The Dispatch Podcast

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and Sarah Isgur to discuss the role of populism within the Democratic Party and the second Department of Justice indictment of James Comey. The Agenda:—Maine Gov. Janet Mills drops Senate bid—Right-wing vs. left-wing populism—Populism meets reality—The James Comey indictment—Indicting political opponents—Future of the justice system The Dispa...

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Michael Warren to discuss the third attempt to assassinate Donald Trump and why the national mood is so bad in the 2020s. The Agenda:—The third assassination attempt—Trump’s ballroom—History of political violence—Why everyone leaves Congress—The national bad mood—NWYT: Iran war’s effect on supply chainsDispatch recommendations:—The Pri...

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, David French, and Kevin Williamson to discuss the Trump administration's ongoing negations with Iran, FBI Director Kash Patel's alleged excessive drinking, and Justice Clarence Thomas' recent speech at the University of Texas. The Agenda: —Is the end near? —Consequences of Trump's impatience —Bad negotiating strategy —⁠Kash Patel's drinking⁠ —⁠Investigating...

Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Warren, David Drucker, and Mike Nelson to discuss the latest on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz blockade, and how it is affecting Trump's popularity. The Agenda:—U.S.-Iran negotiations—WSJ reporting on Trump's "public bravado"—U.S. forces seize Iranian ship—The downstream political costs of war—Netanyahu faces domestic pressure—Challenges of modern information environment—...

Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Warren, Scott Lincicome, and Megan McArdle to discuss our overly complicated tax code and our launch of Dispatch Markets, featuring Scott's latest newsletter. Steve, Megan, and Mike then discuss New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax and how the democratic socialist mayor has governed so far. The Agenda:—Donald Rumsfeld's tax letter—The cost of tax comp...

Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Warren, Mike Nelson, and Michael Sobolik to discuss the failed negotiations with Iran, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's defeat at the polls. The Agenda:—What we know about the negotiations—How to enforce a blockade—The risk to U.S. troops—The view from China—J.D. Vance as negotiator—Why Taiwan’s defense budget matters—Viktor Orbán’s big loss—NWYT: Trump vs....

Steve Hayes is joined by Sarah Isgur, Michael Warren, and Kevin Williamson to discuss Sarah’s new book, Last Branch Standing; the history of partisan attacks on the Supreme Court; and the state of the two-week ceasefire with Iran. The Agenda:—Trump's attacks on the Supreme Court—Public perception of the court—Sarah's writing process—Ambiguity in the ceasefire—Strait of Hormuz tolls—NWYT: The Maste...

Sarah Isgur is joined by Mike Warren, Kevin Williamson, and David Drucker to discuss the firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the White House's proposed 2027 fiscal budget. The Agenda:—Pam Bondi's DOJ—The future of the DOJ—Fallout from the Epstein files—Trump's proposed 2027 budget—Trump's midterm messaging—NWYT: TMZ's political coverageDispatch Recommendations—Marriage Got Better—So Why Is It...

Jonah Goldberg is joined by Dispatch contributors David French, Megan McArdle, and Mike Nelson to discuss whether ground operations in Iran are still an option and the significance of Meta's two landmark losses in social media addiction trials. The Agenda:—Trump's prime-time address—Potential ground operations—How to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—True deterrence against Iran—Meta and Google addictio...

Jonah Goldberg is joined by Gil Guerra, Kevin Williamson, and Megan McArdle to discuss the nationwide blackouts in Cuba and whether the country will be next in Trump’s crosshairs. The Agenda:—The state of play in Cuba—History of the blackouts—A Russian tanker arrives—How much does Cuba matter to the U.S.?—The case for regime case—The left’s fascination with Cuba—How would the right react?—NWYT: Me...

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and Mike Nelson to measure the strategic success of the war in Iran so far and discuss the diverging war aims between U.S. and Israel. The Agenda:—Is Iran winning the war?—Trump's shifting rhetoric—Trump's daily video montage briefing—U.S. and Israel's diverging war aims—Bad timing for a shutdown fight—NWYT: The America First awardDispatch Reco...

Steve Hayes is joined by David Drucker, Mike Warren, and Jonathan Martin, Politico's politics bureau chief, to discuss the upcoming midterm elections and the Democrats' ongoing identity crisis. The Agenda:—The Trump effect on 2026 midterms—Partisan redistricting efforts—Scandals in state primaries—Democratic identity crisis—The GOP after 2028—NWYT: Meals with sourcesShow Notes:—On the Road with Jo...

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and David French to discuss the growth of prediction markets and the differing goals that Israel and the U.S. may have in the war with Iran. The Agenda:—The harms of sports betting—Fantasy football podcasts and gambling—Monetizing insider trading—How does gambling affect sports?—The libertarian argument regarding addiction—Mismatched aims for...

Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Warren and Dispatch contributors Mike Nelson, a retired Army Special Forces officer and a member of the Atlantic Council's Counterterrorism Project, and Tim Mak, founder of the Counteroffensive and Iran War Dispatches. The Agenda:—Latest updates out of Iran—On-the-ground reporting during war—Internet blackout in Iran—Obama's policy toward Iran—Drone warfare—The Ukrain...

This roundtable was recorded in Dallas, Texas, on March 11, 2026, at our Dispatch Energy event. Steve Hayes sits down with Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Alex Trembath, the executive director of the Breakthrough Institute and contributor to the Dispatch Energy newsletter, to discuss the war in Iran’s effect on oil markets and what Ronald Reagan got right about energy 50 years ago. The Agend...

Steve Hayes is joined by Kevin Williamson, Mike Warren, and James Sutton to discuss the latest on Iran and how the domestic costs of war could affect the upcoming midterms. The Agenda:—What is “unconditional surrender”?—Rising oil prices—Public support for war—MAGA media’s reaction—J.D. Vance’s isolationism—Young Republican’s reaction— NWYT: McDonald's CEO's burger scandalShow Notes:—Paul Miller o...

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg and Dispatch contributors Mike Nelson and David French to discuss the administration's military campaign in Iran one week in, the administration's weak public messaging, and where we can expect to be five weeks from now. The Agenda:—Why and why now?—Tactical successes so far—Implications of regime change—Trump's personal ambitions—Will China get involved?—Fi...

Steve Hayes is joined by The Atlantic's Elaine Godfrey, Kevin Williamson, Mike Warren, and David Drucker to discuss today’s U.S. Senate primary elections in Texas, as well as both Kevin and Elaine's on-the-ground reporting leading up to the heated contests. The Agenda:—Texas Democratic primary—‘Elaine From Atlantic … She Needs to Leave’—Texas Republican primary—The Trump endorsement—The impact of...

In a live Dispatch Podcast, Steve Hayes and Michael Warren were joined by Dispatch contributing writer and retired Army Special Forces officer Mike Nelson as well as Atlantic staff writer Graeme Wood to break down the U.S. and Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime and explain what might come next. Watch the livestreamed converation on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/live/PmkW7QDgpDs...

Steve Hayes is joined by Megan McArdle, Kevin Williamson, and Declan Garvey to discuss the Trump administration's new “war on fraud” and the young adult “dating recession.”The Agenda:—The “war on fraud”—The real driver behind government debt—Misconceptions about waste and abuse—The young adult dating recession —Looksmaxxing, explained—Risk aversion in teens—NWYT: Email inboxesShow Notes:—Alan Cole...

President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on February 24, and The Dispatch hosted a special Dispatch Live to discuss it all. Steve Hayes was joined by Michael Warren, Kevin Williamson, and David Drucker to discuss the speech, and congressional reporter Charles Hilu, who was at the Capitol, also joined the show to share his reporting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Steve Hayes is joined by Scott Lincicome, Mike Warren, and John McCormack to discuss the recent Supreme Court decision on tariffs and what it could mean for the U.S. economy and for American politics ahead of the 2026 midterms. Plus: embarrassing concert confessions. The Agenda:—Justice Gorsuch’s opinion—Why tariffs aren’t going away—The weak IEEPA case—Lincicome’s law—The fight over refunds—How t...

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, David French, and Megan McArdle to discuss Stephen Colbert's “pulled” interview with Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and whether the Trump administration is seriously considering bringing back the Fairness Doctrine. Plus: Are military strikes on Iran imminent? The Agenda:—The FCC and equal time rules—Should the government control airwaves?—FTC's...

Steve Hayes is joined by new Dispatch contributor Stephen Richer, CEO of Republic Affairs and the former Maricopa County recorder, as well as John McCormack and Mike Warren to discuss the FBI seizure of Fulton County voter data, why Donald Trump is choosing to relitigate the 2020 election now, and what it portends for 2026 and 2028. The Agenda:—Fulton County election material seizure—Election “tap...

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Megan McArdle to discuss the Trump administration’s failed attempt to indict six Democrats and assess the state of the economy one year into the president’s second term. The Agenda:—Democrats' 'Don't Give Up the Ship' video—Pam Bondi's testimony before Congress—Loyalty under Trump 2.0—Republican opposition to tariffs—January 2026 jobs...