The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Latest Episodes:

Andrew Klavan Finds Light in Humanity's Darkness May 09, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Andrew Klavan & Colin Brown

Host Scot Bertram talks with Andrew Klavan, author and host of The Andrew Klavan Show, about making beauty out of the world as it is and his new book, The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness. And Colin Brown, recent graduate of the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship at Hillsdale College, discusses his doctoral thesis looking at Benjamin Franklin as a revolutionary statesman.

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Joe Concha Explores Trump's Big Comeback May 02, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Joe Concha & Derek Stauff

Host Scot Bertram talks with Joe Concha, author and Fox News contributor, about the strategy behind President Donald Trump's winning campaign and his new book, The Greatest Comeback Ever: Inside Trump's Big Beautiful Campaign. And Derek Stauff, associate professor of music at Hillsdale College, gives an overview of the musical function and history of the organ.

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Dana Perino Shares Life and Career Advice Apr 25, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Dana Perino & Benedict Whalen

Host Scot Bertram talks with Dana Perino, co-host of Fox News’ The Five and America's Newsroom and former White House Press Secretary, about the lessons she's learned over the course of her career and her new book I Wish Someone Had Told Me . . .: The Best Advice for Building a Great Career and a Meaningful Life. And Benedict Whalen, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, gives a biographical sketch of American writer and humorist Mark Twain.

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The Legacy of William F. Buckley Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Richard Samuelson & George H. Nash

Host Scot Bertram talks with Richard Samuelson, associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C. campus, continuing their conversation around the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. This week, they discuss the battle at Lexington and Concord. And George H. Nash, American historian and chronicler of American conservatism, discusses William F. Buckley and the beginnings of the conservative movement.

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The Ambition of American Art Apr 11, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Charlie Kirk, Christina Lamb Chakalova, & Ellen Condict

Host Scot Bertram plays excerpts from a speech by Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and syndicated radio host, about the Trump administration's efforts to curtail the bureaucratic state. Christina Lamb Chakalova, assistant professor of Art at Hillsdale College, gives an overview of the history and character of American art. And Ellen Condict, English teacher at Hillsdale Academy and adjunct professor of English and Education at Hillsdale College, explains the importance of memorization in education.

Listen to Charlie Kirk's complete speech here: https://freedomlibrary.hillsdale.edu/programs/national-leadership-seminar-phoenix-arizona/hitting-the-ground-running-the-trump-transition-and-early-priorities

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Classical Architecture and Human Flourishing Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Miles Smith IV & Justin Shubow

Host Scot Bertram talks with Miles Smith, assistant professor of History at Hillsdale College, about a recent essay he wrote on the historical role of the press in American politics. And Justin Shubow, president of the National Civic Art Society, lays out the roots of modern architecture and explains the importance of classical art and architecture in public spaces.

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Saving Hollywood From Itself Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Kevin Portteus, Titus Techera, & Stephen Goniprow

Host Scot Bertram talks with Kevin Portteus, professor of Politics and director of American Studies at Hillsdale College, about a recent article he wrote on the history and political theory of American immigration policy. Titus Techera, executive director at the American Cinema Foundation, explains how Hollywood lost touch with the American people. And Stephen Goniprow, a recent graduate of Hillsdale's Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship, outlines the intellectual foundations of global justice theory.

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How DEI Weakens the Military Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Charles N. Steele, Will Thibeau, & Derek Stauff

Host Scot Bertram talks with Charles N. Steele, director of the Center for Commerce and Freedom and Herman A. and Suzanne S. Dettwiler Chair in Economics at Hillsdale College, about Understanding Capitalism, the latest online course from Hillsdale College. Will Thibeau, director of the American Military Project at the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life, lays out how DEI initiatives weaken the American military as described in a recent report. And Derek Stauff, associate professor of music at Hillsdale College, gives some simple tips on how to better appreciate classical music.

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William F. Buckley Jr. and the American Character Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Joseph Postell, Lawrence Perelman, & Michael Tripepi

Host Scot Bertram talks with Joseph Postell, associate professor of politics at Hillsdale College, about the origins of the bureaucratic state as laid out in his book Bureaucracy in America: The Administrative State’s Challenge to Constitutional Government. Lawrence Perelman, founder & CEO of Semantix Creative Group, shares the lessons he learned as a close friend of National Review founder William F. Buckley Jr. and takes us inside his new book American Impresario: William F. Buckley, Jr., and the Elements of American Character. And Michael Tripepi, assistant professor of physics at Hillsdale College, explains why physicists study infrared light.

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How Transparency Weakens the Deep State Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

Guests: Khalil Habib, Kevin M. Shipp, & Brent Cline

Host Scot Bertram talks with Khalil Habib, associate professor of politics and Allison and Dorothy Rouse Chair in Politics at Hillsdale College, about how examples of statesmanship in the Roman Republic can teach us about good government. Kevin M. Shipp, former CIA officer and anti-terrorism expert, lays out the history of the CIA and gives an overview of his new book Twilight of the Shadow Government: How Transparency Will Kill the Deep State. And Brent Cline, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a short series on the Harlem Renaissance. This week, the life and work of writer James Weldon Johnson.

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