The Dispatch Podcast

Yes, the first several weeks of the second Trump administration has feltchaotic. Many a crazy thing has been spoken, declared, and tweeted. But on today’s episode, Sarah Isgur, Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, and David French discuss what Trump has actually done. The Agenda: —NIH cuts causing chaos in the medical field —Foreign policy shift during the recent UN security council vote —Political favori...

Steve Hayes was joined over the weekend by Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, at the 2025 Principles First summit in Washington, D.C. The two discussed why Christie initially endorsed Donald Trump in 2016, the Trump administration’s decision to side with Vladimir Putin, and where the line of a “constitutional crisis” is. Watch the interview here. The Dispatch Podcast is a productio...

MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough joins Jamie Weinstein to discuss the first month of Donald Trump’s presidency and whether or not we should hit the panic button over the elected “king.” The Agenda: —Separating signal from the noise —The seven-year itch (to ghost) —Will SCOTUS stop President Trump? —Using the Justice Department —The future of the GOP The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch...

Sarah Isgur is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and Steve Hayes to discuss Trump's social media post calling Zelensky a "dictator," the downside of DOGE, and the White House's monarchy "joke." The Agenda: —Zelensky, “a dictator without elections” —Are we now a pro-Russian country? —Good guys vs. bad guys —Banning the Associated Press from the press room —AP name games —The downside of DOGE —...

War correspondent Tim Mak joins Jamie Weinstein to discuss the latest news out of Ukraine following President Donald Trump’s calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Agenda: —What’s on the negotiating table? —Throwing Ukraine to the wolves —Ukraine’s response to the Biden administration’s actions —Russia’s economic issues —Controlling rare earth m...

Sarah Isgur is joined by David French and a tanned Jonah Goldberg to discuss the legacy of cancel culture, the impact President Trump’s negotiating style will have on the future of Gaza, and the sorry state of American public schools. The Agenda: —Cheap grace when forgiving people —A lot of FAFO’ing in the Middle East —Solving the public education crisis —Ending proceduralism —Pro-penny lobby: Tal...

Dr. Einat Wilf, a former member of Israel’s Labor Party and co-author of The War of Return, joins Adaam James Levin-Areddy once again to discuss President Donald Trump’s supposed plan to encourage Palestinians to voluntarily self-deport from the Gaza Strip—and what it means for the future of the conflict. The Agenda: —Consequences for aggressors —Where does the money go? —No one knows Gaza’s futur...

Sarah Isgur is joined by Jonah Goldberg and Steve Hayes to discuss President Donald Trump’s latest saber-rattling tactics against our allies and enemies—and whether his bluffs will pay off. The Agenda: —Did free trade policies fail? —Global saber rattling (IEEPA?) —Scott Lincicome: Why Donald Trump is wrong about tariffs —Trump fishes with dynamite —Gaz-a-Lago —Will Trump ever follow through? —USA...

Jamie Weinstein is joined Michael Singh, the managing director and Lane-Swig senior fellow at The Washington Institute, to explain how the Trump administration can take on a weakened—but potentially nuclear—Iranian regime. The Agenda: —Preventing a nuclear Iran —Iran’s “ring of fire” strategy —Iranian proxies operating abroad —A maximum pressure campaign —Regime change —How to build a nuclear warh...

This is an unlocked episode of our weekly Dispatch Faith podcast, which is typically released on our members-only podcast feed, The Skiff. If you enjoy the conversation, we hope you’ll consider signing up as a full Dispatch member today. President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders related to immigration disrupted the operations of several faith-based charities that aide migrants and refugees—...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and Kash Patel went before Congress this week, and Sarah Isgur, Steve Hayes, Mike Warren, and David French consider whether confirmation hearings are a giant waste of time. Also, Donald Trump’s shaming of Colombia’s president made Sarah rediscover the allure of Great Men of History theory. The Agenda: —The hearings that weren’t worth your (and the nation’s) ti...

Jamie Weinstein is joined by Jane Coaston—New York Times contributing opinion writer and previous host of The Argument—to share her expectations for the second Trump term and how she covers the conservative movement. The Agenda: —January 6 —Trump's relationship with voters —Done With Never Trump —"Personal libertarianism" —Manifest destiny and military intervention —Evolution of Trump's Allies Lea...

Sarah Isgur is joined by Jonah Goldberg and Steve Hayes to react to Donald Trump’s first few days in office and Joe Biden’s final act of lawlessness. The Agenda: —President Trump’s pardons —Is it time to fix the pardon power? —Whose pardons are worse? —Birthright citizenship —Revoking security details —"The Right Is Winning the Battle for Hearts and Minds" —Is conservatism cool now? Show Notes: —I...

Kevin Williamson is joined by Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, to explain the tax policy of the second Trump administration. The Agenda: —“I want to be left alone” —Unionization —State income taxes —Republican record on tax cuts —Tax exempt tips —SALT deductions —Government bullying —Tariffs and deregulation Show Notes: —“Right-wing zealot” The Dispatch Podcast is a producti...

Sarah Isgur is joined by David French, Jonah Goldberg, and Steve Hayes to discuss the first round of confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Are they worth our time? The Agenda: —The Mount Rushmore of Putzes —Senate hearings and “transparency” —The stupidity of our times —The Laken Riley Act —Joe Biden's farewell address —The Joe Biden legacy —The Jill Biden legacy —Calif...

Jamie Weinstein is joined by former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss his relationship with Donald Trump, the U.K. "grooming gangs," and his new book, Unleashed. The Agenda: —Jeremy Vine: My Boris Johnson Story —Comparing Reagan and Trump —Johnson’s relationship with Trump —Elon Musk and the U.K. —The U.K. grooming gangs —“Superpower of soft power” —Johnson’s alleged deal with Ukraine a...

Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle joins Sarah Isgur, Mike Warren, and Steve Hayes to discuss President-elect Donald Trump’s interesting (?) press conference and the media's rapid (yet possibly irresponsible) response. The Agenda: —Trump is back —Sarah's Greenland-curious —Zuck ends fact-checking program —Our partner program with Meta —All the lonely people —The one influencer Steve tried rem...

Unapologetic NeverTrumper Matt Lewis joins Jamie Weinstein to discuss the various “America on Fire” scenarios of the next four years and how history will judge President Donald Trump’s two terms. The Agenda: —Bret Stephens in NYT: Done with Never Trump —Anger toward elites —Best-case scenarios and worst-case scenarios —How Kamala Harris’ campaign went wrong —Trump’s criminal history —“He’s got riz...

Jamie Weinstein is joined by David Petraeus—retired Army general, former CIA director, and author of Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine—to break down the latest out of Syria and weigh in on the unexplained drone situation in New Jersey. The Agenda: —Syria and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham —Striking Iranian nuclear sites —Israel and Gaza —Humanitarian crisis in Gaza —The Taiwan strait...

Sarah Isgur, Jonah Goldberg, and Steve Hayes discuss the latest potential government shutdown and whether we are about to enter an Elon Musk co-presidency. The Agenda: —Co-president Musk's fight against a debt deal —Trump's presidential honeymoon —Who gets blamed for a shutdown? —Should conservatives be excited about DOGE? —TikTok's divestment —Is this a moral panic? —Bret Stephens: "Done With Nev...

Jamie Weinstein is joined by author and Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin to give context to the Assad regime’s fall and explain what’s next for the Syrian people. The Agenda: —Fall of Assad’s regime —The refugee crisis —Syria’s new government —Christians in Syria —Israeli relations —Is there a famine in Gaza? —Taiwan and China The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital me...

Does the praise of Luigi Mangione—the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—say anything profound about Americans? Sarah Isgur, Jonah Goldberg, Steve Hayes, and Megan McArdle discuss. The Agenda: —Against 'But …' —The acquittal of Daniel Penny —Did Mangione get what he wanted? —The lamest duck —Age limits? —The Great De-Wokening —Syria and Iran —NWYT: How journalism works —Flagsh...

Jamie is joined by Jonathan Spyer—director of research at the Middle East Forum and writer for the Jerusalem Post—to explain the insurgency in Syria. The Agenda: —Syria post-ISIS —The fall of Assad’s regime? —Lessons from Israel and Gaza —Syrian Kurds —Turkey’s interests in Syria —Proxy War or Local Uprising? —What should happen next? The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digita...

Sarah is joined by Steve and Jonah to discuss the developments in Syria and South Korea, President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, and what the “Deep State” really is. The Agenda: —Syrian Civil War —South Korea —The populism moment —The Hunter pardon —Preemptive pardons —Sarah and Steve’s Air Force Two stories —What is the “Deep State”? —NWYT: Real or fake Christmas trees? The Dispatch Po...

Michael Mazza, a senior fellow at the Global Taiwan Institute, joins Jamie to discuss the United States’ relationship with Taiwan relationship and what to do if China invades. The Agenda: —Responding to Lyle Goldstein's argument —China’s military capabilities —Consequences of Taiwan falling —Taiwan’s chipmaking capabilities —Nuclear war The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digi...