The Dispatch Podcast

On today's episode, our hosts discuss a new proposal from Democrats to tax the unrealized capital gains of billionaires. Is it constitutional? Plus, Taiwan and “strategic ambiguity,” the Facebook files, and who will Virginia elect as governor next week? Show Notes: -The Dispatch: “Washington Should Deter an Attack on Taiwan” -Wall Street Journal “The Facebook Files” -The Sweep: Down to the Wire in...

On today's episode, Sarah and Steve talk with Klon Kitchen, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and veteran of the intelligence community to discuss the latest news out of China. What do China’s hypersonic missile tests mean for the balance of power between the United States and China? Are we at the start of a new "cold war?" Kitchen answers these questions and more. Show Notes: -...

On today’s podcast, our hosts tackle a wide range of topics. From China’s hypersonic missiles to the ongoing situation in Loudoun County, Steve, Sarah, Jonah, and David grapple with what those issues mean for the country with heavy doses of concern and skepticism. Plus, some good old-fashioned rank punditry. Sarah asks whether political operatives are responsible for ruining our politics? And some...

Former Rep. Dan Lipinski, Democrat from the Chicago area, and Reid Ribble, Republican from Wisconsin, join Sarah and Steve about how Congress works or doesn’t work, rather. The two former elected officials highlight the failures of the House of Representatives with troubling personal stories and insights. Fair warning, this conversation is as distressing as it is informative. Plus, stick around to...

To quote the great Ozzy Osbourne, “We’re going off the rails on the crazy train.” In today’s podcast, our hosts look at Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on vaccine mandates, the DOJ memo aimed at school boards, an update to the January 6 committee, and President Biden's slumping numbers among independents. And finally, what does all of this mean for 2022 and (even though it’s way too early) 2024? Show...

On today's episode, Jonah hijacks hosting duties from Sarah to have a conversation with Steve as The Dispatch celebrates its second anniversary. How did we get here? What is the state of the company? And where are we going? Show Notes: -The Dispatch manifesto from 2019 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's podcast, our hosts discuss China's recent incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, and how seriously the United States should take the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Plus: Democrats are in disarray on Capitol Hill, a State Department official resigns over the Biden administration’s border policy, and Facebook is feeling the heat from all direc...

On today's podcast, Steve is joined by Haley Byrd Wilt, who writes Uphill for The Dispatch, and John McCormack, Washington correspondent for National Review, to discuss what exactly has been happening on Capitol Hill this week. After House Democrats delayed a vote on the infrastructure bill, can both factions find a way to end the stalemate? Show Notes: -Subscribe to Uphill for the latest news fro...

All eyes are focused on Capitol Hill this week as the debt ceiling, government funding, and infrastructure talks continue to heat up in both houses of Congress. Also happening in both chambers is testimony on Afghanistan from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie. Sarah has the week off, so Steve,...

On today's episode, Brian Riedl, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joins Sarah and Steve as Congress debates lifting America’s borrowing cap. Will Democrats and Republicans come to an agreement to lift the debt limit? Are we heading toward another government shutdown? Is anyone in Washington concerned about our ballooning national debt? Show Notes: -The Morning Dispatch looks at Biden’s ma...

After the latest surge of migrants in the border town of Del Rio, Texas, our hosts discuss how the Biden administration has handled the immigration issue since taking office. Plus, President Biden continues to have foreign policy problems. What happened with the botched drone strike in Afghanistan? Why is France mad at us? All of that leaves Jonah with one big question: Is Biden just bad at his jo...

On today’s episode, CNN’s S.E. Cupp joins Sarah and Steve to talk about the Biden administration, Congress, and why extremism is taking over the politics of today. Plus, the trio discusses the effects of social media on the news business and the challenges that come with being the target of internet trolls. Show Notes: “The Conservative Coma” by SE Cupp in Vanity Fair S.E. opens up about living wi...

Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa have a new book coming out that is full of more scandals from the Trump era, most notably one involving Gen. Mark Milley possibly going around the chain of command in the final days of the Trump administration. Before that discussion, the gang discusses the legality and politics of the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. Plus, a potpourri of topics per...

In today's episode, Sarah and Steve talk with Sen. Ben Sasse about the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and what to do next. For a longer summary of the interview, check out an article on The Dispatch website. Plus, Steve talks with Peter Wehner who was a speechwriter for President George W. Bush on September 11, 2001. They share reflections on that day at the White House and the last 20 years....

President Biden is having a no good, horrible, very bad summer. The gang, with Chris Stirewalt subbing in for David, discuss whether Biden can recover from the last few weeks. Is the only thing that can save Biden a reemergence of former President Trump? Trump is slated to visit Iowa and the group discusses what that means for 2024. And finally, Afghanistan is still in shambles and we’re coming up...

This week, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, declined to block a Texas abortion law from going into effect. In Thursday’s Advisory Opinions podcast, Sarah and David tackled the legal aspect of the law and the court’s decision. Today, they turn to the politics--not just of the Texas law, but of the issue of abortion itself. Where does the pro-life movement stand today? Where does it go from her...

There are no more troops in Afghanistan, and President Biden is telling us we had no other option. The gang talks about all the problems with Biden’s speech from the White House at the end of the war in Afghanistan. Plus, as political violence seems to be ticking up recently our hosts debate whether or not that is something to worry about. And finally, creeping a little bit into Advisory Opinions...

Rep. Mike Gallagher joins Sarah and Steve on the podcast and tries (with no luck) to understand the logic behind the Biden administration’s withdrawal plan in Afghanistan. Gallagher puts it quite bluntly, “The whole thing is a mess, and there are very few options we have right now.” The Marine Corps veteran explains what he’d like to see from the Biden administration going forward and how the GOP...

Today, the gang leads the podcast with yet another conversation about the crisis in Afghanistan. As they tick through all the bad takes floating around the internet surrounding the situation one by one, it’s clear the main takeaway is that it’s still really bad and sad to watch. Plus, more infrastructure talk! Has Nancy Pelosi lost her political touch? The Dispatch Podcast team breaks down how the...

In this episode, Steve moderates a conversation with David French and Tom Joscelyn about the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. They cover the Biden administration’s decision not to begin evacuations before the Taliban captured Kabul, intelligence failures, the state of the Afghan military, and much, much more. Show Notes: -Read Vital Interest for Tom’s latest analysis on Afghanistan -Read The French...

For the large majority of today’s podcast, our hosts discuss the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan and how it will affect domestic politics in the United States. Perhaps David summed up the conversation around the Afghanistan situation as succinctly as possible, “There’s no way to spin this as anything other than a direct American defeat.” Plus, short conversations about the state of COVID-19 and the...

In his first interview after voting yes on the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill, Sen. Bill Cassidy joins Sarah and Steve to talk about how it feels to see that bill pass the Senate. Plus, Cassidy puts on his doctor hat to talk about COVID-19. Then Steve is joined by Tom Joscelyn to discuss the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. How much longer until the Taliban seizes full control of t...

At long last, infrastructure week is here! The gang contemplates what the bipartisan plan and Democratic reconciliation package mean for the country and the economy. Also, how would Sen. Goldberg vote on the bipartisan bill? Then the discussion turns to what should be done about the latest damning climate report. Plus, everyone’s worst fears about Afghanistan from a few weeks ago seem to be coming...

How do you solve a problem like Iran? Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, is here to talk with Sarah and Steve about the Biden administration's approach to Iran after six months in office. Was moving away from the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign the right move? Show Notes: -Goldberg’s piece in The Dispatch Learn more about your ad choic...

On today’s podcast, our hosts kick things off with a discussion about New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who refuses to resign despite a damning sexual harassment report and calls from national Democrats, including President Biden, to step aside. They then dive into the CDC’s decision to extend the eviction moratorium again and debate the possibility of a federal vaccine mandate. Next, David talks about...