A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals.

Agnew’s line is a polemical attack on what he portrays as a self-flagellating national mood—an inclination to dwell on America’s faults rather than its achievements. By calling this “national masochism,” he frames criticism of the country as a kind of perverse pleasure in self-harm. The second clause targets cultural and media elites (“impudent snobs” styling themselves “intellectuals”), suggesting they actively cultivate this attitude and lack both humility and patriotic responsibility. The rhetoric exemplifies Agnew’s broader populist strategy: discredit elite commentators as decadent and out of touch, while positioning himself as a defender of ordinary citizens and national confidence.