The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Guests: Sam Knecht & Allison Ellis Host Scot Bertram talks with Sam Knecht, professor emeritus of art at Hillsdale College, about how American art reflects the American character and the new Hillsdale College online course American Paintings. And Allison Ellis, founder of Mount Titano Media, discusses the power of rhetoric and her new edited collection of important American speeches, FINDING OUR WORDS: Words That Made America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Joseph Postell, Todd Starnes, & Korey D. Maas Host Scot Bertram talks with Joseph Postell, associate professor of politics at Hillsdale College, about the conservative counter-revolution against the bureaucratic state as detailed in his book Bureaucracy in America: The Administrative State’s Challenge to Constitutional Government. Todd Starnes, commentator, author, and radio host, discusses his new book Star-Spangled Blessings: Devotions for Patriots. And Korey D. Maas, chairman and associate professor of history at Hillsdale College, gives a survey of the life and work of English reformer and martyr Robert Barnes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Alex Marlow & Eric Hutchinson Host Scot Bertram talks with Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of Breitbart News, about the weaponization of America’s legal system against Donald Trump and Marlow’s new book Breaking the Law. And Eric Hutchinson, associate professor of classics and chairman of the Collegiate Scholars Program at Hillsdale College, gives an introduction to the Roman poet Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Victor Davis Hanson & Oren Cass First, we hear excerpts from Victor Davis Hanson’s address on the subject of living an honorable and virtuous life, given at Hillsdale College's 2025 commencement ceremonies. Hanson is the Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Fellow in History at Hillsdale College and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. And host Scot Bertram talks with Oren Cass, chief economist at American Compass, about the reappraisal of free market ideas on the American right and the new American Compass essay collection The New Conservatives: Restoring America's Commitment to Family, Community, and Industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Gullotta, an Assistant professor and Anglican deacon, discusses the growing trend of young people embracing Christianity in the U.S. and UK. Charles N. Steele, an economics expert, explores the ramifications of Universal Basic Income policies on work incentive and economic stability. Meanwhile, Benedict Whalen delves into Mark Twain's 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,' examining its themes of race and morality, and its place in American literature. The conversation traverses faith, community, and the evolving landscape of belief among younger generations.

Guests: Richard Samuelson & Erik J. Larson Host Scot Bertram talks with Richard Samuelson, associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C. campus, about his recent essay on James Madison and the importance of republican principles. And Erik J. Larson, author of The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can’t Think the Way We Do, gives a brief history of the development of artificial intelligence and explains the limitations of this misunderstood technology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Salena Zito & Christopher Matsos Host Scot Bertram talks with Salena Zito, political reporter for the Washington Examiner, about the political ramifications of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump and her new book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland. And Christopher Matsos, chairman and associate professor of theatre at Hillsdale College, tells us why theatre should play a role in a liberal arts education and what we can learn by studying theatre through the centuries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Matthew Spalding & Robert R. Riley We revisit two previously aired interviews for this special Independence Day episode. Host Scot Bertram talks with Matthew Spalding, vice president of Washington Operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale in D.C., about Thomas Jefferson's influence on the Declaration of Independence. And Robert R. Reilly, director of the Westminster Institute, gives a defense of the intellectual foundations of the American Founding as laid out in his book America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Bradley Watson & Michael Walsh  Host Scot Bertram talks with Bradley Watson, associate professor of government at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale in D.C., about progressive jurisprudence and the growing crisis of constitutionalism. And Michael Walsh, journalist and screenwriter, discusses the nature of warfare and his new book A Rage to Conquer: Twelve Battles That Changed the Course of Western History.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Clare Morell & Benedict Whalen Host Scot Bertram talks with Clare Morell, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and director of EPPC’s Technology and Human Flourishing Project, about the long-term effects of smartphone use on children and her new book The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones. And Benedict Whalen, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a series on the life and work of American writer Mark Twain. This week, he discusses The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.