Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw

A conversation between Vice President Mike Pence and Dan Crenshaw recorded in front of a live audience at Texas A&M University on Veterans Day 2021. This interview was crossposted Vice President Pence's new podcast series "American Freedom with Mike Pence." Follow him on Twitter at @Mike_Pence.

For Veterans Day, Sebastian Junger joins us to look at the psychology behind the human instinct (especially among young men) to pursue war and self-sacrifice, how these motivations are inextricably linked to tribalism and community, and the tensions between the rules of community and the individual desire for freedom. We also reflect on the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and engage in a friendly debate about the political climate in America today. Sebastian Junger has spent much of his journalism career embedded in the most dangerous places on Earth, including the Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan where he made the documentaries Restrepo and Korengal with his late colleague Tim Hetherington. He is the NYTimes bestselling author of The Perfect Storm, Tribe, Freedom, and War. Follow him on Twitter at @sebastianjunger.

Bringing rational environmentalism to the conversation at COP26 (the U.N. Climate Change Conference) in Glasgow, Scotland for this special episode Dan recorded live with Rep. Garret Graves, Rep. Marianne Miller-Meeks, and Rep. John Curtis. Follow Rep. Garret Graves on Twitter at @RepGarretGraves. Follow Rep. Marianne Miller-Meeks on Twitter at @RepMMM. Follow Rep. John Curtis on Twitter at @RepJohnCurtis.

As world leaders and environmental activists meet in Scotland for COP26 - the U.N. Climate Change Conference - to negotiate policies that could accelerate decarbonization and mitigate the impacts of climate change, they are largely dismissing humanity's best shot at a carbon-free future: nuclear energy. Rep. Jeff Duncan is one of the foremost experts on nuclear energy policy in Congress, and he joins us to talk about what the world gains by embracing nuclear energy, debunk the misconceptions about its risks, and explain how we overcome the barriers to building more nuclear reactors. Jeff Duncan is the Representative of South Carolina's 3rd District and serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, where he has been a leader on nuclear energy. Follow him on Twitter at @RepJeffDuncan.

Kayleigh McEnany joins us for a master class in the art of debate and persuasion as she recounts her time as press secretary for President Trump. She shares stories about the most infamous crises inside the White House, how to handle unruly journalists, preparing and framing arguments, and advice she would give Jen Psaki. Kayleigh McEnany is the author of "For Such a Time as This: My Faith Journey through the White House and Beyond." Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @kayleighmcenany.

Texas Public Policy Foundation's chief economist Vance Ginn joins us to examine the economic and fiscal policies that are unnecessarily burdening taxpayers, devaluing the dollar, incentivizing unemployment, and creating the current supply chain and energy crises. We discuss what an ideal tax and regulatory system should look like, and have a broader philosophical conversation about the purpose of taxation. Vance Ginn, PhD, is the chief economist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the former associate director for economic policy of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) at the Executive Office of the President during the Trump administration. Follow him on Twitter at @VanceGinn.

Manhattan Institute economist Brian Riedl joins us for a 30 minute crash course on the federal debt, budget, and taxes. We cover budget gimmicks in the Democrats' $3.5 trillion spending bill, misconceptions about the Child Tax Credit and wealth taxes, government shutdowns and debt ceilings, and what happens when the 100+ trillion dollar debt avalanche hits the American economy. Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on budget, tax, and economic policy. Previously, he worked for six years as chief economist to Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and as staff director of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. Follow him on Twitter at @Brian_Riedl.

The progressive movement wants you to believe that freedom means the right to have all of your needs fulfilled by the services of others. Their rationale goes like this: with your basic needs met, you are free to pursue your dreams. It's become a pervasive talking point among the left in our cultural and political debates. On this special solo episode, Dan argues why this redefinition of freedom is wrong and the consequences for the individual and the civilization that adopts it. If America is to remain the "shining city on the hill" - then its citizens must again embrace the foundation of true freedom: fortitude.

When an ideological movement attempts to end all policing, jails, drug treatment facilities, psychiatric care, and shelters - what kind of civilization do you get? Michael Shellenberger returns to expose how progressive policies have caused the skyrocketing rates of addiction, overdoses, crime, and homelessness in San Francisco and other major cities. We also assess the current state of the climate debate as Europe and California face escalating energy crises thanks to unreliable renewables. Michael Shellenberger is the author of "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities" and "Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All." Follow him on Twitter at @ShellenbergerMD.

With the Facebook "Whistleblower" report, the authoritarian left is using a statement we can all agree with ("Teenage bullying is wrong!") to justify unaccountable government oversight and censorship of big tech. National Review's Andy McCarthy joins us to explain how some Republicans are falling into the Democrats' censorship trap, why the left and right truly do not see eye to eye on this issue, and modifications we could make to Section 230 to stop big tech's censorship of conservatives without destroying our 1st Amendment rights. We also looked at the legal implications of Governor Abbott's prohibition on vaccine mandates and Attorney General Merrick Garland's investigation of parents as "domestic terrorists" for protesting their school boards' mask mandates. Andy McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency. He served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Follow him in Twitter at @AndrewCMcCarthy.