The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Renowned psychologist Steven Pinker joins Jonah Goldberg to share insights from his latest book, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life, which explores humanity’s unique sixth sense for common knowledge. The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-parti...

Editor’s note: Jonah Goldberg has vanished somewhere in the Swiss Alps. While search-and-rescue teams brave the mountains, we’re re-airing a Remnant classic with fan favorite Yuval Levin. This episode first aired March 26, 2025. Not since Thomas Jefferson podcasting alone has a guest been so wise as Yuval Levin, who joins Jonah Goldberg to discuss the trend of Lebowskian communication mishaps, the...

While Jonah’s travels continue, guest host Kevin Williamson is joined by Dan Wang, author of Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future, for a discussion of China’s approach to engineering in the 21st century, what living in Shanghai during the pandemic was like, and the future of U.S.-China relations. Show Notes:—Dan Wang’s website—Kevin for The Dispatch: “Understanding China’s Engineering E...

Editor’s Note: Jonah is traveling this week, but he pre-recorded this episode with Claire Lehmann on September 8 to make sure you got your Remnant fix. Claire Lehmann, founder of Quillette and contributing writer for The Dispatch, joins Jonah Goldberg to discuss the radicalization of young women, the new wave of wokeness championed by figures like Zohran Mamdani, and why Australia is a terrifying...

Jonah Goldberg dissects the inflammatory ‘war’ rhetoric coming from both the right and left following the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk, the rise of political violence in recent years, and the various forms of killing throughout human history. But first, Jonah wants you to know he’s not an arsonist. Show Notes:—Jonah Goldberg for National Review: Debate Amongst Yourselves—Charle...

Jonah Goldberg sits down with Graeme Wood of The Atlantic to break down Iran’s recovery after its 12-day war with Israel, the chances of regime change, and what’s next for Israel in Gaza.  Plus: Why honor among nations still matters. Show Notes:—The Neighbor From Hell—For Iranians, War With Israel Still Looms Large The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering polit...

Chris Stirewalt joins Jonah Goldberg to unpack the Frasier-esque undertones of Donald Trump’s birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ capitulation on vaccine mandates, and the “mean girls” dynamic inside the Trump administration. Show Notes:—Seth Masket's Substack on the popularity of the presidency The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics...

Jonah Goldberg ruminates on the recent exchange between Ted Cruz and Tim Kaine on the celestial origins of rights, the idea of “heritage Americans,” and Donald Trump’s dying relationship with Modi. Show Notes:—Cass Sunstein on The Remnant—Michael Warren reporting on the NatCons—Friday's Dispatch Podcast—Friday’s G-File Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice week continues with Charles Fain Lehman, Manhattan Institute fellow and Dispatch contributing writer, joining Jonah Goldberg for a discussion on drug addiction, legalized gambling, and porn. Show Notes:—Charles for The Dispatch: “The Sports Gambling Backlash Is Here”—Charles for The Dispatch: “It’s Time to Prosecute Pornhub” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Carney, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Jonah Goldberg to unpack his latest investigative reporting on a local brothel, and they discuss the cronyism lurking behind tariffs as well as misconceptions common on both the left and the right about encouraging Americans to have more children. Show Notes:—Read Tim's book: Family Unfriendly: A Critical Examination of Overpare...

Jonah Goldberg addresses the ‘thoughts and prayers’ backlash following the tragic school shooting in Minneapolis, examines fractures within the Trump coalition, and continues the Dispatch Roundtable’s discussion of how bad Franklin D. Roosevelt was as a president. Show Notes:—In Defense of Thoughts and Prayers—Michael Brendon Doughtery's article for National Review—Friday's Dispatch Roundtable—Dan...

Jonah Goldberg is joined by Cass Sunstein, legal scholar and author of Manipulation: What It Is, Why It’s Bad, What to Do About It, to define liberalism once and for all (it means being a mensch), explain the role of “nudging” in public policy, and defend the “abundance” agenda. Show Notes:—Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do About It The Remnant is a production of The Di...

Lord Daniel Hannan of Kingsclere joins Jonah Goldberg for a royal breakdown of new speech laws in the United Kingdom and to provide a history lesson on the Conservative Party. Show Notes: —⁠Hannan's website⁠ The Remnant is a production of ⁠The Dispatch⁠, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s off...

Jonah Goldberg ruminates on the FBI search of John Bolton’s home, the uselessness of political labels, and how the ghost of Joseph McCarthy and the Soviet Union still haunts us. Plus: More I-told-you-so’s from Liberal Fascism and Suicide of the West. Show Notes:—The Atlantic’s profile of Laura Loomer—James Kirchick on Tucker Carlson—Charles Fain Lehman on guaranteed income programs—Wednesday’s G-F...

Carole Hooven, evolutionary biologist and nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Jonah Goldberg to discuss the differences between gender and sex, homosexuality in the animal kingdom, and epigenetics. The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The...

Emmett Rensin, author of The Complications: On Going Insane in America, joins Jonah Goldberg for a candid conversation on the state of our mental health institutions, the history of the insanity defense and his own challenges navigating care while living with schizoaffective disorder. Show Notes:—Rensin's essay for The Dispatch The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company c...

Jonah Goldberg analyzes the strategic chess match between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin before diving into the federal takeover of D.C.’s streets and the president’s takeover of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Show Notes:—Kevin Williamson's Wanderland on postmodernists—Jonah's G-File on postmodernists—Megan McArdle in the Washington Post on crime—Grayson Logue for The Dispatch: “What’s Next for...

Jonah Goldberg invites Barry Strauss, author of Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire, to discuss the clashes between these two ancient worlds, focusing on key events like the Siege of Masada and the Bar Kokhba revolt. Discover how these uprisings not only challenged Roman authority but also shaped the cultural and political landscape of current events. Sho...

Dr. David Keith, professor of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago and founder of Carbon Engineering, joins Jonah Goldberg to explain the controversy surrounding geoengineering. They brainstorm ways to decarbonize the economy, argue over the fine print of climate policy, and wonder if humanity can fix the planet without accidentally turning it into a giant Easy-Bake Oven. Show Notes:—...

With his memory fading, Jonah Goldberg is fed up with his difficulty with remembering things, and pundits and politicians’ refusal to tell the truth. He ruminates over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Hamas acting as a prison gang, tariffs, and bias in the mainstream media. Show Notes:— Hamas G-File — Old Fictions, New Fictions G-FileT he Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media co...

Continuing the counterprogramming tradition, Phillip Muñoz, the Tocqueville professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, joins Jonah Goldberg to discuss the remarkable revolutions of the American Founding, the allure of postliberalism, and the proper place of religious authority. Plus: Their thoughts on cultural shifts and virtue. Show Notes:— Phillip Muñoz’s bio— Muñoz's Nation...

Jonah Goldberg is joined by Russ Roberts, the president of Shalem College and host of the EconTalk podcast, to discuss trade policy, combat intellectual idolatry, and review recent events in Israel. Plus: their thoughts on the rise of antisemitism and fringe ideas. Show Notes:—EconTalk Podcast—Russ Roberts’ latest book, Wild Problems The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media com...

Never shy of small talk, Jonah Goldberg is eager to discuss the Sydney Sweeney outrage, the American genetics movement, and G.K. Chesterton. Plus: his thoughts on the new Superman movie and the shifting nature of aesthetics. Show Notes:—Remnant AMA with Sarah Isgur, Part 1—Remnant AMA with Sarah Isgur, Part 2—Advisory Opinions podcast—This week’s Dispatch Podcast—Jonah’s Wednesday G-File—Jonah for...

Sarah Isgur, Advisory Opinions host and Dispatch senior editor, is back for more, joining Jonah Goldberg on The Remnant to answer fans’ questions and offer up some life advice. Listen along to learn about the happiest days of Sarah and Jonah’s lives, common accusations, lifehacks, smells, and more. Show Notes:—The Advisory Opinions Podcast The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital med...

In a much-anticipated episode of The Remnant, Sarah Isgur—Advisory Opinions host and Dispatch senior editor—joins Jonah Goldberg to answer fans’ questions. Listen along to learn about their friendship, favorite legal dramas, midlife career changes, parenting, and much more. Show Notes:— Sarah's Advisory Opinions podcast The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering...