Podcasts

Bodega Campaign Tactics

"The way he slurped those onions!"

By , and
4

As Congress devolves into high school drama, Sarah, Jonah, and Mike discuss the fight over aid to Ukraine and Israel and the resulting threats to oust Speaker Mike Johnson.

The Agenda:
—Internal drama and blocks to getting foreign aid passed
—Polling shows Trump losing his lead in swing states
—Trump’s bodega campaign tactics
—Latinos’ affinity for Trump: real or media illusion?
—The need for messianic figures in politics
—Assessing the Biden administration’s public-facing stance on Israel
—Does spanking children reveal a cultural divide between the elites and working-class people?

Show Notes:
—Mike Johnson’s interview with Jake Tapper
—National polling
—Nick Catoggio’s Boiling Frogs on Mike Johnson
—This week’s Collision
—The Commentary Magazine podcast
—Jonah’s G-File on the messianic temptation
—The Remnant with Eli Lake
—Matthew Yglesias on “the spanking gap”

By , and
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

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About Sarah Isgur

Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in northern Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2019, she had worked in every branch of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns. When Sarah is not hosting podcasts or writing newsletters, she’s probably sending uplifting stories about spiders to Jonah, who only pretends to love all animals.
More from Sarah Isgur

About Michael Warren

Michael Warren is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he was an on-air reporter at CNN and a senior writer at the Weekly Standard. When Mike is not reporting, writing, editing, and podcasting, he is probably spending time with his wife and three sons.
More from Michael Warren
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About Jonah Goldberg

Editor in chief & co-founder of The Dispatch and Remnant podcast host. A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an L.A. Times columnist, CNN commentator, and author of three NYT bestsellers. Goldberg worked at National Review for two decades.
More from Jonah Goldberg

Retire Universal Injunctions

"The combination of universal injunctions and the mandatory legal process has made courts more prominent in our political life."

By and
25

There’s not much worth discussing yet in Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York, so Sarah and David focus on the Supreme Court and a case on Idaho’s law restricting gender-transition treatment for minors. Plus: Murmurs about Clarence Thomas’ brief absence.

The Agenda:
—Election law crimes, tax crimes, and falsification of business records
—Challenges of broad injunctions
—Idaho’s Vulnerable Child Protection Act
—SCOTUS exhausted with emergency docket applications
—Justices call to retire universal injunctions
—January 6 arguments before SCOTUS
—SCOTUS declines to intervene in a police lawsuit against a Black Lives Matter activist
—Obstructions in official proceedings
—Legal issues in the Iran-Israel conflict

Show Notes:
—Labrador v. Poe
—Counterman v. Colorado
—18 U.S. Code § 1512 – Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant

By and
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

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About Sarah Isgur

Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in northern Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2019, she had worked in every branch of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns. When Sarah is not hosting podcasts or writing newsletters, she’s probably sending uplifting stories about spiders to Jonah, who only pretends to love all animals.
More from Sarah Isgur
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About David French

David French is a columnist for the New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch. He’s the author most recently of Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.
More from David French

Tucker Carlson, King of the Isolationists

"Israel is allowed to fight, but they are only allowed to fight to a tie."

By
42

Eli Lake, The Remnant’s resident bloodthirsty war hawk, returns to the pod to break down the situation with Israel and Iran. The two get into why America has no strategic vision on Iran, the growing alliance of left- and right-wing isolationists, and how Tucker Carlson has become so unhinged.

Show Notes:
—Eli’s profile at The Free Press
—Eli’s piece on Tucker Carlson and Russia
—Eli’s piece on the FBI
—The Remnant with Nancy French

By
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

Photo of Jonah Goldberg

About Jonah Goldberg

Editor in chief & co-founder of The Dispatch and Remnant podcast host. A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an L.A. Times columnist, CNN commentator, and author of three NYT bestsellers. Goldberg worked at National Review for two decades.
More from Jonah Goldberg

Fancy Nancy

Love and politics.

By
55

Jonah is joined by author, speechwriter, and ghostwriter Nancy French to discuss her new book, Ghosted: An American Story. Nancy tells the tale of how she came to meet the permanent guest host of Advisory Opinions (who is now dead to Jonah), how the Republican Party’s embrace of Donald Trump left her and her family ostracized, and also gives an update on her battle with cancer.

Show Notes:
—Ghosted: An American Story
—Bristol Palin’s book, Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far
—Nancy’s investigation into abuse at a Christian camp

By
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

Photo of Jonah Goldberg

About Jonah Goldberg

Editor in chief & co-founder of The Dispatch and Remnant podcast host. A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an L.A. Times columnist, CNN commentator, and author of three NYT bestsellers. Goldberg worked at National Review for two decades.
More from Jonah Goldberg

The Enormous Powers of the President

"Presidential integrity depends on character and norms."

By and
39

Co-authors Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer join the podcast to discuss their book, After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency, and the need to reform presidential power. But first, a protest and a dinner party at a Berkeley Law School dean’s house. Did the location qualify as a public forum? Sarah and David evaluate.

The Agenda:
—Dean of Berkeley Law School and a Palestinian Protest: 1A protection?
—How to go about civil disobedience
—Reforming the Insurrection Act
—The need for bipartisan support in reforming presidential powers
—Did Donald Trump abuse the pardon power as president?
—Special counsels and the fear of rigging prosecutions

Show Notes:
—The Logan Act
—The American Law Institute
—David’s Sunday column

By and
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

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About Sarah Isgur

Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in northern Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2019, she had worked in every branch of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns. When Sarah is not hosting podcasts or writing newsletters, she’s probably sending uplifting stories about spiders to Jonah, who only pretends to love all animals.
More from Sarah Isgur
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About David French

David French is a columnist for the New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch. He’s the author most recently of Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.
More from David French

How to Read Politics and Politicians

What did The 1619 Project get wrong?

By
19

Jamie is joined by New York Times opinion columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Carlos Lozada to discuss his new book, The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians. The two discuss how to read a politician’s memoir and the failures of The 1619 Project.

The Agenda:
—Does everyone use a ghostwriter?
—Insights from the acknowledgments section
—Inside Obama’s presidency
—Has The 1619 Project harmed the NYT’s brand?
—The worst books by politicians

Show Notes:
—Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama
—Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose
—Decision Points

By
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

About Jamie Weinstein

Jamie Weinstein is the host of Monday’s episode of The Dispatch Podcast, based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining The Dispatch, he was the host of The Jamie Weinstein Show. He has previously written for Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, and National Review, among other publications, and has appeared as a commentator on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and HBO’s “Real Time w/ Bill Maher.” When Jamie is not hosting, he is spending time with his wife and three rambunctious boys or working on his many entrepreneurial pursuits.
More from Jamie Weinstein

Political Palates

What does Jonah think of Vanderpump Rules?

By
53

Jonah opens up this week’s Ruminant with an indulgent diatribe against Top Chef and Wisconsin cheese. He then pivots toward even more divisive topics, such as Trump’s abortion statement and the messiah-like energy around Barack Obama. Then our culinary-political connoisseur goes on an epicurean journey of topics: hostile work environments, the problems with binary choices, and the definition of a liberal.

Show Notes:
—Jonah’s Wednesday G-File
—Friday’s Dispatch Podcast roundtable
—Top Chef Wisconsin Cheese Festival recap
—American Masters: “The Incomparable Mr. Buckley”

By
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

Photo of Jonah Goldberg

About Jonah Goldberg

Editor in chief & co-founder of The Dispatch and Remnant podcast host. A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an L.A. Times columnist, CNN commentator, and author of three NYT bestsellers. Goldberg worked at National Review for two decades.
More from Jonah Goldberg

No True Conviction on Abortion

Has Western media fallen?

By , and
84

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah react to Donald Trump’s milquetoast yet controversial statement on abortion and how it’s confusing Republican abortion policy at large.

The Agenda:
—What do people really think about abortion?
—Conviction vs. convenience on the abortion issue
—Israel’s pullout from southern Gaza
—Is Israel making the same mistakes as America?
—Craziness on college campuses
—Trump’s “Sister Souljah” moment
—Does Hamas have “enough” living hostages?
—How NPR lost America’s trust
—What have we gotten wrong?

Show Notes:
—Trump’s “rogue cops” comment
—2022 midterm exit polls
—David French’s writing on a “pro-life culture”
—The Dispatch editorial on the lesser of two evils
—Trump: “Take the guns first, go through due process second.”
—The Dispatch Podcast with Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns

By , and
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

Avatar photo

About Sarah Isgur

Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in northern Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2019, she had worked in every branch of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns. When Sarah is not hosting podcasts or writing newsletters, she’s probably sending uplifting stories about spiders to Jonah, who only pretends to love all animals.
More from Sarah Isgur
Photo of Jonah Goldberg

About Jonah Goldberg

Editor in chief & co-founder of The Dispatch and Remnant podcast host. A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an L.A. Times columnist, CNN commentator, and author of three NYT bestsellers. Goldberg worked at National Review for two decades.
More from Jonah Goldberg
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About Steve Hayes

Steve Hayes is the editor and CEO of The Dispatch.
More from Steve Hayes

Real Originalism Has Never Been Tried

Student loan forgiveness: elephants in mouseholes?

By and
82

Sarah and David explain the jury questionnaire in Alvin Bragg’s case against Donald Trump before getting into the weeds of the origins of originalism.

The Agenda:
—How to select a jury for Trump
—Celebrity trial jury instructions
—Biden swings again at student loan forgiveness
—Did the Warren court birth originalism?
—Originalism vs. platonic idealism
—More questions from a high schooler
—How do judicial ethics actually work?
—The myth of the 6-3 court
—The most important SCOTUS decisions

By and
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

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About Sarah Isgur

Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in northern Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2019, she had worked in every branch of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns. When Sarah is not hosting podcasts or writing newsletters, she’s probably sending uplifting stories about spiders to Jonah, who only pretends to love all animals.
More from Sarah Isgur
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About David French

David French is a columnist for the New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch. He’s the author most recently of Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.
More from David French

Bad Leaders, Wrong Turns

Antisemitism is a scapegoat for societies in crisis.

By
47

Jonah is joined by Dr. Einat Wilf—a former member of Israel’s Labor Party and author of The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace. They discuss  Israel’s failure to reckon with antisemitism in the pro-Palestinian movement, how the two-state solutions got derailed, and what bad leadership means for the future of the conflict.

Show Notes:
—Dr. Wilf’s website

—Dr. Wilf on the history of Zionism and UNRWA
—Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II

By
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

Photo of Jonah Goldberg

About Jonah Goldberg

Editor in chief & co-founder of The Dispatch and Remnant podcast host. A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an L.A. Times columnist, CNN commentator, and author of three NYT bestsellers. Goldberg worked at National Review for two decades.
More from Jonah Goldberg

Hillbillies in the Mist

"Treat rural people as people and acknowledge their complexity."

By
74

Was it your racism or economic despair that made you vote for Donald Trump? That’s the question media outlets are asking white people in the Rust Belt and Appalachia, much to the dismay of guest-host Chris Stirewalt.

In today’s episode of The Remnant, Chris is joined by Tyler Austin Harper—a professor at Bates College—to discuss his piece for The Atlantic critiquing White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy. Join the two as they break down coastal journalists’ mischaracterizations of rural America, the disdain for these Americans, and why it’s good to interact with people culturally different than yourself.

Show Notes:
—Harper for The Atlantic: Polyamory, the Ruling Class’s Latest Fad
—A new AP-NORC poll shows Americans still agree on most core American values
—Tim Carney’s book, Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be

By
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

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About Chris Stirewalt

Chris Stirewalt is a contributing editor at The Dispatch, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, the politics editor for NewsNation, co-host of the Ink Stained Wretches podcast, and author of Broken News, a book on media and politics.
More from Chris Stirewalt

Jack Smith Scolds Judge

"Trump's defense counsel is more impressive than people give them credit for."

By and
58

Things get heated in Trump’s classified documents case.
In a court filing this week in Donald Trump’s classified documents case, special counsel Jack Smith challenged Judge Aileen Cannon by vowing to appeal any decision that included the Presidential Record Act in jury instructions. David and Sarah discuss Smith’s public move and what it means for the case.
The Agenda:
—Sarah’s recaps her defamation law musical experience
—Justice Sotomayor’s age raises questions about the right time for Justices to retire
—Is Trump’s defense counsel actually good?
—Jack Smith’s frustration with Judge Aileen Cannon
—Answering questions from high school students
—Yes, we’re still discussing work-life balance
Show Notes:
—Presidential Records Act
—New York Times Company v. Sullivan

By and
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

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About Sarah Isgur

Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in northern Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2019, she had worked in every branch of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns. When Sarah is not hosting podcasts or writing newsletters, she’s probably sending uplifting stories about spiders to Jonah, who only pretends to love all animals.
More from Sarah Isgur
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About David French

David French is a columnist for the New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch. He’s the author most recently of Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.
More from David French

Debating the Israel-Hamas War

"The aim is to make Gaza unlivable."

By
226

Mehdi Hasan, former MSNBC host and co-founder of the media outlet Zeteo, joins Jamie for a heated debate about Israel’s response to Hamas’ October 7 attack and the accusations that the IDF is committing war crimes.

The Agenda:
—Laying out the current situation in Gaza
—The issue of proportionality in the use of force
—Debating casualty numbers from the Gaza Health Ministry
—The feasibility of a two-state solution
—The question of war crimes
—The United States’ role in the conflict

Show Notes:

—WSJ: “Mansour Abbas Is an Arab and a Proud Israeli”

By
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

About Jamie Weinstein

Jamie Weinstein is the host of Monday’s episode of The Dispatch Podcast, based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining The Dispatch, he was the host of The Jamie Weinstein Show. He has previously written for Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, and National Review, among other publications, and has appeared as a commentator on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and HBO’s “Real Time w/ Bill Maher.” When Jamie is not hosting, he is spending time with his wife and three rambunctious boys or working on his many entrepreneurial pursuits.
More from Jamie Weinstein

Goldfish Memories

"The abstract third party candidate is not there, there is no person who scratches all those itches."

By
38

Frazzled and under-caffeinated, Jonah jogs through some sundry punditry, from the state of The Federalist Society to beltway media’s bipartisan fixation with pounces.

Show Notes:
—This week’s Dispatch Podcast roundtable discussion
—Advisory Opinions episode on the Federalist Society
—Advisory Opinions episode on federal judges visiting Israel
—Gregg T. Nunziata’s piece for The Dispatch
—Nigel Tufnel via The Simpson‘s fan Wiki
—Michael Weiss on Dispatch Live
—J. D. Vance’s tweet on Havana Syndrome report
—Jonah’s G-File on blowhards
—Chef José Andrés reaction to World Central Kitchen deaths. —No Labels reporting from The Dispatch

By
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

Photo of Jonah Goldberg

About Jonah Goldberg

Editor in chief & co-founder of The Dispatch and Remnant podcast host. A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an L.A. Times columnist, CNN commentator, and author of three NYT bestsellers. Goldberg worked at National Review for two decades.
More from Jonah Goldberg

Biden’s Losing the Vibe War

Will American politics stay weird?

By , and
78

Jonah the usurper invites Kevin, Mike, and Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle on today’s episode of The Dispatch Podcast for some unfettered, wide-ranging punditry stretching from Biden’s wobbling support of Israel to the political implications of Florida’s abortion law.

The Agenda:
—World Central Kitchen deaths in Gaza
—Biden’s balancing act between addressing concerns from the pro-Palestinian crowd and supporting Israel
—The Florida Supreme Court upholds the state’s six-week abortion ban, but the pro-life victory could be short-lived
—California’s housing crisis and the state’s regulatory barriers

By , and
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

Photo of Jonah Goldberg

About Jonah Goldberg

Editor in chief & co-founder of The Dispatch and Remnant podcast host. A scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, an L.A. Times columnist, CNN commentator, and author of three NYT bestsellers. Goldberg worked at National Review for two decades.
More from Jonah Goldberg

About Michael Warren

Michael Warren is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he was an on-air reporter at CNN and a senior writer at the Weekly Standard. When Mike is not reporting, writing, editing, and podcasting, he is probably spending time with his wife and three sons.
More from Michael Warren
Portrait of Kevin D Williamson

About Kevin D. Williamson

Kevin D. Williamson is national correspondent at The Dispatch and is based in Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2022, he spent 15 years as a writer and editor at National Review, worked as the theater critic at the New Criterion, and had a long career in local newspapers. He is also a writer in residence at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. When Kevin is not reporting on the world outside Washington for his Wanderland newsletter, you can find him at the rifle range or reading a book about literally almost anything other than politics.
More from Kevin D. Williamson

The Federalist Society in Peril

"Team conservative."

By and
142

Sarah and David dive into two op-eds challenging the Federalist Society and the call for lawyers to uphold the tradition of liberty under law.

The Agenda:
—Mayfield v. Butler, retaliation, and political targeting
—Risks and challenges facing the Federalist Society
—Did Trump-era advances in jurisprudence come at a deep civic cost?
—The Thomas’ article on the judicial filibuster
—Will Peter Navarro’s attempts to evade jail time succeed? (Spoiler: No)
—Sarah and David answer work-life balance questions

Show Notes:
—Villareal v. City of Laredo
—Gonzalez v. Trevino
—Justice Breyer’s bookshelf
—Advisory Opinions podcast on Federal Judges visiting Israel

By and
Worth Your Time

How Trump’s New York Criminal Trial Might Play Out

and

Private Affairs

Fancy Nancy

Bodega Campaign Tactics

, and

Echoes in the Echo Chamber

Avatar photo

About Sarah Isgur

Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in northern Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2019, she had worked in every branch of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns. When Sarah is not hosting podcasts or writing newsletters, she’s probably sending uplifting stories about spiders to Jonah, who only pretends to love all animals.
More from Sarah Isgur
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About David French

David French is a columnist for the New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch. He’s the author most recently of Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.
More from David French