The Spectacle Podcast: The Official Podcast of The American Spectator

This year’s Young Women’s Leadership Summit, hosted by Turning Point USA, focused on offering women empowerment through encouraging a family-oriented lifestyle rather than a career-focused one. Join  The Spectator P.M. Podcast  hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo as they discuss the topics covered by the leadership summit — such as marriage, children, and feminism. Ellie and Lyrah explain ho...

The U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the past weekend demonstrated what strong American leadership looks like. On this episode of  The Spectator P.M. Podcast , join hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo as they discuss the merits of Trump’s overall strategy in carrying out the “Midnight Hammer” operation. Ellie and Lyrah talk about how the current situation would be different if J...

Mark Bulgutch, a writer for the  Toronto Star,  issued an unpopular opinion that dads should not be recognized or celebrated on Father’s Day, but rather “the woman who made him a father is the real hero of the story.” Join  The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay as they discuss and defend the importance of fathers in a child’s life. Melissa and Scott discuss how a dad’s pre...

The annual Reuters Digital News Report found that 54 percent of the world’s population are turning to social media platforms (such as Facebook and X) rather than traditional outlets to get their news. On this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast, hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss the future of news and the implications of social media on journalism. Ellie and Lyrah discuss their p...

The Left’s rhetoric on political violence continues to motivate evil actions. Fueled by this animosity, 57-year-old Vance Boelter was arrested on Sunday night for killing two Democratic legislators in Minnesota. The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Scott McKay and Melissa Mackenzie discuss the potential motivation behind Boelter’s crime and the “No Kings” protests that took place across the country this p...

In an unsurprising find, a recent study found that 75 percent of Christians no longer trust the Democratic Party. Join The Spectator P.M Podcast hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo as they discuss the research and analyze the reasons why Christians no longer align themselves with the Democratic Party. Ellie and Lyrah point out the stark loss of morality on the Left, such as their pro-abortio...

The ongoing war between Israel and Iran continues to escalate concerns of potential U.S. involvement and the overall future of the Middle East. On this episode of  The Spectacle Podcast , hosts Scott McKay and Melissa Mackenzie discuss and analyze the current developments happening in the Israel-Iranian war. Scott and Melissa criticize previous Democratic administrations in the United States for s...

Despite the Trump administration’s pushback on DEI initiatives, companies are still trying to integrate DEI through subtle means. Join Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo on this episode of  The Spectator P.M. Podcast  as they criticize the continued use of DEI in corporate America. They discuss how these racist practices should not be continued and question why the Left is so insistent on keeping...

President Trump made an appearance at the rededication of Fort Bragg, which is being renamed to honor the World War II hero, Roland L. Bragg.  The Spectacle  hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss the comeback of military greatness in America. Melissa and Scott attribute the uptick in military recruitment to the pullback of woke/DEI initiatives in all the branches. Melissa and Scott also...

Southern Baptists voted at the annual Southern Baptist Convention on a measure to support the overturning of  Obergefell v. Hodges , the Supreme Court decision that said there is a right to same-sex marriage. The Spectator P.M. Podcast  hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss the significance of the Southern Baptists’ new measure and the importance of Christian political engagement. Elli...

Greta Thunberg’s latest activist stunt on the Hamas flotilla and Simone Biles’ dispute with Riley Gaines were widely looked down upon by the public. Join  The Spectacle  hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay as they criticize Thunberg’s activism and Bile’s comments toward Gaines. Melissa and Scott analyze Thunberg’s history with activism and discuss the issues around the Left exploiting Th...

Rioters are not destroying Los Angeles because ICE is performing mass deportations, but because of an ICE operation to crack down on a money laundering operation with drug cartels.  In this episode of  The Spectacle Podcast , hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss the news surrounding the Los Angeles riots. Melissa and Scott analyze the different factors that led up to the city’s unrest, ...

The Boulder attack in Colorado that injured eight people was the result of the Biden administration’s poor handling of the immigration crisis. Join Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay on this episode of  The Spectacle Podcast  as they discuss the current issues facing the immigration crisis, such as Chinese spies, lack of affordable housing, and false deportation claims. Melissa and Scott expand on...

Americans no longer trust legacy media, yet these corporations continue to fail to prove that they’re still relevant to the American people. In this episode of  The Spectacle Podcas t, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss the end of mainstream media. Scott and Melissa touch on the low ratings of MSNBC, CNN, and CBS due to terrible hosts such as Jen Psaki, Rachael Maddow, Jake Tapper, Br...

This year’s Pride celebrations are looking dismal for the LGBTQ community, as fewer Americans  support  the legality and morality of same-sex marriage and transgender ideology. On this episode of  The Spectator P.M. Podcast , hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss the decreased presence of Pride Month and Americans’ growing distaste for transgender ideology. Ellie and Lyrah explain how...

The brightest minds in Silicon Valley are relying on  psychedelics  (like ayahuasca) to reevaluate their lives, alleviate stress, and discover spirituality. The growing use of mind-altering drugs has led these entrepreneurs to seek out therapy in order to deal with their psychedelic experiences. Join Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo on this episode of  The Spectator P.M. Podcast  as they discus...

As a mother of four children, celebrity Kourtney Kardashian challenged the status quo on education by asking, “Why do kids f*cking go to school? Truly, it’s so dated.” Kardashian appeared on her sister Khloe Kardashian’s podcast,  Khloé in Wonder Land , and explained how she took on her perspective after her children showed her videos on parents who successfully homeschooled their kids. Join  The...

A Do No Harm analysis into the Southern Illinois School of Medicine admissions revealed that black and Hispanic students with lower average GPA and MCAT scores than white and Asian students are being accepted. These findings spark concern into the school’s admissions process, as the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in higher education two years ago. In this episode of  The Spectator...

President Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against  CBS News  for manipulating Kamala Harris’  60 Minutes  interview continues to shed light on the distrust of legacy media. The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss how major media’s decline in value and credibility has led them to face a massive overhaul for misleading the American people. They discuss the implications of...

Ex-FBI Director James Comey’s “86 47” post continues to be widely criticized for threatening to harm President Trump. On this episode of  The Spectacle Podcast , hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay explain why Comey deserves to be prosecuted for his post inciting violence to teach the violent Left a lesson. Melissa and Scott discuss Comey’s high-profile position as the head of the FBI and how...

Former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis opens up further criticism on the liberal media, Biden’s administration, and the Left’s politicians for being complicit in covering up his health. Join hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay on this episode of The Spectacle Podcast as they discuss the recent revelation of Biden’s declining health, which the Left has tried to conceal from the...

Serbian soccer player Nemanja Matić is facing a possible ban after he covered a rainbow patch on his uniform with white tape. Matić, who is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church, isn’t the first to do so; other soccer players have also refused to support LGBTQ messaging due to their religious beliefs — and faced bans as a result. The Spectator P.M. Podcast  hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Ma...

Michigan Judge Sima Patel ruled that certain provisions regarding abortion procedures — such as the 24-hour waiting period, informed consent, and physician-only abortions — are unconstitutional under Michigan’s Constitution. In this episode of  The Spectator P.M.  Podcast , hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss the judge’s ruling and how it sets a dangerous precedent for women and babi...

Former President Joe Biden appeared on BBC and The View on a press tour last week, with high hopes of a return to the public eye. Join Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo on this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast as they react to the out-of-touch responses that Biden gave in his interviews. Ellie and Lyrah criticize both Joe and Jill Biden for their persistent denial of Joe Biden’s cognitive d...

Last week, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an American who spent much of his priestly ministry in Peru, became the first American pope, Pope Leo XIV. In this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast, host Ellie Gardey Holmes is joined by special guest American Spectator writer S.A. McCarthy to discuss how Pope Leo XIV’s experience might equip him to lead the Catholic Church with compassion, understa...