The Dispatch Live

In Tuesday's election, former President Donald Trump decisively defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, helping to establish a new Republican majority in the U.S. Senate and likely securing continued GOP control of the House of Representatives. The Dispatch team, along with a slew of heavy hitting guests, recapped the night as results were coming in. There will be plenty of voices fanning the flames and stoking fear and outrage in the next few days and weeks, but we remain dedicated to our mission of shedding light, not heat—and we think we’ve assembled a lineup of reporters, analysts, operatives, and more that will do just that. Guests: —Michael Warren: Michael Warren is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C. —Jonah Goldberg: Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief and co-founder of The Dispatch —Sarah Isgur: Sarah Isgur is a senior editor at The Dispatch and is based in northern Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2019, she had worked in every branch of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns.  —Steve Hayes: Steve Hayes is CEO and editor of The Dispatch, based in Annapolis, Maryland. Prior to co-founding the company in 2019, he worked at The Weekly Standard for 18 years, covering Washington, politics, and national security. —Mike Madrid: Mike Madrid is a veteran Latino GOP Consultant, author of the Latino Century, and co-founder of the Lincoln Project —Megan McArdle: Megan McArdle is a Washington Post columnist and frequent guest of the Dispatch Podcast. —Kevin Williamson: Kevin D. Williamson is national correspondent at The Dispatch and is based in Virginia. Prior to joining the company in 2022, he spent 15 years as a writer and editor at National Review, worked as the theater critic at the New Criterion, and had a long career in local newspapers. —Jason Cable Roe: Jason Roe is the former Executive Director of the Michigan Republican Party and current political strategist and founder of Roe Strategic Campaigns. —Stephanie Slade: Stephanie Slade is a senior editor at Reason, and a fellow in liberal studies at the Acton Institute. She covers the intersection of religion and politics. —Chris Stirewalt: Chris Stirewalt is a contributing editor at The Dispatch, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and host of The Hill Sunday on NewsNation. —Mitch Kokai: Mitch Kokai is the senior political director of the John Locke Foundation, an independent, nonprofit think tank in North Carolina. —Craig Gilbert: Craig Gilbert, former Washington bureau chief for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, has detailed Wisconsin’s emerging role as one of the nation’s leading battleground states. —Noah Rothman: Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. He is the author of The Rise of the New Puritans: Fighting Back against Progressives' War on Fun and Unjust. —David Frum: David Frum is a senior editor at The Atlantic and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush. —Sharon McMahon: Sharon McMahon, a former teacher who now educates people online about politics and government. She’s on Instagram @sharonsaysso and writes the popular newsletter The Preamble which you can find at thepreamble.com. —Jamie Weinstein: Jamie Weinstein is the host of Monday’s episode of The Dispatch Podcast. —Shohanna Weisseman: Shoshana Weissmann manages R Street's social media, email marketing and other digital assets. —Matt Germer: Matt Germer is director of the Governance Program at the R Street Institute. —David Kochel: David Kochel is a Republican political strategist, originally hailing from Iowa. —Rob Stutzman: Rob Stutzman is founder and president of Stutzman Public Affairs, a Sacramento based firm specializing in campaigns, communications, crisis management and award-winning political advertising. —Charles Hilu: Charles Hilu is a reporter for The Dispatch based in Virginia.  —David Drucker: David M. Drucker is a senior writer at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Trimble hosted tonight’s Dispatch Live featuring our national security symposium experts. As global instability rises with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, adversaries like Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea are drawing closer. This turbulent landscape will pose immense challenges for whoever wins November’s election. But is either candidate—Kamala Harris or Donald Trump—equipped to handle the task? Our panel experts in foreign policy and national security discuss why neither candidate currently inspires much confidence in navigating these critical issues. Show Notes: Read the symposium here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin D. Williamson hosted tonight’s conversation and was joined by two of our economic symposium contributors, Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute and Alex Muresianu of the Tax Foundation to try to interpret both candidates’ policies. Then, the Dispatch Politics crew joined Kevin to discuss campaign coverage. Finally, TMD reporter James Sutton made his Dispatch Live debut, joining guest Natalie Ecanow to discuss what happens after the death of Yahya Sinwar.  Show Notes: Doom, Thy Name Is Populism TMD reporting on Sinwar How should the U.S. respond to the death of Sinwar? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dispatch celebrated its fifth anniversary last week, so Steve and Jonah took The Remnant tradition live to discuss the state of the company half a decade in. The election is 20 days away, the media environment has only gotten worse, and Jonah still doesn’t have his Corner-style blog. Where does The Dispatch go from here? Show Notes: Steve Hayes reflects on the last five years The Dispatch’s founding manifesto Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8K-k0DVALk&t=1s A video recording of Dispatch Live will be available on our website tomorrow morning. An audio-only version of the conversation will also be available tomorrow on The Skiff, our members-only podcast feed. Click here to sign up for The Skiff on your preferred podcast platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday night, J.D. Vance and Tim Walz went toe-to-toe on CBS News in what might be the final debate of the presidential election cycle. Did the contest actually sway any voters, or was it merely a box-checking exercise? Mike Warren was joined by Sarah, Jonah, Steve, Kevin, and Alex on the latest episode of Dispatch Live to discuss all that and more. Tune in for sharp takes, a few laughs, and plenty of discussion about whether anything that happened actually moved the needle—or just raised the volume. Show Notes: Chris Stirewalt on the populist candidates The most important questions the moderators should ask  Dispatch Politics symposium on whether the debate will matter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL4E19n0Nv0 A video recording of Dispatch Live will be available on our website tomorrow morning. An audio-only version of the conversation will also be available tomorrow on The Skiff, our members-only podcast feed. Click here to sign up for The Skiff on your preferred podcast platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Hayes crashes the party and joins host Michael Warren and David Drucker to discuss the latest in polling and the GOP’s lack of ground game. Guest panelist Jeffrey Tyler Syck joined to talk about his report on how the Intercollegiate Studies Institute traded the Western canon for present-day politics. Mary Trimble and Adaam James Levin-Arredy discuss our most recent foreign relation events—Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah and Volodymyr Zelensky’s most recent trip to the United States. Luis then joins to discuss Matt Walsh’s latest cinematic project and will give a preview of his upcoming review.  Show Notes: Jeffrey Tyler Syck and his piece on ISI TMD reporting on Hezbollah conflict Tuesday’s Dispatch Politics newsletter Tickets to our Dispatch Live Summit in Washington, D.C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5fyVUDr558 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a full-court press on Dispatch Live following the Trump-Harris faceoff, and dare we say Harris won on the merits? Steve Hayes takes the host’s reins and is joined by Kevin D. Williamson, Jonah Goldberg, Declan Garvey, and Jamie Weinstein for the full hour to discuss the potential “spin” arguments from the GOP. Sarah Isgur and her alt-grifter personality gives us a preview of what we might hear on Fox News. Alex Demas drops by to fact-check some of the outrageous claims from both sides of the debate.  On the Agenda: Which Trump personality showed up? Grading Harris’ performance Moderating the moderators Grifter Sarah and Imaginary Grifter Kevin Did the debate actually matter? Show Notes: Will the debate actually matter? Chris Stirewalt identifies three tasks for Harris Monday morning’s TMD on debate prep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxM3YYGICTg How to subscribe to The Dispatch Live Podcast: Audio recordings of Dispatch Live will be available shortly after the show concludes on an unlisted podcast shared only with members of The Dispatch.  Unlisted podcasts are not searchable online or available on public directories. We are currently able to provide this feature for Dispatch members on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Google Podcasts as well as The Dispatch website.    To easily follow The Dispatch Live on one of these platforms:  Visit the show website and click the badge that says “Listen & Subscribe.”  Select your preferred listening platform from the available options. You will then be asked to add or follow the podcast to your feed via an RSS Feed URL.  Once added, the Dispatch Live podcast will be available in your feed like any other podcast. Members-only podcast: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/DISPME9120713977  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwB60dzlvgM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Williamson hosted tonight’s episode of Dispatch Live, and he was joined by Scott Howard to discuss Donald Trump’s appeal with young men. After that, a special Dispatch Politics panel featuring David Drucker, John McCormack, and Mary Katharine Ham joined to discuss the latest flip-flops in Trumpworld. Finally, Grayson Logue closed out the hour with an update on the overlooked crisis in Sudan. On the Agenda: Why young men are turning to Trump What does the RFK Jr. endorsement do for Trump? Trump’s messaging on abortion and guns What’s next for Josh Shapiro? Reshaping the Supreme Court Getting around the filibuster Sudan’s humanitarian crisis Show Notes: Scott Howard’s piece for The Dispatch Tuesday’s TMD newsletter on RFK Jr. endorsement Friday’s Dispatch Politics newsletter on Democrats’ plans for the Supreme Court TMD’s coverage on Sudan https://www.youtube.com/live/mnm75ken3p4 How to subscribe to The Dispatch Live Podcast: Audio recordings of Dispatch Live will be available shortly after the show concludes on an unlisted podcast shared only with members of The Dispatch.  Unlisted podcasts are not searchable online or available on public directories. We are currently able to provide this feature for Dispatch members on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Google Podcasts as well as The Dispatch website.    To easily follow The Dispatch Live on one of these platforms:  Visit the show website and click the badge that says “Listen & Subscribe.”  Select your preferred listening platform from the available options. You will then be asked to add or follow the podcast to your feed via an RSS Feed URL.  Once added, the Dispatch Live podcast will be available in your feed like any other podcast. Members-only podcast: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/DISPME9120713977  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Jonah hosted a post-convention recap following Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech the Democratic National Convention. The Dispatch Politics crew—Drucker, Mike, and Charles— join to share details from their on-the-ground reporting from Chicago over the past week. Have the “vibes” shifted? On the Agenda: What surprise? Is this a base-election? Adam Kinzinger cul-de-sac Harris’ support of Israel Pro-baby defense framing of abortion rights  The insight from Kamala’s family life The Uncommitted delegates making a scene in the arena Show Notes: Thursday morning’s TMD on Walz accepting the vice presidential nomination Barack Obama’s handing down of the “hope” narrative to Kamala Harris Charles’ reporting on pro-life Democrats Dispatch Politics reporting from this week Yes, we had some fun https://youtube.com/live/w6O3DoBvbZQ How to subscribe to The Dispatch Live Podcast: Audio recordings of Dispatch Live will be available shortly after the show concludes on an unlisted podcast shared only with members of The Dispatch.  Unlisted podcasts are not searchable online or available on public directories. We are currently able to provide this feature for Dispatch members on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Google Podcasts as well as The Dispatch website.    To easily follow The Dispatch Live on one of these platforms:  Visit the show website and click the badge that says “Listen & Subscribe.”  Select your preferred listening platform from the available options. You will then be asked to add or follow the podcast to your feed via an RSS Feed URL.  Once added, the Dispatch Live podcast will be available in your feed like any other podcast. Members-only podcast: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/DISPME9120713977  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Williamson hosted tonight’s episode of Dispatch Live, and was joined by guest Annalise DeVries to get an update on what’s happening across the pond. David Drucker and Charles then stopped by to discuss their reporting plans for the Democratic National Convention and the state of the presidential race before Grayson wrapped things up with a breakdown of what’s happening in Bangladesh. On the Agenda: How student protests contributed to ousting Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina How an attack in a dance class led to violent riots in the U.K. J.D. Vance’s attacks on the Sunday show circuit Dispatch Politics’ coverage plan for DNC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen in on a special Dispatch Live as host Michael introduces our impressive roster of summer interns. Learn about their personal reporting projects, what they love about working at The Dispatch, and their takes on the conservative movement in colleges.  On the Agenda: Conservatism on campuses in 2024 vs. 2020 What does institutional neutrality look like? Reporting on school choice and Texas marijuana legislation Valuable lessons learned while at The Dispatch Who is more intimidating: Jonah or Sarah? Show Notes: Aayush Goodapaty’s author page Grant Lefelar’s author page Leah Schroeder’s author page Max Whalen’s author page Anna Kriebel’s author page Cole Murphy’s author page Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On yet another emergency edition of Dispatch Live, Sarah is joined by Steve, Jonah, Mike and David M. Drucker to break down President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. The Agenda: —Should Biden resign? —What a Kamala Harris campaign might look like —Will Republicans’ “coup” messaging be effective? Show Notes: —Dispatch Politics: Biden Withdraws From the 2024 Election —Boiling Frogs: The Return of the Smoke-Filled Room —Cole Murphy: How Democrats Could Replace Joe Biden as Their Nominee, Explained —Dispatch Editorial: It’s Democrats’ Turn to Make the Hard Decision Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special (and especially late) Dispatch Live, Sarah and Jonah is joined by Steve and the Dispatch Politics team—David M. Drucker, Michael Warren, John McCormack, and Charles Hilu—who are currently on the ground in Milwaukee covering the convention. Will Trump accept his third nomination as a newborn unifier or a vengeful culture warrior? We’ll see soon enough. Show Notes: Our Dispatch Podcast and Advisory Opinions crossover podcast on the assassination attempt Monday’s Dispatch Politics coverage on the RNC’s new unity message Yesterday’s Dispatch Politics coverage on Nikki Haley’s overtures to Reagan Republicans Michael Warren reports on the Republicans’ electoral optimism Steve’s interview with Sen. Mike Lee on his transformation into a Trump defender Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin D. Williamson hosted a special Dispatch Live exploring Christianity’s influence on the conservative movement and the unique religious fervor that defines the New Right. Joining him was a distinguished lineup: Advisory Opinions recurring guest David French, Georgetown philosophy professor Paul Miller, editor of the National Review Ramesh Ponnuru, and Michael Wear, founder of the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Next, Catholic apologist Trent Horn, Mark Tooley of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, and The Dispatch’s associate multimedia producer Victoria Holmes discussed the intricate interplay of faith and political life. Wrapping up the evening, philosophy professor Kevin Vallier from Bowling Green State University discussed Catholic integralism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On tonight’s edition of Dispatch Live, Declan, Steve, Jonah, Sarah, and Kevin discuss The Dispatch’s latest editorial, which calls for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election. Is the dam beginning to break? Programming Note: Tonight’s Dispatch Live will take place at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. We will return to our summer schedule on July 16. Audio-only recordings of Dispatch Live are available the following morning on The Skiff, our members-only podcast feed. Click here to sign up for The Skiff on your preferred podcast platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Warren was joined by an all-star cast of Dispatchers to break down what just happened—and how much of it (if anything) will actually matter come November. https://www.youtube.com/live/it5lK7eOcB8 Audio-only recordings of Dispatch Live are available the following morning on The Skiff, our members-only podcast feed. Click here to sign up for The Skiff on your preferred podcast platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve was joined on tonight’s episode of Dispatch Live by special guest Fred Ryan, chief of staff to former President Ronald Reagan and author of Wine and the White House: A History. The conversation was colored by Ryan’s personal White House experience, and his love for history provided plenty of fun facts for any trivia nerd to enjoy. Programming Note: During the busy summer months, Dispatch Live will take place every other Tuesday and will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. The Agenda: The history of the “toast” What about presidents who don’t drink? Richard Nixon’s quirky wine habits Judgment of Paris The Spanish wine Steve would recommend to a president Show Notes: Fred Ryan’s wine recommendations White wine from tonight’s show Red wine from tonight’s show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPiR8637BMw Audio-only recordings of Dispatch Live are available the following morning on The Skiff, our members-only podcast feed. Click here to sign up for The Skiff on your preferred podcast platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Isgur hosts tonight’s Dispatch Live featuring two legal experts. First, she discusses Trump’s guilty verdict as well as the upcoming immunity case at the Supreme Court with Georgetown law professor David Super. Then, Alison Somin, legal fellow at Pacific Legal Foundations, explains how the courts can prevent Title IX overreach. Grayson Logue dives into Mexico’s most recent elections and Charles Hilu brings us back to the US with an update on how Rep. Robert Menendez’s primary race has been affected by his father Sen. Bob Menendez’s legal woes. Programming Note: Tonight kicks off our summer schedule. For the next few months, Dispatch Live will take place every other Tuesday and will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. On the Agenda: Debating the Trump verdict What’s next for Trump? Upcoming SCOTUS decisions Biden’s Title IX overreach Mexico’s first female president  How Robert Menendez’s primary race is holding up Show Notes: Sarah and David’s emergency podcast following the Trump verdict Alison’s piece for The Dispatch Tuesday’s TMD on Mexico elections https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI61MikpxnQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leland Vittert of NewsNation joined Steve to talk wine, the 2024 campaign, and the state of the journalism industry. But first, Mary discussed the ambiguous reporting around Russia’s counter-space satellites and a possible NCAA deal. Then, David and John dropped by to share their reporting from a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rally and the Libertarian National Convention. On the Agenda: Russia’s counter-space weapons Preview of Mary’s reporting on the proposed NCAA settlement agreement for Wednesday’s TMD Drucker’s on-the-ground reporting in Las Vegas and Denver What’s next for the libertarians? The state of journalism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight’s episode of Dispatch Live featured the debut of our new studio! First up, Steve, Jonah, Declan, and community manager Ryan Brown discussed the recent changes to our website and answered member questions. Steve, Jonah, and Declan were then joined by Adaam James Levin-Areddy for a conversation about the latest news out of the Middle East. John McCormack and Charles Hilu then wrapped up the hour by sharing some of their latest reporting for Dispatch Politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices