
The Dispatch Podcast Spinning Out of Control | Roundtable
46 snips
Sep 19, 2025 Megan McArdle, a columnist at the Washington Post, joins a lively roundtable discussion on free speech, media regulation, and TikTok. They dissect the government’s attempts to influence speech post-Charlie Kirk's assassination, questioning the implications for the First Amendment. The conversation also delves into a proposed TikTok deal that addresses privacy but leaves algorithm control with ByteDance, raising national-security concerns. To lighten things up, the group debates whether fall truly is the best season or if it’s just overrated.
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Conservatives Forced A Walk‑Back
- Megan recalls conservatives pushing back after Bondi's comments, forcing a walk-back.
- She recounts that legal conservatives reminded the public the First Amendment protects hateful expression.
Bureaucratic Bias Drives Overreach
- Megan explains bureaucrats often act from ideological assumptions, not malice, leading to overreach.
- She cautions that institutional bias produces repeated free-speech conflicts across administrations.
Stretching Legal Authority Weakens Norms
- Kevin ties executive overreach in national-security actions to broader erosion of norms.
- He warns stretching legal authorities makes future abuse easier and harder to reverse.



