
The Dispatch Podcast
Host Sarah Isgur is joined by Steve Hayes, and Jonah Goldberg for a weekly thoughtful discussion on politics, policy, and culture.
Latest episodes

Jul 17, 2023 • 43min
Conservatives Abroad
Robert Tyler, senior policy advisory for New Direction, discusses the different flavors of the European right, including America's influence, Italy's Meloni, fusionism in the Czech Republic, Brexit and deregulation, and the rise of conservative parties in Italy, the Czech Republic, and the UK.

Jul 14, 2023 • 1h 15min
Donors and Grifters
Sorry, Steve Hayes. Sarah, Jonah and Mike start with Ukraine’s request for cluster munitions and the state of NATO. Jonah cynically uses Steve's absence to flex his juvenile humor chops. Spanish wine is wildly overrated. Then:-Pence campaign prognosis-A scavenger hunt to get on the debate stage-Ramaswamy's Mary Kay pyramid scheme-Sarah on Sesame Street-War of words and farting at RFK Jr. press dinner-GOP leads in midterm turnout-56% of voters think Biden took bribes-Not worth your time (?): Zuck vs. Musk cage match Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 2023 • 37min
Will Taiwan Fight?
Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, joins Executive Director Adam O'Neal to discuss how the U.S. and China manage their differences over Taiwan. Also:-Taiwan’s relationship with Trump and Biden-China’s military transformation-The significance of 2049Show Notes:-Bonnie Glaser's profile for the German Marshall Fund-U.S.-Taiwan Relations: Will China's Challenge Lead to a Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 snips
Jul 5, 2023 • 1h 30min
AG Sulzberger on NYT, Objectivity, and Media Bias
The New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger joins Steve Hayes and Sarah Isgur in a special interview recorded from The Times' building in New York. They discuss Sulzberger's recent CJR piece on objectivity in journalism (and its discontents), digging into the historically hostile relationship between right wing media and The Times, the challenges of fighting "bias" in news, and the possible paths to rebuilding public trust in institutional journalism.Show Notes:-A.G Sulzberger's article for the Colombia Journalism Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 3, 2023 • 27min
France Riots, Explained
A deadly police shooting in Paris last week sparked days of riots across the country. Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, joins Dispatch Executive Editor Adam O’Neal to explain what led to the violence and where France will go from here.Show Notes:-Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry's profile for at The Ethics and Public Police Center-Reuters: France riots: Shot teenager's grandmother says violence must stop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 30, 2023 • 1h 5min
Let's Go Coup-ing
Will the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision in Harvard lead to a public backlash? What does the Coup That Wasn't tell us about Russia (and about Americans' changing perceptions of the war)? And will David French's recent New York Times piece about transgenderism in women's sports finally get him cancelled? Sarah, Jonah, and yet-uncancelled David French discuss.Like what we're doing? Please consider becoming a member of TheDispatch.com. You'll be getting a suite of newsletters (including Kevin Williamson's Wanderland, our news-breaking Dispatch Politics, and our flagship daily newsletter The Morning Dispatch), access to additional podcast episodes and exclusive shows, and be invited to members-only live Dispatch events. But most importantly: you'll be helping us keep the lights on. So if you believe in our mission, we hope you'll consider joining us.Out of context: "I think I heard Henry Kissinger making the same point."Show Notes:-Want the full legal analysis of SCOTUS' affirmative action decision? Check out our latest Advisory Opinions.-David's NYT piece on the erosion of women's sports-Jonah's G-File about isms, cultural cliches, and treat-yourself-culture -Millennial and Gen Z economic malaise is creating a ‘treat culture’ as they turn to tiny purchases for a dose of daily escapism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 26, 2023 • 35min
'Nuclear War? Yawn!'
The Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia is underway, but what would it take to bring these two nations to the negotiating table? Scholar, professor, and columnist Walter Russell Mead joins The Dispatch Executive Editor Adam O’Neal to share insights from his recent trip to Ukraine and:-The normalcy of life while in war-What a “successful” counteroffensive looks like-Opportunities for US-The end of the Russian empire and a new nation-(Unrealistic) Theories of victory-Engaging with nuclear adversaries-How to get to the negotiating tableShow Notes:-Walter Russell Mead's page at Hudson Institute -The Arc of a Covenant available online-Walter Russell Mead's page at Wall Street Journal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 23, 2023 • 1h 8min
A Race of Unpopulars
Steve and Jonah join Sarah to talk about Hunter Biden's plea deal, how it reflects on Joe Biden and:-Sarah's first tattoo?-Voters react to Hunter Biden's prosecution-The illusory Biden tapes-Trump's legally dubious Bret Baier interview-Will Hurd jumps into the race-Is RFK Jr. a sign that nature is healing?-Biden Administration foreign policy-Titanic submersible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 20, 2023 • 24min
The White House Runs Through Georgia
Josh McKoon won his bid to become chairman of the Georgia GOP. McKoon inherits fractured relationships and a storied past between elected officials. Join Dispatch Politics Reporter Audrey Fahlberg for his strategy on unifying Georgia’s GOP, which includes:-Grassroots activism and big donor capture-Working with Kemp-Staying neutral during primaries-Firing Joe Biden-Topics of concern for GOP voters: crime, inflation, America not leading on world stageShow Notes:-Watch: Audrey interviews Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon-Tuesday's Dispatch Politics newsletter with Audrey Fahlberg's Georgia reporting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 18, 2023 • 42min
Explainer: The Politics of Classified Documents (w/ Peter Meijer)
Classified documents stored in a Mar-A-Lago bathroom will live in infamy, but it’s not the only intelligence scandal among politicians: Biden, Pence, and Hillary Clinton have also made headlines for their intelligence information.Peter Meijer joins Mike Warren to break down the security issues with these documents and:-There are levels to this - Classified, confidential, secret, top secret.-Peter’s surprising insight into classified info-Clinton, Biden, Pence, Trump: what they all have in common-Over-classification problem?-Online gamers and security clearances-Trumps says “No.”-Will Peter run again? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices