The Spectacle Podcast: The Official Podcast of The American Spectator

The statistics of children’s academic performance in the public school system are horrific — 34 percent of kids can read at grade level. Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations and co-author of  Woke and Weaponized: How Karl Marx Won the Battle for American Education, and How We Can Win It Back,  joins  The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay to discuss the dismal sta...

What does it take to run for public office, and why do the best people for the job often decide to quit or avoid the position altogether? The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay explore this question and explain what it takes to be a legislator, and how principled leaders often quit due to the discouragement and scrutiny that takes place. Melissa and Scott highlight traits o...

Gavin Newsom was caught trying to blemish his accolades and uphold his memoir as a  New York Times  bestseller, even though two-thirds of his book sales are from his PAC’s email blast asking for donations. The Spectator P.M. Podcast  hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes, Lyrah Margo, and Morgan Weiner explain what happened with Newsom’s book sales and what it means for his hopes to secure the 2028 presidenti...

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who have been caring for patients with terminal cancer for over 125 years, are being sent warning letters from the state of New York for refusing to adhere to the Long-Term Care Facility Residents’ Bill of Rights for LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers and People Living with HIV Act. The Spectator P.M. Podcast  hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo give insight into the ca...

Justin Bieber’s performance at Coachella provoked various responses from ‘Beliebers’ and critics. Bieber’s recent comeback has also reignited discussions about his rise to fame and his past struggles. The American Spectator’s  Development Associate and ‘Belieber’ Morgan Weiner joins  The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay to discuss the controversies surrounding Justin Bieb...

While the conservatives shake their heads in disappointment over Donald Trump’s recent AI photo of himself as Jesus, many struggle to make sense of Trump’s statements against Pope Leo XIV and his overall stances regarding faith. On this episode of  The Spectacle Podcast,  hosts Scott McKay and Melissa Mackenzie discuss the debacle of Trump’s AI photo and the pushback by religious conservatives — s...

The sexual assault allegations against Eric Swalwell have officially ousted him from the California governor’s race and led him to resign from Congress. The feeding frenzy that led Swalwell to his resignation was also fueled by the Democrats, who have left him to be ostracized by the American public. The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Scott McKay and Melissa Mackenzie criticize Swalwell for his actions...

Canada is expected to expand its euthanasia services to people suffering from mental illness in 2027. MAiD activist Jocelyn Downie expressed her concern in a recent parliament hearing that withholding MAiD from people with mental illnesses will result in “more mentally ill Canadians dying by suicide.” The Spectator P.M. Podcast  hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes, Lyrah Margo, and Morgan Weiner discuss the...

Shocking allegations of sexual assault from women who were previously staffers for Rep. Eric Swalwell have ended his campaign for the California governorship. Despite Swalwell’s trying to shut down these claims as “false allegations,” Democrats are pulling away their support and are doing everything they can to distance themselves from him. On this episode of  The Spectator P.M. Podcas...

Data centers in the United States are rapidly expanding, which leaves many Americans in rural communities (where many of these data centers are being planted) feeling unhappy. Listen to  The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Scott McKay and Melissa Mackenzie as they debate the feasibility of these massive projects. Scott details the implications of Meta’s $27 billion data center in Louisiana, which is draw...

Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro are being highly advertised as the little risk, high-reward drug that will not only make you lose weight, but also stay in shape. However, new research is citing that these drugs are doing more than expected, such as the possibility of removing desire altogether. The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Scott McKay and Melissa Mackenzie discuss the science behind GLP-1s and how t...

Catholic priest and exorcist Chad Ripperger shared the top 10 American places with the highest amount of demonic presence. Among them were places like Washington, D.C., Salem, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Scott McKay and Melissa Mackenzie discuss the supernatural and challenge the different perspectives about demons. Scott and Melissa survey American attitudes toward...

The Washington, D.C., chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, an organization that claims to uphold the ethics of the journalism industry, is giving ex-Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah the Distinguished Service Award. Attiah gained notable public attention for being fired from the Post because of her inflammatory comments following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The Spectator...

This Easter, Catholic dioceses across the country are reporting a strong surge of converts into the Roman Catholic Church. On this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast, hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss the rising trend of Americans turning to Christianity and going back to church. They discuss Pope Leo XIV’s influence in the Catholic Church’s growing numbers and how there is also...

The premier of the latest season of The Bachelorette was suddenly canceled due to recent and previous domestic violence allegations against Taylor Frankie Paul, who Disney and ABC had selected as the show’s star. Taylor Frankie Paul’s rise to fame has been fueled by her toxic tendencies, some of which are documented on the Hulu show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. On this episode of The Spectato...

A demonstrator at the “Hands off Iran” protest in Philadelphia was caught on video cheering for American troops to be returned “in a casket,” and called for the Iranian regime to bring the U.S. “to its knees.” The Spectator P.M. Podcast hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo criticize the protest and the protester’s speech for cheering for the death of Americans. They discuss the Left’s lack of...

The trend of “looksmaxxing,” which involves men hyper-fixating on their look to become physically attractive, with some going to extreme measures by hammering their cheekbones or breaking their jaws. On this episode of  The Spectacle Podcast , hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss how the trend is attributed to the lack of meaningful relationships between men and women. They point out ho...

Traveling Americans are complaining about the extra-long TSA lines at airports across the country, which is due to a partial government shutdown. This particular grievance leads  The Spectacle Podcast  hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay to one idea — to get rid of the TSA altogether. Melissa and Scott discuss the impact Americans are experiencing from the shutdown, criticizing both Republican...

While Cubans continue to struggle without power, the Leftist organization Code Pink took a trip to provide “humanitarian aid” to stand in solidarity with the people to go against the Trump administration. Code Pink’s “humanitarian aid” took the form of music festivals and an art mural, while they stayed at a five-star hotel that was one of the few places in Cuba with power. The Spectacle Podcast ...

It’s no secret that the Left employs disinformation to distract the American people from knowing the truth, and the Trump-Russia Collusion hoax is no exception. On this episode of  The Spectacle Podcast,  host Scott McKay is joined by Drew Allen, the host of  The Drew Allen Show  to discuss … Drew talks about his new book being released this week,  Clinton Hoax, Obama Coup: The Declassified Story...

The people of New York City who voted for Zohran Mamdani hold high hopes that his socialist policies will make the Big Apple appealing again. However, his first couple of months in office have already shown how leftist politics and Islamic ideology are not compatible for the American people. The Spectacle Podcast  host Scott McKay is joined by special guest Drew Allen, host of  The Drew Allen Show...

The Cuban people have had it with the ills of communism and how it has hurt their country, and they are making it known that they are in desperate need of change.  Drew Allen, host of  The Drew Allen Show,  joins  The Spectacle Podcast  host Scott McKay to discuss the nearing end of the Castro regime in Cuba. Scott and Drew discuss recent key events that indicate this change, such as major blackou...

The online gambling industry is projected to amass over $1 trillion by 2028 — at the price of many young men’s lives. On this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast, hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss online betting and go through testimonies of recovering men who are bringing awareness to the addiction. Ellie and Lyrah talk about the concerning statistics about online gambling and i...

While Kamala Harris’ continues her tour for her book 107 Days, the possibility of her being a contender for the 2028 presidential election makes Democrats shudder. The Spectator P.M. Podcast hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss Kamala Harris’ potential bid for the presidency. Ellie and Lyrah explain how Harris is irrelevant to the Democratic Party and what her chances are for securing...

Is LGBTQ out of trend for young adults? A further look into the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that young adults ages 18–24 are identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual in smaller numbers. Find out why on this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast, in which hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo analyze the data and explain how young adults are recognizing the consequenc...