The Dispatch Podcast

This week, American voters delivered Donald Trump the White House and the Republican Party sweeping victories across the country. Sarah, Jonah, and Steve try to figure out what went wrong with Kamala Harris’ campaign. The Agenda: —What decided this election? —“She’s for they/them.” —The education and Latino realignment —A second Trump term —Political vibe merchant —Worth our time: The future of Th...

Charlie Dent, former GOP representative and senior policy adviser at DLA Piper, joins Jamie to discuss how Harris could win Pennsylvania and what motivates voters in swing states. The Agenda: —Harris’ chances in collar counties —As Northhampton county goes —Swing states, post-Dobbs —The Madison Square Garden rally —When will we get Pennsylvania results? —Trump’s illiberalism —January 6 —Moderating...

Sarah is joined by Steve, Jonah, and special guest Steve Kornacki—national political correspondent and polling extraordinaire for NBC News—to discuss the state of the race just four days out from Election Day. The Agenda: —Is polling worth our time? —The Haley-Cheney voters in Wisconsin —Is the race really tied? —The gender gap —Garbage trucks —Will garbage-gate affect turnout? —Predictions Show N...

Jamie is joined by nationally syndicated radio host and political commentator Hugh Hewitt to explain why he thinks a Kamala Harris presidency would be disastrous enough to justify a vote for Donald Trump. This is the second part of a double episode. Listen to Jamie talking with David Frum for the case for voting against Trump. The Agenda: —Does Harris believe in anything? —Friends to Israel —The c...

Sarah Isgur, Jonah Goldberg, and Steve dive into the latest geopolitical tensions involving Russia, Ukraine, and Israel before turning to Liz Cheney’s influence on Kamala Harris’ political strategy and its implications for conservatives. The Agenda: —North Korea and Russia —Israel update —What if Ukraine loses? —What a Harris administration could look like —Conservative vs. Republican —Liz Cheney...

Notorious RINO and Atlantic writer David Frum joins Jamie Weinstein to explain why he’s voting for Kamala Harris this election. Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and a longtime critic of Donald Trump, believes that the current Republican Party no longer reflects conservative principles and has been overtaken by populism. The Agenda: —Frum’s history with conservatism —Donald...

Sarah, Jonah, and Declan are joined by Megan McArdle, a columnist for The Washington Post, to discuss Kamala Harris’ recent media blitz culminating in her interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier. They also dive into the latest vibe shift and close with a conversation about the purpose of “steelmanning.” The Agenda: —Kamala Harris’ media blitz —Is Harris prepared for tough questions? —Avoidance of Bide...

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 story of Gaza —Hamas vs. Palestine Lib...

Tevi Troy, author of The Power and the Money, joins Jamie to discuss the clash and collusion of business and politics. The Agenda: —When the CEO met the preisdent —Barack Obama and Elon Musk —Selective enforcement of policies —Risk of political bets —Are Republicans anti-business? —Strategies for a better country —Overworking FEMA Show Notes: —The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Comm...

Sarah, Kevin, and Steve discuss the devastation of recent hurricanes and the politics of the disaster response. Also, with several interviewers fawning over Kamala Harris, journalists coming under fire for committing journalism, and newsrooms collapsing into emotional struggle sessions, they ask: Is CBS News worth their time? The Agenda —Political polarization —Reliability in voting trends —Hurric...

Jamie Weinstein is joined by Dan Senor—author of The Genius of Israel and host of the Call Me Back podcast—to discuss the future of governance in Gaza, what the death of Hezbollah leadership means for Israel and Iran, and why he remains optimistic for Israel’s future. Listen to the first part of this special episode here. The Agenda: —Dan on the day of October 7 —The state of Israel’s economy —Isr...

Jonah, Adaam, and Charlotte join Jamie for the first half of a two-part series commemorating the horrific October 7 attacks on the Israeli people. Charlotte provides a first-hand account from her reporting in Israel over the past year; Adaam, a native Israeli, offers insight into the psychological ramifications of the event; and Jonah explains what this moment means for American Jews and the resur...

Sarah and Jonah welcome Mike Pesca, the host of The Gist, to dive into the nuances of the recent vice-presidential debate. They explore J.D. Vance’s approach of creating a likable persona in an attempt to woo voters, and discuss how, at times, the guidance of field experts has led public opinion astray. They also contemplate the potential future of the Supreme Court, examining the implications of...

Jamie is joined by David Rubenstein—co-founder of The Carlyle Group and author of The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency—to discuss the legacies of presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Joe Biden and what we can do about America’s debt. The Agenda: —Original interviews with presidents —Is Lincoln the greatest president? —Unpredictable paths to the presidency —Franklin D. Roosev...

Sarah Isgur drags David French and Jonah Goldberg into the podcast multiverse, resulting in a dramatic Dispatch/Left, Right & Center crossover. The Agenda: As Liz Cheney goes, so go a narrow faction of the loosely-defined never-Trump Republicans Conservatism is not on the menu What a president can't do Are Israel attacks on Hezbollah a prelude to a regional war? Our thanks to our friends at KCRW's...

Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former Iranian-targets officer in the Central Intelligence Agency and current fellow at the Foundations for the Defense of Democracy, joins Jamie to discuss Israel’s most recent operation against Hezbollah and how Iran might respond. The Agenda: —The effectiveness of Israeli intelligence operations —How did Hezbollah get the pagers? —Is Iran suicidal? —The health of the Ayato...

Sarah and Steve are joined by Mike Warren from the campaign trail in North Carolina and former Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp to discuss the state of the race and the Trump campaign's ground game (or lack thereof). The Agenda: —Are we going through a political realignment? —Teamsters won’t endorse a president —Ground game vs. legal strategy —Political violence this election season —The former pres...

This interview was recorded prior to the apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Olivia Nuzzi, Washington correspondent for New York Magazine, joins Jamie to discuss her recent profile of Donald Trump, “I Examined Donald Trump's Ear — and His Soul. ”The Agenda: —Trump after the July 13 assassination attempt —Behind the iconic photo —How does Trump view himself? —Trump’s...

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah break down the first (and possibly only) debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and whether or not it will move the needle. The Agenda: —Kamala Harris won —Will the Trump-Harris debate actually matter? —Steve missed the eating pets controversy —Trump’s debate prep —No clarity on abortion policy —The rise of independent voters —Is media bias worth your time? Show Note...

Jonathan Martin, Politico’s politics bureau chief and senior political columnist, joins Jamie to explain why the GOP needs to lose big in order to hasten a post-Trump Republican Party. The Agenda: —Martin’s POLITICO piece on a Post-Trump party —Unapologetic book plug —Is Steve Hayes a RINO? —If Trump loses 2024, will he run again? —J.D. Vance as a VP candidate —Was Joe Biden’s ousting planned mont...

Reason Magazine editor-at-large Nick Gillespie joins Sarah, Steve, and Jonah to discuss whether conservatives (and libertarians) would be better off with a Trump or Kamala win in November. The Agenda: —If Republicans Want to Win, They Need Trump to Lose — Big —No small government parties —Trump and Harris’ “harmonic convergence” —To fight wokeness, vote Harris —The way forward for third parties —T...

Retired General H.R. McMaster joins Jamie to discuss his book, At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House, and give a detailed account during his time as Trump's national security adviser. The Agenda: —Trump’s disruptive nature —The Russian collusion narrative that created a cloud over Trump's presidency —Trump’s moods and rages —McMaster’s proudest achievements —Inside Trump’...

Megan McArdle joins Steve, Jonah, and Sarah to adjudicate the minutiae of the least consequential civil war you'll ever regret hearing about: between the Bulwark Front of Judea and the Judean Dispatch Front. The Agenda: —Harris’ first interview —Moving to the right —Does media matter? —Killing the primary system —The Twitter Spat —Against endorsements —Why it’s important to be honest Show Notes: —...

Ben Dreyfuss, the former Mother Jones editorial director who now publishes the Calm Down Substack, shares his insights from the Democratic National Convention and takes Jamie's questions about whether Kamala Harris showed her party that she's a competent candidate. The Agenda: —From the convention floor of the DNC —The left-wing influence —Decline of woke politics —Speculating Harris' priorities a...

E: This recording is from the first half of Dispatch Live. For the full episode, become a member to listen on The Skiff. Sarah, Jonah, Mike, Charles, and David discuss the aftermath of the DNC and the surprising impact from the Harris' speech. What is The Skiff? This is the combined podcast feed of all of the members-only bonus content that The Dispatch produces. Here you’ll find every Dispatch Li...