The Dispatch Podcast

Latest Episodes:

TEASE: Trump Goes Off Script, Because Of Course He Does | Dispatch Live Jul 19, 2024

Show notes

* This is the first half of our Dispatch Live livestream from last night. If you'd like to watch or listen to the full episode (which we highly recommend!), please become a Dispatch member on https://thedispatch.com/join/*

It's Dispatch After Hours. Our intrepid reporters stayed up till the wee hours to catch former President Trump's full speech on the last night at the Republican National Convention. In a manic edition of Dispatch Live, a sleep-deprived Sarah is joined by Jonah and Steve... as well as the entire Dispatch Politics team—David M. Drucker, Michael Warren, John McCormack, and Charles Hilu—reporting from the convention in Milwaukee. Was Trump able to stick the landing on his unity speech (or for that matter, to stick to the script)? Are Republicans going through an existentialist phase? Will Biden still be the nominee next week? Was the convention worth our time? What are we even doing here?

You can watch or listen to the full episode here:

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The Assassination Attempt | Roundtable Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David French discuss the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump during a Pennsylvania rally over the weekend.

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What Happened in France | Interview: Bernard-Henri Lévy Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

NOTE: This episode was recorded last week July 10, before the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

French public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy joins Jamie on today’s episode to discuss the surprise rise of the far-left in the French elections and its implications for Western foreign policy. Plus: why BHL’s glad he’s not American.

Agenda:

—French antisemitism

—How extremism is devouring the center

—Why Jews must stay in France

—The “made-up” question of migrants

—Broken economic schemes

—Why America actually won in Afghanistan

—“Ukraine and Israel are two front lines of the same war”

Show Notes:

—Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld’s remarks on voting

—Jeffrey Goldberg’s “Is it time for Jews to leave Europe?”

—BHL’s “In The Footsteps of Tocqueville”

—BHL’s “The Afghan Who Won’t Surrender to the Taliban”

—Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls

—Douglas Murray

—Adam Gopnik

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.

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Biden Presser Leaves Dems in Limbo | Roundtable Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah are joined by Axios’ national political correspondent Alex Thompson to analyze Joe Biden’s performance during Thursday’s press conference and where the president stands within his own party.

The Agenda:

—Vindication for Robert Hur

—Criticizing media coverage of Biden

—Vice President Kamala Harris’ electability

—Tensions between former Barack Obama aides and the Biden campaign

—Donald Trump’s campaign strategy

Show Notes:

—The Dispatch Podcast with Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns

—George Clooney's New York Times op-ed

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'Democrats Should Stop Gaslighting Us' | Interview: Tim Miller Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

Steve is joined by The Bulwark's Tim Miller to briefly rehash their disagreement from March and discuss the backlash Miller has received since calling for Biden to step down.

The Agenda:

—Not interested in circling the wagon

—The spin isn’t working

—The American People Should Demand Better

—Trump and Biden are “categorically” different

—Biden’s “MAGA” response

—Who would Tim pick instead of Biden?

—Credibility in opinion journalism

Show Notes:

—Tim Miller’s interview on his book, Why We Did It

—“The Dispatch and the Bulwark walk into a bar…”

—The Bulwark: “Stephen Hayes: Grading Biden”

—Tim Miller: “The Bidens Need to Have a Talk”

—Tim Miller: “Dear Dems: The Gaslighting Isn’t Helping Matters”

—Reagan and Mondale’s 1984 debate

—“It’s Democrats’ Turn to Make the Hard Decision”

—The Bulwark: “Jon Lovett: Unprecedented Times”

—Miss South Carolina answers a question

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How MAGA Election Conspiracies Threaten Public Servants | Interview: Stephen Richer Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Stephen Richer, the Maricopa County recorder—a public official responsible for recording public documents—joins Jamie to discuss the harassment campaign against him and his thoughts about the 2024 election.

The Agenda:

—What is a county recorder?

—The “lynch” threat

—Looking into 2020 fraud claims

—Richer’s defamation lawsuit

—Did Trump know the 2020 fraud claims were false?

—What happens in 2024?

—Being a part of Trump’s GOP

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Dishonest, Partisan, or Just Bad at Their Job? | Roundtable Jul 04, 2024

Show notes

In a special Independence Day episode, Sarah, Jonah, and Steve share their Fourth of July traditions and try to figure out how Democrats can get out of this mess.

The Agenda:

—Calvin Coolidge’s Declaration of Independence speech

—Centuries-old cherries found at Mt. Vernon

—Why won’t Joe Biden leave the race?

—Biden’s statement on the SCOTUS immunity ruling

—What would Sarah do?

—Harris has a problem

—Did the media cover Biden’s age well?

—What does all this mean for Trump’s VP pick?

Show Notes:

—A celebration of a free press

—Jonah’s G-File on parties

—Jake Tapper and Sen. Chris Coons

—Steve on Tim Miller’s podcast

—Matthew Dowd’s tweet

—Hadas Gold’s piece on White House reporters

—New York Times editorial on Biden

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Ex-Clinton Aide on Whether Joe Should Go | Interview: Philippe Reines Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Philippe Reines, a Democratic political consultant and former aide to Hillary Clinton, joins Jamie to discuss President Joe Biden’s performance in last week’s debate and where Democrats should go from here.

The Agenda:

—Comparing Biden and Donald Trump’s health

—“Heaviest president since Taft”

—Should Biden bow out?

—Hillary Clinton 2024?

—January 6 and a second Trump term

—Biden’s stuttering problem

—Will Trump target Hillary Clinton?

—Project 2025

Show Notes:

—Phillipe's debate prep role as Donald Trump

—Democratic Sen. Chris Coons on Fox News

—Former President Barack Obama's tweet about the debate

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Yikes | Roundtable Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

Sarah, Kevin, Steve and Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle discuss Joe Biden’s hard-to-watch debate performance. Is anyone really surprised?

The Agenda:

—Will Joe still the be Democratic nominee?

—Who would let Biden step on that stage?

—Trump’s veepstakes

—Oh yeah, Trump was awful too

—Looking forward to September

Show Notes:

—Cole Murphy's explainer on the residency issue

—Our post-debate Dispatch Live

—Today's Morning Dispatch

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Destined for Greatness | Interview: Shilo Brooks Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Jamie is joined by Dr. Shilo Brooks, executive director of Princeton’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, to discuss how looking to the past can save the next generation.

Agenda:

— Five Thinkers: Xenophon, Niccolo Machiavelli, Theodore Roosevelt, Sandra Day O’Connor, Frederick Douglass

— Restoring honorable ambition

— Rebuffing criticisms of Western classical tradition

— Getting ideology out of classrooms

— Why pro-Hamas demonstrators are on elite campuses

— Don’t be safe, don’t be boring

— Is there a leader alive worth admiring?

Show Notes:

— James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions

— Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince

— Xenophon’s Education of Cyrus