The Dispatch Podcast

Sarah, Mike, and Jonah analyze Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s debate strategies, or lack thereof. Plus: the futility of fighting political headwinds, executive overreach, and a new Dispatch newsletter. Agenda: — Why presidential debates don’t (and do) matter — Improving Biden’s comms strategy — Veepstakes for Trump — Politics of Biden’s immigration policy — Congress, do your job! — This weekend: the...

Why does one of the world’s wealthiest men want to fund a database full of U.S. facts and figures? Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft executive and founder of USAfacts.org, joins Jamie at Dispatch HQ to discuss his philanthropic efforts. The Agenda: —Saying no to Mitt Romney (back in the day) —Figures on immigration, healthcare, and debt —Data-based decision-making —The aftermath of Hamas’ October 7...

Sarah is joined by Jonah and Steve to discuss the Hunter Biden conviction and debate how much Biden’s age matters. The Agenda: —“This is what Joe Biden wanted.” —Hunter’s tax charges —Rep. Nancy Mace’s political evolution —Have Republicans set expectations too low for Biden? —IVF and political malpractice —The secret recording of Justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts Show Notes: —Dukakis' death p...

Jamie is joined by Andy Mills—host of Reflector and a co-creator of the New York Times’ “The Daily” podcast—to discuss why he left seminary for journalism and what’s gone wrong inside American newsrooms. The Agenda: —Andy’s background —Why is everyone in New York? —Policing curiosity —The outsized power of young journalists —Take them seriously, not literally —Woke McCarthyism —The Twitterization...

Sarah, Jonah, and Mike discuss President Joe Biden’s immigration executive action and the coverage of his son Hunter Biden’s trial. The three also define “whataboutism” and “both-sidesism”, narrowly avoiding an existential crisis for Jonah. The Agenda: —Biden’s border crisis —Hunter’s gun trial begins —The debate over Biden’s age —The hostage crisis in Gaza —Returning grocery carts Show Notes: —Jo...

Washington Post columnist George Will joins Jamie to discuss the Trump verdict, the state of American politics, Israel’s predicament, the influence of college campuses, foreign policy, and the future of the Republican Party. Show Notes: —Will's Washington Post column on not voting in November —Will's Washington Post column on nuclear annihilation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...

A jury found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts in his New York criminal trial. Sarah is joined by Jonah, Mike, and Steve to break down the conviction and discuss where we all go from here. The Agenda: —Was this a Stalin show trial? —When law enforcement becomes personal —Trump’s defense failure —Shame on everybody —Did this change anyone's vote? —Trump raises $34.8 million —Will Trump receive p...

Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, joins Jamie to discuss the role of an economist and recession predictions. The Agenda: —Explaining why a recession hasn’t come this year —The role of the Federal Reserve in managing inflation —Rent prices and housing stock —Education reform and a pro-growth tax code —The breaking point with interest rates —Will the U.S. dollar stop being th...

Jonah is joined by Steve and Mike to discuss Nikki Haley saying she will vote for Donald Trump, and they also get into the “deadly force” lie being spread by Trump supporters in Congress and right-wing media. The Agenda: —Haley endorses Trump —Trump-Haley ticket —How the ‘Deadly Force’ Lie Swept Through the MAGA Media Ecosystem —The corrupting influence of Trump —Potluck foreign policy —The ICC ar...

George Packer joins Jamie to discuss how a new round of progressive culture in universities stems from the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests. The Agenda: —The competitive atmosphere of getting into elite pre-schools —Rejection of nuance and debate —How to teach history and civics —New progressivism and its roots —Progressive ideologies leading to cancel culture —Culture wars and anti-Zi...

Donald Trump and Joe Biden have agreed to a debate and no one knows who benefits. Steve and Jonah join Sarah to make some predictions about the upcoming presidential debate and discuss how you should think about your vote. The Agenda: —The debate —Why did Biden agree to this? —White House operatives’ blind spots —RFK Jr. not invited to the debate —“Never Trump” vs. “Never Again” —Would Jonah vote...

Jamie is joined by Bill Ayers—former professor and co-founder of The Weather Underground, a far-left militant organization—to provide a far-left perspective on the merits of the anti-Israel encampments and Israel’s response to October 7. The Agenda: —The safety of Jews on college campuses —Do the encampment protesters care about the hostages? —Condemning Hamas —How Israel should’ve responded to Oc...

Megan McArdle of the Washington Post joins Jonah and Sarah to discuss Trump’s *explicit* trial, vice presidential contenders, and the downfall of the Tea Party. The Agenda: —Vice presidential picks —Let’s keep the Burgumentum going!!! —Handgate and Marco Rubio —FreedomWorks closes up shop —Checking in on third parties —There are monsters inside of RFK Jr. —Man vs. Bear debate Show Notes: —WaPo's e...

Robert Costa, chief election and campaign correspondent for CBS News, joins Jamie to discuss what a second Trump administration would look like. The Agenda: —GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s previous Dispatch Podcast appearance and Costa’s response —How Trump pressured different Republican leaders leading up to January 6 —Steve Bannon’s motivation and role —Trump’s ongoing legal cases and how they affect h...

Can you compare the pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses to January 6? What about 1968? Or 2011? Sarah is joined by Jonah and Steve to debate these questions and discuss Trump’s Time magazine interview. The Agenda: —Nostalgia for the Civil Rights protests —Do we have political parties anymore? —Protests become violent —Whose fault is this? —No Jewish hummus —The UNC frat bros’ Iwo Jima mom...

Qatar hosts a major U.S. air base, but its patronage of radical Islamist terror groups has some Americans questioning the alliance. Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins Jamie to explain. The Agenda: —Introduction to Qatar —Various actors and terrorist organizations in Qatar —Qatar’s financial influence in Washington —Al Jazeera's...

Derek Thompson of The Atlantic joins Victoria to answer the question: Why did Americans stop hanging out? The two discuss the steep decline in face-to-face socializing, the rise of loneliness, and the fraternizing role of protests. The Agenda: —The decline of social institutions in America —Smartphones’ effect on teenagers’ lives —Women turning to pets —Challenges of raising kids in the digital ag...

Congress did their job—for now. Sarah is joined by Steve and Jonah on today’s episode of The Dispatch Podcast to discuss Speaker Mike Johnson’s successful passage of Ukraine and Israel aid and explain the intellectual history of the illiberal right. The Agenda: —Ukraine aid passed —Heritage Foundation vs. Erick Erickson —What is conservatism? —Columbia protests —Will history prove them right? —Gen...

Adaam is joined by Shai Davidai, an Israeli-born assistant professor at Columbia University, to discuss a viral moment in which he was denied entry to Columbia’s campus and how the university’s administration is failing to protect Jewish students. The Agenda: —Shai Davidai’s background, from Israel to Columbia —The antisemitism he was warned about —Dialogue with protesters —The administrative invo...

Jamie is joined by Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark Podcast, for a debate on the impact of social justice principles in the American education system. Jamie invites The Bulwark Podcast host Tim Miller to debate the impact of social justice principles in the American education system. The Agenda: —Younger people's support of Palestine —Woke curriculums in elementary and middle schools —Debate on sex...

As Congress devolves into high school drama, Sarah, Jonah, and Mike discuss the fight over aid to Ukraine and Israel and the resulting threats to oust Speaker Mike Johnson. The Agenda: —Internal drama and blocks to getting foreign aid passed —Polling shows Trump losing his lead in swing states —Trump’s bodega campaign tactics —Latinos’ affinity for Trump: real or media illusion? —The need for mess...

Jamie is joined by New York Times opinion columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Carlos Lozada to discuss his new book, The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians. The two discuss how to read a politician’s memoir and the failures of The 1619 Project. The Agenda: —Does everyone use a ghostwriter? —Insights from the acknowledgments section —Inside Obama’s presidency —Has The 1619 Projec...

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah react to Donald Trump’s milquetoast yet controversial statement on abortion and how it's confusing Republican abortion policy at large. The Agenda: —What do people really think about abortion? —Conviction vs. convenience on the abortion issue —Israel’s pullout from southern Gaza —Is Israel making the same mistakes as America? —Craziness on college campuses —Trump’s “Sister...

Mehdi Hasan, former MSNBC host and co-founder of the media outlet Zeteo, joins Jamie for a heated debate about Israel’s response to Hamas’ October 7 attack and the accusations that the IDF is committing war crimes. The Agenda: —Laying out the current situation in Gaza —The issue of proportionality in the use of force —Debating casualty numbers from the Gaza Health Ministry —The feasibility of a tw...

Jonah the usurper invites Kevin, Mike, and Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle on today’s episode of The Dispatch Podcast for some unfettered, wide-ranging punditry stretching from Biden’s wobbling support of Israel to the political implications of Florida’s abortion law. The Agenda: —World Central Kitchen deaths in Gaza —Biden’s balancing act between addressing concerns from the pro-Palestini...