The Mona Charen Show

AEI's Michael Strain analyzes the mistakes left and right make about middle class stagnation, quality of life, and other matters. Plus, what is risked when Trump/Musk attack foundational institutions. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at  betterhelp.com/mona and get on your way to being your best self. Referenced Works & Figures: Michael Strain’s Book — The Ame...

Mona welcomes Renée DiResta to discuss how social media has distorted our perceptions and how to navigates the world of influencers, online mobs, and lairs. The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. Ad-free editions are exclusively available for Bulwark+ members. Add the show to your player of choice, here , or find it wherever you...

In this episode of The Mona Charen Podcast , Mona Charen speaks with author Jonathan Rauch about his new book, Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy . They explore the decline of Christianity in America, its impact on democracy, and whether faith can be depoliticized. Rauch, a self-described “atheistic homosexual Jew,” makes the case that Christianity has been a vital “load-...

Mona interviews Georgetown law professor Stephen Vladeck on executive orders, birthright citizenship, Congress not doing its job, and whether Trump will defy the Supreme Court. Referenced Cases: Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) – Commonly referred to as the "Steel Seizure Case," it involved President Truman's attempt to take control of steel mills during the Korean War. Korematsu v...

Mona welcomes Richard Reeves to discuss the struggles of boys and men, including a debate about whether marriage promotion is good or obsolete in this day and age. Richard Reeves’s bio at the American Institute for Boys and Men Sex Matters  by Mona Charen Boy Mom  by Ruth Whippman  How to Save Marriage in America by Richard Reeves ( Originally published in The Atlantic ) Pro-Family Policy Prioriti...

In the inaugural episode of The Mona Charen Show , Mona welcomes New York Times columnist Pamela Paul to discuss why girls are getting negative messages about womanhood. Also: sex differences, social media, motherhood, and men's struggles. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MONA at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Mona and the gang bid farewell to this format, discuss what will replace it, and offer a glimpse of future plans. Leave a comment Highlights / Lowlights:  Mona outlined the future of her new show. Bill previews his forthcoming book on political psychology. Linda: The Silver Candlesticks: A Novel of the Spanish Inquisition , Linda’s forthcoming book, which you can pre-order now! Make sure you sign...

Noah Smith joins to discuss what Tulsi Gabbard could do to America, the other anti-qualified nominees, the Penny/Mangione cases, and what Syria should remind us of. Highlights / Lowlights  Mona: Rupert Murdoch's Succession Fiasco, Clive Irving at Vanity Fair Linda: Why Does Pete Hegseth Keep Talking About ‘Warfighters’? Elliot Ackerman at The Free Press . Bill: His WSJ column: Save a Reagan Initia...

Matt Bennett joins to discuss the most dangerous Trump appointments and the worrying signals of fear by MSNBC and others. Highlights / Lowlights Mona: The Iron Man of America’s op-ed pages (David Von Drehle, WaPo) and Mona’s contribution to the George Will tribute symposium, ‘Conservatism’s Vital Champion.’ The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founder...

Robert Tracinski joins to discuss Trump's attack on government, his execrable appointees, and what Dems should do going forward. Highlights / Lowlights Damon: Russ Vought's appointment to OMB and the Nancy Mace / Sarah McBride performative cruelty. Linda:  JD Vance appearing in all of those Senate meetings with Matt Gaetz, and A Free Press Conversation with Natan Sharansky Mona: Hong Kong's jailin...

David French and Larry Diamond join the group to mull the nature of Trump's victory and the stupefying appointments to DOJ and DNI. Highlights / Lowlights David French: Politics are terrible and sports are terrible, at least for David. Kentucky Wildcats, Tennessee Titans, and Ja Morant’s injury. Damon Linker: A viral tweet and the disappointing Republican whataboutism. Larry Diamond: A vignette ab...

The Atlantic 's David Frum joins the group to analyze the election and consider the implications for domestic and foreign policy. Highlights / Lowlights: Damon:  The work of Ruy Texiera and Nate Cohn  Linda:  My Manifesto for Despairing Democrats by Nick Kristof Bill: ‘Invisible’ older women speak up at the ballot box by Karen Tumulty Mona: Trump transition team co-chair endorses Kennedy anti-vax...

Tim Miller joins to discuss the big picture about 2024, why Harris could not run as a change agent, and America's oligarchs. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code BEGTODIFFER at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/begtodiffer Highlights / Lowlights Linda Chavez: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and the Dodgers World Series Victory (Highlights)  Tim Mi...

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins the regular group to discuss his objections to Harris, the likelihood of a Trump fascistic reign, and which party has gone crazier. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code BEGTODIFFER at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/begtodiffer Highlights / Lowlights Ross: Can AI be blamed for a teen’s suicide?  (NYT) Damo...

The New Yorker's Susan Glasser joins the group (plus Philip Bump) to discuss Harris's Fox interview, Trump's spiraling mental state, and the oligarchy/corruption a second Trump term would usher in. Highlights / Lowlights Mona: Harris Needs a Closing Argument. Here's One. By Bret Stephens The FTC is making it easier to cancel subscriptions. Damon: Confessions of a Republican Exile by David Brooks A...

NY Times columnist Bret Stephens joins to discuss the Iranian threat (to Israel and the US), the amazing Israeli penetrations of Hezbollah and Iran, and the fate of NATO, Ukraine, etc in a Trump 2.0 world. TV Recommendations of the panelists:  Mona: Call My Agent Damon: Game of Thrones Bill: Babylon Berlin Linda:   Slow Horses / Pachinko

The Financial Times 's Ed Luce joins to discuss the VP debate, the future of MAGA, and the Israel/Iran war.

Mona’s highlight: The impartiality of the DOJ, indicting members of the sitting party in power when they commit crimes. Tim’s lowlight: The failure to have more than one debate. Tim’s highlight: The young, hungry, improbable turnaround of the Detroit Tigers. Sonny’s highlight / lowlight: Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Sam’s highlight: Ohtani’s historic 50-50 season. Sam’s lowlight: The indict...

AEI's Kori Schake joins the group to discuss Trump's "crazy guy" strategy, the 111 GOP leaders endorsing Harris, and Hezbollah's exploding pagers. Show Notes: Referenced: U.S. Shrugs as World War III Approaches, by Walter Russell Mead (WSJ) Highlights / Lowlights Kori: Gov. Mike DeWine defending Ohio against MAGA’s lies about Springfield (ABC) Damon: The tired dance of the demagogue by Matthew Ygl...

Third Way's Matt Bennett joins to discuss the debate, Harris's centrism, and which candidate would be better on inflation. Highlights / Lowlights Mona: Why Mike Lee Folded by Tim Alberta,  The Atlantic . Matt: The lies being pushed about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, and the political opportunism of a young boy’s death. Damon: Behind the Catholic Right's celebrity-conversion industrial comple...

Lawyer Kim Wehle discusses her book on the pardon power . The group then delves into Israel/Gaza, campus protests redux, and Tucker Carlson "Just asking questions" about Holocaust denialism. Highlights / Lowlights Mona: Andrew Egger's "Pennsylvania Man Speaks" reporting. Bill: The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America Linda: Republicans Seize on False Theories About Immi...

The Atlantic 's Peter Wehner joins the group to discuss the DNC and Harris's new tone, Trump's pivot on abortion, and the misfit toys (RFK Jr., Gabbard) of the Trump campaign.  Highlights / Lowlights:  Mona: Can We Be a Little Less Selective With Our Moral Outrage? by Bret Stephens in The New York Times. Peter: Lowlight: Trump Insists He Won California in Wild, Jesus-Filled Rant With Dr. Phil ( Da...

Andrew Egger subs for the vacationing Mona, and A.B. occupies Damon's seat, as The Deseret News 's Samuel Benson joins regulars Bill and Linda to discuss the unity and vibes at the Democratic Convention, while the panel weighs how RFK's exit from the race is likely to affect the November election. Highlights / Lowlights Andrew: Highlight: Gov. Tim Walz's Speech, and his family's reaction. A.B.: Hi...

MSNBC's Charlie Sykes joins the panel to discuss the rise of Harris, the decline of Trump (in more ways than one?), and the Iranian hack of Trump's campaign. Highlights / Lowlights  Charlie: Highlight: 2 outspoken election deniers lose GOP primaries for state Legislature Lowlight: The ongoing stolen valor attacks on Gov. Walz Mona:  Lowlight: How Trump's infatuation with a racist conspiracy theori...