Today's episode features journalist and author Jamie Kirchick, who dissects the rise of the populist, far-right movement on both sides of the Atlantic and the accompanying decay of mainstream conservative politics. The discussion focuses on the rapid ascent of parties like Germany's AfD, noting that their success is driven by failure to integrate immigrants and the subsequent Danish model adopted by mainstream parties to curb their influence. Domestically, Moynihan and Kirchick characterize figures like Tucker Carlson as "the most dangerous antisemite in America right now" and a fusion of "every awful ideology," exploring his influence over politicians like JD Vance and the MAGA wing's adoption of pro-Russian, anti-capitalist, and isolationist foreign policy that demands a revisionist view of World War II. Finally, the episode touches on historical revisionism, previewing an interview with the grandson of Holocaust denier David Irving, and questions the utility of debunking misinformation in the current, high-speed digital environment.

Subscribe to the YouTube!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Moynihan sits down with Robby Soave to discuss Trump’s liberal use of pardons. Technically, Trump has the power to dole out pardons as he pleases (and he has), but is this verging on dictatorship? Using Trump’s extraordinary move to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, Michael and Robby will delve into how Trump wields pardons as a tool for personal and political “justice.”

Subscribe to the YouTube!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a wide-ranging, candid chat where Michael Moynihan and guest columnist Eli Lake dive deep into the messy overlap of culture and politics today.

They start with a fun intellectual detour, dissecting the punk rock ethos and suggesting that the anti-authoritarian, norm-defying spirit actually makes Socrates the original punk. This cultural lens is quickly applied to modern politics, where they discuss how the rise of figures like Nick Fuentes and his followers is basically a political version of punk rock. They argue that this shock-jock, transgressive style is a direct reaction to the illiberal social pressures of recent years (think: Black Squares and trigger-happy social media bans).

The conversation then hits the controversial shift of Tucker Carlson, pointing out his "horseshoe" alignment with figures from the radical left, like Noam Chomsky. They suggest Tucker's appeal comes from his genuine rejection of his old Washington world.

Finally, the talk gets serious about the Constitution, as Moynihan and Lake criticize the Trump administration's foreign policy; specifically the unauthorized use of the military in Venezuela against drug boats. Lake argues this overreach, done without Congressional approval, is a dangerous move that could undermine the foundations of the Republic by setting a precedent for presidents to start wars without a proper legal or democratic say.

Subscribe to the YouTube!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.