Trump’s Authoritarian Instincts | Roundtable

Political activist Charlie Kirk’s tragic and shocking assassination at Utah Valley University on Wednesday has sparked an outpouring of grief, anxiety, and recriminations over how we arrived at this moment. Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, David French, and Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle to unpack what we know (and don’t) about the murder, discuss how we should think about this political moment, and explore how we can step back from the brink. The Agenda:—Proliferation of violent videos—Navigating threats in political life—Playing into the worst stereotypes—The FBI fumbles investigation—President Donald Trump’s remarks Show Notes:—Yascha Mounk for The Dispatch: “The Assassin’s Veto” The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a battle of flagship podcasts, Steve Hayes invites Sarah Isgur to share her biggest takeaways from her interview with Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Then, listen in as the Advisory Opinions crew speaks with ACB about the strengths and limitations of originalism, insights from her new book, and her writing style. The Agenda:—Sarah’s takeaways—Lightning round!—Give up, “equity docket,” David—Do oral arguments even matter anymore?—All about originalism—Life as a Justice Antonin Scalia clerk—Law school: to go or not to go?—Click HERE to subscribe to Advisory Opinions Advisory Opinions 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 offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, David French, and Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle to discuss the chaotic fiefdoms within the Trump administration, from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure atop the Department of Health and Human Services to Kash Patel’s leadership of the FBI. Plus: How is The Dispatch crew thinking about artificial intelligence? The Agenda:—Firing Dr. Susan Monarez—The GOP divide over anti-establishment figures—How we got to the point of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the CDC—The effects of AI on journalism—The gang’s favorite TV shows Show Notes:—Aaron MacLean for The Dispatch: Not Letting AI Master Us—Jim Pethokoukis for The Dispatch: AI: An Engine of Human Progress—Sen. Bill Cassidy’s floor speech in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, Sarah Isgur, and Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle debate whether Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Donald Trump exhibit similar authoritarian tendencies, discuss the role of elites in democracies, and explore the Democratic Party’s ongoing identity crisis. The Agenda:—Trump’s first and second terms—Can the president do whatever he wants?—Historical context of presidential power—Weak democracies and crisis—Is this all our fault?—The future of Democratic messaging Show Notes:—Nick Catoggio's Boiling Frogs newsletter—Megan McArdle's column on lawfare The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Jamie Weinstein’s final Dispatch Interview Podcast, he invites Matt Lewis, podcaster and columnist for the Los Angeles Times, to grade President Donald Trump's foreign policy, national security, and economic policy objectives. The Agenda:—The raid of John Bolton’s house—The new three legs of conservatism—D.C. crime and the national guard—California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s trolling—Who will be the presidential candidates for the 2028 election? The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Hayes invites Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and famed New York Times columnist David French to discuss the latest in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and dive into the ingredients for a potential financial collapse. The Agenda:—Post-Alaska analysis—Tease 'em, goad 'em, kill ‘em—Security guarantees—We're in debt!—Tariff rebates—NWYT: Backer inners Show Notes:—Listen to Kevin Williamson's interview with Tim Mak on Ukraine —Read Kenneth Rogoff's Foreign Affairs article on the debt crisis The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Mak, Dispatch contributor and founder of The Counteroffensive, joins Kevin Williamson to discuss the details of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladamir Putin in Alaska. The Agenda:—Life in Kyiv amidst war—Analyzing the outcomes of the summit—Trump’s “diplomatic” approaches—The fragmentation of European unity—Mak’s reporting on human interest stories in Ukraine Show Notes: —Tim Mak's piece for The Dispatch on war machines The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Hayes returns to the host chair, joined by coastal elitists Jonah Goldberg, Michael Warren, and Megan McArdle to discuss a wild week in Washington. The Agenda:—The crime debate in D.C.—Shifting toward state capitalism—Does the GOP even believe in free markets anymore?—Best- and worst-case scenarios from the Trump-Putin summit—The DC's 4H has to be pretty modest The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when America’s Middle East policy collides with conservative skepticism? Jamie Weinstein goes head-to-head with Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative, to unpack the politics, power plays, and high-stakes history behind U.S.–Israel relations. The Agenda: —Why some on the right don’t back Israel —Israel-Iran tensions —Israel’s endgame in the region —How U.S. politics gets shaped from abroad —The problem with “forever wars” —Epstein, Mossad, and the right-wing connection The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including members-only newsletters, bonus podcast episodes, and weekly livestreams—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah Goldberg grabs the host’s chair and steers Megan McArdle, Chris Stirewalt, and Kevin Williamson through a lively discussion into the political turbulence in Texas. The Agenda:—How upset should we be about redistricting in Texas?—Collin Allred versus Ken Paxton—Megan McArdle is mad about the BLS firing—Nielsen ratings are fake, but they are reliably fake—'It's a race to the bottom and everyone loses.'—The impact of postmodernism on politics—NWYT: Rule followers are suckers The Dispatch Podcast 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 offerings—including members-only newsletters, bonus podcast episodes, and weekly livestreams—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices