The American Mind Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit claremontinstitute.substack.comChief Washington Correspondent at Newsmax James Rosen sits down this week with Claremont Institute president Ryan Williams to discuss the deep state's involvement in the operation to bring down President Nixon. Informing the discussion are never-before-seen files sourced by Mr. Rosen: a spy ring directed by three-letter intelligence agencies, collaborat…

Following on from J.D. Vance’s bracing speech in 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on European allies to resist the managed decline of the West at the 2026 Munich Security Conference this week. The welfare state is a slow moving trainwreck. Appeasement of climate cultists stunts economies. Mass migration threatens to disrupt our civilization. Playing good cop to the VP’s bad cop, Rubio outlined America's vision to revive the spirit and strength of the shared Western project. Plus: The guys discuss the Left’s compassion fatigue, Hungary’s coming election, and the legacy of the late Dr. Mickey Gene Craig: teacher, mentor, and friend.Recommended:Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security ConferenceGeorge Washington’s Farewell AddressHungary and the Future of EuropeWhy Hasn’t Brexit Happened? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit claremontinstitute.substack.comKicking off the Roundtable’s premium interview series, our AI chatbot—sorry, host, Spencer Klavan is joined by Claremont Institute president Ryan Williams to discuss the strange symptom of late-stage modernity that is AI maximalism. The technology, which excels as a task manager and mathematician, lacks humanity—consciousness, morality, and soul. But its potential use as a tool to run government may prove painfully seductive to the modern mind, and equally disastrous.

Superbowl LX went to the Seahawks, but the halftime show went to Puerto Rico with musician Bad Bunny, who performed almost entirely in Spanish (except, of course, when he took a dig at America's right to call itself America). The production targeted normie TV viewers with a joyous, positive aura—all while subtly communicating a leftist message of globalization. Was this a stroke of genius, or is Bad Bunny already cringe? Meanwhile, California continues to spiral, expropriating its top earners mob-boss style through aggressive taxes and de facto wealth confiscation. Will the Right rally around its own positive message, and go toe-to-toe with the Left? Plus: Show changes and a new, premium offering to come Thursday! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

The recent government shutdown standoff has reached an end but, in yet another stage of the war against immigration enforcement, only temporary funding for Homeland Security has been passed. Democrats now aim at sweeping ICE reforms, Republicans at pushing through the SAVE Act requiring national voter ID—and dropping the Senate filibuster ahead of the midterms. Meanwhile, a New York jury has awarded $2 million in damages to a detransitioner who went through Female-to-Male “gender affirming care” at 16. Digging at the roots of malpractice and overdiagnosis and with a surgeon and psychologist on the hook, could the case signal the beginning of the end of trans-mania? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Close on the heels of Renée Good's death, Minneapolis protestor Alex Pretti was killed in another altercation with ICE agents. Investigation into both incidents will hopefully make judgment easier in the court of law, but in the court of public opinion the situation looks grim. Losing ground on the media battlefield and in polls ahead of the midterms, Trump must consider the extent and nature of his mandate on immigration. This week, the guys take a hard look at the electoral reality and discuss what it means for the Right's policy agenda. Plus: regulatory bloat (aka Hegel's revenge) makes it hard to translate political will into meaningful action in the UK, while inclement weather and exploding trees (!) make for an eventful week in the U.S. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

As anti-ICE protests escalate in Minneapolis, agitators storm a church mid-service. But Trump’s deportation efforts are combining with economic pain to drive his poll numbers down. Uncertainty about Greenland doesn’t seem to be helping matters, though the breakdown of NATO may be unavoidable or already happening in all but name. With midterms looming, how should the administration approach this delicate moment? Plus: the discipline of classics, and with it the prestige institutions of the American academy, seem determined to self-destruct. Ryan, Mike, and Spencer survey the landscape and offer up a few cultural recommendations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

This land is your land; this land is...Greenland? Following the recent arrest and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump has halted shipments of Venezuelan oil to Cuba, raising new speculations about efforts to acquire Greenland and solidify US control in the region. Meanwhile, Renée Good, egged by her wife to obstruct ICE officers in Minneapolis, was fatally shot while accelerating a vehicle toward an agent. To unravel the new “Donroe” Doctrine and twisted LARPing of progressive and Antifa activists, Kyle Shideler of the Center for Security Policy joins the hosts to throw light on recent events.Recommended:The Callous and Cynical Politics That Led to Renee Good’s DeathWho's to Blame in Minnesota? Five Cases Involving Police Shooting at CarsLiberals Think Antifa Isn’t Real. But It Is—and It Knows How to WinThe Regulars Are Coming!Thou Shalt Kill, by Anna Geifman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Nicolás Maduro is in U.S. custody, pleading not guilty to federal drug and weapons charges. What does his capture mean for Venezuela, American foreign policy, and the global order? And how does this moment connect to the domestic fight over America’s administrative state? Josh Treviño of AFPI unpacks the geopolitical aftermath of Maduro’s arrest, and R.J. Pestritto of Hillsdale College discusses his latest publication about the rise of America’s unelected bureaucracy: Government by the Unelected: How It Happened, and How It Might Be Tamed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

This week, hosts Ryan and Spencer sit down as the year closes out to share their Christmas plans and recommendations: music, theater, food, drink, and more! Stay tuned in the new year!Recommendations:Adventures in Old English: The History and Meaning of Advent“Christmas Traditions,” by the CRB editorsEssentials of Classic Italian Cooking: 30th Anniversary EditionThe PDT Cocktail Book This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Australia has suffered its deadliest mass shooting in decades, allegedly perpetrated by father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, on the first night of Hannukah. Meanwhile in Germany, (yet another) planned attack at a Christmas market was foiled. This week, Spencer and Mike discuss problems that have finally gotten too overwhelming for even the BBC and the New York Times to ignore, from mass migration to the DEI crusade against young white men. Plus: Christmas recommendations!Recommendations:The Lost Generation, by Jacob SavageWhy “The Lost Generation” is a Lost Opportunity, by Jeremy CarlThe Christmas of the Quarter-Century This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Under the nose of the Tim Walz regime, hundreds of millions of Minnesotan tax dollars have been defrauded by an array of shell organizations sending money overseas, in some cases to terrorist groups. That the ringleaders are primarily of Somali descent makes progressives uncomfortable and help’s Trump’s case against mass migration. This week, the guys discuss COVID-era abuses of welfare, consider immigration’s rolling effect on national security, and consider Trump’s handling of the economy amidst a potential affordability crisis. Plus: more cultural recommendations!Recommended:The Real Clash of Civilizations, by Nathan PinkoskiLeo Strauss and American Foreign Policy, by Thomas G. WestDemocracy and the Bush Doctrine, by Charles R. KeslerHouse of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is being accused of war crimes after allegedly making a so-called “double-tap” strike against Venezuelan drug traffickers. But it may just be a double distraction, allowing critics of Trump both to avoid more serious questions about immigration policy and to pull attention from the tragic shooting of two National Guards in DC by an Afghani national. This week, the guys are joined again by Matthew Peterson to discuss US operations in South America and the Left’s unsubtle hints that soldiers might need to disobey orders. Plus: Kash Patel as FBI Director: the right man for the wrong job?Recommended:“What Brought the Trump Administration to the Brink with the Venezuelan Regime,” by Joshua Treviño & Melissa FordNever Enough: America’s Limitless Welfare State, by William VoegeliOur American Queen: The Rise and Ruin of Kate Chase, by Thomas Klingenstein This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

A recent White House meeting between Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani gave the president a chance to flip the script while publicly debasing the rhetorical currency of the “anti-fascist” Left. In this special holiday episode, the guys are joined by Matthew Peterson to discuss the president’s latest strategy, and answer listener questions. On the docket are emerging factions within the conservative movement, federal leniency on Antifa post-domestic-terrorist designation, and more. Plus: The crew gives thanks and share holiday plans, antics, eats—and cultural recommendations!Recommended reading:A House for the Word, by Richard Hooker This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

In the wake of a bad election for Republicans, the Trump Administration seems to be reeling a bit as it looks for a new direction heading into Trump’s second year of this term. Yet time remains to step away from the ledge, button up and course correct before midterms. This week, Matthew Peterson joins the guys as they unravel dissatisfactions on the right and note potential MAGA comebacks. Meanwhile, Vanity Fair West Coast editor Olivia Nuzzi’s memoir generates a seedy sort of buzz as alleged details emerge about her sexts to RFK Jr., in case you were worried there might be depths to which journalists would not sink. Plus: Another round of cultural recommendations!Reading recommendations:"Part 1: How I Found Out," by Ryan Lizza“Ulysses,” by Alfred, Lord TennysonKing of Dogs, by Andrew EdwardsProject Hail Mary, by Andy WeirTreatise on Justification, by John Davenant This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

A bill to reopen the government has at last passed the Senate. It includes major concessions from Democrats on health care subsidies, earning moderate Democrats the ire of progressives. As the shutdown reaches its forty-second day, hosts Spencer and Mike sit down with guest Matthew Peterson to discuss the government’s perennial inability to form a budget. Elsewhere, election tallies are in: Zohran Mamdani won the NYC mayoral race, the election for Virginia AG went to Jay Jones, and California voters approved Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan. The tide of political battle remains yet uncertain as midterms loom. Plus: who planted the January 6 pipe bombs? And more cultural recommendations!Recommended Reading:Former Capitol Police Officer a Forensic Match for Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber, Sources Say2025’s Message to the GOP: Get Back to BasicsA Brief History of the Samurai, by Jonathan ClementsStatus and Culture, by W. David Marx This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Tucker Carlson hosted Nick Fuentes, an antisemitic broadcaster, for a friendly interview, causing divisions to erupt on the Right. This week, as socialist Zohran Mamdani is forecast to take New York City’s mayorship, the guys appraise the influence of Fuentes on the mainstream and discuss the Right’s alternatives to curry favor with the middle. Plus: details have emerged about an FBI operation, “Arctic Frost,” aimed at targeting GOP officials’ comms to delegitimize Trump and his supporters post-2020 election. And more cultural recommendations!Recommended media:True DetectiveSlow HorsesWhat We Can KnowBrothers This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

As Trump’s campaign to curb illegal immigration presses on, half of ICE’s top officers have been reassigned in what may be a significant policy shift ahead of the midterms. Meanwhile, Biden’s former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sat down for an interview with The New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner in which she nearly self-identifies as a DEI hire and tries lamely to defend her old boss. The secretary...goes down with the ship? The guys lay into these topics before bravely excavating the goon-cave so you don’t have to. Plus: for the first time ever, we’re on video!Recommended media:Why Biden’s White House Press Secretary Is Leaving the Democratic PartyThe Goon Squad This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

The latest round of “No Kings!” rallies, reportedly attended by 7 million—average attendee, per Axios, mid-40s and female—took to the streets this weekend in protest of…what monarchy, exactly? This week, three kings—Ryan, Matt, and Spencer—discuss progressive populism, John Bolton’s indictment for alleged mishandling of classified intelligence, and Zohran Mamdani’s likely victory despite a weak performance in New York’s mayoral debate. Plus: more cultural recommendations!Recommended media:The Claremont Institute Standing Athwart HistoryHasan Piker Is Flirting With the RevolutionBehind the Curtain: The Most Unprecedented Presidency in 250 YearsThe Camp of the Saints This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

In a stirring climax to Trump’s middle east negotiations, 20 Israeli hostages were released back to their families after 738 days in brutal captivity. This week, hosts Spencer and Mike discuss the success of Trump’s plan thus far, the failure of previous efforts in the region, and the likelihood of lasting peace. Meanwhile, unguarded messages from a Young Republican group chat have leaked to the media. Is this more evidence of political hatred on the level of Jay Jones’s texts, or just edgy kids doing what edgy kids do? Plus: The Supreme Court takes up oral arguments again, and more cultural recommendations!Recommended reading:Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chatGorgias: Encomium of Helen This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe