Prevail with Greg Olear

For more than 30 years, Alexandra Hall Hall worked as a diplomat in the British Foreign Office, with postings in Bangkok, Delhi, Bogota,Tbilisi, and Washington. She resigned in December 2019 because she felt unable to represent the Government’s position on Brexit with integrity. She is the co-host, with Jason Pack, of Disorder podcast. In this discussion, she talks to Greg Olear about Georgia, Bri...

Greg Olear welcomes Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor at SLATE and the author of the bestseller “Lady Justice: Women, The Law, and the Battle to Save Democracy.” They discuss the current state of the Supreme Court and the impact of recent decisions; the dynamics of the court, the influence of confirmation hearings, and the changing ideologies of the justices; the need for structural court reform and...

In this conversation with Greg Olear, Michael Graetz discusses his book “The Power to Destroy: How the Anti-Tax Movement Hijacked America”' He explores the history and influence of the anti-tax movement, the role of race and xenophobia in shaping it, and the ideological and moral arguments behind it. Graetz also delves into the consequences of irresponsible tax cuts, the significance of taxation i...

Tom Carter worked in Washington for years, in journalism and then in PR. For three years, he handled media relations at USCIRF, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, where his boss was one Leonard Leo, a key figure in the conservative legal movement and the capture of SCOTUS. The conversation explores the background, influence, and agenda of Leonard Leo; his management style, his...

Greg Olear welcomes his friend, the novelist, essayist and travel writer Diana Spechler. They discuss the novel as an art form, writing as a profession and vocation, the allure of travel, how the U.S. is perceived abroad, the future of the country, separating art from the artist, the Stendhal effect, and more. Plus: his name is Leo. Prevail is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month...

Aja Raden, author of “Stoned” and “The Truth About the Lies,” returns to PREVAIL. She updates Greg Olear about the changes coming to the diamond industry (which she foretold in the documentary “Nothing Lasts Forever”), and discusses her concerns for 2024, Elon Musk’s destruction of Twitter, contingency plans in case of Nazi takeover, lies people believe and why they believe them, the Epstein files...

We know that Donald Trump is a fascist, but what would MAGA fascism look like in a second Trump term? Brynn Tannehill, senior defense analyst and author of “American Fascism” and “My Child Told Me They're Trans...What Do I Do?,” lays out the horrors to expect if Trump is sworn in in 2025. Plus: the Trump Days of Christmas. Follow Brynn: https://twitter.com/BrynnTannehill Her website: http://www.br...

Greg Olear is joined by the journalist and editor Rachel Slade, author of the new book “Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How It Got That Way).” They discuss the history of textile manufacturing in the United States, how the towns NAFTA devastated were hidden, the perils of free trade, the Gen X mindset, Prohibition trivia, all things labor movemen...

Greg Olear is joined by the writer, author, professor, filmmaker, and “America, America” columnist Steven Beschloss. They discuss the failure of the media to adequately cover Trump, then and now; the stakes of the next election; Lee Harvey Oswald, childhood trauma, and the making of an assassin; the importance of investing in education and why the GOP opposes it; Biden’s place in history; and the...

Greg Olear is joined by Will Bunch, the national opinion columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. They discuss how the higher education system broke our politics, why the media fails to accurately report on the rise of American fascism, Trump’s ominous re-election plans, the far right’s dream of a Red Caesar, and whether the Eagles are a team of destiny. Plus: a new staffing agency. Follow Will: h...

We all remember the keywords of the scandal known as Iran-Contra: Oliver North, Fawn Hall, potted plant, Nicaragua, Sandinista, “I don’t recall.” The Reagan Administration was covering SOMETHING up, but what were they up to, exactly? Jack Bryan, creator of the riveting new podcast “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” talks to Greg Olear about Iran-Contra, the Vietnam War, the mythologizing of JFK, Nicaragu...

In October, the novelist Elisa Albert went with her mother on a trip to Israel, to attend the installation of the Codex Sassoon, the oldest known copy of the Hebrew Bible, at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People. She was anticipating a fun, festive vacation. Hamas had other plans. Greg Olear talks to her about her experience being in Israel on the night of the October 7 terrorist attacks, the subse...

What does Putin want? How about Iran, Hamas, and the GOP? Greg Olear talks to geopolitical analyst Jason Pack, founder of the NATO & The Global Enduring Disorder Project and the co-host of The Disorder Podcast, about the Post-Post-Cold War, the global disorderers on the world stage, the Israel-Hamas War and its possible resolution, the strategic importance of Ukraine, and more. Plus: Song of Mike...

Cheri Jacobus is a political analyst and operative, as well as the host of the “Politics with Cheri Jacobus” podcast. She talks to Greg Olear about her experiences as an early “Never Trump” Republican, the consequences of her truth-telling, how the media created Trump, the success of Biden/Harris, and more. Plus: MAGA perdedor. Follow Cheri: https://twitter.com/CheriJacobus Subscribe to her podcas...

Reprise: The Trauma Vortex (with Claudia Black) Trump, the assault on common decency, pandemic, quarantine, insurrection, and now war: we have all suffered collective trauma these last seven years. Greg Olear talks with actor and trauma therapist Claudia Black about the causes of trauma and how to heal from it. Plus: DFG sings. Follow Claudia: https://twitter.com/TheClaudiaBlack Her site: https://...

Greg Olear talks to Kathryn Brownell, history professor at Purdue University, about her new book, “24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News” (Princeton University Press, 2023): how cable TV came to be, how politicians from Eisenhower to Trump have used television for messaging, why Roger Ailes was inspired to start Fox News, and where our media is h...

The Russian invaders are attempting to wipe the Ukrainian city of Kherson off the map. Greg Olear talks with war correspondent Zarina Zabrisky, who is one of only two journalists in Kherson, about the situation on the ground there, the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Crimea, and the psychological impact of war. Follow Zarina: https://twitter.com/ZarinaZabrisky Listen to her podcast: https://podcasts.a...

Greg Olear talks with historian and research professor Nelson Lichtenstein, author of “A Fabulous Failure: The Clinton Presidency and the Transformation of American Capitalism,” about the “fabulous decade” of the 1990s, neoliberalism, Robert Rubin, Clinton-era deregulation, NAFTA, healthcare, and the current rise of the labor movement. Plus: a prince sings. Follow Nelson: https://twitter.com/Nelso...

Greg Olear talks to the novelist Ronlyn Domingue, author of “The Mercy of Thin Air” and the “Keeper of Tales” trilogy, about growing up and living in Louisiana, ancestral memory, reconciling the national sin of slavery, A.I., alternative societies, the creative process, and the role of the novelist in a post-Trump world. Plus: a new fragrance.  Buy Ronlyn’s books: https://www.ronlyndomingue.com/bo...

Greg Olear talks to Tony Michaels, host of The Tony Michaels podcast, about the Left’s need for talk radio-style programming, the importance of narratives, media fecklessness, how the Republican Party is a cult in search of a leader, and how WE will be Trump’s ultimate jury. Plus: a new golf experience for moms and kids. Follow Tony: https://twitter.com/thetonymichaels Listen to his podcast: https...

In 2014, Putin’s Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that is part of Ukraine. This was the opening move in the full-scale invasion Putin ordered in 2022. Greg Olear talks to Elina Beketova, an in-residence fellow with the Democracy Fellowship program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and a native of Crimea, about the war-torn history of Crimea, the 2014 annex...

In an interview recorded on July 29, Greg Olear talks to fascism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present” and the “Lucid” Substack, about the nature of coups, lessons from Berlusconi, the rise of Hitler, DeSantis as fascist, the extremist Texas GOP, secessions, the trucker convoy and the fascist threats in Canada, Meloni in Italy, the Vox party in Spain, and the power...

In the Season Six Premiere of the PREVAIL podcast, Greg Olear talks to former Virginia Congressman Denver Riggleman, the senior technical advisor to the J6 Committee and the author of “The Breach: The Untold Story of the Investigation into January 6th,” about his role on the Committee, the White House blackout the day of the insurrection, the deal with Mark Meadows, Executive Order 13848 and Trump...

In the Season Five Finale of the PREVAIL podcast, Greg Olear talks to Jennifer Mercieca, a professor of rhetoric at Texas A&M and the author of “Demagogue for President: the Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump,” about myths of the Founders, rhetoric as a field of study, rhetorical devices Trump uses, how fascists learn from each other, the power of nostalgia, conservative rhetoric, “search vs. resea...

Five companies in Silicon Valley run the online world–which gives them enormous offline power. Greg Olear talks to Tom Kemp, the Silicon Valley-based CEO and entrepreneur and author of “Containing Big Tech: How to Protect Our Civil RIghts, Economy, and Democracy,” about the perils of Big Tech: what they do, what they shouldn’t be allowed to do, and how the government can contain the industry. Plus...