The Dispatch Podcast

Jonah Goldberg grabs the host’s chair and steers Megan McArdle, Chris Stirewalt, and Kevin Williamson through a lively discussion into the political turbulence in Texas. The Agenda:—How upset should we be about redistricting in Texas?—Collin Allred versus Ken Paxton—Megan McArdle is mad about the BLS firing—Nielsen ratings are fake, but they are reliably fake—'It's a race to the bottom and everyon...

Jamie Weinstein sits down with Emmy-winning journalist and bestselling author Bernard Goldberg to discuss the evolution of conservative journalism over his career and the modern-day news influencers taking over media. The Agenda:—The three buckets of news media eras—How political interviews are changing—The rise of antisemitism—Covering the Israel-Hamas war—The future of CBS Show Notes:—Bernie’s S...

Megan McArdle joins Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, and Sarah Isgur to discuss President Donald Trump’s various trade deals and their effect on the latest economic numbers. The Agenda:—Thank you, Scott Bessent—Texas’ mid-cycle redistricting—DoorDash discourse—Parsing Israel news coverage—Famine is a plural word—The new political tribes—NWYT:What are our hosts’ favorite movies? Show Notes:—John McCorm...

General H.R. McMaster joins Jamie Weinstein to discuss Iran’s weakened military state, the United States’ backtracking in Ukraine, and the conditions needed for a new Palestinian political order. The Agenda:—Iran’s nuclear program: Maybe not obliterated, but definitely devastated—Israeli and U.S. coordination—“Whenever an Iranian leader is speaking, they’re lying to you.”—War in Ukraine—Transparen...

Megan McArdle, John McCormack, and Grayson Logue join Mike Warren to discuss President Donald Trump’s recent trade deal with Japan, the latest in the Jeffrey Epstein story (sigh), Russiagate (another sigh), and the cancellation of shared culture. The Agenda:—A sweetheart deal for Japanese automakers—America’s surprisingly resilient economy—Getting the housing market back in balance—Three weeks int...

Jamie Weinstein is joined by Michael Smerconish, host of SiriusXM’s The Michael Smerconish Program and CNN’s Smerconish, to discuss the state of centrism and the future of the Republican Party. The Agenda:—Centrism in 2025—Third-party viability—Government efficiency—The role of media in political division—Trump’s Epstein problem—Trump’s letter to Epstein—Republicans in 2028 The Dispatch Podcast is...

Is the Jeffrey Epstein issue blowing up the MAGA base? Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and David French join Steve Hayes to discuss the Epstein files and their implications for Vance 2028, delayed resolve toward Russia, and the Supreme Court’s apparent greenlight for Department of Education cuts. And, of course, an extended Not Worth Your Time on soda. The Agenda:—Jeffrey Epstein catch-up—Little Epst...

We’re flipping the script this week, with executive producer Adaam James Levin-Areddy talking to Jamie Weinstein about Jamie’s interviewing philosophy and the future of the show. The Agenda:—Interviewing bad-faith actors—The Mehdi Hasan interview—Douglas Murray/Dave Smith debate—Future guests and format—Jamie’s most regretted interview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Warren is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Sarah Isgur, and Kevin Williamson to react to the latest internal fights within Donald Trump’s White House on Ukraine and explain the logic behind flip-flops on immigration enforcement. The Agenda:—Rogue pause on Ukraine aid—Freelancing at the Pentagon—Trump vs. the restrainers—ICE raids in Los Angeles—Trump’s flip-flop on immigration—The Hispanic vote—UFC...

Originally aired on Oct. 16, 2024. Palestinian-American activist and resident senior fellow at The Atlantic Council Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib joins Adaam James Levin-Areddy to discuss growing up in the Gaza Strip, the challenge of polling public opinion in Gaza, the future of Palestinian self-governance, whether there is a meaningful contingent in support seeking peace with Israel. The Agenda: —The sto...

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, David French, and Megan McArdle to explain the consequences of passing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Is fiscal conservatism officially dead? The Agenda:—Big beautiful bill—God save us from “the groups”—The political process is broken—Abandoning Ukraine—Republican divide on Russia—Alliances don’t matter—The Next 250—What makes America great T...

David Frum joins Jamie Weinstein to break down Trump’s Iran strikes, the brewing civil war within MAGA over foreign policy, and the winners (and losers) of the tariff war. The Agenda:—The state of the Trump administration—Analyzing the Iran strikes—MAGA’s foreign policy split—Immigration policy—J.D. Vance and opportunism—What’s going on with the Democratic Party? The Dispatch Podcast is a producti...

There’s a growing fog over what exactly American forces accomplished in Iran on Saturday—and whether regime change is still on the table. Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg and Mike Warren to discuss the intelligence-gathering process and why Iran is just not the same as Iraq, as well as New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. Will Mamdani’s victory be good news for the Trump administrati...

Jamie Weinstein is joined by Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to discuss her new book, Far from Home: An Alaskan Senator Faces the Extreme Climate of Washington, D.C., as well as Congress’ role in the Iran-Israel conflict. The Agenda:—Lessons learned from Congress—Congressional approval and conflict with Iran—Should the U.S. support regime change?—Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill—Political retri...

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton joins Steve Hayes to react to the United States’ attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend and outline what he wants to see next from the Trump administration. Then, Steve is joined by Kevin Williamson, Charlotte Lawson, and retired Army Special Forces officer Mike Nelson to discuss Israel’s role and how Iran might retaliate. The Agenda:—Bo...

Is it time to take out Iran’s Fordow nuclear site? As pundits gaze through their crystal balls attempting to determine what President Trump will do next, Trump administration officials are fighting over the United States’ direct involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict. Sarah Isgur, Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, and John McCormack analyze the many factions of MAGA and the future of Iran. The Agenda:...

Adaam James Levin-Areddy is joined by Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal to explain Israel’s surprise attack on Iran and its effect on the future of the region. The Agenda:—Degrading Iran’s nuclear capability—Regime change in Iran—America’s role—5-D chess from Trump?—How the ayatollah sees the world—The failure of Islamic republics—The Axis of Terror’s miscalculation—Ballistic missiles vs. cruise missi...

Steve Hayes, Sarah Isgur, David French, and Jonah Goldberg break down what counts as an “insurrection” after the L.A. riots—and why the chaos might be hurting Trump in the optics war. The Agenda:—Unrest in Los Angeles—In defense of norms—What is an insurrection?—Polling on Los Angeles unrest—"Worse the better"—Tulsi Gabbard's strange nuke video—SANE / FREEZE part two—NWYT: Child rot summer Show No...

Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu joins Jamie Weinstein to discuss his experience advising former President Joe Biden, the challenges facing the Democratic Party, and where political messaging fails. The Agenda:—How bad was Joe Biden’s mental decline?—Strategy for the Democratic Party—The immigration debate and its impact on voters—Reaching out to the working class Learn more about your ad c...

Steve Hayes hosted today’s roundtable, joined by Jonah Goldberg, Michael Warren, and Megan McArdle to discuss the disturbing attack against anti-Hamas protesters in Boulder, Colorado, and the horrific rise in antisemitic violence. Plus: Is the “woke right” a thing? The Agenda:—The recent slew of antisemitic attacks—Violence within the pro-Palestinian movement—The house is on fire and Rod Dreher is...

Megan McArdle joins Jamie Weinstein to react to the first few months of Donald Trump’s presidency and to explain why America needs to win the AI race. The Agenda:—Liberation Day: “It was shambolic”—Trump’s shadow Cabinet—What DOGE got right (and wrong)—Elon Musk: A “managerial mad genius?”—Paul Ryan vindicated again—How to adapt to an AI world—Calm before the AI storm The Dispatch Podcast is a pro...

Mike Warren is joined by David French, Jonah Goldberg, Steve Hayes, and Grayson Logue to discuss the latest legal challenges to the Trump administration’s Liberation Day tariffs and the most recent round of presidential pardons. The Agenda:—The Cases That Could Stop Trump’s Tariffs—Will Trump double down on tariffs?—Openly corrupt pardons—Can the courts save American politics?—Trump’s transactiona...

Seasoned journalist Matti Friedman joins Jamie Weinstein to unpack the current state of Israel’s war against Hamas, exploring the tension between military objectives and the return of hostages. He also delves into the role of American leadership, the morality of warfare, and what the future might hold for Israeli-Iranian relations. The Agenda:—Public trust in Israel's government is at an all-time...

Sarah Isgur is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Steve Hayes, and Michael Warren to discuss Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s new reporting out of Original Sin on Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.  Plus, Dispatch Capitol Hill reporter Charles Hilu joins to break down the House's "big beautiful bill." The Agenda:—Big beautiful explanation—No tax on tips?—Biden’s Original Sin—Media accountability—“The media gets...

Two governors walk into the Reagan Library and find common ground. Steve Hayes is joined by Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), to discuss bipartisanship, mutual respect, and the value of healthy conflict. The Agenda:—Defining tribes—Media outrage and news cycles—We should all join bowling teams—We can’t explain policy in 280 characters—Intra-party ten...