The Lars Larson Show Interviews

Headlines claim American workers are falling behind under President Trump, but economist Steve Moore says the bigger income picture tells a different story. The former Trump economic adviser and Unleash Prosperity co-founder joins Lars to examine claims that median household income has risen even as inflation-adjusted wages remain flat. Moore argues that wages are only part of the equation, with i...

Stanley Zhong had a 1590 SAT score, a 4.42 weighted GPA and programming skills that caught Google’s attention when he was just 13. Yet he received rejection letters from multiple top universities, including the University of Washington. His father, software engineering manager Nan Zhong, joins Lars to discuss the family’s fight over college admissions and the role of artificial intelligence in cha...

A Biden-appointed judge has handed New York City another win in its fight with the Trump administration over sanctuary policies. George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin joins Lars to examine the constitutional battle over federal immigration enforcement, states’ rights and the limits of Washington’s power. Critics of sanctuary policies argue that local governments are obstructing federal...

A Missouri judge took off his robe, personally escorted two children to jail during a custody dispute, and threatened them with foster care. Now, a federal appeals court has ruled that the judge cannot hide behind judicial or qualified immunity, upholding a jury verdict awarding damages to the children. Dylan Moore, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, joins Lars to discuss the case and the...

More than a dozen high school girls walked off a cross-country course rather than race a biological male competing in the girls’ division. Washington voters will decide Initiative 638, which addresses biological sex and participation in girls’ and women’s sports. Washington Senate Republican Leader John Braun joins Lars to discuss fairness, safety, Title IX, and why Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez ca...

President Trump wants to buy diesel from Russia after recently backing penalties against countries that purchase Russian energy. Mike Watson, executive director of the Alexander Hamilton Society and a foreign policy columnist at the Washington Free Beacon, joins Lars to examine whether the deal can bring down fuel prices for American truckers, farmers and construction workers.  Send us Fan Mail

Homebuilder confidence has fallen to its lowest level since 2012, nearly half of builders are cutting prices, and buyer traffic has hit a 14-year low. Real estate professional Nick Shivers joins Lars to break down what the numbers could mean for families hoping to buy a home. With price reductions and mortgage-rate incentives spreading, buyers may have more leverage than they did during the housin...

Cracking down on Medicaid fraud is one thing. Cutting off care for vulnerable children is another. Sara Itkoff, a board-certified behavior analyst and autism-services advocate associated with Autism Families Alliance, joins Lars to discuss warnings that a 30% reimbursement cut could threaten autism therapy for Georgia foster children. Providers say the reductions could force clinics to stop servin...

Eight Redmond, Washington, firefighters say they lost their jobs after the city revoked religious exemptions to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Stephanie Taub, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, joins Lars to discuss the firefighters’ appeal and allegations that city officials treated them differently from police officers and withheld alternative job opportunities. The case raises a fundamen...

Lars shares his picks for the upcoming election, breaking down the candidates and ballot measures he believes deserve voters’ support. Find out who he recommends voting for and why. Send us Fan Mail

Republican candidate for Oregon House District 48 Andrew Morrison joins Lars to discuss an ethics investigation involving Democratic state Rep. Lamar Wise, who allegedly failed to disclose a $25,000 stipend from Seeding Justice, a nonprofit entrusted with administering millions in state funding. Wise has amended his financial disclosure, but critics question whether an after-the-fact correction is...

Journalist Andy Ngo, publisher of Ngo Comment and author of The Zizians: Inside a Trans Death Cult, joins Lars to discuss a disturbing case involving a 15-year-old accused of a chemical attack at Benson High School in Portland. Authorities reportedly found references to the online group known as 764 on the teen’s devices, and the FBI has assisted in the investigation. Ngo examines how violent onli...

Attorney Daniel Adamson, whose Georgia law firm specializes in theme park litigation, joins Lars to examine the tragic death of a rider thrown from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. A decades-old Georgia court ruling holds amusement parks to a lower standard of care than bus and train operators, potentially limiting the park’s liability. Adamson explains what investigators must...

Eric Scheiner, senior director of video at the Media Research Center, joins Lars to break down the week’s most outrageous media and celebrity comments about President Donald Trump.  Send us Fan Mail

LifeWise Academy founder and CEO Joel Penton joins Lars to discuss the settlement with Washington’s Everett School District after a lawsuit alleged the district unfairly targeted its optional, privately funded Bible education program. The agreement requires religious-liberty training, policy changes, a public apology and $275,000 in attorney fees. Critics say the case exposes the double standard s...

Washington Republican Congressman Michael Baumgartner joins Lars to discuss the explosive growth of data centers and the threat they could pose to household electricity bills and water supplies. Baumgartner says communities shouldn’t be forced to accept projects they don’t want and is backing legislation to prevent data centers from shifting higher utility costs onto ordinary Americans. Who should...

Dr. John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and author of More Guns, Less Crime, joins Lars to examine the deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon. An armed citizen with a concealed-carry permit reportedly stopped the 16-year-old suspect, who killed three children and one adult. The tragedy has renewed questions about Oregon school districts that prohibit sta...

Institute for Justice attorney Mike Greenberg joins Lars to expose the dangers of excessive fines and civil asset forfeiture. An Alaska pilot could lose his $95,000 aircraft after a passenger allegedly brought beer into a dry village without his knowledge. Greenberg discusses the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case and other examples of government penalties that critics say are wildly dispro...

Former Oregon District Attorney Josh Marquis joins Lars to discuss the ethics investigation into State Rep. Lamar Wise over a $25,000 payment from Seeding Justice. Wise calls it an honest mistake, but Marquis questions whether Wise properly disclosed the money on his financial statement—and whether he reported it as income to the Oregon Department of Revenue. The investigation raises questions abo...

Conn Davis, CEO of Byrna Technologies, joins Lars to discuss rising prices and the economic pressure facing American households. The September inflation report cited in the show notes put annual inflation at 3.7%, while gasoline and diesel prices climbed sharply amid the Iran war. With wage growth trailing inflation, voters are weighing the economy ahead of the midterm elections. Send us Fan Mail

Matthew Bumala, chairman of the Clark County Republican Party, joins Lars to discuss Republican turnout, the upcoming elections and what it will take for the party to win races across the board. Send us Fan Mail

Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation and author of The Plot to Change America and NextGen Marxism, joins Lars to discuss a proposal to remove race, ethnicity and sexual-preference questions from the U.S. Census. The conversation examines whether a more colorblind approach could reduce cultural divisions and how citizenship and residency should factor into congressional apporti...

Portland City Council Vice President Olivia Clark joins Lars to discuss Measure 267, a proposal to dedicate an estimated $16 million annually to a participatory budgeting program in which residents help choose how money is spent. Critics warn the new funding requirement could force cuts to public safety services as Portland faces ongoing budget pressures. Send us Fan Mail

Bob Barr, a former CIA analyst and member of Congress, joins Lars to discuss polling showing support for stricter gun laws has declined among likely voters. With the Supreme Court set to consider a case involving bans on AR-15-style rifles, the conversation examines the Second Amendment, public opinion and the future of firearm restrictions. Send us Fan Mail

Bridget Toomey, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins Lars to discuss Iran-backed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a strike that damaged the headquarters of state-owned oil company Aramco. With attacks disrupting regional aviation and Saudi Arabia reportedly running low on missile interceptors, the question is whether the United States should join Saudi st...