The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Guest: Kevin Slack

Host Scot Bertram talks with Kevin Slack, associate professor of politics at Hillsdale College, about the tradition of American folktales, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and the brand-new online course, “American Folktales: The Literature, Lore, and Legends of America.”

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Victoria Coates

Host Scot Bertram talks with Victoria Coates, vice president of The Heritage Foundation’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, about the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy, the future of energy production in the Middle East, and the untapped potential of Africa.

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Miles Smith IV

Host Scot Bertram talks with Miles Smith IV, associate professor of history at Hillsdale College, about the lost American idea of the Christian soldier, the questions raised by faith and warfare, and his new book, Valiant & Pious: The Idea of the Christian Soldier in America, 1776–1918.

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Roger Kimball

Host Scot Bertram talks with Roger Kimball, editor and publisher of The New Criterion and president and publisher of Encounter Books, about finding joy as a conservative, the history of conservative thought, and his recent essay, "Standing Athwart Despair: The Case for Cheerful Conservatism."

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Matthew Mehan

Host Scot Bertram talks with Matthew Mehan, associate dean and associate professor at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., about building character in K-12 education, the growing movement to reform education, and his contribution to the upcoming book of essays, The Phoenix Principles: Toward a Rebirth of American Education.

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Delano Squires

Host Scot Bertram talks with Delano Squires, director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Human Flourishing at The Heritage Foundation, about the history of the black family in America, the damages caused to the black family by feminism and the welfare state, and his new book The Vanishing Black Family: How Welfare and Feminism Made Marriage Optional and Children Vulnerable.

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Glenn Ellmers

Host Scot Bertram talks with Glenn Ellmers, Salvatori research fellow at Claremont Institute, about the ongoing creed-versus-culture debate on the Right, the scholarship of Harry Jaffa, and his recent essay, “Harry Jaffa, America 250, and the Creed-Culture Debate.”

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: D.G. Hart

Host Scot Bertram talks with D.G. Hart, professor of history at Hillsdale College, about the history of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, America’s tradition of preserving historical locations, and his new book, Independence Hall: The History of an American Icon.

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Patrick Timmis

Host Scot Bertram talks with Patrick Timmis, assistant professor of English at Hillsdale College, about the life and accomplishments of English poet Edmund Spenser and his poem "The Faerie Queene." 

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Robert Livingston

Host Scot Bertram talks with Robert Livingston, former U.S. representative from Louisiana, about efforts by the Biden White House to punish political enemies through lawfare, his own experience as a target of the judicial system, and his new book: The Rainbow Chaser: The Man Who Gambled for Success and Broke Even.

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Nathan Herring

Host Scot Bertram talks with Nathan Herring, associate professor of physics at Hillsdale College, about the life and accomplishments of physicist Ludwig Boltzmann. 

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guest: Mollie Hemingway

Host Scot Bertram talks with Mollie Hemingway, senior journalism fellow at Hillsdale College and editor-in-chief at The Federalist, about the upcoming midterm elections, Big Tech and artificial intelligence, and the decision by the Trump administration to restrict the access of certain media companies from White House grounds. Mollie’s most recent book is Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Supreme Court and Restored the Constitution.

To learn more about Hillsdale College, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

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Guests: Bradley Thayer and Jeremiah Regan

Host Scot Bertram talks with Bradley Thayer, American Freedom Alliance fellow and founding member of the Committee on the Present Danger: China, about the struggle against global communism and his new book, America's 100 Years' War: How to Win Against Communism. And Jeremiah Regan, executive director of online learning at Hillsdale College, discusses Hillsdale’s new online course, “Revolutionary America: From Subjects to Citizens.”

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Guest: Victor Davis Hanson

Host Scot Bertram talks with Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow in military history at the Hoover Institution and Distinguished Fellow in History at Hillsdale College, about the unlikely return of Donald Trump to the White House, as well as his new book, The Counterrevolution: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement.

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Guests: Matthew Spalding and J. A. Jackson

Host Scot Bertram talks with Matthew Spalding, vice president of Washington Operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., about the ideological capture of the National Museum of American History and his recent essay, “Make American History National Again.” And J. A. Jackson, professor of English and Edrie Seward Kennedy Chair in English at Hillsdale College, discusses the art of literary analysis and his new co-authored book, Elements of Analysis.

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Guests: Todd Starnes and Julio Suarez

Host Scot Bertram talks with Todd Starnes, conservative columnist, commentator, writer, and radio host, about the accomplishments of the Trump administration and his new book The Golden Age: How Trump Saved America. And Julio Suarez, chairman and associate professor of art, discusses the philosophy of teaching art at Hillsdale College.

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Guests: Stephen Smith and Sam Lair

Host Scot Bertram talks with Stephen Smith, dean of humanities and Professor of English at Hillsdale College, to preview his brand-new online course, “The Iliad.” And Sam Lair, former director of The Center for American Education at the Idaho Freedom Foundation, discusses his Hillsdale College Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship dissertation on the political thought and statesmanship of James Monroe.

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Guests: Seth Barron and Elizabeth Fredericks

Host Scot Bertram talks with Seth Barron, editorial board member at the New York Post, who explains how the Left is moving power away from the people and into the hands of an administrative class and discusses his new book Weaponized: The Left's Capture and Destruction of America's Sacred Institutions. And Elizabeth Fredericks, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, begins a series on the British literature of World War I. This week, she focuses on the emotional tone of British writing at the start of the war. 

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Guests: Jay Bhattacharya and Mark Edward Lender

Host Scot Bertram plays excerpts from a lecture by Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health of the United States, titled "Restoring Gold Standard Science." And Mark Edward Lender, author and historian, discusses the keys to victory in the American Revolution and his book War Without Mercy: Liberty or Death in the American Revolution.

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Guests: Jan Jekielek and Kelly Scott Franklin

Host Scot Bertram talks with Jan Jekielek, senior editor at The Epoch Times and host of American Thought Leaders, about China's state-sanctioned harvesting of organs from living donors and his new book Killed to Order: China's Organ Harvesting Industry and the True Nature of America's Biggest Adversary. And Kelly Scott Franklin, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a series on the poems of Emily Dickinson. This week, he focuses on "Tell all the truth but tell it slant." 

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Guests: Donald P. Hodel and Stephanie Lauback

Host Scot Bertram talks with Donald P. Hodel, former secretary of energy and former secretary of the interior in the Reagan administration, about the leadership lessons he learned working for President Reagan, as well as his new biography, Called to Serve: My Path to President Reagan's Cabinet and Beyond. And Stephanie Lauback, associate professor of physics at Hillsdale College, discusses her research into nanotechnology and magnetism.

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Guests: Benedict Whalen and Carson Holloway

Host Scot Bertram talks with Benedict Whalen, chairman and associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, to preview his brand-new online course, “The Odyssey.” And Carson Holloway, department chair and professor of political society at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Washington fellow at the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life, discusses the shortcomings of American libel law and his new book, No Liberty to Libel: The Constitutional Case against New York Times v. Sullivan.

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Guests: Gad Saad and Stephen Smith

Host Scot Bertram talks with Gad Saad, professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and host of The Saad Truth podcast, about the potential dangers of altruism and his new book, Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind. And Stephen Smith, dean of humanities and Temple Family Chair in English Literature at Hillsdale College, discusses the life and teachings of St. Thomas More and his new book, The Last Riddle: Advice on Living and Dying Well from the Imprisoned Saint Thomas More.

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Guests: Khalil Habib and Wilfred McClay

Host Scot Bertram talks with Khalil Habib, associate professor of politics and Allison and Dorothy Rouse Professor in Politics at Hillsdale College, about the American Founding and his recent essay, “The Importance of the Fourth of July, According to the Adams Family.” And Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College, discusses the importance of measured patriotism and his recent article, “Memory and America’s Birthday.”

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Guest: Brad Birzer

Host Scot Bertram talks with Brad Birzer, professor of history and Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College, about the years leading up to 1776, the importance of the common law tradition to the American Founders, and his new book, The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Experiment in Liberty.

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Guests: Scott W. Rasmussen and Richard Samuelson

Host Scot Bertram talks with Scott W. Rasmussen, legendary pollster and political analyst, about the character of American elites and his new book, Out of Touch: The Elite One Percent and the Battle for America's Soul. And Richard Samuelson, associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C. campus, continues a series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. This week, the lead-up to the Declaration of Independence.

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Guests: Arthur Herman and Bradley C.S. Watson

Host Scot Bertram talks with Arthur Herman, New York Times bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist, about the impact of the Founders throughout American history and his new book, Founder’s Fire: From 1776 to the Age of Trump. And Bradley C.S. Watson, associate professor of government at Hillsdale’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C., discusses the shortcomings of the conservative legal movement and his recent essay “Shock Therapy for Our Lawless Legal System.”

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Guests: Eric Metaxas and Batya Ungar Sargon

Host Scot Bertram talks with Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author and the host of Socrates in the City and The Eric Metaxas Show, about the events leading up to our nation’s founding and his new book, Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World. And Batya Ungar-Sargon, columnist for The Free Press and the host of Batya! on NewsNation, joins the show to tell us why Jews become devoted Democrats and why Democrats turned on them. Her latest book is The Jews and th...

Guests: Mary L. G. Theroux and Mardi Billman

Host Scot Bertram talks with Mary L. G. Theroux, chairman and chief executive officer at the Independent Institute, about working toward practical solutions to the homelessness crisis and her book, Beyond Homeless: Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes, Transformative Solutions. And Mardi Billman, associate professor of chemistry at Hillsdale College, returns for another series on drama in scientific discovery. This week, she concludes a discussion on fire and how combustion works.

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Guests: Heather Mac Donald and Richard Samuelson

Host Scot Bertram talks with Heather Mac Donald, the Thomas W. Smith fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor at City Journal, about efforts by the Trump administration to curb DEI programs and her book When Race Trumps Merit: How the Pursuit of Equity Sacrifices Excellence, Destroys Beauty, and Threatens Lives. And Richard Samuelson, associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C. campus, continues a series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. This week, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Abigail Adams’ admonition to “remember the l...

Guests: Matthew Mehan and Randy Barnett

Host Scot Bertram talks with Matthew Mehan, associate dean and associate professor at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., about the pedagogical power of fables and his new book, The American Book of Fables. And Randy Barnett, professor of constitutional law at the Georgetown University Law Center and director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution, discusses his time as a prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and his new book, Felony Review: Tales of True Crime and Corruption in C...

Guests: John Tillman and Luke Foster

Host Scot Bertram talks with John Tillman, CEO of the American Culture Project, about the Left's strategies for influencing elected officials and his new book The Political Vise: How the Radical Left Controls America and the Path to Regaining Our Liberty. And Luke Foster, assistant professor of government at Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., discusses the spirit of a gentleman.

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Guests: Mollie Hemingway and Janie Nitze

Host Scot Bertram talks with Mollie Hemingway, senior journalism fellow at Hillsdale College and editor-in-chief at The Federalist, about Justice Samuel Alito's impact on the Supreme Court and her new book Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Supreme Court and Restored the Constitution. And Janie Nitze, lawyer and New York Times best-selling author, discusses her new children’s book, co-authored with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch: Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence. 

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Guests: E.J. Antoni and Nathan Herring

Host Scot Bertram talks with E.J. Antoni, chief economist of the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation, about the economic impact of the Iran war and his recent co-authored report on the future of Social Security. And Nathan Herring, assistant professor of physics at Hillsdale College, discusses the life and accomplishments of physicist Michael Faraday. 

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Guests: Jeremiah Regan, Anna Giaritelli, & Scott Jennings

Host Scot Bertram talks with Jeremiah Regan, executive director of online learning at Hillsdale College, about Hillsdale’s upcoming documentary film Revolutionary America. Anna Giaritelli, homeland security reporter for the Washington Examiner, discusses her sexual assault, the efforts by the Washington D.C. Police Department to obscure crime statistics, and her new book, Under Assault: A Crime Reporter’s True Story of Overcoming Sexual Trauma and Exposing Injustice. And we play excerpts from a speech by Scott Jennings, senior political commentator at CNN, given at a recent Hillsdale National Leadership Seminar. ...

Guests: Kelly Shackelford & Kelly Scott Franklin

Host Scot Bertram talks with Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of First Liberty Institute, about the current state of religious liberty in the United States and his work on President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission. And Kelly Scott Franklin, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, returns for a new series on the poems of Emily Dickinson. This week, he focuses on "Death sets a Thing significant." 

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Guests: Kathleen O'Toole & Mardi M. Billman

Host Scot Bertram talks with Kathleen O'Toole, associate vice president for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, about the importance of education in forming citizens and her essay "Citizenship Starts in the Classroom." And Mardi Billman, associate professor of chemistry at Hillsdale College, returns for another series on drama in scientific discovery. This week, she begins to discuss the discovery of fire. 

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Guests: John Kass & Matthew Mehan

Host Scot Bertram talks with John Kass, an independent Chicago-based columnist and host of The Chicago Way podcast, about his legendary journalism career in Chicago and what the city’s mistakes can teach the rest of the country. And Matthew Mehan, associate dean and associate professor at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., discusses the importance of children in American political life and his report "The Higher Purpose of Children in American Society."

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Guests: Mary Katharine Ham & Benjamin Beier

Host Scot Bertram talks with Mary Katharine Ham, host of the Getting Hammered and Normally podcasts and writer at Fox News and OutKick, about her career in journalism and the changing landscape of media in America. And Benjamin Beier, chairman and associate professor of education at Hillsdale College, previews the new Hillsdale online course, Classical Logic and Rhetoric.

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Guests: Mollie Hemingway & Christina J. Lambert

Host Scot Bertram talks with Mollie Hemingway, Senior Journalism Fellow at Hillsdale College and editor-in-chief at The Federalist, about the political issues that will affect the results of the upcoming midterm elections and her upcoming book Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Supreme Court and Restored the Constitution. And Christina J. Lambert, assistant professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a series on the life and work of poet and playwright T. S. Eliot. This week, she discusses Eliot's The Waste Land.

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