The Dispatch Podcast

Disclaimer: In this episode, which was recorded Thursday morning, we speculated about the delay in U.S. military response to provocations from Iran. By the time the episode released, news broke that the U.S. forces had struck Iranian targets in Syria. The House finally has a speaker ... and he’s one of the architects of Trump’s attempt to steal the 2020 election. Sarah is joined by Steve and Mike...

How did the 10/7 massacre change the Middle East? What's Israel hoping to achieve in a ground invasion of Gaza? Are the Israel-Saudi normalization talks dead? Are we giving enough thought to the day after the war? Dr. Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute and its Howard P. Berkowitz chair in U.S. Middle East Policy, joins Dispatch senior producer Adaam to talk Middle East...

Steve and Sarah sit down at Dispatch HQ with McKay Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the forthcoming Romney: A Reckoning, a biography of Mitt Romney's political career. Coppin's unique access to the soon-to-be-retired Senator turns a traditional political biography into a near-psychological thriller covering Romney's torment after losing the 2012 presidential election, the psyc...

Adva's sister, Tamar, was at the Nova music festival in southern Israel. Tamar is still missing after the 7/10 massacre. Adva generously spoke to The Dispatch about her efforts to get more information, the shock, and life after the horror. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, Chris, and David French discuss the war an Israel as a ground invasion of Gaza seems imminent and Western media spreads disinformation about a deadly blast in a Gaza hospital. The roundtable then turns to the House speaker race, this time giving the topic appropriately-lengthed shrift. Also: -Illusion of Israel’s invincibility -Information warfare -The power of confirmation bias -Tru...

Economy, energy, and national security are the three major platforms Governor Doug Burgum is running on for his GOP presidential bid. Burgum joins David on The Dispatch Podcast to talk about the state of his campaign and: -Israel-Hamas war -Regimes going nuclear -World War III prospects -Pulling out of Afghanistan -Containing China and US policy to help Taiwan -Energy policy -State of Burgum’s cam...

It's day six since the massacre in Israel and Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David French are in it for a somber episode. They discuss: -Bad allies -Two-state solutionism -What is Hamas' goal? -Biden's Iran hostage deal -Anti-zionism vs. antisemitism -The left's cultural credibility -America's role -The ethics of sharing snuff videos -The House is a mess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

In between voting for House speaker, Representative Ken Buck joins Steve and Declan to talk about House politics, GOP reluctance to acknowledge who won the 2020 election, and whether an honest speaker can yet be found. Plus: -Buck’s relationship with GOP colleagues -Scalise not wanting to bring wrath of MAGA base -Jordan and Scalise voted to decertify elections -Why Buck voted for McCarthy in the...

Melissa Kearney, a professor of economics at the University of Maryland joins Assistant Editor Luis Parrales to talk about her new book, The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind. The two discuss the decline in married households over the past decades, how that decline has exacerbated inequality and negatively impacted parents and children, and why...

Sarah left The Dispatch Podcast and now there's no speaker of the House. What went wrong? Steve and Jonah join the flagship host's return to discuss the speakership battle, Joe Biden's Trump-era border wall, and corruption writ large. Also: -Small dollar donor problems -Democratic blame game -Anti-transparency in government -There's a secret speaker?? -Trump and Menendez corruption inquiries -The...

Jon Schweppe, policy director at the American Principles Project, joins Andrew to discuss the state of the pro-life movement: political uncertainty, mixed messaging, states rights, and next steps. Show Notes: Jon's profile at the American Principles Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A sneak peek from our regular members-only Dispatch Live discussion: Kevin, Chris, and Jonah discuss elites versus elitism and America's increasing decline from authenticity. The conversations was spurred by Chris' piece on America's classless society. If you want to join our live discussions, support the work we're doing, and help us do a lot more: become a Dispatch member. https://thedispatch.co...

Making sense of the latest carnival of inanity posing as a presidential debate is a task too great for Steve and Jonah. So they have summoned the fabled (and bingo'd) Yuval Levin, director of social, cultural and constitutional studies at AEI, to help them analyze the GOP primary debate, rank pre-government shutdown asininity, and determine whether we should even be paying attention at all. Show N...

GOP hardliners aren’t negotiating with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as government shutdown looms. Government Relations Strategist Liam Donovan joins The Dispatch to break down how we got here and: -Ukraine’s funding -Senate pushing a Continuing Resolution to stave off a shutdown -McCarthy’s House resistance -Gaetz pushing for a betrayal Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube Learn more about...

The general incompetence of GOP's leadership has prompted a Dispatch Politics coup of today's Dispod. Mike hosts as David and Andrew join to discuss the shutdown fiasco, voters perceptions of GOP candidates, and John Fetterman's depression wear. Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube -Real Clear Politics 2024 Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus -CNN Poll: Trump leads in New Hampshire while Ram...

Sen. Tom Cotton joins The Dispatch Podcast and pushes back against the growing GOP opposition to sending aid to Ukraine. David Drucker also asks Cotton his thoughts on: -U.S.-China policy -Dealing with Iran -McConnell's current aptitude Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A quick preview from our regular members-only Dispatch Live discussion: Kevin, Steve, Drucker, and Grayson discuss the right's embrace of violent rhetoric and the disputed value of Mike Pence's last-minute anti-populist turn. (Steve, a few Spanish wine glasses in, gets extra ranty... you've been warned.) If you want to join our live discussions, support the work we're doing, and help us do a lot m...

A perfect storm of congressional battles has formed over the upcoming legislative session, just as the grown ups are leaving. Mike is joined by Steve and Jonah to discuss the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden and: -Biden’s problematic Iranian prisoner deal -Kim Jong Un and Putin now BFFs? -Biden needs a nap Show notes: -The Morning Dispatch: A Rogue State Visit -Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burn...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been dodging accusations of malfeasance for years, but now they might be catching up with him. Show Notes: -Kel Seliger's biography -Oprah sued for defamation in Amarillo -Food libel laws -Kevin's article on Paxton impeachment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many polls are telling the same story: Americans don’t want either Joe Biden or Donald Trump for president. And yet a rematch seems all but inevitable. Mike Warren is joined by Steve, Jonah, and Chris Stirewalt to commune in despair. Plus: -Pence’s overdue attack on populism -Great white sharks with Hitler’s brain -Eric Adams: migrant issue ‘will destroy New York City’ -9/11 anniversary and easy e...

Steve and Jonah join Mike as he takes over the host’s chair in this week’s Dispod. The trio discuss China’s version of manifest destiny and: -Biden’s economic outreach -Big dollar donors desperately scanning the Republican field -Kari Lake being a loser (and proud of it) -Mob rule of institutions -Vivek: worth voters' time? Show Notes: -Jonah's China piece for The Dispatch -Scott Lincicome’s newsl...

South Korea, Japan, and the US are facing growing tensions against North Korea and China. The trilateral relationship was on full display in a show of strength at Camp David on August. 18th. TMD Reporter Mary Trimble speaks with Michael Beckley, an associate professor of political science at Tufts University and a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to explore the thre...

Sarah, fully ready for her hiatus, is joined by Steve, Jonah, and Dispatch Politics reporter Audrey Fahlberg for a dispiriting recap of the first GOP primary debate. Also: -Vivek Witherspoon's moment -A crummy night for DeSantis -Death of Wagner leader Prigozhin -Biden's response to Maui -Not Worth Your Time (?): Jonah's writing Show notes- -G-File: Who Will Stop Him? Learn more about your ad choi...

Artificial intelligence has become a common weapon in political information warfare. The Morning Dispatch reporter, Grayson Logue, is joined by Darrell M. West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the co-editor-in-chief of TechTank, to explain the unique threat that A.I. poses. -West's profile at Brookings -TechTank Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris joins Sarah and Jonah to discuss the upcoming GOP primary debate. How much will the candidates praise the guy they're primarying? Will there be anything to talk about besides the hedonic treadmill of indictments? Can any candidate successfully be a gateway drug out of Trump? Also: -Biden's shrinking incumbent advantage -Republican Party as a suicide pact -Jonah goes Schlappian on third parti...