The Mona Charen Show

The regulars discuss Walz pick and shape of the race. David French joins to talk about Trump v. United States.  highlights / lowlights   Mona: The life of Penny Parker (1927-2024). David: Highlight: The USA's Medal Count Lowlight: China's Gold medal count Linda: What’s better than calling Trump weird? (David Broockman and Josh Kalla, Slow Boring) Damon: The Book of Illusions  by Paul Auster. Bill:...

A.B. Stoddard guest hosts for today’s discussion on Donald Trump’s NABJ interview. It was shocking and set the internet abuzz, but was that his intention all along? Plus, do VP picks actually matter? Highlights / Lowlights Bill’s highlight: Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich (WSJ) Damon’s highlights: Pro-Wrestling Explains Why Trump Is Scared of Kamala , Donald Trump’s Cheap H...

Nick Grossman joins the group to discuss Biden's exit and Harris's rise, her strengths and weaknesses, VP possibilities, GOP blues, and Bibi's speech and protests. Highlights / Lowlights Nicholas's highlight: Biden's address to the nation. Nicholas's lowlight: Netanyahu's address to Congress . Mona's highlight: The Olympics You Remember Are Back Damon's highlight: The collective meltdown of right...

The New Yorke r's Susan Glasser joins the group (with Andrew Egger) to discuss the aftermath of the assassination attempt, JD Vance, and Biden digging in his heels. Highlights / Lowlights Mona: The Gunman and the Would-Be Dictator by David Frum in The Atlantic. Damon: Sohrab Ahmari's reaction to Trump's reaction to getting shot at . Ross Douthat's NYT column on Trump and Destiny. Andrew: President...

A.B. Stoddard joins to discuss Biden's intransigence, the Democratic party's next moves, the pros and cons of anointing Harris, and more. Highlights / Lowlights A.B.: Trump is Planning for a Landslide Win by Tim Alberta in The Atlantic and her 2022 item: Why (and How) Biden Should Decline to Run Again Mona: What Lessons Do the Stunning Results of the French Election Offer? ( New Yorker ) Bill: Ami...

Former Rep Adam Kinzinger joins the group (plus Chris Cillizza) to discuss the Court's worst ruling since Korematsu, opening the door to God know what if Trump wins. Also, what would an open convention look like? Highlights / Lowlights: Mona: Are We in ‘Soviet America’? Not Even Close. By Cathy Young, The Bulwark Linda: Her trip to Israel, where she was recording. Adam: Cara Mund, a sincere Never...

The Atlantic 's David Frum joins to discuss the debate debacle and what comes next? Can Biden be persuaded to drop out? Also, a look at two Supreme Court cases. Highlights / Lowlights  David: Slain Gazan named as Doctors Without Borders staffer was Islamic Jihad rocket maker (Times of Israel) Mona: Gaza Chief’s Brutal Calculation: Civilian Bloodshed Will Help Hamas ( WSJ ) Linda: 4.1 million migra...

Will Saletan guest hosts as Tom Edsall joins the panel to discuss rising political polarization, Biden’s latest moves on immigration, and the crackdown on social media and kids using smartphones. Highlights / Lowlights Tom: The book 'Wolves of K Street' by Brody and Luke Mullins and a story from  his weekly poker game. Linda: Experts Handicap the Trump-Biden Debate (Karl Rove, WSJ) Damon: No, I Do...

Tom Nichols joins the panel to discuss the rise of the right in Europe (and here), the Hunter Biden verdict, and the Israel hostage rescue. Mona: The Big Lie's Bad, Very Bad Week by Charlie Sykes. Linda: No, You Don’t Have the Power to Stop Climate Change by Quico Toro (Persuasion) Bill: American journalist Evan Gershkovich to stand trial on espionage charges in Russia (NPR) Damon: John Ganz's new...

Sasha Havlicek and Philip Bump join the panel to discuss online disinformation, the GOP reaction to Trump guilty verdict, and the Fauci follies in Congress. highlights / lowlights Sasha- The 80th Anniversary of D-Day at Normandy American Cemetery. Damon- The Tower and the Sewer by Mark Lilla (NYR) Linda- This Catholic leader shelters migrants. Texas says he runs ‘stash houses.’ (WaPo) Philip- Two...

Famed presidential photographer David Hume Kennerly joins Bill Kristol and regulars to discuss the Ford Library's cowardly refusal to honor Liz Cheney, how Democrats should handle the Trump verdict, and Biden's standing with the young and old. highlights / lowlights David:  In closing, Trump’s team takes the jurors for idiots (Dana Milbank, WaPo ) Mona: Why Trump is hobnobbing with rappers facing...

Joe Klein joins the panel to discuss Haley's Trump support, Alito's freak flags, and polls showing Americans are deeply misinformed about the state of the economy. highlights / lowlights Damon: Is the Biden Campaign Running on False Hope? (Isaac Chotiner, NYer ) Linda: Three Books to Help You Understand Nations in Transit 2024 (Freedom House) Joseph: The U.S. assembles the pieces of a possible Gaz...

Sarah Longwell, Chris Cillizza, Will Saletan join Mona and Bill to discuss the upcoming debates, the polls (and Biden's response to them) and how to spend a record $61 million on a Senate primary and still get trounced. highlights / lowlights Mona: Thousands sign petition urging canceled concerts by Israeli ensemble to go ahead in Amsterdam ( Times of Israel ) Sarah: GOP Sen. Mitt Romney says Bide...

The Society for the Rule of Law's Gregg Nunziata joins to discuss the NY and other cases against Trump; Biden's pivot on weapons to Israel, and RFK, Jr's brain worm. highlights / lowlights:  Mona: In Letter, 540 Jewish Columbia Students Defend Zionism, Condemn Protests Gregg: Highlight: This Is Peak College Admissions Insanity by Daniel Currell , Lowlight: Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump allies who...

FT 's Ed Luce joins the group to discuss campus protests and whether Biden is losing. highlights / lowlights: Mona: Country Music , a film by Ken Burns Ed: The Colombia student asking that the protestors be brought food in their encampment. Linda: MTG's bizarre defense of her anti-Semitism vote. Bill: Netanyahu: Israel will invade Rafah — regardless of hostage deal Damon: The new Steve Martin docu...

Anne Applebaum joins the panel (with Philip Bump) to discuss Ukraine's war effort, Russian disinformation, campus protests, and a change of pace for final segment. What would you have put on the Voyager Spacecraft? Mona: Images of human love: parents interacting with babies (joy), a dog reacting to being reunited, humans taking care of other humans with a handicap (compassion). Damon: Holy texts o...

 Lawfare's Ben Wittes joins the group to discuss Iran's attack on Israel, Congress's action on Ukraine, Trump's NY trial, and the Supreme Court. highlights / lowlights Mona: The Great Hypocrisy of the Pro-Life Movement (David French, NYT) Bill: Efforts to reform the insurrection act. Linda: Restoring Civics in Higher Education (Wilfred McClay, AEI) Ben: Mona is given an award, but Chatham House Ru...

Patterico joins the panel to analyze Bragg's case against Trump. The panel also looks at the Arizona Supreme Court decision, and the GOP's clownish attempt to find something on which to impeach Biden. highlights and lowlights Damon: Anxious Parents Are the Ones Who Need Help (NYT) Patrick: Famed photographer quits Ford board over Liz Cheney snub (Politico) Linda: A Region Reordered by Autocracy an...

Matt Bennett of Third Way joins to discuss the end of No Labels, RFK, Jr., and other third parties as well as Florida's new abortion law. highlights / lowlights Mona: Karl Rove admonishing Trump's embrace of January 6 criminals (audio) Damon: Why We Can’t Stop Arguing About Whether Trump Is a Fascist (Andrew Marantz, New Yorker ) Matt: How the No Labels 2024 Presidential Campaign Failed to Launch...

The Atlantic's Peter Wehner joins the panel to discuss Trump hawking a "patriotic" Bible, accusations of lawfare regarding Trump's trials, and Putin's war on truth. Highlights / Lowlights: Mona— What Would You Have Israel Do to Defend Itself? (David Brooks, NYT ) Damon— Tucker Carlson's hilariously wrong prediction that Sam Bankman-Fried would avoid justice because he was a megadonor. Peter— Lowli...

Nicholas Grossman joins the panel to discuss Trump's money troubles as a national security threat and political challenge, the "bloodbath" brouhaha, and Schumer's speech about Netanyahu. highlights / lowlights  Damon: Miranda's Last Gift by David Frum. Mona: The U.S. is no longer one of the 20 happiest countries. If you're young, you probably know why. Bill: Graham calls for interest-free loans to...

Michael Isikoff, co-author of Find Me the Votes: A Hard-Charging Georgia Prosecutor, a Rogue President, and the Plot to Steal an American Election , details some of the undercovered aspects of Trump's 2020 election subversion. The panel also discusses how the Biden reset is going. highlights / lowlights Mona: Warden is ousted as FBI raids California women’s prison known as the ‘rape club’ ( LATime...

On this week’s episode, Philip Bump of The Washington Post joins guest host A.B. Stoddard and the usual crew to discuss the beginning of the general election. highlights / lowlights A.B.- The NC Exit Polls where voters thought Trump had better physical and mental fitness to be President than Haley. Philip- The Crazy Collapse of the House G.O.P.’s Impeachment Case Against Biden Bill- Ukraine outgun...

David French of The New York Times joins the panel (plus Cathy Young) to discuss the Supreme Court's gift to Trump; Mitch McConnell's tainted legacy; and the threat from Christian supremacism. highlights / lowlights Mona: Stephen Richer's interaction with TPUSA activist about her voter registration. David: Dune 2 Cathy: Yulia Navalnaya addresses European Parliament after Alexei Navalny's death Why...

AEI's Kori Schake joins to discuss Ukraine funding, GOP's moral and strategic collapse, Nikki Haley's role, calls for a Gaza ceasefire, and more. highlights / lowlights  Damon: John Avlon: I'm running for Congress. Linda: Something’s Fishy About the ‘Migrant Crisis’ A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes Liberation Struggle Kori: NATO Gives Ukraine the Go-Ahead to Cross Putin's Red Line Mona: What Losi...