The Close Read Podcast

Jeffrey Anderson, former Trump appointee to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, joins Spencer to analyze the dubious science of mask mandates. Anderson’s essay, which was featured on Tucker Carlson Tonight, identifies how masks have been used to make Americans more submissive and erode our form of government. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Glenn Ellmers, Claremont Institute senior fellow and author of the new book The Soul of Politics, joins Spencer to discuss the enduring relevance of Harry V. Jaffa’s life and scholarship for our challenging political times. Plus: is the modern academy unmaking our best and brightest? Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

The CRB’s Summer edition is wide-ranging, covering topics including masking, crime, and a prescient editor’s note about the fiasco that is Afghanistan’s fall. Join Dr. Kesler and Spencer as they discuss the significance of the collapse of Kabul, a brief history of how we got there, and what lessons can be gleaned from it all. Plus: an overview of the whole edition. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Andrew Roberts, author of the new book Churchill: Walking with Destiny, joins Spencer to discuss the legacy of Winston Churchill and the lessons we can draw from his greatness. Plus: a sneak peek at Roberts’s forthcoming defense of King George III. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. James Poulos, executive editor of The American Mind, joins Spencer to discuss humanity's identity crisis as machines and algorithms—piloted by Big Tech—threaten to usurp us as rulers of the earth. In a world increasingly dominated by invisible technology, the question becomes: who will catechize the bots? Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Professor James Hankins joins Spencer to discuss China's present position on the world stage, where it's trying to go, and how the U.S. should respond. Hankins, a professor of history at Harvard University, uses China's ancient past to paint a nuanced picture of modern China's political situation. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

The Right has been grappling with an identity crisis for some time. President Trump seems to have ushered in a new era—but an era of what, exactly? Daniel McCarthy, editor of Modern Age and a 2020 Lincoln Fellow, joins Spencer to talk about the Right's present trajectory and where it's likely headed next. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

The CRB’s winter edition takes a cumulative look at the aftermath of the 2020 election, the dismay among conservatives, and the two radically different philosophies competing for American hearts. Join Dr. Kesler and Spencer as they discuss these major themes, and the deepening rifts beneath the surface of it all. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Our education system has devolved from a source of edification to a hotbed of radicalization. Teachers and curricula at schools all across the country—even in red states—are out to villainize everyone they can. Dr. Robert Royal joins Spencer to discuss the problems with this slippery slope and the truth about one of our most maligned figures: Christopher Columbus. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Plummeting confidence in higher education is leading to drastically reduced enrollment--these alarming developments have been under-reported, but the coronavirus phenomenon has made them increasingly difficult to conceal. Professor John Ellis joins Spencer to discuss what widespread online learning is doing to affect the fate of our highly politicized academy. Get full access to Claremont Digital Plus at claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe