

The Mona Charen Show
The Bulwark
After a great five year run on Beg to Differ, Mona Charen brings you a new show dedicated to deepening your understanding of complex issues and trends facing society. Each week she'll engage an expert for a probing discussion that goes past the day's headlines.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 25, 2025 • 40min
Will Trump Solve Homelessness?
FREOPP's Michael Tanner joins Mona to discuss homelessness causes and potential cures.
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Aug 18, 2025 • 1h 2min
Steve Vladeck on Trump, the Courts, and the Rule of Law
Georgetown law professor Stephen Vladeck joins Mona to unpack the Justice Department’s attack on Judge James Boasberg, Trump’s efforts to bend universities to his will, the Supreme Court’s retreat into procedural evasions, and the broader erosion of guardrails in American governance. What happens when process itself—the foundation of the rule of law—comes under assault?
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Aug 11, 2025 • 49min
They Should be Ashamed of this Manifesto
Walter Olson of CATO discusses the Manhattan Statement on Higher Education, which would license Trump to ignore law, procedure, and precious liberties.
REFERENCES:
The Manhattan Statement on Higher Education
A Troubling Right-Wing Manifesto on Universities, by Walter Olson at Persuasion
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Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 3min
Fact-Checking Zohran Mamdani
AEI's Sadanand Dhume joins the podcast to discuss Zohran Mamdani's ideological origins, why government stores are not a fresh, new idea, Indian democracy, poverty, capitalism, and how Bangladesh went its own way.

Jul 28, 2025 • 1h 13min
The Greatness of Bill Buckley
Author Sam Tanenhaus discusses his new biography of the multi-talented Buckley and the movement he did so much to create.

Jul 21, 2025 • 31min
Can We Unpolarize?
Mona Charen speaks with More in Common co-founders Tim Dixon and Mathieu Lefevre about rising polarization, the “exhausted majority,” and how loneliness, media incentives, and misinformation are fueling division. (Full disclosure: Mona is on More in Common’s board of directors.) They discuss global trends, practical solutions like refugee sponsorship, and the urgent need to rebuild community and trust in democratic societies. Genuine reasons for hope.
REFERENCES:
“Hidden Tribes: A Study of America's Polarized Landscape”
Jo Cox's Maiden Speech Before Parliament

Jul 14, 2025 • 1h 9min
Must Geniuses Be Ass-----?
The Atlantic’s Helen Lewis joins Mona Charen to discuss The Genius Myth, her new book exploring whether genius is a real phenomenon or a socially constructed label. They examine how society elevates certain individuals—often more for charisma or timing than raw talent—and how the genius myth can excuse bad behavior while undervaluing empathy, humility, and collaboration. The conversation also touches on the “genius wives,” prodigies, the costs of fame, and Lewis's recent piece on the Skrmetti decision.
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Jul 7, 2025 • 49min
ICE is Coming for All of Our Rights
CATO's David Bier explains who ICE has scooped up—93 percent are not criminals—and what's coming next. Bier describes aggressive, anonymous arrest tactics and overcrowded detention centers with inhumane conditions, and warns of efforts to undermine birthright citizenship and due process.
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References:65% of People Taken by ICE Had No Convictions, 93% No Violent Convictions, by David Bier at CATO.

Jun 30, 2025 • 58min
Why Nothing Works and What to Do About It
Author Marc Dunkelman discusses his new book Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress―and How to Bring It Back.Dunkelman contrasts past centralized efficiency with today’s slow, decentralized system full of procedural roadblocks. They close with a hopeful look at reform efforts, like Josh Shapiro’s in Pennsylvania, as one potential model.
The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. New shows drop Mondays. Find this show wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Add the show to your player of choice, here.
This episode of The Mona Charen Show is sponsored by Putting Families First.
They won’t forget that certain legislators betrayed families by cutting Medicaid and public school funding. Putting Families First is trying to put a stop cuts to Medicaid and public education, and are working to elect leaders who agree. Learn what’s at stake at PutFamilies1st.org.
References:
Why Nothing Works– by Marc Dunkelman
Stuck– by Yoni Appelbaum
Abundance– by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
The Power Broker– by Robert Caro
The Power Elite– by C. Wright Mills
The House of Truth – by Brad Snyder

Jun 23, 2025 • 1h 5min
A Novel About the Spanish Inquisition
Linda Chavez, an accomplished author and radio talk show host, dives into her debut novel, The Silver Candlesticks, inspired by her discovery of her Jewish ancestry persecuted during the Spanish Inquisition. They discuss themes of religious identity and repression, illustrating parallels with modern immigration challenges. The conversation delves into cultural histories, the intricacies of personal identity amidst persecution, and the pressing need for reform in today's immigration policies. Chavez's narrative reminds us of the enduring impacts of historical injustices.