Commentary Magazine Podcast

Today's podcast takes up the collapse of the Jussie Smollett hoax before going on to discuss whether it's illegitimate to discuss the 25th amendment. Give a listen.

Today's podcast takes up the candidacy of Bernie Sanders and his problem with identity politics Democrats, and the case of Jussie Smollett, who told a cockamamie tale that we were ordered to believe. Also: Trump's emergency. Give a listen.

A Senate investigation concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign in 2016. Will Trump’s opponents accept it? Also, Andrew McCabe claims the Justice Department tried to trigger the 25th Amendment, and the Green New Deal’s dream of national high-speed rail hits the rocks in California.

On today's episode, we look at how the Democrats failed to build on the political success they had holding Donald Trump to account for the government shutdown—instead of melting down in Virginia, with their Green New Deal, and with the continued inability of Elizabeth Warren to escape her own lies about her background. Then we talk about the party's anti-Semitic breakout star, Ilhan Omar, and the plagiarism scandal affecting the highest-ranking woman in the history of the New York Times. So much pleasure! Give a listen.

On today's podcast, we ask whether Donald Trump's specific attack on socialism in the State of the Union address—and the strange Democratic response to it—will prove a key issue in 2020. Did he hoist them on their own petard? And is that what is going on with the political meltdown among Democrats in Virginia? Give a listen. We also discuss Eli Steele's article "From White Supremacy to Identity Politics." Give it a read.

The Commentary podcast discusses Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s blackface scandal and his party’s calls for him to resign, the death of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, and dystopian futurism in Super Bowl ads.

Today's podcast takes up the question of the Howard Schultz candidacy and whether it's frightening Democrats more or thrilling conservatives more. And then we bring up the brave new world of surrogacy, parenthood, and partial birth abortion and wonder whether what we need is an updating of the Oral Law. Give a listen.

The government shutdown is over. Did Donald Trump “cave?” What does Roger Stone’s indictment by the Special Counsel’s Office indicate about Robert Mueller’s investigation into Donald Trump’s campaign and the “collusion” narrative? And the United States and the Taliban come to terms on a post-conflict agreement. Has the war in Afghanistan been lost? All that and more on the Commentary podcast!

So the data are in, and they show Donald Trump has hurt himself with the shutdown. Period. The question is, why have the Republicans who have withdrawn their support in recent polls done so? And we go into the Venezuelan political crisis and the deft leadership America has shown this week. Give a listen.

Is social media evil? Can there be any doubt after this weekend's disgusting display? And is the online media titan BuzzFeed behaving in ways that enhance media credibility or damage it? Guess! Give a listen.

The Democratic Party should be on a roll, but it doesn't seem to be benefiting from the government shutdown, some of its hot young stars are getting into trouble on anti-Semitism grounds, and the rollouts of its presidential contenders have been rocky. We talk about that and about Christine Rosen's important February COMMENTARY article, "The Psychological War on Masculinity." Give a listen.

The New York Times reports that the FBI opened an investigation into Donald Trump’s personal ties to Russia under dubious circumstances. Does this demonstrate the truth in the claims made by the president’s defenders about the arrogance and recklessness of the permanent bureaucracy? And, as this becomes the longest government shutdown in history, is anyone “winning” the messaging?

Donald Trump's Oval Office address was a dud because he is not a persuader, and that's all such speeches are designed to do—to persuade those who can be persuaded. So what happens now that the government shutdown is really starting to bite? And what does the number 42 tell us about the future? Give a listen.

Will anyone benefit from the government shutdown, or is this just brinksmanship politics that makes no sense? We discuss this on today's podcast, as well as the question of whether female politicians are being mistreated when the question is raised about their likability. Give a listen.

Mitt Romney inaugurates 2019 by firing a shot across Donald Trump’s bow, but did he miss his mark? And with the government still shut down and with neither Democrats nor Republicans having any reason to compromise a way out of the conundrum, does it ever open again?