The American Mind Podcast

This week has offered a veritable clown car of obnoxious and distasteful weirdos. Nick Fuentes wormed his way into a dinner with Trump via Kanye West. Sam Brinton, the non-binary, crossdressing, doggie-roleplaying member of the Biden administration’s Department of Energy, has been charged with felony theft after being caught on video snatching a woman’s suitcase. Plus: Balenciaga’s new ad features kids in BDSM-themed outfits. Our editors discuss the shocking freakishness on display and whether there’s any coherent thread that would allow us to make sense of it all. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover carries on apace, and reports of implosion seem to be greatly exaggerated. Is Musk’s aggressive firing policy proof of concept for the elimination of BS jobs? The editors, joined by Helen Roy and Charles Haywood, take a look at some back-of-the-napkin calculations of how profitable Twitter might be under Elon Musk overnight, as well as his hazy policies on freedom of speech vs. freedom of reach on the platform. Plus: the crew discuss what they’re thankful for. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

FTX CEO SBF is SOL--and if that sentence doesn’t make sense to you, fear not. The TAM editors are here to chart the aftershocks of the crypto crash heard round the world, and to discuss its implications for the future of America. Plus: Trump announces (shocking few) that he will run for re-election, and Canada plans to legalize euthanasia for the mentally ill. In this dire landscape, who will chart a pro-human path forward? Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

“Election month” is here, and it looks like the much-anticipated red wave is more of a drizzle. The House looks like it’ll be narrowly red, and the Senate is likely in the hands of a tossup election in Georgia—again. Meanwhile, the growing rift between DeSantis and Trump presages a potentially rocky road ahead for the Right. And what about the Biden of it all? Our editors convene to analyze the implications of the midterms. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Having been mocked and roundly criticized for its plans to found a “Disinformation Governance Board,” DHS decided not that it should reevaluate its goals, but that it should keep doing the same thing—just without telling you. Meanwhile, Paul Pelosi was beaten in his home by a crazed lunatic, leaving him with a fractured skull and everyone else wondering what the hell happened. Plus: New York Governor Kathy Hochul is unexpectedly in danger of being voted out of office by those pesky extremists who want to ride the subway without getting mugged. Our editors, joined by Matt Peterson, take a closer look. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

This week on live TV, to the utter shock and chagrin of the legacy media hosts, average voters from across the so-called political spectrum were united—in their dissatisfaction with leftist policies. Meanwhile, Joe Biden continues his very public and visible decline, and John Fetterman whiffs it on the debate stage against Mehmet Öz. Plus: Republicans are under fire for *checks notes* supporting Democrat policies? The editors gather in full complement to discuss the current state of the American mind. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

A new NYT/Siena poll looks grim for the Left across the board. What kind of realignment, or realignments, are underway? With the middle class feeling pinched by bad economic policy, more and more people believe  the government serves social elites to the detriment of everyday Americans. Or else they fear being replaced by bots; or else they’re on edge for fear of saying something contra The Current Thing. Our editors, joined by special guests Matt Peterson and Helen Roy, analyze the situation. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

The new Current Thing™ update has dropped: NPCs have been reprogrammed to believe that not only are nukes not that bad, but a nuclear war wouldn't be bad either. It might even fight climate change! Intellectual Leftists are now also making the case that "aborting" babies after they are born should be allowed. Is this the next slippery slope we slide down? Meanwhile, the Left increasingly believes that democracy is the implementation of their preferred policies, and anyone who opposes their goals is at best a "semi-fascist". Ryan and Seth, joined by a triple threat of great conservative minds: Michael Anton, Dave Reaboi, and Kyle Shideler, discuss. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Members of Gen Z report trusting Google and Youtube to deliver information and entertainment--but what’s really going on under the hood? Just like everywhere else, “neutrality” is a myth online. Then: how can the Right win the fight over childhood indoctrination and radical gender theory in schools? And what on earth is Biden thinking when it comes to oil? Ryan and Spencer (aka Starsky and Hutch) discuss. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Midterms are rocketing toward us, and House Republicans have come out with a platform of sorts; the editors discuss how both party’s prospects are shaping up by way of the fascinating--and absurdist--case study of Pennsylvania’s Senate race between Mehmet Öz and John Fetterman. Meanwhile, rumblings around the world--leaks in Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines, unrest in Iran, and a conservative victory in Italy--give  occasion to wonder just where the world is headed, and what the people in charge can possibly be thinking. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe