviction and earnestness. He uses expressive intonation, rising in pitch for emphasis, particularly when highlighting crucial aspects or making strong arguments. His speech is passionate and direct, conveying deep belief in his statements.
* **Victor Davis Hanson:** Victor Davis Hanson possesses a calm, measured, and distinctly American accent. His tone is more academic and reflective, characterized by a steady delivery and clear articulation. He frequently adopts a thoughtful, inquisitive cadence, especially when posing questions or introducing complex ideas. His voice carries a scholarly gravitas, lending an intellectual weight to the discussion.
### Part 3: Music Generation Prompt
Late 19th/early 20th century, patriotic military march, triumphant, grand, majestic, heroic, ceremonial, allegro moderato, full brass ensemble with prominent trumpets, French horns, trombones, and tuba carrying the main melody and harmonies, powerful percussion section featuring a crisp snare drum with rolls, a resonant bass drum, and crashing cymbals providing a driving rhythmic foundation, subtle underlying woodwinds adding texture, a clear and anthemic melodic line, strong dynamic contrasts ranging from mezzo forte to fortissimo, evokes a sense of national pride, military strength, and unwavering determination, suitable for a parade or a solemn public ceremony, soaring and noble, reminiscent of a John Philip Sousa composition.### Generated Audio *TTS Voice: gacrux* *Audio from text:*
the establishment's pale herds. From treaties sealed in foreign lands, To NATO's coffers, filled anew, He worked with firm and purposeful hands, Making old, forgotten visions true. "Midnight Hammer's" swift, dark flight, Through hostile skies, no shot returned, A show of power, brave and bright, A lesson swiftly to be learned. Then tariffs rose, a global shift, Beyond old Bretton Woods' decree, A potent, economic gift, To set our nation strong and free. Old laws were struck, once deemed secure, A sacred promise, long denied, The border gates, he would ensure, With justice on the people's side. For foes abroad, with hate-filled eyes, From Iran's proxies, dark and deep, To ISIS remnants, in // This is the NEW, MODIFIED code block
Models & Prompt
Text: gemini-2.5-flash (temp: 1)
Vision: gemini-2.5-flash
Image Gen: gemini-2.5-flash-image-preview
TTS: Gemini TTS (gemini-2.5-flash-preview-tts, single speaker)
Video: veo-3.0-generate-preview
Prompt (prompt_balladeer):
Poet Style Used: Geoffrey Chaucer
Verse Style Used: Limerick
You are a wandering balladeer, a storyteller in the tradition of folk poets and the Romantics. You see the world in terms of grand narratives, heroic deeds, and cautionary tales. Your purpose is to take the core message of the provided text, whether it be an event, an argument, or a discovery, and transform it into a memorable, rhyming narrative ballad. You must remain true to the spirit and key facts of the source, using storytelling to make its message accessible and powerful.Use Live Search for context. Your ballad must accurately reflect the core narrative or argument of the source text. Analyze the provided text to extract a clear story or progression of ideas with a beginning, middle, and end. Identify the key actors (even if abstract) and the central theme. Convert this into the following outputs: Verse Compose a traditional narrative ballad of at least 200 words. Use a consistent [[verseStyle]] (e.g., quatrains with an ABCB rhyme scheme) and a steady meter. The ballad, inspired by the narrative craft of [[poet]], must tell the story of the source text, faithfully recounting its key points and maintaining its original tone. The language should be direct, vivid, and rhythmic, creating a piece that is both spicy in its perspective and entertaining to recite. Image Prompt Craft a vivid prose description (75-150 words) for a text-to-image AI. Depict a single, dramatic and moody scene from your ballad. The style should be epic and romantic, like a painting by Caspar David Friedrich. Show an archetypal, silhouetted figure (genderless, featureless) confronting a vast, symbolic landscape—a lone ship navigating a treacherous, ice-choked sea; a figure standing at a crossroads in a storm-blasted forest. The focus is on the dramatic interplay of light, shadow, and nature to evoke emotion without depicting specific, identifiable people. Video Prompt Write a detailed prose description for a 6-8 second video clip. This should be a single, continuous, dramatic shot that sets the scene for the ballad. Use a sweeping drone shot that flies over the symbolic landscape described in the image prompt, finally settling on the lone, silhouetted figure. The movement should be epic and revealing. The style must be hyper-realistic and cinematic. The audio should be an evocative, continuous Baroque orchestral piece, like a Handel sarabande, mixed with immersive, stereo-panned natural sounds like howling wind, crashing waves, or the rustling of a deep forest.
Analyze the following text: [[chunk]]