The Commentary Magazine Podcast

As a genocidal protest breaks out in front of an Orthodox synagogue in New York City, elsewhere in the cultural capital, a books-awards group hands out garlands to explicitly anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic work. This continues a trend that is alienating readers and movie audiences and others—the wild politicization of forms of education and entertainment. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad cho...

We talk about the remarkable new relationship developing between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, the remarkable developing hostility between the U.S. and Venezuela, and the remarkable breakup journalism of Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James B. Meigs joins us to talk about how scared, or not, we should be by AI. Also: What gives with NASA? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Kirchick joins the podcast to discuss his new COMMENTARY article, "Neither American nor Conservative," about the isolationists of the American Conservative throwing a tantrum over Donald Trump's muscular support for Israel. And what does it mean that the Heritage Foundation board member Robert P. George just resigned? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

Today's podcast notes eerily similar stories in the New York Times and the Washington Post on Trump's supposed troubles with MAGA—leading us to ask, is there such a thing as MAGA without Trump or independent from Trump? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the shutdown over, it's time to ask the question: What do Democrats actually want? We can't quite figure it out but we try. Also, Epstein. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Late-breaking news of communications relating to Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump provide us with a chance to talk about conspiracy theories and how Trump's deployment of them is biting him now with the continued questions relating to the now-dead half-billionaire sex criminal. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's podcast begins with continuing fallout from the end of the shutdown before moving on to worrying signs that President Trump doesn't understand how he sounds when he talks about the economy—and what he could do to sound better. Also, we're supposed to feel sorry for Hamas murderers trapped in their own tunnels? Seriously? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

The government shutdown appears to be reaching its end, and that's because eight non-Democratic senators have effectively agreed to the deal that Republicans put on the table before the shutdown began. What went on here? And why is Trump now offering 2 grand to taxpayers as a "tariff bonus"? And, most deliciously, we explore the collapse of the BBC senior leadership after an internal expose of the...

The freakout online at the suggestion that maybe Gentiles working at the Heritage Foundation might want to eat a Shabbat dinner at the home of a Jewish person really gave the game away this week–and not in a good way. Is this a game that Jews should even attempt to play? And is there really any way for conservatives to "educate" or "coopt" those who have such hostility toward the Jewish people? Gi...

Christine Rosen, Eli Lake, and I talk about the drama of yesterday's Heritage Foundation meeting, during which Kevin Roberts took another shot at apologizing and staffers in turn aired their outrage, support, and anti-Israel animus. And Christine and Eli make a bunch of Gen-X cultural references that I should get but don't. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

In yesterday's elections, the Republicans took what John calls both a thumping and a shellacking. Donald Trump wasn't on the ballot, but he was on voters' minds. What are the Republicans to do? And what does the election of Zohran Mamdani herald for the country? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City all have potentially game-changing elections today and we break them down rather than having a breakdown, which will probably come tomorrow, once the results are in. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We welcome Eliana Johnson to the podcast as our new daily colleague following the departure of Matthew Continetti as we discuss the crisis at the Heritage Foundation and the behavior of its chief executive in defending Tucker Carlson after he literally turned his airwaves over to a modern-day Nazi. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A farewell tribute to COMMENTARY podcast stalwart Matthew Continetti as he moves on to the Wall Street Journal to ply his wares. We reminisce, we say what we think we did right, and what we did wrong, and then Matt makes not one, not two, but three recommendations! Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and Chinese premier Xi decided to back off their big fight and make concessions to each other for a year rather than end up in a full-scale trade war. The question: Did this aggressive move by Trump serve any real purpose? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's podcast takes up a story you may not yet know about because the media aren't reporting on it: A blockbuster report from the House detailing the ways in which Joe Biden in 2024 and 2025 was not actually performing his presidential duties and his aides were. Also: since when is Hamas breaking a ceasefire supposed to be reported out as Israel breaking a ceasefire? Since now. Give a listen. Le...

Today we look at Donald Trump's trip to Asia and how he might approach Xi Jinping on trade. We also consider the public's perception of what tariffs are doing to prices and why Trump always needs to have a shadow hanging over his accomplishments. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's podcast asks what Democrats might take away from next Tuesday's elections in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City—and how the political dilemmas they face are affecting the government shutdown. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A conversation about how Donald Trump controls all news in this country morphs unexpectedly into a deep dive into large language models, uncanny valleys, AI, driverless cars, and everything scary about everything. Give a listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the agonizing over the White House ballroom continues, we continue to analyze it. And what's up with Donald Trump's interest in Argentine beef?  Finally, we get to the NYC mayoral race and how Zohran Mamdani, if elected, might respond to his base. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The liberal meltdown over the creation of a ballroom at the White House is another example of how liberals and the left keep stepping on their own substantive disagreements with Donald Trump because they get distracted by...stupid things. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the Trump administration's success in the Middle East going to have an effect on the way the more extreme elements of the right talk about Israel and Jews more broadly? And if podcasters continue to trash-talk Trump on this and other matters, will Trump take it lying down—or will he insist on a loyalty test for them too? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

A huge show of anti-Trump force this weekend raises the question—to what end and for what purpose? And was Israel's decision to hit back hard at Hamas for violating the Trump deal really a sign of a division between the administration and the Israeli government or more of a tactical pause to see how Hamas reacts? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss last night's NYC mayoral debate, in which Zohran Mamdani was bad, Andrew Cuomo was worse, and Curtis Sliwa was Curtis Sliwa. And we talk about the terrorist-run city of Birmingham, UK. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices