WSJ Opinion: Free Expression

From government to business to the media, millions of citizens have experienced a steep fall in public trust and confidence in its key institutions. So how did it happen? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, editor at large Gerry Baker talks about his new book, "American Breakdown: Why We No Longer Trust Our Leaders and Institutions and How We Can Rebuild Confidence," with Wall Street J...

Faced with a real estate crisis, record high youth unemployment, and massive debts at the local government level, how much economic trouble is the People's Republic of China in? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, economist and China expert George Magnus tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about whether China under Xi Jinping’s hardline approach is headed down the sam...

Chris Christie has fashioned himself as the anti-Trump candidate in the 2024 GOP presidential field, but can his strategy really bring down the former president and propel Christie to the Oval Office? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, the former New Jersey Governor tells Gerry Baker about how he is tackling the task of unifying the Republican Party despite Donald Trump's influence, w...

For the first time, voters got to see the major candidates for the Republican nomination for President on the same stage, with one glaring exception. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, GOP strategist and columnist Karl Rove tells WSJ editor at large Gerry Baker why he thinks Vivek Ramaswamy had the worst moment of the night in Milwaukee, how Nikki Haley and Mike Pence advanced their c...

Does the 2024 Presidential election rest on the legal troubles of Donald Trump and the Biden family? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, former Attorney General William Barr tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why he thinks the latest indictment by Atlanta district attorney of the former president is excessive even as the federal charges he faces are stronger, but why...

On this week’s Free Expression podcast John Bolton, who served as national security adviser to President Donald Trump tells Wall Street Journal editor at Large Gerry Baker there’s a good chance Trump will be convicted of criminal offenses ahead of the 2024 presidential election and if he is nominated by the Republican Party it will lead to unenviable defeat. He also argues the US needs to be doing...

Has liberalism really failed and if so, what’s next for America and other democracies? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, political science professor Patrick Deneen tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that the promotion of individual liberty as the organizing principle of society has resulted in the destruction of social cohesion and why it's time for a new political...

Have Democrats taken African-American votes for granted? Could ethnic minorities find a home in the GOP? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker speaks with Georgia State Rep. Mesha Mainor about her decision last week to join the Republican Party and become the first African-American woman elected representative in the state legislature. She...

Is religious faith on the decline in the U.S.? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York, tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that a lack of religion and moral conviction is to blame for our toxic cultural environment. He also discusses how Pope Francis is leading the church worldwide, the importance of the separat...

As Americans celebrate Independence Day this week, the Free Expression Podcast features some of Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker's best interviews, including conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, 2024 Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., commentator Heather Mac Donald, political scientist Ruy Teixeira and former...

After an abortive mutiny by Wagner Group leader and mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin, is Vladimir Putin "damaged goods" as the leader of Russia? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, former Ambassador to both Russia and China Jon Huntsman tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why Prigozhin was exiled to Belarus while other Putin rivals have met a far worse fate, what the U.S....

In this week’s Free Expression podcast Gerry Baker, WSJ editor at large, talks with Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy about double standards of justice in politics, the corruption of the federal government and his plans to overhaul the administrative state. He also discusses his ideas for a radical reform of the Federal Reserve and the elimination of the FBI, how he plans to facili...

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, former Vice President Mike Pence tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker he can’t defend Donald Trump in his indictment over handling classified documents. Speaking just after Trump pled not guilty to criminal charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith, Pence also says he will “clean house” at the Department of Justice. Pence also ta...

With the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, has Russia's invasion of Ukraine reached a critical turning point? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker speaks with House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) about the United States' commitment to aiding Ukraine financially and with armaments, whether Ukraine should be allowed to...

Robert F Kennedy Jr, scion of the first family of Democratic politics, has launched an insurgent challenge to incumbent Joe Biden for the party’s presidential nomination for 2024. Early polls have suggested he has the backing of up to one fifth of Democratic voters. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Kennedy Jr. sits down with Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker and talks...

As Ron DeSantis launches his campaign for president, the race for the 2024 Republican nomination finally gets under way in earnest. What does he need to do to overhaul Donald Trump’s big lead in the opinion polls? And with Senator Tim Scott also joining the fray this week and other candidates expected to join soon, is there any chance this is more than just a two-horse race? On this episode of the...

Has Reaganomics run its course as the dominant economic model for the right? On the episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker continues his look at the evolution of modern conservative thought with public policy commentator Oren Cass. The two discuss whether there is room in conservative thought for a fundamental rethinking of free-market policies that...

How can U.S. foreign policy succeed in a new age of great power confrontation? Does the challenge of an ascendant China mean U.S. support for a European war against Russia is a dangerous distraction? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, conservative foreign policy analyst Elbridge Colby tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker what's at stake for the United States if China...

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker speaks with All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, who has become an outspoken advocate for the exclusivity of biologically female-born athletes in women's sports. Gaines talks about how her message has been received by the LGBT community, why she no longer has sympathy for her critics, and why she says the...

Joe Biden has officially announced he is running for reelection in 2024. But with his approval ratings in the doldrums, his campaign launch suggests his argument will be focused more on raising fears about the Republican alternative than on promoting his own record. Can he pull it off? On this episode of Free Expression Podcast, political scientist Ruy Teixeira talks to Wall Street Journal editor...

The dominant ideology in America today elevates identity over individuality, victimhood over excellence and race over everything. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, commentator Heather Mac Donald tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why there needs to be a choice between meritocracy and equity, and why the racialization of all aspects academia and culture has caused m...

Should artificial intelligence be embraced or feared? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, computer scientist Yoshua Bengio tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker why he joined others in the technology field in signing an open letter calling for a pause in AI development. They also discuss the potential risks that could come from a lack of a pause, and how artificial inte...

After widespread protests against Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial reforms, the Israeli Prime Minister has put the controversial plan on hold. But what led to the eruption? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, journalist and commentator Ben-Dror Yemini speaks to Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about the challenges of balancing the ambitions of a democratically elec...

Is Donald Trump in legal peril, or is he the target of a political prosecution? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, legal scholar Jonathan Turley tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker why Alvin Bragg's pursuit of an indictment is a true abuse of the justice system, how the case can be used to Donald Trump's advantage, and why the Mar-a-Lago investigation is the legal je...

At the end of a tumultuous week for U.S. banks, former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker on this episode of Free Expression why the feds were wrong to rescue Silicon Valley Bank’s depositors and how the bailout may make things worse for the U.S. financial system. She also warns that the Federal Reserve should pause its interest rate increases next week or...