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All Episodes

Conversations with Bill Kristol — 322 episodes

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Title
1

Ryan Goodman: The Trump Administration, the Supreme Court, and the Rule of Law

2

Harvey Mansfield on Rational Control and Liberalism

3

Ron Brownstein: What’s Going To Happen in 2026?

4

Aaron Friedberg on Fallout from the China Summit

5

Phillips O’Brien on Ukraine v. Russia and the Future of Warfare

6

A.B. Stoddard on Trump’s Psyche—and The Implications for 2028

7

Mark Blitz on the Enduring Importance of Aristotle

8

Aaron Friedberg on the Iran War and the View from Beijing

9

Doug Sosnik on What to Expect in 2026—and Why 2028 Will Be Different

10

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: Trump’s Mass Deportation Regime

11

Francis Fukuyama on Trump’s Bullying and Europe’s Response

12

Ron Brownstein on What’s Ahead in 2026—and in 2028

13

Robert Kagan on Trump’s Foreign Policy and the New World Disorder

14

Steve Hayes on the Life and Legacy of Dick Cheney

15

Jonathan Karl on Trump’s Retribution Presidency

16

Timothy Snyder on the Trump Administration at Home, and What’s at Stake in Ukraine

17

James Carville on Politics Today, 2026, and 2028

18

Aaron Friedberg on the Trump Administration's Surprising China Policy

19

Anne Applebaum on Ukraine, Europe, Trump, and the Danger of Authoritarianism

20

Scott Lincicome on Trump's New Tariff Regime: Unpredictability, Uncertainty, and Risk

21

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: Immigration and Deportation in the Trump Administration

22

Ryan Goodman: The Trump Administration and the Supreme Court

23

Ray Takeyh on the War between Israel and Iran—and the Future of the Iranian Regime

24

Eric Edelman on Trump in the Middle East—and a Dangerous World

25

John Bolton on the Trump White House after 100 Days

26

Larry Summers on Trump, Tariffs, and Threats to the Economy

27

Jason Furman on the Trump Tariffs and the US Economy

28

A.B. Stoddard on Trump’s Second Term

29

Steve Vladeck on the Trump Administration, the Courts, and the Rule of Law

30

Anne Applebaum: Ukraine, Europe, and the US

31

Renée DiResta on Social Media, Political Power, and Elon Musk

32

Ryan Goodman: The Trump Administration and the Rule of Law

33

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick on Immigration in Trump’s Second Term: What Will Happen?

34

Eric Edelman on the World Trump Inherits

35

Harvard’s Jack Goldsmith on the Coming Trump Presidency

36

John Bolton on Trump’s Cabinet Picks and What to Expect in His Second Term

37

Ronald Brownstein on the 2024 Presidential Election: What Just Happened?

38

Ronald Brownstein on Harris v. Trump: What to Look For in the Home Stretch

39

Jason Furman: How Would the Economy Do Under Trump or Harris?

40

Aaron Friedberg on Trump, Harris, and a Dangerous World

41

James Carville on Harris v. Trump: After the Debate, Entering the Home Stretch

42

Doug Sosnik on Harris v. Trump: After the Convention and Before the Debate

43

James Carville on Harris-Walz v. Trump-Vance

44

Doug Sosnik on Harris v. Trump: Why the Next Month Matters Most

45

John DiIulio: A Second Trump Term and the Civil Service

46

Jason Furman: Where is the Economy Now—and Where Will it Be in November?

47

Anne Applebaum on Ukraine, Russia, Europe, and the US

48

James Carville on Biden v. Trump

49

Robert Kagan on American Anti-liberalism, from the 1920s to the 2020s

50

Frederick W. Kagan on Ukraine: Where Things Stand and Where Might They Be Going

51

Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Trump’s First Term—and a Second?

52

David Axelrod on Biden v. Trump 2024

53

Joe Klein: Can the Democrats Get their Act Together?

54

Timothy Snyder on Ukraine, Russia, America—and What’s at Stake

55

Doug Sosnik on the State of the Race: Trump, Biden, and 2024

56

Whit Ayres on 2024: How Weak is Trump? What about Biden?

57

Aaron Friedberg on the China Challenge—and a World in Disarray

58

Peter Berkowitz on Israel at War: A Nation United and Divided

59

Ruth Wisse on Anti-Semitism—and Why it Matters

60

Jonathan Karl: What Would a Second Trump Term Look Like?

61

Ray Takeyh on 10/7, Hamas, and Iran

62

Eric Edelman on the New World Disorder

63

Jason Furman on the Economy: Where Are We Now—and Where Might We Be Going?

64

Fred Kagan on Ukraine: Where Things Stand

65

James Carville on Biden, Trump, the Democrats, and 2024

66

Stephen Rosen on the China Challenge

67

Whit Ayres on the State of the Race: Is It Still Trump's Party?

68

Ryan Goodman on the Trump Trial: What Might Happen?

69

Google’s Royal Hansen on AI: Where Are We? Where Are We Going?

70

Whit Ayres: Is Trump Inevitable? Do Any of the Other Republicans Have a Chance?

71

Doug Sosnik: The Realignment of American Politics—and its Implications

72

Ryan Goodman: Does Donald Trump Really Face Legal—and Political—Jeopardy?

73

Leah Boustan on Immigration: Then and Now

74

A.B. Stoddard on 2024: Trump, DeSantis, Biden…and Chaos?

75

Frederick Kagan on the War in Ukraine: Where things Stand, and Where they Might be Going

76

Dan Balz on Trump, Biden, the Media, and 2024

77

Robert Kagan on American Foreign Policy Between World War I and World War II—and Beyond

78

Jason Furman on the Threat of Inflation, Prospects for the Economy, and Turmoil in the Banking Sector

79

Aaron Friedberg on China, the War in Ukraine, and the Geopolitical Stakes

80

Anne Applebaum on Ukraine: One Year Into the War

81

Neil Rogachevsky on Israel’s Declaration of Independence

82

Francis Fukuyama on the War in Ukraine, Authoritarianism, and Liberal Democracy

83

James Carville: Biden, Trump, Our Parties, and 2024

84

Harvey Mansfield on Locke, Aristotle, and the Spirit of Liberalism

85

Royal Hansen: Cybersecurity and National Security in the Digital Age

86

Whit Ayres: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Road to 2024

87

Ronald Brownstein: After the 2022 Midterms, What’s Next?

88

Frederick Kagan on Ukraine: Where Things Stand—and the Stakes for the Future

89

Ray Takeyh on Iran: Are We Witnessing a Revolution?

90

William Baude: On the Supreme Court after Dobbs

91

William Galston: The Politics of Abortion after Dobbs, the 2022 Midterms, and Beyond

92

Tom Tugendhat on Ukraine, NATO, and Strengthening the Alliance of Free States

93

Ed Glaeser: The Case for Cities

94

Whit Ayres: On the Republican Party, Donald Trump, the Midterms and 2024

95

A.B. Stoddard on Biden, Trump, and the Parties: How Crazy Could It Get in 2023 and 2024?

96

Joe Trippi: The Democrats and the 2022 Midterms

97

Eric Edelman on Ukraine, NATO, and Confronting Our Strategic Challenges

98

Stan Veuger on Inflation, the Economic Outlook, and Public Policies we Need

99

Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns: the Biden Administration, the Parties, 2022 and 2024

100

Michael Luttig: January 6 and the Ongoing Threat to American Democracy

101

Frederick Kagan on the War in Ukraine: Where Things Stand

102

Mark Mills: Energy Realism and Geopolitics

103

Stephen Rosen: Taking The Nuclear Threat Seriously

104

Aaron Friedberg: The War in Ukraine and the Geopolitical Moment

105

Paul Cantor: Shakespeare and Politics

106

Garry Kasparov: Dictators and Democracies

107

Eric Edelman: How the West Should Respond to Putin’s War in Ukraine

108

Anne Applebaum: Putin’s War on Ukraine and its Consequences

109

Diana Schaub: Interpreting Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address

110

Jonathan Karl: Why Donald Trump’s Election Lies Matter

111

John McWhorter on Woke Politics, Race, and Education

112

Ashish Jha on Covid-19: On the Omicron Variant and the Outlook for 2022

113

Shep Melnick on Title IX: Equity, Due Process, and Free Speech on Campus

114

Scott Lincicome on the Economy, Inflation, and the Supply Chain

115

Linda Chavez: The Border, the Biden Administration, and Immigration Reform

116

Harvey Mansfield on Machiavelli as the Founder of Modernity

117

William Baude on Election Subversion: How Great a Threat?

118

Joe Trippi: The Biden Administration, the Parties, and Looking Ahead to the Midterms

119

Donald Kagan: War and Human Nature

120

Aaron Friedberg: On US-China Relations and the Threats We Face

121

Eric Edelman: The Crisis in Civil-Military Relations

122

David Epstein: The Political Ideas of The Federalist

123

Ashish Jha: On the Delta Variant, Vaccines, and Where We Stand

124

Harvey Mansfield: On Political Philosophy

125

Eric Edelman: On the Consequences of Withdrawal from Afghanistan

126

Sean Trende on the Republicans, the Democrats, and Looking Ahead to 2022 and 2024

127

Jonathan Rauch on Polarization, Information Warfare, and Cancel Culture

128

Paul Cantor: Shakespeare and Comedy

129

Roya Hakakian: Immigration and the American Idea

130

Stan Veuger: What is Bidenomics?

131

Mark Blitz on Reason, Politics, and Human Nature

132

James Carville: The Democrats, The Republicans, and the Biden Administration

133

Leon Kass on the Book of Exodus

134

Garry Kasparov: On Vladimir Putin, his Global Influence, and Standing up for Freedom

135

Larry Summers: On the Economic Outlook, the Case for Public Investment, and the Threat of Inflation

136

Ashish Jha: Covid-19, Vaccines, and the Outlook for 2021

137

Mark Blitz on Martin Heidegger

138

Scott Lincicome: The Race for Vaccines and Global Collaboration in Science and Commerce

139

Robert Gibbs: Joe Biden and the Challenge of a Presidential Transition during a Crisis

140

Sean Wilentz: Conspiracy Theories and American Politics, Then and Now

141

Ashish Jha on Covid-19, the Path to Recovery, and Lessons Learned

142

Eric Edelman: Foreign Policy and the Biden Administration

143

Ronald Brownstein: After 2020, What’s Next in Our Politics?

144

Diana Schaub: The Life and Ideas of Booker T. Washington

145

Mike Murphy on Trump vs. Biden: Two Weeks to Go!

146

Mike Murphy on Trump vs. Biden: The Home Stretch

147

Jack Goldsmith: Assessing the Rule of Law in the Trump Presidency

148

Mike Murphy on Trump vs. Biden: The State of the Race

149

Paul Cantor: The Crisis in Higher Education—and Opportunities for Learning Online

150

Marc Lipsitch: On the Covid-19 Pandemic in the US

151

Sean Wilentz: On the Importance of Studying and Debating American History

152

Joe Trippi on Trump vs. Biden: The State of the Race

153

Christine Rosen: Cancel Culture and the New Illiberalism

154

Remembering Charles Krauthammer

155

Stan Veuger: The Economic Fallout from Covid-19

156

Aaron Friedberg: On Increasing Tensions in the U.S.-China Relationship

157

Mike Murphy: Donald Trump vs Joe Biden

158

Harvey Mansfield: Liberal Democracy as a Mixed Regime

159

Chester Finn: Education Reform in America

160

Arthur Melzer: The Lost History of Esoteric Writing

161

James Ceaser: How We Select Presidential Candidates, Then and Now

162

Paul Cantor on The Western

163

Harvey Mansfield on Montesquieu’s The Spirit of the Laws

164

Diana Schaub on Frederick Douglass

165

Jonathan V. Last: The Demographic Baby Bust and its Consequences

166

Stan Veuger on Europe Today: Politics, Economics, and the Future of the EU

167

N. Gregory Mankiw: On the Economic Ideas of the Left and Right Today

168

Jack Goldsmith: On Jimmy Hoffa, labor unions, and the rise and fall of the mob

169

Mike Murphy on the Democratic Race and the 2020 Presidential Election

170

Greg Weiner: Why Daniel Patrick Moynihan Matters

171

James Capretta: Is There a Crisis in American Healthcare Today?

172

Paul Cantor on the Shakespeare Authorship Question

173

Adam White: The Supreme Court and the Conservative Legal Movement Today

174

Steve Hayes: The Conservative Movement Today and the Republican Party After Trump

175

Jim VandeHei: The Transformation of our Media Landscape and Its Political Implications

176

General Jack Keane: September 11, 2001 at The Pentagon

177

Eric Edelman: America’s Strategic Position, Great Power Competition, and the Liberal World Order

178

Harvey Mansfield on Free Speech and Higher Education Today

179

James Hankins on Meritocracy Today: The Cases of America and China

180

Diana Schaub on Lincoln’s Political Thought: The Lyceum Address and The Gettysburg Address

181

Aaron Friedberg: On the Rise of China and the Strategic Threat to the United States

182

John J. DiIulio Jr.: Big Government, Then and Now

183

A Conversation with Charles Krauthammer

184

Harvey Mansfield on Tocqueville’s Democracy in America

185

Jim Manzi: On Global Warming, Climate Change, and What To Do About It

186

Edward Conard: Economic Growth, Innovation, and Middle-Class Prosperity

187

Andrew Ferguson on Identity Politics and American Culture

188

Paul Cantor on the Dark Side of the American Dream

189

Robert Kagan on Authoritarianism and the Threat to the Liberal Democratic Order

190

Joe Trippi on the Race for the Democratic Nomination in 2020

191

James Ceaser on James Madison as the First American Founder

192

Jeff Bergner: The Vanishing Congress

193

Kristen Soltis Anderson: Millennials and Generation Z on Trump, the Left, and Big Government

194

Michael Strain: Against Economic Pessimism

195

Stephen Rosen: US Foreign Policy, Great Power Competition, and the Rise of China

196

Harvey Mansfield on Aristotle, Democracy, and Political Science

197

Mike Murphy: Onward to 2020!

198

Ronald Brownstein: From the 2018 Midterms to the 2020 Elections

199

Jack Goldsmith: Cybersecurity, Cyberwarfare, and the Threats We Face

200

Christine Rosen on the Me Too Movement, Women, and Men

201

Scott Lincicome: In Defense of Free Trade

202

Paul Cantor on Great Television and the Emergence of a TV Canon

203

Eric Edelman: Restoring American Leadership in the World

204

Harvey Mansfield on the Wisdom of The Federalist

205

Linda Chavez on Immigration and American Identity

206

Jim Manzi on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Technological Innovation

207

Steven F. Hayward on Winston Churchill and Statesmanship

208

Ronald Brownstein on Red and Blue America, 2018, and 2020

209

Diana Schaub on the Life and Political Thought of Frederick Douglass

210

Paul Cantor on Shakespeare and Politics (Part II)

211

Christopher Caldwell on Populism and the Future of the European Union

212

Edward Conard on Innovation, Income Inequality, and High-Skilled Immigration

213

Paul Begala on the Democratic Party, the Midterms, and 2020

214

Garry Kasparov on Dictators and Democracies

215

Jonah Goldberg on Nationalism, Populism, and Identity Politics

216

Peter Berkowitz: Defending Liberal Democracy

217

James C. Warren on Today’s Media Landscape and the Problem of Fake News

218

Nicholas Eberstadt: Understanding North Korea

219

Charles Murray: Reflections on a Distinguished Career in Ideas

220

Mike Murphy on the Trump Administration, the Midterms, and 2020

221

John Podhoretz on Movies, TV, and American Popular Culture

222

Garry Kasparov on Artificial Intelligence, Technology and Politics, and AlphaZero Chess

223

Jack Goldsmith on American Institutions and the Trump Presidency

224

Harvey Mansfield on Tocqueville’s Machiavellianism

225

Dan Balz on the media and Donald Trump’s presidency

226

Kristen Soltis Anderson on Millennials and American Politics

227

Jonah Goldberg on Donald Trump and the Future of Conservatism

228

Spencer Abraham and Vin Weber on Congress, Trump, and the Parties

229

Eric Edelman on the Global Threat of Authoritarianism

230

Paul Cantor on Shakespeare’s Rome

231

Thomas Donnelly on Addressing the Challenges to American Primacy

232

Christina Hoff Sommers on Google, GamerGate, and Threats to Free Speech

233

Harvey Mansfield on Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels

234

Irwin Stelzer: Strengthening and Preserving Democratic Capitalism

235

Ronald Brownstein on America’s Political and Electoral Fault Lines

236

Mike Murphy on President Trump, 2018, and 2020

237

Martin Feldstein on America’s Economic Vitality

238

Josh Bolten on Managing the White House in Moments of Crisis

239

John Walters on the Nation’s Opioid Epidemic

240

Senator Ben Sasse on American Society and Culture

241

Harvey Mansfield on the Neil Gorsuch Confirmation Hearings

242

N. Gregory Mankiw: America’s Economy and the Case for Free Markets

243

Christopher Caldwell on the Situation in Europe

244

Vin Weber on American Internationalism, Trump, & Our Parties

245

David Axelrod on the Democrats, the Republicans, and President Trump

246

Christopher DeMuth And Adam White on Reforming the Administrative State

247

James Ceaser on Our Parties, Conservatism, and President Trump

248

Andrew Ferguson on Journalism, Politics, and Culture

249

Jonah Goldberg on Conservatism and President Trump

250

Harvey Mansfield on Donald Trump and Political Philosophy

251

William Galston on the 2016 Elections, Populism, and the Democrats

252

Elliott Abrams on the Death of Fidel Castro and the Future of Cuba

253

2016 Post-Election Special: Spencer Abraham and Jay Cost

254

Steven F. Hayward on Ronald Reagan and the Study of Statesmen

255

Justice Clarence Thomas: Reflections on Twenty-five Years on the Court

256

Elliott Abrams: How Should the Next President Conduct U.S. Foreign Policy?

257

Harvey Mansfield on Mysteries, Wodehouse, Wilson, Churchill, and Swift

258

Charles Murray on Populism, Globalization, The Bell Curve, and Politics Today

259

Mark Blitz on Natural Rights, Liberal Democracy, and the American Regime

260

Paul Cantor on Literature and Liberty

261

Spencer Abraham and Jay Cost on the 2016 Presidential Race

262

Harvey Mansfield on America’s Constitutional Soul

263

Jonah Goldberg on Donald Trump’s Candidacy, Liberalism, and Conservatism

264

General David Petraeus on American Leadership in the World

265

Garry Kasparov on American Politics Today

266

James Ceaser on the New Progressivism

267

Peter Thiel on the Global Economy, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence

268

Harvey Mansfield on Manliness

269

Garry Kasparov on Russia Since the End of the Cold War

270

Robert P. George on Our Universities, Natural Law, and Social Conservatism

271

Stephen Rosen on Our Geopolitical Challenges and American Leadership

272

Robert D. Putnam on Our Civic Life in Decline

273

Garry Kasparov on Chess and Politics in Soviet Russia

274

Spencer Abraham and Jay Cost on the 2016 Republican Race

275

General David Petraeus on his Command in Iraq

276

Rich Lowry on Conservatism, Donald Trump, and the 2016 Race

277

Harvey Mansfield on Our Political Parties

278

Larry Summers on Political Correctness and our Universities

279

Ayaan Hirsi Ali on the Challenge of Radical Islam

280

Leon Kass on Bioethics, the Bible, and Athens and Jerusalem

281

Harvey Mansfield on Niccolo Machiavelli and the Origins of Modernity

282

Larry Summers: An Economist in Government

283

Thomas Donnelly and Gary Schmitt on the U.S. Military and Foreign Policy

284

Arthur Brooks on the American Enterprise Institute and Think Tanks Today

285

Paul Cantor on Popular Culture

286

Newt Gingrich on America and the State of the World

287

Spencer Abraham and Jay Cost on the State of the 2016 Race

288

Harvey Mansfield on Alexis de Tocqueville

289

Mitch Daniels on Making Government Work

290

Christina Hoff Sommers on How Feminism Went Awry

291

Justice Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court and His Education

292

David Gelernter on American Culture, Computer Science, and Art

293

Donald Kagan on War and Human Nature

294

Peter Berkowitz on Liberal Education and Our Illiberal Universities

295

Fred Barnes on Reporting on Politics

296

Harvey Mansfield on Leo Strauss and the Straussians

297

Gary Bauer on Main Street Conservatism

298

Charles Krauthammer on His Career in Writing and Ideas

299

Jeff Bell on the Conservative Movement and the Republican Party

300

Paul Begala on Bill Clinton and the Clinton White House

301

James Ceaser on the Constitution and Constitutional Politics

302

Bill Bennett on the Book of Virtues, Education Reform, and the War on Drugs

303

Frederick W. Kagan on the U.S. military in Iraq, Afghanistan, and at home

304

Harvey Mansfield on Party Government and Modern Political Philosophy

305

Newt Gingrich on the 1994 Republican Revolution and his Career in Politics

306

Jim Manzi on the Scientific Method in Business and Government

307

Ruth Wisse on anti-Semitism, Jewish Politics, and Yiddish Literature

308

Brit Hume Podcast on the Ascent of Fox News and Our Media Today

309

2014 Post-Election Special

310

Joe Lieberman: Reflections on a Career in Elected Office

311

Christopher DeMuth on Ideas and Public Policy in Washington

312

Dick Cheney: Personal Reflections on his Public Life

313

Jack Keane on the U.S. Military and the Troop Surge in Iraq

314

Peter Thiel on Innovation and Stagnation

315

Harvey Mansfield II on Conservatism, Constitutionalism, and Feminism

316

Mark Blitz on Ancient and Modern Political Philosophy

317

Yuval Levin on Reform Conservatism

318

Paul Cantor on Shakespeare

319

Charles Murray on Economic and Moral Life in America

320

Elliott Abrams on the State Department and the White House

321

Amy and Leon Kass on Liberal Education and Citizenship

322

Harvey Mansfield on Political Philosophy