The Dispatch Podcast

Latest Episodes:

China and the Uighur Genocide Feb 19, 2021

Show notes

In a call with European foreign ministers on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said he would begin steps to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that was abandoned by the Trump administration. Today’s guest, Tom Josclelyn, thinks a series of upfront concessions to Tehran before the country’s leaders even come to the negotiating table would be an unwise foreign policy move for the Biden administration. “I’ve taken to calling it ‘servile diplomacy’ because it is very much from a submissive position,”Joscelyn tells Sarah and Steve. Tune in to hear our hosts’ take on China’s ongoing genocide against the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and the latest rocket attack on a U.S. airbase in Iraq.

Show Notes:

-“Biden Administration Formally Offers to Restart Nuclear Talks With Iran” by Lara Jakes, Michael Crowley, David E. Sanger and Farnaz Fassihi in the New York Times.

-“Biden dismisses Uighur genocide as part of China’s ‘different norms’” by Emily Jacobs in the New York Post.

-“‘Genocide’ is the wrong word for the horrors of Xinjiang” by the Economist.

-Tom Joscelyn’s Vital Interests newsletter.

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The Grapes of Play-Acting Feb 18, 2021

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At the beginning of the pandemic, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York drew ire from lawmakers of all political stripes for sending COVID-19 positive patients back into nursing homes. But resentment against the governor reached a tipping point in late January, when New York Attorney General Letitia James released a blistering report showing that his office significantly underreported the number of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes. Cuomo has brushed aside those criticisms as a partisan smear campaign, and went so far as to write a book bragging about his leadership during the pandemic. “What is unforgivable, and really, frankly, kind of evil is this alleged covering up of what they did,” Jonah says on today’s show. Tune in to hear the gang chat about K-12 school reopening efforts, the Senate’s acquittal of Donald Trump, and Tim Alberta’s Nikki Haley piece in Politico. Stick around to hear our hosts chat about their Myers Briggs test results.

Show Notes:

-American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic by Andrew Cuomo.

-“Nikki Haley’s Time for Choosing” by Tim Alberta in Politico.

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Children, Classrooms, and Coronavirus Feb 12, 2021

Show notes

President Joe Biden has recently drawn ire from GOP lawmakers for lagging behind his stated goal of getting K-12 children back into the classroom for in-person instruction. Liesl Hickey, a partner at Ascent Media and co-founder of N2 America, joins the show to chat with Sarah and Steve about teachers unions, remote learning’s effect on student well-being, and whether the NRSC will play a bigger role in GOP primaries during the next election cycle.

Show Notes:

-“Remote learning failed my third-grader miserably. I pulled her out of public school.” by Liesl Hickey in USA Today.

-“Surge of Student Suicides Pushes Las Vegas Schools to Reopen” by Erica L. Green in The New York Times.

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Anatomy of an Impeachment Trial Feb 10, 2021

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We’re on day two of the Senate’s second impeachment trial of Donald Trump and our hosts are here for the breakdown. On Tuesday, the House impeachment managers released a video montage of January 6 in an effort to tie former President Trump’s rhetoric and words to the storming of the Capitol. “[The video] had in many ways the effect that displaying a crime scene photograph has on a criminal trial,” David explains. “It tried to make it real again.” Tune in to hear Sarah and the guys chat about the constitutionality of impeachment, the mechanics of the trial, and the persuasiveness of Trump’s defense team. Stick around to hear our hosts chat about what National Pizza Day means to them.

Show Notes:

-Senate Impeachment Trial: House Managers’ January 6 Video Montage.

-French Press: “The Impeachment Trial Vote Will Set a Precedent. Make It the Right One.” by David French in The Dispatch.

-Brandenburg v. Ohio

-“McConnell Signals Trump Conviction Is a GOP Conscience Vote” by Jennifer Jacobs in Bloomberg.

-“The Constitution Doesn’t Bar Trump’s Impeachment Trial” by Chuck Cooper in the Wall Street Journal.

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No Ragrets Feb 06, 2021

Show notes

Former Fox News Decision Desk team member Chris Stirewalt joins Sarah, Steve and Jonah to chat about GOP leadership members' struggle to police their own. Stick around for a chat about Joe Biden’s foreign policy agenda, Stirewalt’s take on why “the way America is getting its news is not working for America,” and … lima beans! And also for a very special announcement.

Show Notes:

-“How Kevin McCarthy fought off a party revolt” by Melanie Zanona in Politico.

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Right Thing for the Right Reasons Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

On the coronavirus stimulus package front, Biden has refused to compromise on his commitment to sending $1,400 checks to Americans. Is it wise for the president to push such a bill through Congress in spite of Republican opposition? As Steve argues on today’s episode, “If Joe Biden’s intransigence this early is pissing off people like Rob Portman and Anthony Gonzalez, that’s a tough place.” Also on the menu for today: GOP House Leader Kevin McCarthy’s intra-party spats with Rep. Liz Cheney, the media’s obsessive fixation on Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the United Kingdom’s decision to welcome Hong Kong citizens.

Show Notes:

-“The Challenge of Going It Alone” by Amy Walter in the Cook Political Report.

-“An Interview With Sen. Rob Portman” by Steve Hayes in The Dispatch.

-“Can We Have (Another) Conversation About Cancel Culture?” by David French in The Dispatch.

-“Republicans Are Playing a Risky Game in Elevating QAnon” by Jonah Goldberg in The Dispatch.

-“The GOP’s Conspiracy Theorist Problem” by Audrey Fahlberg in The Dispatch.

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One of Ten Jan 29, 2021

Show notes

Ohio Representative Anthony Gonzalez was one of only 10 GOP House members who voted for President Trump’s second impeachment, and he’s faced quite a bit of backlash from his constituents for doing so. “In the long arc of history, I believe it was the right vote, and I believe it sends the right message,” Congressman Gonzalez tells Sarah and Steve on today’s show. But Gonzalez still fears for the future of his party, especially considering most Republican voters still believe the election was stolen: “I don’t know how to govern in a world where we believe things that aren’t real.” Tune in to hear Gonzalez talk about social media censorship, our country’s crisis of leadership, and his former NFL career playing for the Indianapolis Colts.

Show Notes:

-Take our podcast survey

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Was That Wrong? Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Biden administration folks are claiming they inherited a nonexistent coronavirus vaccine rollout plan from the Trump administration, with one anonymous administration official going so far as to tell CNN last week that the team will “have to build everything from scratch,” a claim that even top epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci later disputed as patently false. Joe Biden spent months on the campaign trail criticizing Trump for deliberately misleading the public. Is his administration now falling into the same trap? “It’s a meaningful stumble,” Steve says on today’s podcast, “and I think they got caught basically misleading the public about the status of the vaccine program.” After Sarah and the guys chat about vaccine distribution logistics, they discuss Trump’s upcoming second impeachment trial, the media and its rewriting of history, and the latest drama with former DOJ officials in the Trump administration.

Show Notes:

-“Come on, President Biden. Set some loftier COVID vaccination goals” by Jonah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times.

-“Biden inheriting nonexistent coronavirus vaccine distribution plan and must start 'from scratch,' sources say,” by CNN’s MJ Lee.

-“The Washington Post Tried To Memory-Hole Kamala Harris' Bad Joke About Inmates Begging for Food and Water” by Eric Boehm in Reason.

-The New York Times Magazine’s 1619 Project.

-“Send In the Troops” by Sen. Tom Cotton in the New York Times.

-Take our podcast survey

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The Next Four Years Jan 22, 2021

Show notes

Will Joe Biden’s governing strategy be effective? “I don’t think Biden has ever been driven on ideological issues, what he’s driven on is keeping his party together,” NBC’s Chuck Todd tells Sarah and Steve on today’s episode. “There is a part of me that says Biden can be the Reagan for Democrats.” How does the filibuster fit into the president’s call for unity? Is Joe Biden really a centrist? What role will Kamala Harris play in this administration? Todd answers all of these questions and more. Stick around for their thoughts on the Democrats’ $15 minimum wage proposal, the future of immigration reform, Biden’s relationship with Congress, and the evolution of cable news over the years.

Show Notes:

-“Biden's centrist words, liberal actions” by Dion Rabouin, Courtenay Brown, and Jennifer A. Kingson in Axios.

-Take our podcast survey

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America's Next Chapter Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

Joe Biden was officially sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday. He assumes office at one of the darkest moments in United States history, when a global pandemic has taken the lives of more than 400,000 Americans and rampant polarization continues to test our nation’s character. Did his inaugural address meet the moment? Was his call for unity too idealistic? On today’s episode, our hosts discuss Biden’s day one executive orders and the once and future Republican Party before breaking down today’s inauguration ceremony, speech and all.

Show Notes:

-“Biden's Two Tasks: Repairing Deep Divisions and Defeating a Deadly Disease” by David French in The Dispatch.

-Take our podcast survey

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