Mike Rowe says history shows why Americans keep rejecting socialism

Asked about a Gallup poll showing only 53% of Americans are very proud of the U.S., Rowe said that while he's no "mind reader," his first thought was "if you're not proud of the country, then it's possible you might not be up to speed on where the country came from and how the country evolved or maybe how the rest of the countries and the world function."

Rowe said the constant stream of bad news makes it easy to draw short-term conclusions about the country, but America's founding offers a longer historical perspective.

"That's what the American dream was. It [became reality] in 1783 when we signed the Treaty of Paris. … We're living in the American reality. And it's not perfect. It will always be a work in progress, but to look at the country and say, 'Ah, I'm not that impressed', I would suggest maybe visit some other countries and look back at our own history and reimagine your worldview."

"Personally, I rack my brain to think of all the instances where socialism paid off. I got nothing, man."

Ideas that are out of favor suddenly return to the fore, and then fade again as people experience their own history in their own time, he said.

"My opinion on any of that crap," he said. "I would be so far out of my lane to mouth off like that. We've got enough celebrities and enough public figures with enough opinions on telling both parties what to do.

MikeroweWORKS and BuildFreedom are "so aggressively uninterested in your politics," Rowe said, focusing instead on work ethic and a willingness to learn skills that are in demand.

"Three-quarters of the country is uneasy with AI ... but the people building this infrastructure are talking about a $10 trillion investment in our future."

Rowe said Americans have a habit of becoming suspicious of the very industries and technologies they eventually depend on. Still, he remained confident that the country's democratic process and spirit of innovation will prevail.

"We're going to argue like hell," he said. "And, in the end, hopefully somebody somewhere in this town will be talking about these same things 250 years from now."