Robert Tracinski joins to discuss Trump's attack on government, his execrable appointees, and what Dems should do going forward. Highlights / Lowlights Damon: Russ Vought's appointment to OMB and the Nancy Mace / Sarah McBride performative cruelty. Linda: JD Vance appearing in all of those Senate meetings with Matt Gaetz, and A Free Press Conversat…

David French and Larry Diamond join the group to mull the nature of Trump's victory and the stupefying appointments to DOJ and DNI. Highlights / Lowlights David French: Politics are terrible and sports are terrible, at least for David. Kentucky Wildcats, Tennessee Titans, and Ja Morant’s injury. Damon Linker: A viral tweet and the disappointing Rep…

The Atlantic's David Frum joins the group to analyze the election and consider the implications for domestic and foreign policy. Highlights / Lowlights: Damon: The work of Ruy Texiera and Nate Cohn Linda: My Manifesto for Despairing Democrats by Nick Kristof Bill: ‘Invisible’ older women speak up at the ballot box by Karen Tumulty Mona: Trump trans…

Tim Miller joins to discuss the big picture about 2024, why Harris could not run as a change agent, and America's oligarchs. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code BEGTODIFFER at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/begtodiffer Highlights / Lowlights Linda Chavez: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and the…

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins the regular group to discuss his objections to Harris, the likelihood of a Trump fascistic reign, and which party has gone crazier. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code BEGTODIFFER at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/begtodiffer Highlights / Lowlights Ross: …

The New Yorker's Susan Glasser joins the group (plus Philip Bump) to discuss Harris's Fox interview, Trump's spiraling mental state, and the oligarchy/corruption a second Trump term would usher in. Highlights / Lowlights Mona: Harris Needs a Closing Argument. Here's One. By Bret Stephens The FTC is making it easier to cancel subscriptions. Damon: C…

NY Times columnist Bret Stephens joins to discuss the Iranian threat (to Israel and the US), the amazing Israeli penetrations of Hezbollah and Iran, and the fate of NATO, Ukraine, etc in a Trump 2.0 world. TV Recommendations of the panelists: Mona: Call My Agent Damon: Game of Thrones Bill: Babylon Berlin Linda: Slow Horses / Pachinko…

The Financial Times's Ed Luce joins to discuss the VP debate, the future of MAGA, and the Israel/Iran war.Di The Bulwark

Mona’s highlight: The impartiality of the DOJ, indicting members of the sitting party in power when they commit crimes. Tim’s lowlight: The failure to have more than one debate. Tim’s highlight: The young, hungry, improbable turnaround of the Detroit Tigers. Sonny’s highlight / lowlight: Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Sam’s highlight: Ohtani’s…

AEI's Kori Schake joins the group to discuss Trump's "crazy guy" strategy, the 111 GOP leaders endorsing Harris, and Hezbollah's exploding pagers. Show Notes: Referenced: U.S. Shrugs as World War III Approaches, by Walter Russell Mead (WSJ) Highlights / Lowlights Kori: Gov. Mike DeWine defending Ohio against MAGA’s lies about Springfield (ABC) Damo…

Third Way's Matt Bennett joins to discuss the debate, Harris's centrism, and which candidate would be better on inflation. Highlights / Lowlights Mona: Why Mike Lee Folded by Tim Alberta, The Atlantic. Matt: The lies being pushed about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, and the political opportunism of a young boy’s death. Damon: Behind the Catholi…

Lawyer Kim Wehle discusses her book on the pardon power. The group then delves into Israel/Gaza, campus protests redux, and Tucker Carlson "Just asking questions" about Holocaust denialism. Highlights / Lowlights Mona: Andrew Egger's "Pennsylvania Man Speaks" reporting. Bill: The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America Lind…

The Atlantic's Peter Wehner joins the group to discuss the DNC and Harris's new tone, Trump's pivot on abortion, and the misfit toys (RFK Jr., Gabbard) of the Trump campaign. Highlights / Lowlights: Mona: Can We Be a Little Less Selective With Our Moral Outrage? by Bret Stephens in The New York Times. Peter: Lowlight: Trump Insists He Won Californi…

Andrew Egger subs for the vacationing Mona, and A.B. occupies Damon's seat, as The Deseret News's Samuel Benson joins regulars Bill and Linda to discuss the unity and vibes at the Democratic Convention, while the panel weighs how RFK's exit from the race is likely to affect the November election. Highlights / Lowlights Andrew: Highlight: Gov. Tim W…

MSNBC's Charlie Sykes joins the panel to discuss the rise of Harris, the decline of Trump (in more ways than one?), and the Iranian hack of Trump's campaign. Highlights / Lowlights Charlie: Highlight: 2 outspoken election deniers lose GOP primaries for state Legislature Lowlight: The ongoing stolen valor attacks on Gov. Walz Mona: Lowlight: How Tru…

The regulars discuss Walz pick and shape of the race. David French joins to talk about Trump v. United States. highlights / lowlights Mona: The life of Penny Parker (1927-2024). David: Highlight: The USA's Medal Count Lowlight: China's Gold medal count Linda: What’s better than calling Trump weird? (David Broockman and Josh Kalla, Slow Boring) Damo…

A.B. Stoddard guest hosts for today’s discussion on Donald Trump’s NABJ interview. It was shocking and set the internet abuzz, but was that his intention all along? Plus, do VP picks actually matter? Highlights / Lowlights Bill’s highlight: Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich (WSJ) Damon’s highlights: Pro-Wrestling Explains Why …