The Dispatch Podcast
Host Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle and guests for a thoughtful discussion on politics, policy and culture.
Why Trump Wants to Lift Russian Sanctions
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, David French, and Mike Nelson to discuss President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel and the Pentagon’s planned execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan.
The Agenda:
—The state of Ukraine’s defense
—Can Trump legally lift sanctions?
—Why Trump hates Zelensky
—Do voters care about Ukraine?
—Livestreaming Nidal Hasan’s execution
—NWYT: Breaking news in gender science
Show notes:
—New York Times: Chris LaCivita consulting for pro-Russia republic
—President Trump’s a...
What Midterm Polling May Be Getting Wrong
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and Chris Stirewalt to discuss how the midterms are shaping up less than one month out and what to expect from a Democrat-controlled Congress.
The Agenda:
—Interpreting polling
—GOP redistricting
—2028 Democratic candidates
—Can Democrats moderate?
—A Democratic Congress
—NWYT: A Taco Bell ultramarathon
Show notes:
—Wall Street Journal reporting on Kimberly Guilfoyle
—CNN: Trump is clearly trying to buy votes with taxpayer money
—Will DOJ Be a Menace in the Midterms?<...
Can the State Be Trusted With the Death Penalty?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and John McCormack to discuss the botched execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike and Angela Paxton’s “endorsement” ad for Senate candidate Ken Paxton, her estranged husband.
The Agenda:
—Christa Pike’s execution
—Catholic arguments against the death penalty
—What should the state do now?
—Iowa Senate race
—Candidate selection matters
—NWYT: Bowling
Show notes:
—New York Times/Siena poll
—Campaign ‘all coming from DC,’ Paxton says
—The death of third places—Alienate...
Sen. Schmitt’s Failed Attack on Jack Smith
Mike Warren is joined by Jonah Goldberg and Kevin Williamson to discuss Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt’s failed attempt at setting a perjury trap and the Trump administration’s AI luncheon.
The Agenda:
—Schmitt vs. Smith
—What happened to Capitol Hill staff?
—The GOP’s victory lap
—The superintelligence rebrand
—Trump’s AI luncheon
—“Unites States”
—NWYT: Hosting dinner parties
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a nonpartisan perspective. To access all of...
Can Democrats Flip a Kansas Senate Seat?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Mike Warren to discuss the possibility of Democrats flipping a seat in Kansas and the Trump administration’s “public service announcements.”
The Agenda:
—The Senate race in Kansas
—Roger Marshall and patient arrests
—Why are Republicans still confident?
—Trump’s “public service announcements”
—NWYT: The New York Times' top 100 television shows of the 21st century
Show notes:
—Jonah for National Review: Breaking Bad Breaks Through
—Go to The Dispatch to see the panelists' top 10 TV s...
President Trump’s Influence Continues to Wane
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg and Megan McArdle to discuss President Trump’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly and the administration’s decision to ban CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House.
The Agenda:
—Trump’s U.N. speech
—Trump’s waning influence
—The White House press bans
—What the media got wrong
—Trump’s approval rating
—NWYT: A COVID-conscious lesbian bar
Show notes:
—The White House’s justification for banning Politico
—ProPublica reporting on Donald Trump Jr...
Is Trump’s Greenland Deal a Foreign Policy Victory?
Mike Warren is joined by Kevin Williamson and Mike Nelson to examine President Trump’s deal with Denmark on U.S. military presence in Greenland and discuss the reporting by the Washington Post that the Pentagon may be underreporting deaths from the conflict with Iran.
The Agenda:
—Is this the art of the deal?
—NATO welcomes Greenland deal
—Trump’s biggest foreign policy victory?
—The Pentagon’s underreported deaths
—Bipartisan criticism over Pentagon briefing
—Will Hegseth be fired after the midterms?
—NWYT: Evil lairs and the Arc de...
Why GOP Candidates Are Ignoring Trump
Mike Warren is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and Kevin Williamson to discuss why GOP midterm candidates aren’t heeding President Donald Trump’s electoral advice, as well as Texas Railroad Commission candidate Bo French’s racist tweet about a University of Texas football game.
The Agenda:
—GOP candidates ignoring Trump
—Making the election about Trump
—Bo French’s anti-Indian racism
—"Just talk about Abdul El-Sayed"
—NWYT: Demolishing the Kennedy Center
Show notes:
—Jonah Goldberg: Where Have the Grown-Ups Gone?
The Dispatch Podcast...
Will Artificial Intelligence ‘Kill Us All?’
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and Klon Kitchen to discuss the resignation of an Anthropic researcher over concerns that AI may “kill us all,” yet another flip-flop by the Trump administration on Ukraine, and President Trump’s $5,000 bribe to voters during the midterm convention.
The Agenda:
—Jacob Coxon's resignation tweet
—Pacing the AI frontier
—The Hugging Face incident
—AI and foreign policy
—Russia strike near David Petraeus
—NYWT: Trump bribing voters
Show notes:
—James Miller: Why AI might kill everyone<...
Did We Win the War on Terror?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Nelson, and David French to discuss former President George W. Bush’s response to the 9/11 attacks, how the tragedy shaped domestic policy today, and whether or not we won the war on terror.
The Agenda:
—Remembering the events over the course of the day
—How lives were changed after 9/11
—Journalism’s evolution after the attacks
—Did we win the war on terror?
—The enemy gets a vote
Show notes:
—President Bush’s address to Congress following the attacks
—David French...
After Trump
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Michael Reneau to discuss our latest editorial on a post-Trump reality, comments by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff to Vladimir Putin as the U.S. pursues negotiations for an end to the Ukraine war, and finally, a Labor Day edition of Not Worth Your Time.
—Previewing The Dispatch’s editorial on what’s next for the GOP
—Addressing the “Burn it all down” crowd
—You don’t know what time is it
—James Carville's checking the temperature
—Let’s talk about followersh...
Can the GOP Survive Trump’s Approval Numbers?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and John McCormack to discuss Trump’s role within the Republican Party in the upcoming midterms and the Democratic Party’s association with Hasan Piker.
The Agenda:
—Trump’s impact on Republican candidates
—Democrats and Hasan Piker
—The Senate race in Texas
—Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District
—The Senate race in Ohio
—NWYT: Fantasy football
Show notes:
—Mike Warren’s newsletter Next Right
—FantasyPros
—Footballguys
The Dispatch Podcast is a produc...
The Pentagon’s Unprecedented Plan for Venezuelan Oil
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Mike Nelson to discuss the Trump administration’s oil deal with Venezuela and the state of the Iran war six months in.
The Agenda:
—Venezuela oil deal
—Delcy Rodríguez’s presidency
— “We should have the taken the oil!”
—The Venezuela model in Iran
— “No, Iran is not winning”
—NWYT: Milos Yiannopoulos’ deportation
Show notes:
—Wall Street Journal's reporting on the oil deal
—Washington Post reporting on U.S. military leadership
The...
The AI Data Center Moral Panic
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and David French to discuss the political battle over data centers and Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada.
The Agenda:
—Data center u-turn
—How data centers affect communities
—National security implications
—Misinformation about data centers
—The U.S.-Canada trade war
—Worth your time: Dolly Parton
Show notes:
—Megan McArdle’s podcast
—Wall Street Journal’s AI op-ed
—Fox News poll on data centers
—Why’d You Come In Here
—D...
How The U.S. Racked Up Its $40 Trillion Debt
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Mike Warren to discuss the U.S. crossing the $40 trillion debt threshold and the prospect of “growing our way out of it.”
The Agenda:
—Kevin explains how we got here
—Entitlement spending
—What would Paul Ryan do
—The DOGE effort
—Growing our way out of debt
—NWYT: Adulthood disappointments
Show notes:
—Kevin's Wanderland
—Kevin on the tragedy of U.S. debt
—Steve Hayes on DOGE
—"DOGE—the UNIPARTY killed...
Why Trump Is Snubbing South Korea
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Nelson, and Kevin Williamson to discuss President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back military exercises with South Korea, his “good relationship with Kim Jong Un,” and the U.S. munitions crisis.
The Agenda:
—Scaling back South Korea exercises
—Trump’s “relationship” with Kim Jong Un
—Abandoning Japan
—The U.S. munitions crisis
—Southern lane of the strait
—NWYT: The end of Colombia House mail-order club
Show notes:
—North Korea missile barrage
—Oil drilling in Greenla...
What’s Next for the Right?
Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Warren, Jonah Goldberg, and Chris Stirewalt to discuss the future of the conservative movement ahead of the 2026 midterms and 2028 GOP primaries.
The Agenda:
—Subscribe to The Dispatch’s new newsletter, Next Right
—The war for the GOP
—Trump’s successor
—Ideological demography of Republicans
—2028 GOP primaries
—Mike’s conversation with Gov. Brian Kemp
—NWYT: Aspic
Show notes:
—Mike Warren on CNN
—How unpopular is Donald Trump?
—Boiling Frogs on non-MAGA Republicans
<...Are Democratic Socialists Reaching Their Limits?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and Kevin Williamson to discuss the results of this month’s Democratic primaries in Wisconsin and Michigan and the left’s shift away from the radical social justice positions of 2020.
The Agenda:
—Francesca Hong’s loss
—Abdul El-Sayed’s slim victory
—The limits of the far left
—The woke reckoning
—AOC: “Woke 1 was crazy”
—NWYT: A People magazine “exclusive”
Show notes:
—WSJ: “Midwesterners Show the Limits of the Far-Left”
—NYT: “A Stunning Loss in Wisconsin Shows the...
What Abdul El-Sayed’s Win Means for Democrats
Mike Warren and John McCormack discuss the battle between moderates and populists in the Democratic Party and the abuse allegations against Republican Rep. Max Miller.
The Agenda:
—Michigan primary
—Minnesota and Wisconsin primaries
—Blue wave possibilities
—Max Miller allegations
—Trump’s support for Max Miller
—NWYT: The cost of a burrito
Show notes:
—Francesca Hong’s Culver’s tweet
—Francesca Hong’s Thanksgiving tweets
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, a...
Should MAGA Expect Representation in the Mainstream Media?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg and Kevin Williamson to discuss Ross Douthat's departure from the New York Times to CBS News and reflect on the times in their careers where they got an issue wrong.
The Agenda:
—Who Will Replace Ross Douthat?
—MAGA representation in media
—Intellectual honesty vs. partisan loyalty
—Dangers of political journalism
—What Kevin's got wrong
—What Jonah's got wrong
—What Steve's got wrong
—NWYT: Good advice
Show notes:
—George Will: Defeating Trump should be top priority of conservatives
—Kevin: Why I Was Wrong About Head...
The Iran War Is Spiraling Out of Trump’s Control
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, David French, and Mike Nelson to discuss the possible entrance of Russia and China into the Iran war and the possibility of unintentional escalation.
The Agenda:
—The War That Could Swallow the World
—Water system cyberattacks
—Putin and Xi’s calculations
—The Taiwan implication
—U.S. munitions stockpiles
—Trump’s madman theory
—NWYT: Trump’s golf title
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a nonpartisan persp...
Why Socialism Is Becoming Popular on The Left
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Megan McArdle to discuss the growing popularity of socialism on the left and Anthony Fauci’s testimony on Capitol Hill.
The Agenda:
—What is socialism?
—Polling on American sentiment toward socialism
—College dorm life as an ideology
—Tea Party redux
—When to start panicking
—Anthony Fauci’s testimony
—NWYT: Living too long
Show notes:
—Kevin on socialism
—Kevin on democratic socialism
—Occupy Wall Street’s puppet guild
—Jonah...
Why Trump Is Obsessed with Passing the SAVE America Act
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and John McCormack to discuss Donald Trump’s obsessive push for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act and his resulting battle with Republican leadership in Congress.
The Agenda:
—Terminating the filibuster
—Is the SAVE America Act 4-D chess?
—Mike Lee’s suck-up strategy
—Is Trump joking about a 2028 run?
—Trump in the 2028 GOP primaries
—Will the SAVE America Act go anywhere?
—NWYT: The Odyssey and a return to theater-going
Show notes:
—Non...
Why the U.S.-Iran MOU Fell Apart
Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Nelson, David French, and Jonah Goldberg to discuss the latest round of strikes on Iran, the prospect of nuclear proliferation by the Saudi Arabian government, and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s shake-up of Ukraine’s military leadership.
The Agenda:
—What and why are we striking?
—Trump is losing MAGA
—Dwindling U.S. weapons stockpiles
—What will victory look like?
—Leadership change in Ukraine
—Nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia
—NWYT: Laura Loomer
Show notes:
—Buy Dispatch merch
<...The Hidden Privacy Cost of Wearable Tech
Kyla Scanlon, a New York Times contributing opinion writer and the author of In This Economy? How Money & Markets Really Work, joins Steve Hayes, Mike Warren, and John McCormack to discuss the privacy questions surrounding the rise of wearable technology and how to understand America’s modern economy.
The Agenda:
—Kylie Jenner and Meta glasses
—Meta’s theory behind wearable tech
—Are privacy concerns justified?
—What is the state of the economy?
—Understanding money and the stock market
—NYWT: Five cups of coffee
Show notes:
...Dispatch Live: Assessing President Trump’s Election Integrity Address
In a special live Dispatch Podcast, Dispatch founder and CEO Steve Hayes was joined by Dispatch politics editor Michael Warren and senior editor John McCormack to discuss President Donald Trump’s Thursday night election integrity speech.
Show notes:
—Trump's election integrity address
—John McCormack on Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing
—Vice President Vance’s security detail is "fed up"
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War With Iran Kicks Off ... Again
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and Mike Nelson to break down the return of hostilities with Iran and the changing realities in the Russia-Ukraine war, and to recall Lindsey Graham’s tenure in American politics.
The Agenda:
—Is the war back on?
—Oil prices down, stocks up
—“The guardian of the strait.”
—Russia-Ukraine war
—Russia’s economic crisis
—Lindsey Graham’s Tenacious Pursuit of Influence
—NWYT: Being a curmudgeon
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media...
How Trump Made $2.2 Billion Since Taking Office
Morning Dispatch Reporter Surya Gowda joins Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, and Kevin Williamson to explain how Donald Trump made $2.2 billion in 2025 and discuss whether or not his financial gains are ill-gotten.
Then, Kevin and Jonah discuss Graham Platner dropping out of the Maine Senate race and the end of the ceasefire with Iran.
The Agenda:
—Trump’s presidential payday
—Binance founder pardon
—Public perception of corruption
—Allegations against Graham Platner
—Platner's working class cosplay
—Is the Iran war back on?
—How Iran keeps winni...
Why Our European Allies Can’t Count On Us
Steve Hayes is joined by Kevin Williamson and Mike Nelson to discuss Pete Hegseth’s purge of senior military leadership, our relationships with European allies, and the dismissal of Folarin Balogun’s red card.
The Agenda:
—Pete Hegseth’s Warped Vision for the Military
—Firing of Army Gen. Chris Donahue
—Hegseth’s feud with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll
—Celebrity politics
—Gratitude for the French
—Abandoning Europe
—NWYT: Folarin Balogun’s red card
Show notes:
—Lords of Soccer podcast
Learn...
What the Birthright Citizenship Decisions Mean for Conservatism
Mike Warren is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and David French to discuss the MAGA reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision on birthright citizenship and the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence.
The Agenda:
—The state of SCOTUS
—Transgender athletes
—MAGA reactions
—Freedom250 fair
—Trump’s influence on national celebrations
—How to celebrate right
Show notes:
—Advisory Opinions
—SCOTUSblog
—Sean Davis on birthright citizenship
—Matt Walsh on birthright citizenship
—“Country Roads” at the World Cup
What Americans Believe About Foreign Policy
Steve Hayes, Mike Warren, and Jonah Goldberg are joined by Rachel Hoff, policy director at the Ronald Reagan Institute, to take a look at the Reagan Institute’s 2026 Survey Report and what it reveals about American sentiment towards foreign policy.
The Agenda:
—The 2026 survey report
—American support for Iran war
—Partisan shifts in foreign policy
—Socialists win in New York
—Democrats' Pat Buchanan moment
—Gavin Newsom's billionaire tax
—Democrats in San Francisco
—NWYT: Ranch dressing
Show notes:
—Friday G-File
What’s Left of the Right?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Chris Stirewalt, and Megan McArdle for a live recording at 92nd Street Y to discuss what’s left of the right.
The Agenda:
—What happened to Donald Trump?
—The Trump doctrine
—Truth-telling in government
—Future of the Republican Party
—Character in politics
—2028 elections
—NWYT: Seizing Greenland on Red Lobster's behalf
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a nonpartisan perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’...
Will Trump Interfere with the 2026 Midterms?
Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Warren and Stephen Richer to discuss the growing concerns and conversations around election integrity ahead of the 2026 midterms and the proliferation of conspiracy theories about voter fraud.
The Agenda:
—Election integrity
—Media influence on election claims
—California and conspiracy theories
—Understanding voter behavior
—The need for quick election results
—Federal law enforcement & voting
—Trump's influence on 2026 midterms
—NWYT: Trump and the number 22
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company coverin...
The Iran Agreement Is Worse Than You Think
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and Mike Nelson to break down the text of the memorandum of understanding that ended the hostilities between U.S. and Iran.
The Agenda:
—Trump’s goals vs. results
—Iran’s ballistic missiles
—$300 billion reconstruction fund
—Future of Iranian terrorist proxies
—The Art of the Deal
—NWYT: Father’s Day
Show notes:
—ISW report on U.S.-Iran agreement
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering p...
State Corporatism on the Rise
Steve Hayes is joined by Kevin Williamson, Megan McArdle, and Scott Lincicome to discuss AI and state corporatism and what the national debt is costing us today.
The Agenda:
—Bernie Sanders' AI wealth fund proposal
—Government ownership of tech
—Anthropic's Mythos model
—The national debt
—America's most boring nightmare
—NWYT: Optimism
Show notes:
—CATO Institute on a Social Security inflation calculator
—Scott Lincicome on state corporatism
—Europe 2031
—Klon Kitchen on Mythos
—SCOTUSblog live event
The Dispa...
How the Epstein Files Stumped the White House
Steve Hayes is joined by Sarah Isgur, Kevin Williamson, and Mike Warren to discuss the New York Times report on the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files and Graham Platner's primary win in Maine.
The Agenda:
—"Dumb-dumb meetings"
—Trump admin crisis management
—How presidential staff spin stories
—Graham Platner's primary win
—Can Democrats take the Senate?
—NWYT: The World Cup
Show notes:
—New York Times report on the Epstein meetings
—Kevin Williamson on political tribalism
—Kevin Williamson on excu...
The Decline of Donald Trump
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Mike Warren to discuss Donald Trump's interview with Kristen Welker and the latest developments in the Iran war.
The Agenda:
—Trump's Meet the Press interview
—Election integrity claims
—California vote counting
—Trump and Netanyahu
—Negotiating with Iran
—Reporting on the president
—NWYT: Tip creep
Show notes:
—Kevin on Trump's character
—Steve on DOGE and deregulation
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering...
Will Republicans Make Donald Trump a Lame Duck?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Michael Warren, and John McCormack to discuss whether Donald Trump has become a lame duck president and reflect on McCormack's piece on Ben Sasse.
The Agenda:
—Republicans split on slush fund
—Standing up to Trump
—Bill Pulte as director of national intelligence
—Learning from Ben Sasse
—The original Remnant cohost
—How to talk about death
Show notes:
—Ben Sasse's remarks during the Kavanaugh hearings
—Thom Tillis and Scott Bessent on Bill Pulte
—Thune and...
The Ukraine-Russia War Is Entering a New Phase
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, David French, and Mike Nelson to discuss the “new phase” of the Ukraine-Russia war, the “imminent” deal with Iran, and the partisan cheerleading for Graham Platner and Ken Paxton.
The Agenda:
—Exaggerating Ukraine's demise
—U.S. support for Ukraine
—The imminent Iran deal
—Similarities between Paxton and Platner
—The poison of partisan cheerleading
—NWYT: The Great American State Fair
Show notes:
—Lydia Moynihan on Ken Paxton
—Kevin Williamson on the 250 celebration
—Mike Nelson on the Ir...
Can Humanity Be Protected from Artificial Intelligence?
Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and Mike Warren to discuss Pope Leo’s encyclical on artificial intelligence and explain Jonah’s looksmaxxing routine.
The Agenda:
—The encyclical
—Can AI write good narratives?
—AI disclosure laws
—Creative destruction
—Regulating AI
—NWYT: Clavicular's take on books
Show notes:
—Ben Sasse at the Manhattan Institute
—Klon Kitchen on the AI threat
The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from...
