Tom Nichols: Free Press, JD Vance, and the MAGA Right
Charlie Sykes welcomes Atlantic writer Tom Nichols for a conversation about the Pentagon’s unprecedented expulsion of the press and what it means for democracy and transparency. They also unpack the MAGA movement’s growing hostility toward free speech, Trump’s chaotic foreign policy moves, and JD Vance’s defense of young right-wing bigots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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51:00
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51:00
Rob Hart: Chicago Under Siege
Charlie Sykes turns his attention from the Middle East to the Midwest, where escalating ICE raids, federal court battles, and National Guard deployments have put Chicago at the center of a national storm. WBBM anchor Rob Hart joins to break down the reality on the ground—what’s true, what’s political theater, and how local leaders like J.B. Pritzker and Brandon Johnson are navigating the crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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40:44
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40:44
David French: Trump’s Expanding Power
Charlie Sykes is joined by David French to unpack a week of alarming developments — from Trump’s threatened invocation of the Insurrection Act and deployment of troops to Chicago, to the stunning announcement of a Qatari military base on U.S. soil. Together, they explore how rhetoric, legality, and raw power collide in a presidency that continually tests constitutional limits. Amid escalating tensions at home and abroad, what happens when extraordinary powers become the new normal? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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47:18
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47:18
Susan Glasser: TrumpSchmerz
New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser joins Charlie Sykes to talk about what she calls “TrumpSchmerz” — the constant state of worry that hangs over America in the Trump era. They discuss the weaponization of government power, the collapse of political norms, and whether the country’s institutions or its people will stop the slide toward authoritarianism. It’s a conversation about inflection points, public fatigue, and the uneasy question of what America is willing to tolerate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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40:26
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40:26
Edward Luce: Western Democracy Under Siege
Charlie Sykes sits down with Financial Times U.S. National Editor Edward Luce to examine the accelerating retreat of Western liberalism and the fragility of democratic institutions in the Trump 2.0 era. They discuss Jane Goodall’s viral quip about “rocketing” world leaders into space, the performative nature of Trump’s domestic “wag the dog” tactics, and the escalating intimidation of judges across the country. Luce also critiques the Democratic Party’s reactive strategy and outlines why it must abandon its subtractive politics to meet the moment and build a winning coalition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ireland