The American Mind Podcast

Scarlet Johansson is "shocked" and "angered" that even though she declined to voice ChatGPT 4.0, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seems to have plugged an imitation of her voice into the software. And you thought Her was fiction. Meanwhile, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead after his Vietnam-era helicopter crashed, plunging Iran—already in a precarious political position—into an even more uncertain future. What is the U.S.'s position in all this, and how can we play the bad hand we find ourselves holding? Finally, who could forget that Donald Trump is on trial in New York? Certainly not CNN, who can’t seem to find anything else to talk about. The editors discuss what may lie in store for the U.S. before reminding you to read the damn site! Recommended reading: The Closing of the Internet Mind School Choice Revolutionary The Virtues of Settler Colonialism Civil Rights Stay Gay 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 Boy Scouts abandoned manly virtue for DEI and participation medals long ago. This killed enrollment numbers, but the Scouts are doubling down, rebranding to “Scouting America” and advertising their willingness to accept boys and girls (and presumably enbies) just as they are. Meanwhile, Biden’s particular brand of senile venom was on full display when he crossed himself in the name of abortion. In more heartening news, The Guardian's attempt to dox formerly anonymous X poster “Lomez” seems to have backfired spectacularly. The editors read between the lines, before reminding you to read the damn site. Recommended reading: Expropriation: The End Game of Anti-Whiteness Bonsai Children Pursuit of Happiness The Great Divergence Scouts' Honor 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

Filled with apparent panic at Biden's low standing among "the youth," the Administration pulled out all the stops this week with a press conference featuring...Mark Hamill? Was that the best they could do? Maybe, as student riots and protests continue to emphasize Biden's rowdy kids problem--not that the Right is quite sure how to respond to campus antisemitism, either. Elsewhere in academia, the rolling replicability crisis continues apace, indicating once again that data worship is a mistake. The editors survey the landscape of new age Star-Wars-ism, free speech unease, and COVID-style crises of authority. 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 the global intifada marshals its ranks across American campuses, bemused observers are wondering what exactly the protestors want, and whether they'll show up at the DNC this year. Meanwhile, a group called Catholic Answers created and then promptly "defrocked" an "Al Priest" who took a hard line on matters of sexuality but proved remarkably lax in the baptism department. Given that Al language models and image creation tools are being trained on troves of unvetted data from the internet--some of it including child pornography--we might not want to ordain them as our priests. The editors discuss all this, plus the Left's endgame for Trump, before reminding you to read the damn site. 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 double-header in Congress this week as Mike Johnson's House passes a foreign aid package with help from Democrats, and the Senate confirms that China's ByteDance will have to sell TikTok to an American company or face exile from the app store. Meanwhile, NPR's new CEO is not only a sinister AWFL censorship enjoyer but a color revolutionary to boot. Is the Right heading off the West's demise at the past, or only just waking up to realize it's already happened? Plus: Trump faces trial for trying to influence an election he was...running in. Would a conviction really be all that bad for him politically? The editors discuss, then remind you to read the damn site. 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

Jeremy Carl, Claremont Senior Fellow and author of The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart, joins the editors to discuss the book and the evidence it provides that white people have become objects of state-sanctioned hatred in America. Meanwhile, the movie Civil War is out, and there's not much more to it than the viral trailer. But there's some hilarious posturing on behalf of journalists, which is always good for a laugh. Plus: are mopey dorm-room-style protestors at Google harbingers of the Left's future? The editors zero in on the real issues before reminding you to read the damn site. Recommended Reading: The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart Expropriation: The End Game of Anti-Whiteness Criminalizing Trivialities Through a Scope Backwards Schedule F Won’t Tame the Deep State 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 numbers are in, and they aren’t good. Recent inflation exceeded expectations, and even that doesn’t fully capture the pain felt by everyday Americans. Meanwhile, much of the US bore witness to the primal wonder of the cosmos during Monday’s total eclipse. As “The Science” becomes increasingly shamanistic, the world becomes more and more enchanted—but what you make of it depends on where you stand. The difference in lived and reported experiences seems to be manifesting in voters as the election season spools up and cracks deepen in the Democrat Party over the question of Zionism. 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

Liturgical calendar printer go brrrrrr as the Trans Day of Visibility falls this year on Easter Sunday--and Biden's Twitter handlers clearly had no trouble deciding which should win out. Meanwhile Amazon has abandoned its "Just Walk Out" program, which identified as an AI marvel but was actually just a bunch of guys in India watching you shop. And Soros DAs have come up with a new answer to the housing shortage: just let wandering sex offenders squat in homes owned by law-abiding citizens. When the real thing disappoints, it seems our answer is just to spin up simulations--of sex, of competence, of progress. The fellas trace the common threads, then remind you to read the damn site. 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

Turns out that which doesn't bankrupt Donald Trump makes him richer. Somehow. Truth Social has been valued at $8 billion, over $4 billion of which accrues to Trump's net worth--all while his astronomical bond is being reduced in New York. Meanwhile, as Hamas enjoyers try to overrun the Left, the Right is locked in its own disputes about how to handle antisemitism. Everyone's looking for the one big bad guy or grand narrative that can explain the whole complicated world. But are they looking in the wrong places? The editors analyze the thought processes underlying the news before reminding you to read the damn site. Recommended reading: National Conservatism vs. American Conservatism (CRB) National Conservatism vs. American Conservatism (TAM) On Nations and Nationhood Two Adams, Two Foundings Czar Vladimir Gynocracy Takes an L 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 goes through the legal wringer in New York, the state’s AG is gearing up to start seizing his properties to cover a mammoth $464 million bond. Meanwhile, the government nakedly colluded with Big Tech giants to censor people that didn’t espouse the approved COVID narrative; can the Supreme Court fix things, or does the problem go deeper? Plus: Christine Blasey Ford has crawled out of the memory hole to shill for her new book about Justice Kavanaugh. How convenient. The editors unpack the news before reminding you to read the damn site. Recommended reading: Biden Broke Haiti Migration Is Invasion How the Left Was Left 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 House has passed a bill that will force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the platform within six months; otherwise, the service will be banned in the U.S. The bill has split the Right as well as the Left, raising questions about espionage, economics, and American sovereignty. But will shutting down the app really hurt China all that much? Meanwhile, old man yells at country as Biden gives his third State of the Union Address, which may or may not have riled up his supporters but certainly failed to win over his detractors. Finally, former special counsel Robert Hur testified about his decision to characterize Biden as a nice, forgetful old man. The editors investigate what it's all about, before reminding you to read the damn site. Recommended reading: Answering the Supporters of American Empire Swiftian Normality and the Freak Right The Regime v. America 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 perhaps the least surprising but most unusual Super Tuesday ever, or at least in living memory, Donald Trump and Joe Biden have been all but officially confirmed as the presidential contestants for 2024. Whose party hates their candidate the least? Nothing is now stopping us from finding out--not even the best efforts of the Colorado Supreme Court, whose expulsion of Trump from the ballot was overruled in a unanimous SCOTUS decision that apparently ended the Constitution, or something. Meanwhile illegal immigrants are now being flown across the border? Seth and Spencer marvel at the outlandish nature of it all, and remind you to read the damn site. 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

It’s a sad news week. Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, self-immolated in front of the Israeli Embassy in D.C. this week in a misguided protest against the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, a young nursing student, Laken Riley, was murdered by an illegal immigrant in Georgia with multiple prior arrests. Plus: an unusual ruling out of Alabama has raised difficult and uncomfortable questions about the moral status of IVF. The editors analyze the depressing facts and factors that undergird the headlines, before reminding you to read the damn site. Further reading: Extremism on Duty Finetuning the Matrix The 2024 Election Will Be Neither Free Nor Fair The History of Self-Immolation as Political Protest 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

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in prison after multiple poisonings by Putin's operatives. In the States, this has prompted fewer sober reflections than fervid John Le Carré-style fantasies about domestic politics. Those politics are themselves increasingly sordid as Donald Trump grinds his way through one legal procedure after another, including a nakedly political judgment against him in New York. Will the absurdity of the ruling cause other business moguls in the state to take Trump's side? And what on earth is going on with Google's anti-white AI? Seth and Spencer talk through it all, and remind you to read the damn site. Recommended reading: Popping the Pill Socialist Fantasies 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

Russia is reigniting the space race as the House Intelligence Committee sounded the alarm that they may have already deployed an anti-satellite weapon system, which could cripple the US. Moreover, space provides an interesting use case for nuclear weapons, and Russia is signaling it may be willing to go nuclear. Meanwhile, America continues its descent into decay as Biden continues to show signs of mental decay, and the He Gets Us SuperBowl ad, which fundamentally misses the point of the biblical story, was plastered across the nation’s televisions. The editors break it down, and remind you to read the damn site! Recommended reading: https://americanmind.org/salvo/saving-americas-future-from-the-blob/ https://americanmind.org/salvo/welcome-home-to-somalia/ https://americanmind.org/salvo/our-gathering-storm/ https://babylonbee.com/cleanArticle/satan-he-gets-us https://www.americanmoment.org/category/podcast/ 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

Republicans are seriously struggling to harness the momentum that Red-State governors have generated in favor of immigration enforcement. Is any Republican in Congress both competent and bold? Meanwhile, Nikki Haley suffered the latest and most embarrassing of her defeats in Nevada on Tuesday, losing a primary in which Trump did not participate, so that voters instead picked “None of These Candidates.” Plus: Elon Musk is doing some great things, including challenging Disney and other megacorps. Can he be a benevolent force, or is he a sinister transhumanist? In closing, a full complement of editors remind you to read the damn site. Recommended Reading First, Trans All The Children Draining the Pentagon Swamp Stop Hating the Puritans Wretched of the University The Delusions of Postcolonial Ideology The Paradoxical Perversities of Postcolonial Ideology 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

Is Taylor Swift a Deep State plant to help get Biden reelected? Almost certainly not, but the theory does provide an interesting window into everyone’s 2024 mindset. Meanwhile, conservative protestors are discovering what martyrdom really means as six abortion protestors were found federally guilty of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, and another is facing hate crime charges for allegedly destroying a Satanic Temple shrine in the Iowa capitol. Plus: police-abolitionists are manipulating a simple traffic stop for their political gain. In closing, the editors remind you to read the damn site. Recommended reading: McConnell vs. America Hialeah Blues The Scapegoating of Derek Chauvin, Pt. II Targeting the NYPD 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 New York Times has anointed the Claremont Institute and its fellows as leaders in the fight against DEI. They think this makes Claremont a sinister cabal, of course, but the editors are happy to accept it as a compliment and take a victory lap. And, in a major plot twist, even the Times's readers seem to be on our side--sort of. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is facing down Biden's federal government and instructing state officials to enforce border laws, even in the face of a Supreme Court defeat. Is this a constitutional crisis in the making? Plus: Donald Trump scooped up another healthy primary win in New Hampshire. The gang's all here to break it down—before reminding you to read the damn site, of course. Recommended reading: Why America’s “Anti-Discrimination” Regime Needs to Be Dismantled The Road from Damascus The Lebanese Experiment A Blow Against Wokeness Pretext for a Fedsurrection 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 Iowa results are in, and though they're not altogether shocking, they are revealing. Trump took the state with a commanding lead over all other candidates. Is the writing on the wall for DeSantis? What will become of Vivek Ramaswamy? Meanwhile, as the slow march to global government continues in Davos under the guise of going green, global elites are planning your future. Is Green™ the globalists’ greatest weapon, or just window dressing for their racial concerns? Plus: the editors remind you, as always, to read the damn site. Recommended reading: The Case for Christian Civilizationism Plagiarizing While Black The Coming War of Civilizations Like Some Prophet of Old Pandemic Pandemonium Millenarian Mobs Iowa Results Show That DeSantis Must Drop Out Against the Great Reset: Eighteen Theses Contra the New World Order 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

Planes are literally falling apart in the sky--is DEI to blame, and does anybody care? Meanwhile, Biden found himself heckled in the middle of an early campaign speech by Israel ceasefire maximalists, providing further confirmation that the scrambled signals within the Democrat ranks are not getting un-scrambled anytime soon. And finally, the Republican party strikes back on ballot shenanigans, as a number of red-state leaders propose kicking Biden off the Ballot in response to corresponding attacks on Trump in Colorado and Maine. The editors discuss the wisdom and efficacy of this move before reminding you to read the damn site! 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

It finally happened: Claudine Gay is out as president of Harvard after a tireless guerrilla journalism campaign led by the Manhattan Institute's Chris Rufo, who conclusively exposed Gay's fraudulence as a scholar. But is plagiarism just par for the course? Seth and Spencer consider the low, low bar that Gay failed to clear, and where the fight over higher ed will take us next. Plus: migrants continue to flood unchecked across the border, and the powder keg in the Middle East grows ever more flammable. What will come of it all? The editors discuss before insisting for the first (but not the last) time in 2024 that you read the damn site! Recommended Reading Revenge of the Liberators The TikTok Spiral From New Jersey to the Senate, fellow Democrats aren’t lifting a finger to help NYC and Chicago’s migrant crisis EXCLUSIVE: Read Claudine Gay's Private Resignation Letter to the Harvard Board The Great Replacement: Introduction to Global Replacementism 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 Supreme Court of Colorado has ruled that Donald Trump can be excluded from the state’s ballots under a circuitous 213-page reading of the 14th Amendment. Meanwhile, Chris Rufo has forced CNN to run unfavorable stories about Harvard President Claudine Gay and her (allegedly) plagiarized academic papers. How can the Right keep the pressure on the diversocrats as they disgrace themselves? Speaking of disgrace, the editors cannot escape discussing the gay sex that was filmed in a Senate hearing room by a Democrat aide, before closing out by discussing “what a damn year” it has been. Recommended Reading: Trump’s Legal Victory in Colorado Colorado Supreme Court Opinion 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

Douglas Emhoff, the “Second Gentleman,” has made an amusing and perhaps telling unforced error in very publicly butchering the story of Hanukkah. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has found his way into the news again, surprising no one, and civil war is back in the discourse as Alex Garland’s forthcoming movie will attempt to tackle the subject. Is this wish fulfillment for the Left, subtle messaging for the Right, or something in between? And what would a second civil war really look like? The editors discuss the news before reminding you to read the damn site! Recommended reading: Black Privilege at Harvard Are Borders Back in Europe? American Statesman Gateway to Statesmanship: Selections from Xenophon to Churchill 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 generational divide is intensifying within the Left, as a radical ascendant generation increasingly decries the more moderate Boomers, as exemplified most recently by a demand from Biden’s White House interns that the administration throw itself behind a permanent ceasefire in Israel. Meanwhile, the US is being slapped around on the world stage, this time by the Houthis. The future for Americans looks increasingly bleak; can we turn the ship around successfully? The complete cast muse over the correct way to shake off the dust in the domestic and foreign policy arenas before, as always, reminding you to read the damn site. 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 terminally online are showing themselves unable to unplug from the negative feedback loops to which they subscribe. Hollywood, especially Disney, is continuing to fail to really show us anything new that average people can connect to. Plus: censorship from top to bottom is wreaking havoc on nation states, especially as immigration spikes drive cultural wedges into the populace. Seth and James, refreshed from Thanksgiving, break it down. 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 full complement of editors is joined by not one, but two special guests this week: Jeremy Carl & Michael Anton, both Claremont Institute senior fellows. In addition to seared turkey liver stuffing (true story), the cast are finding both white and black pills aplenty as there’s ample reason to despair and rejoice. From the inferno that was Joe Biden’s birthday cake, to populists claiming upset wins in two countries, to what they’re grateful for, the guys discuss it all this Thanksgiving. Plus: An extended list of reading recommendations as the cast reminds you to head on over to read the damn site (after you finish your turkey, of course). Recommended reading: Carving Turkey Away from NATO Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation (1863) A Friend Indeed Christian Nationalism or Godless Nationalism Everything Is—Still—Fine Settlers Versus Migrants Lone Star: A History Of Texas And The Texans 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

Xi Jinping is coming to town and Gavin Newsom has decided that it’s finally time to clean up the city of feces and urban decay: San Francisco. But if you’re not a Chinese party apparatchik you’re SOL: Gov. Gruesome essentially came right out and said that it wasn’t worth the cleanup for you, dear voter. Meanwhile, Nikki Haley calls for a complete and total crackdown on all pseuds and New York’s Kathy Hochul gives the editors occasion to discuss the weaponization of free speech and cancel culture. Finally, as always, the editors remind you to read the damn site! Recommended reading: The Rise of Ethical Cannibalism Carving Turkey Away from NATO Christmas Karol 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

Seth and Spencer are going rogue again today, with a veritable who's who of psychopaths and weirdos from America's current moral and psychic breakdown. First it's the Nashville shooter's gruesome anti-"cracker" manifesto, which highlights once again how the various grievances of woke politics always end up getting elided into a hatred of white people. This in turn has been transmuted into a hatred of Israel as the global Left whips up a fervor over Hamas and Palestine. Under those circumstances, who wouldn't want to flee from whiteness, as Canadian pop star Buffy Sainte-Marie seems to have done? Plus: reflections on Tuesday's elections and the ongoing dilution of American citizenship, with a reminder to read the damn site. Articles mentioned in this episode: Trump Can Win On Bobby Knight Whether It Is Prudent to Speak of Caesarism 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

AI is getting close to committing the grievous crime of noticing patterns in the data. Surely the government must step in. Biden recently signed an executive order attempting to bring the power of AI into service of the woke regime. Meanwhile, the Left is caught in an uncomfortable battle between its old guard and the swelling immigrant coalition. How will the Left handle its problems from both sides without resorting to government by supercomputer? And can the birds escape the stain of humanity? The editors discuss, before reminding you to read the damn site. Articles and books mentioned in this episode: Nationalism Isn’t American The Millionaire Slut Apologists Warfare by Immigration This is how AI image generators see the world Liberals must choose: immigration or Israel? American Ornithological Society Will Change the English Names of Bird Species Named After People American Awakening You Run the Show or the Show Runs You 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 House of Representatives has chosen a speaker at last. Their choice, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, seems to vindicate Matt Gaetz's risky maneuvering. The House's first action was a vote to support Israel against Hamas, with the radicals of the Squad predictably dissenting, raising the question of how serious antisemitism is in the U.S., and what America's so-far metaphorical wars of religion have to do with the literal war in the Middle East. Plus: what's the point of a 9-to-5? And don't forget to read the damn site! Clips mentioned in the episode: Students barricaded in library clip Young woman upset over the grind of adult life TAM articles: Founding Fathers and Red Caesar Arkansas: Red for the Moment, Blue for the Future Warfare by Immigration 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 war continues between Israel and Hamas, antisemitism flares up across the West in response to a jihadist attack on a hospital, falsely attributed in the press to Israel. Meanwhile, the House continues on without a new Speaker, though it increasingly looks as if when all the shouting is over, business as usual will resume. It's a masks-off moment all around--but are average Americans waking up, and can they ultimately be saved? In closing, the editors provide recommendations to remind you to read the damn site. Media mentioned in this episode: The Mother’s Gauntlet Facing Up to Immigration A Tale of Two Crimes, Part I Righting the Right Patrisse Cullors' "Art" 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

Hamas launched a series of devastating attacks against Israel over the last few days using everything from rockets to hang gliders, with a civilian death toll in the hundreds at the time of recording, including at least eleven Americans. Israel is at war for the first time in over 50 years. The editors explore how Hamas’s attacks fit into the broader geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, how regional dynamics are likely to unfold in the coming months, and what's motivating the radical pro-Palestinian movements in the West. Episode Links: Hamas and the American Left When Worlds Collide What Is Christian Nationalism? Obama’s Coming Fourth Term Lone Star: A History Of Texas And The Texans Mike Benz: Bidenworld's War On Israel, Explained 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

Florida Representative Matt Gaetz took advantage of a new procedural rule to orchestrate the ouster of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, hoping to force more movement on the debate over congressional spending. But what's the plan? Meanwhile, on the subject of Things You are Not Allowed to Notice, a raft of horrific murders in cities across the country highlights the wages of bad philosophy and bad policy. In closing, the editors provide reading recommendations so you'll be reminded to read the damn site! American Mind articles mentioned in this episode: How to Turn a Cold War Hot A Swing and a Miss Irregular Order, Part I 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

Gavin Newsom has been making national headlines lately, causing some to wonder whether he's got designs on the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. The crew discuss whether Claremont Fellows Armen Tooloe and Andrew Beck are right to fear that Gavin will sweep to power as a "Blue Sulla." Meanwhile, it's shutdown season once again, and House Republicans are not interested in playing nice. What do they stand to gain? Joined by special guest Jeremy Carl, Spencer and Ryan survey the rocky territory ahead, assess the trajectory of our republic, and remind you to read the damn site! American Mind articles mentioned in this episode: Truth and Politics The East and the Rest 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

Oversized hoodie or tailored masters jacket--which way, Western man? As the Senate is terraformed into a mosh pit for the least common denominator, one must wonder whether it’s a microcosm for the West more generally. Take, for example, the meek inaction of the European nations as migrants from Africa stream through the island of Lampedusa and onto the continent. Meanwhile, back at home, Donald Trump aggravates internal tensions among Republicans by criticizing Ron DeSantis for signing a six-week abortion ban. Plus: the editors tease upcoming features while reminding you to read the damn site. Articles and books mentioned in this episode: Slavery, Abortion, and the Politics of Constitutional Meaning Crisis of the House Divided: An Interpretation of the Issues in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates Eating the Young to Save the Old Country Club Nationalism Merit in the Armed Forces The War for the Military Brilliance Isn’t Enough 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 the editors are off, but Ryan has pulled in activist and Manhattan Institute Fellow Chris Rufo for a special interview on his new book, America's Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything. Rufo's book covers the history of America's neo-Marxist woke takeover and the counter-revolution that has risen up to reverse it. The two discuss what still needs to be done, what conservative philanthropists should be focusing on, and how aspiring young journalists should aim to make their mark on the field. 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

Elon Musk is threatening to sue the Anti-Defamation League for...well, defamation. Musk claims that Twitter/X has lost ad revenue as a result of ADL accusations against the platform for hosting antisemitism on Musk's watch. But does the charge of "antisemitism" carry any weight anymore, coming from the ADL? Meanwhile, Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for his involvement in the January 6th Capitol riot (despite not having been at the Capitol) and there are rumors in the air about a return of COVID lockdowns. Finally, our editors remind you to read the damn site! Articles mentioned in this episode: Cracks in the Rainbow Between Suicide and Murder, Part One 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 Donald Trump was hauled in and photographed in Fulton County, GA this week, his mug shot took the internet by storm with how unique and powerful it is while sparking discussion about chipping away at the monolith of certain voting cleavages. Meanwhile, the GOP primary debate took place without Trump's presence or wind in its sails, leading to many bemoaning it as auditions for VP. But the medium itself is showing its age and how little it serves voters. Plus: as splits and subdividing factions take over the Right, Americans should take note and react accordingly. Suggested reading: The Cold Civil War Our Revolution’s Logic The tired attack on the new Right 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, esteemed UC Berkeley professor John Yoo joins the editors to take a deep dive into the multiple indictments and charges being brought against Trump. Drawing on comparison cases from throughout American history, Professor Yoo analyzes the unprecedented charges, assesses Trump’s prospects, and voices his concerns about the criminalization of politics. 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 fires ravage Maui and "takes" proliferate off the back of the tragedy, the editors discuss which interpretations and predictions--if any--have some heft to them. Meanwhile, a viral new song is upsetting people on the Left and drawing quibbles from the Right, as both factions seem perfectly willing to clothesline any sort of populist spokesman who gets up a little momentum. But the song cuts through all that and continues to draw in download after download. The gang's all here this week to analyze the field before reminding you to read the damn site. Plus: a teaser for next week’s episode! American Mind articles mentioned in this episode: Western Civilization, Chinese Style Pity the Poor Trans Man Debunking Jack Smith’s Latest Indictment Against President Trump Class, Nation, and the Future 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

Seth and Spencer examine the spiritual subtext of the Trump Indictment saga. Moreover, it seems Hillary Clinton has noticed (about five years late) that men in the country seem dissatisfied with current gender politics, but her prescription seems as out of touch as ever. Plus: a secret Chinese-owned COVID lab was discovered almost by chance in California. All this, plus your customary reminder to read the damn site. Articles referenced in this episode: Why Affirmative Action Won’t Die | American Mind In Tate We Trust | American Mind The Weaponization of Loneliness | The Atlantic How two trans women ran a legendary underground surgical clinic in a rural tractor barn | The Independent 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

New testimony paints the Biden family in an even worse light than usual, Trump has been indicted yet again, and climate alarmists are gearing up to put you under house arrest because it was warm in July. What, if anything, can be done to recover agency and divert the course of this runaway freight train? Our editors weigh in before reminding you to read the damn site! 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

Revelations and accusations are swarming around Hunter Biden. A foreign informant has alleged that the Bidens received $10 million in bribes from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, and Hunter's plea deal on tax evasion charges has fallen apart. Will anything come of it—and would impeachment play right into the Democrats' hands? Meanwhile, from Greta Gerwig's Barbie to Jason Aldean's "Small Town," a new round of culture war salvos is heating up. The editors reflect on the tangled relationship between art and politics, then they remind you to read the damn site. 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

Banks both at home and abroad have been increasingly partaking in a troubling bout of digital warfare against their customers, some of whom are suspiciously guilty of wrongthink. Have you been engaging in suspicious transactions, citizen? Meanwhile, states like California are trying to prevent people from getting their hands on the tools to fight back. Plus: the future of the Democrat Party looks increasingly anti-Israel, while the US Army continues sliding into the cult of D.I.E. Is there even a vision of the US for tomorrow? The editors take a closer look at the situation before reminding you to read the damn site. 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

Moms for Liberty has drawn online ire by quoting Hitler in a newsletter as an attempt to raise the alarm about school indoctrination. But is apology the right way to go when there's no forgiveness on offer? Even private messages can lead to public scapegoating, raising the question whether there's any such thing as private thoughts anymore. Plus: Mark Zuckerberg has created a Twitter clone, causing everyone to wonder if Zuck’s model will be viable going forward, and where we’re likely going. Finally as ever, the editors issue reading recommendations so you'll read the damn site. 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

French police shot and killed Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old immigrant of Algerian and Moroccan descent with a long history of criminal activity, sparking violent protest across the country. Is this France’s George Floyd moment—or something darker still? Stateside, the courts have been on a roll, preliminarily blocking the Biden administration from overtly colluding with social media companies and banning explicit race-based affirmative action in university admissions. The editors discuss the rolling civilizational crisis and, of course, remind you to read the damn site. 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 Pride month has come and mostly gone, Spencer and Seth consider whether the Ts have dragged the LGBs by the nose into a carnival too extravagant to go on. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden is pleading guilty to a gun possession charge. Is this the end of the Biden investigation, or just a stop on the way to more dire revelations? Plus: the OceanGate submersible has lost contact on its way down to the Titanic, leaving everyone waiting in horror to find out the fate of the five passengers. In closing, Spencer and Seth remind you to read the damn site. 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

Trump has been indicted again. The Left feels sure they’ve got him this time, but the poll numbers haven’t moved at all. Time will tell who is right. Meanwhile, Ryan and James sit us down for a highly condensed, yet immensely informative, peek under the hood of America’s foreign policy philosophy. In closing, the editors recount their favorite essays of the week and Ryan reminds you to read another damn site (just this once). 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

Armenians take to the streets to brawl with Antifa over provocative pride activities at schools in Glendale, CA, the Freedom Caucus is causing Kevin McCarthy headaches as they obstruct the debt “deal” before the House, and the editors remind you to read the damn site by providing reading recommendations! All this and more from the editors in this episode of The Roundtable. 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

It's time once again for debt crisis theater as House republicans agree with Democrats on a proposed deal, acquiescing to massive debt in exchange for minor concessions. Meanwhile, in an effort to drive a wedge between white and nonwhite people, the Left indulges in truly comedic arguments about race in America. Behind the absurdism there are important trends that deserve a closer look. And the Ron vs. Don showdown is official now that DeSantis has announced a run for the presidency. The editors discuss it all before commanding you to read the damn site (by issuing their recommendations to guide your reading). 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