The Big Ben Show

Latest Episodes:

A Month Of Shock and Awe Feb 19, 2025

Show notes

Almost a full month into the second Trump administration, the pace has shocked the political world. Ben breaks down the firings and upcoming legislative agenda, from the flurry of executive orders to the Elon Musk-fueled disruption of government bureaucracy.

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What Is Going On With USAID? Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

Ben analyzes the complexities of the USAID and how President Trump's plans for the agency will impact American interests abroad.

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Where Will The Media Go After The Second Trump Administration? Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

As media layoffs and organizational pivots begin following President Trump's return to the White House, Ben delivers a monologue going into detail on how this happened, and how it may shape the industry going forward.

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A New Era In The Nation's Capitol Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Days into the second Trump Administration and the President is hitting the ground running. Ben gives his thoughts on a memorable inaugural weekend, highlighting the remarkable odds President Trump overcame to return to the Oval Office.

He also looks ahead to the 2026 midterms, forecasting what the slim Republican majority will be able to accomplish in Congress.

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Fireworks On Capitol Hill To Confirm President-elect Trump's Cabinet Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

Ben breaks down the confirmation hearing of Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, and how he was able to survive major blows from the Democrats and the media.

Plus, he argues how Pete's fight for survival helped other nominees and could be the determining factor in President-elect Trump getting his entire cabinet confirmed.

Ben also shares why he thinks Republicans should let Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) speak at every confirmation hearing.

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House Oversight Chairman James Comer: All The President's Money Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

In his new book, All the President's Money: Investigating the Secret Foreign Schemes That Made the Biden Family Rich, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) details the work that his committee has done to show how the Biden family profited off of their political power at the expense of the American taxpayer.

Plus, Chairman Comer previews some of the big-ticket items Congress has on the agenda for the second Trump Administration.

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2024: The Best And Worst of Movies & Television Jan 01, 2025

Show notes

As we ring in the New Year, Life Editor of The Spectator World, Ross Andersen weighs in on the most popular movies and television series from 2024. While noting some of the biggest hits of the year were Twisters and Shogun, they analyze why highly anticipated sequels such as Joker 2 and Moana 2 didn't quite hit the mark.

Plus, they discuss their all-time favorite Christmas movies and look ahead to 2025.

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Eight Days in July That Changed Everything Dec 25, 2024

Show notes

On this encore episode, Ben recalls one of the most monumental weeks in American political history in mid-July. It was a week that included former President Trump narrowly surviving an assassination attempt, accepting a Presidential nomination, and selecting a Vice-Presidential nominee all within around 52 hours.

Plus, the wagons were circling President Biden as a key ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) publicly called for the President to step aside, as the 46th President of the United States would eventually do so, just 2 days after the original release of this podcast

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Will Congress Avert A Government Shutdown? Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

Ben argues why Congress' worst decisions are made when they're on tight deadlines to keep the government funded.

With multiple Republican members of Congress leaving to serve in the Trump administration, Speaker Mike Johnson will now have to manage an even narrower majority. In the long term, that involves passing President-elect Trump's agenda, but in the short term that means convincing Congress to agree upon a 1547-page spending bill to keep the government funded before they go home for holiday break.

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Daniel Penny Is Free For This One Reason Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

After months of controversy striking at the heart of New York City's crime crisis, Marine Veteran Daniel Penny had his manslaughter charge dismissed and was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide for the death of Jordan Neely. Nick Ohnell Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Rafael Mangual, has written extensively about urban crime and jail violence to broader matters of criminal and civil justice reform.

Ben and Rafael break down the investigation, the trial, and what the result means for a city torn over the political circumstances of the moment.

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