The charismatic Catholic who helped shape the Republican Party

Long before Donald Trump up-ended traditional conservatism in the US, another charismatic figure was re-shaping the Republican Party.

Writer William F. Buckley was the first editor of National Review, perhaps the most influential political magazine of the 20th century. Ronald Reagan was a particular enthusiast for its ideas.

But there was another force in Buckley’s life, and it often conflicted with his politics – the Catholic Church.

GUEST:

• Sam Tanenhaus is the author of the acclaimed new biography, Buckley: The Life and Revolution that Changed America.

This program first went to air in September 2025 and was made on the lands of the Gadigal People