The American Mind Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit claremontinstitute.substack.comWrapping up a short series of talks focused on Japanese politics, host Spencer Klavan and Claremont Institute president Ryan Williams examine Japan’s reaction to the rise of Trump and the MAGA movement. Building on the modern US-Japan partnership, Trump and the recently elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have met to reaffirm the shared project of sta…

Amid an ongoing congressional battle over Department of Homeland Security funding, the House Democrats eked out a bill in the early hours last Friday—excluding ICE and Border Patrol. After a century of Congressional abdication, submission to bureaucracy has become second nature. And in making war, most recently with Iran, the atrophy of the government's first branch calls into question the separation of powers. Plus: Oral arguments for Trump v. Barbara, on birthright citizenship, begin this week, challenging the liberal interpretation repudiated by the work of John Eastman, John Marini, and other Claremonsters.Recommended:The man behind Donald Trump’s push to end birthright citizenshipWatch with video on Youtube 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.comClaremont Institute president Ryan Williams continues his conversation with host Spencer Klavan about his quasi-diplomatic mission to Japan. This week, the two launch into the role of religion in Japanese politics, the country’s deeper history before World War II, and remedies for the nation’s birth dearth. With this context, the outlook of modern Japan…

After another tense week of Iran-US operations, Trump is reportedly looking to broker a deal and snuff out the Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, amid rumors that the Right is tearing at the seams, polling now reveals that young conservatives are the least divided on the recent intervention—overwhelmingly in its favor. Reports of a deep divide between old and young may, as so often, be more media hype than reality. Those running in 2028: take notes.Recommended:The Age of AmericaPoll: Young conservatives are the strongest supporters of the war in IranThe Metaverse Was Never InevitableWhiteshift: Populism, Immigration, and the Future of White Majorities 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.comJoining host Spencer Klavan fresh off the plane from a Japan-hosted outreach mission, Claremont Institute president Ryan Williams gives an exclusive debrief with insight into Japanese political philosophy, business strategy, and defense. China, the nation’s longtime adversary across the sea, view it as an obstacle to regional dominance—making prudent a …

A buzzy new essay at New York Mag announces that some women have grown disgruntled at the MAGA movement and by their treatment from some on the New Right. Now their criticisms are being used to publicly discredit conservatism, wholesale. The concerns are real, but need to be addressed in-house—before they become oppo fodder. Meanwhile, Director of National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent has resigned, citing the war in Iran. Plus: returning from Japan, Ryan teases some of his quasi-diplomatic escapades, and shares a few quirks of the nation and its history: available in full on Claremont Digital Plus!Recommended:The Women Leaving the New RightWhat the Hell Happened to DOGE? 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.comWill Thibeau joins host Spencer Klavan to take measure of our adversary's capabilities in the Iran War.

Following the joint US-Israel airstrike on the Ayatollah Khamenei, the late dictator’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been picked successor by the regime. The Trump administration has begun to signal its objectives, goalposts and exit plan—but is victory clearly defined yet? Meanwhile, a failed terror attack targeting a protest in New York signals cascading effects back home. This week, hosts Spencer Klavan and Mike Sabo talk through the latest in the war on Iran and its potential implications for the American Right’s internal conflicts, including 2028 prospects for J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio.Recommended:Trump Advisers Urge Him to Find Iran Exit Ramp, Fearing Political BacklashOn Iran, Vance Balances Between Trump and the Anti-Intervention RightLeo Strauss and American Foreign PolicyWatch with video on Youtube 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.comCalifornia’s radical law, forbidding schools and teachers from reporting students' gender dysmorphia and transgender treatments to parents, has just been shot down by the Supreme Court. Eric Wessan, Claremont alum and Solicitor General at the Iowa Office of the Attorney General, joins host Spencer Klavan to discuss the parental rights victory, touch on …

The Ayatollah Khameini is dead in a missile strike. The U.S. and Israel are effectively at war with Iran. Trump and his administration, hawkish on Iran, pursue peace through force with Operation Epic Fury. This week, the guys sit down to hash out the military and trade implications in the Mideast region, and the quagmire of political considerations back home—including presidential powers and an impotent Congress at the forefront. Europe’s response, meanwhile, betrays its continued decline and unreliability.Recommended:Trump Was Always an Iran HawkWatch with video on Youtube 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