The Dispatch Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Are Democratic Socialists Reaching Their Limits? Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

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 Limits of the Left”

—Megan’s Washington Post column on Wisconsin primary (Gift link)

—Jonah’s Wednesday G-File

—What Steve, Kevin, and Jonah have gotten wrong

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’s offerings—including audio versions of all our articles and newsletters—⁠click here⁠. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠.

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What Abdul El-Sayed’s Win Means for Democrats Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

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

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Should MAGA Expect Representation in the Mainstream Media? Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

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 Start
—Steve's Florida piece
—Nick Catoggio: Which Republicans are deserting Trump? And why?

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The Iran War Is Spiraling Out of Trump’s Control Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

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 perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including audio versions of all our articles and newsletters—⁠click here⁠. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Socialism Is Becoming Popular on The Left Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

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: We’re Not One Election Away From Ruin

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Why Trump Is Obsessed with Passing the SAVE America Act Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

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:

—Noncitizens voting in New Jersey

—Stephen Richer on the SAVE America Act

—Jonah’s G-File on The Odyssey (2026)

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Why the U.S.-Iran MOU Fell Apart Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

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

—New York Times: Both sides demand victory

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The Hidden Privacy Cost of Wearable Tech Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

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:

—Kyla Scanlon for Dispatch Markets

—Matt Labash on Google Glass

—In This Economy? How Money & Markets Really Work

—Wall Street Journal: The boomers are upsizing

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Dispatch Live: Assessing President Trump’s Election Integrity Address Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

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 Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

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

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