The Dispatch Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Vivek Ramaswamy's Vicious Attack Ad May Backfire Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and Kevin Williamson to discuss Vivek Ramaswamy's attack ad against Amy Acton and Williamson's reporting from Texas.

The Agenda:

—Ramaswamy's attack ad

—Amy Acton's reponse

—Why politics are so gross

—Kevin's trip to Texas

—Democrats try to be normal

—What will happen after a GOP loss?

—NWYT: Trump merch stores closing down

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Will the Midterm Elections Be Secure? Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

How confident can we be that the 2026 midterms will run smoothly? When will we know which party has secured House and Senate majorities? Should we expect any meddling, foreign or domestic?
Steve Hayes was joined by election experts Stephen Richer and Mark Sawyer for answers to those questions and many others. Then a panel including Jonah Goldberg and Mike Warren dove deep on the races most likely to decide congressional majorities and take a look at how candidates in competitive races are making their closing arguments.
Watch the livestream here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/oi4D0oVR6gQ?si=jigZpbvgh9hky57V

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A Blue Wave or an Anti-Incumbent Wave? Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Steve Hayes is joined by Sarah Isgur, Jonah Goldberg, and Mike Warren to discuss the state of the midterms and whether South Carolina is truly a competitive state in 2026.

The Agenda:

—The first true “wave?”

—The red undertow

—How Trump’s ego is hurting the GOP

—Redistricted districts

—Is South Carolina competitive?

—NWYT: What’s a lawyer?

Show notes:

—AP-NORC poll

—Sarah’s Not Worth Your Time ambush

—⁠Watch Monday's livestream

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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Why Trump Wants to Lift Russian Sanctions Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

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 approval rating on handling of Russia/Ukraine

—Sen. Tom Emmer on lifting sanctions—Edmund Burke’s “Birds of Prey” speech

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What Midterm Polling May Be Getting Wrong Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

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?

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Can the State Be Trusted With the Death Penalty? Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

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—Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse

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Sen. Schmitt’s Failed Attack on Jack Smith Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

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

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Can Democrats Flip a Kansas Senate Seat? Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

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 show picks

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President Trump’s Influence Continues to Wane Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

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.’s wedding

—Megan: Politicians are stuck in a time warp

—Echelon polling on Trump’s approval

—Mike Warren’s Next Right

—Jesse Singal on the Last Ditch bar

—Stephanie Slade on The Remnant

—Stephanie Slade with Megan McArdle

—Private Truths, Public Lies: The Social Consequences of Preference Falsification

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Is Trump’s Greenland Deal a Foreign Policy Victory? Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

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 Trump

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