The American Mind Podcast

In this ongoing series, Ryan Williams, President of The Claremont Institute, interviews prominent scholars in the Claremont Institute’s orbit. Dr. Scott Yenor, Professor of Political Science at Boise State University and Washington Fellow at The Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life, joins Ryan to discuss his recent book, The Recovery of Family Life. The book traces the intellectual and political roots of our current family crisis and presents a series of practical approaches to revitalizing and restoring the American family. Ryan and Dr. Yenor discuss existing family policy (or lack thereof), and what can be done to improve it. 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 this "combative, juvenile, and grotesque" episode of The Roundtable, our editors take great joy in laughing off the Bulwark's newest hit piece on the Claremont Institute. Save yourself from reading all 12,000+ words by listening to an extremely short and accurate synopsis. Then the editors turn to more serious questions, such as: with wokeism creeping over the land—toward your kids and your SMS messages—what can patriots do to win? 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 American regime is currently undergoing a fundamental takeover by the woke elite. To protect themselves from people wearing hats with horns, the Capitol Police are expanding their reach from the Capitol to include new offices in California and Florida. Meanwhile, weapons technology company Raytheon is admonishing white staff (which is most of them) to feel as guilty as possible. Plus: the NSA is spying on Tucker Carlson, and now they're leaking his email data to hostile journalists. 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 Left loves to project their worst traits onto the Right--and their latest obsession with “White Rage” is a prime example. Meanwhile, the NSA is making cryptic statements about whether or not they’re spying on Tucker Carlson, and good ol’ Sleepy Joe is flailing around making absurd statements everywhere he goes. The editors break it all 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

Our summer interns join the editors this week to provide their fresh takes (with a side of black pills) about the state of Conservatism and the GOP. Matt provides an update from Montana about courageous efforts in the fight to defeat Critical Race Theory—but the question is, can we really win? Our editors discuss how Conservatives can get out ahead of the Left’s rhetoric to retake our institutions. Plus: Our interns give their best advice for students considering college. 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

Governor Newsom finally decided to lift his boot off of Californians’ necks—or did he? Meanwhile, Joe Biden made a fool of himself at the recent G7 Summit, and Putin rubbed salt in America’s many gaping wounds. Plus: critical race theory is quickly going off the rails. Our editors discuss. 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 this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Michael Anton, former Trump official and senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, is joined by Charles Haywood, a distinguished book reviewer who runs The Worthy House. Anton and Haywood examine the modern Left’s obsession with the racist and destructive creed known as Critical Race Theory. Drawing on ancient political history and philosophy, they contemplate where our radical Left might go from here. 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

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, is buying up whole neighborhoods of single-family homes. Why? To make sure you’ll be paying them rent for life instead of owning your own home. Meanwhile, other financial institutions are desperately trying to strangle cryptocurrencies in the cradle and protect the current balance of power. Plus: Kamala Harris visited Guatemala—and bombed. Our editors analyze the situation. 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

We’re now in the opening days of LGBT pride month—not that anyone needs reminding, as corporations across America fall over themselves to celebrate the rainbow. But today the editors pause to analyze pride in a larger sense: what it is, who should have it, and for what reasons. 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 this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Michael Anton, former Trump official and senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, is joined by Curtis Yarvin, formerly “Mencius Moldbug” of the successful blog “Unqualified Reservations.” The two debate what to do if and when the current regime crumbles under the weight of its own incompetence. Yarvin makes his case for a Big Tech CEO-turned-monarch. 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 miracle has occurred! Suddenly, the media is warming to the idea that COVID might have leaked from a Wuhan biolab—an idea which, just last year, they condemned as dangerous conspiracy. But of course that has nothing to do with President Biden having won the election. Surely not. Nor, certainly, is the “January 6 Commission” a cynical power play by house Democrats. Our editors discuss what all this is really about. 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 CDC has newly proclaimed that vaccinated people no longer need to mask up (duh). But some people can’t seem to let go of the ritual. Plus: violent conflict breaks out between Israel and Palestine. It’s a skeleton crew this week—just Seth and Spencer—as the rest of the cast are out at Claremont’s Washington, D.C. event. Together the two tackle the week’s weighty events and the Left’s appalling response. 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 this newly revived occasional series, Ryan Williams, President of The Claremont Institute, interviews prominent scholars in the Claremont Institute's orbit. Dr. Mark Blitz, the Fletcher Jones Professor of Political Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College, joins Ryan to discuss his new book, Reason and Politics: The Nature of Political Phenomena—a searching discussion of questions at the heart of both America’s regime and her present crisis. Ryan and Mark discuss prudence, the common good, and how American public life could regain its sanity. 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 rapidly spreading woke dogma that has taken over our CIA now seems to be ascendant in the military. What does that mean for national security? Our editors analyze. Plus: Liz Cheney has been ousted from GOP leadership, which is good news for everyone who wants to see the the uniparty, anti-American establishment gone. 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

Like so many of our crumbling institutions, the CIA is experiencing a woke takeover of its own, which it’s advertising in incredibly cringey ways. Meanwhile, the forever war in Afghanistan is hopefully reaching a final endpoint. Our editors reflect on what we learned from the experience. Plus: Part I in a mini-series on mapping the political landscape of the American 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

In this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Michael Anton, lecturer and research fellow at Hillsdale College, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, and former Trump Administration national security official, is joined by Charles Haywood, who runs The Worthy House and is a distinguished book reviewer. The two discuss the future of a country in crisis, touching on a wide array of topics in the process—from questions of political philosophy both contemporary and ancient, to the balance between hope and despair at the decay of the American regime. 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 official: Governor Gavin Newsom will face a recall election later this year. Besides the sheer glee of watching Gavin get the boot, our editors have many thoughts about what all this might mean for California and the great national reshuffle. Meanwhile, Texas and Florida take action against big tech, and Jonah Goldberg attacked Claremont on his podcast recently. The cast responds. 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

Derek Chauvin, the police officer most prominently involved in the death of George Floyd, was found guilty of all charges against him yesterday. This of course did nothing to appease the leftist mob. When Ma’Khia Bryant was shot and killed by police while brandishing a knife, the hive mind immediately switched gears and zeroed in on Bryant’s story. Our editors examine the media forces at work and the deeper issues festering beneath the veneer of righteous fury. 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

With control of Congress and the presidency, Democrats have taken the first steps toward making Washington, D.C. the fifty-first state. But there is even more here than meets the eye, and the rationale behind the Left’s push to transform voting is truly sinister. Our editors analyze the situation and underlying arguments. 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

From Vermont to Arkansas, GOP governors are bowing to wokeness in spectacular displays of misunderstanding of what time it is politically. Scott Yenor, a Washington Fellow for the Center for the American Way of Life, joins the podcast as a special guest to analyze the depths of depravity feminism and wokeness have brought us to. 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

Big Tech’s at it again, censoring people—including us—as the effort to scrub Trump from the public square continues. Voting rights is the new hot-button issue, especially in Georgia. And what does US policy in Afghanistan tell us about Biden? If you’re coming here from YouTube to get the uncensored version, start at 26:03. 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 been a sad week for America. A shooting in Boulder claimed the lives of ten people. And like clockwork, the Left is using it as an opportunity to feast on the Second Amendment. That’s not even the only crisis of the week: the Biden administration is massively fumbling on the border, by conservative and liberal standards. Plus: Kristi Noem fails to read the political room. Twice. 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 this special edition of the American Mind podcast, we look back at how the last year has demonstrated the size, scope, and nature of the challenges facing conservatism, and look forward to the questions we must grapple with if we are to overcome them, survive, and thrive as a nation. The podcast features Claremont Institute President Ryan Williams. It is narrated by James Poulos, Executive Editor of the American Mind, and produced by ChangeUp Media. *** Works Referenced & Related Readings (In Order of Appearance): https://americanmind.org/audio/preserving-the-american-way-of-life-a-special-edition-of-the-american-mind-podcast/ https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/the-empire-strikes-back/ https://twitter.com/HaMeturgeman/status/1316071151836291075?s=20 https://www.wsj.com/articles/youtubes-political-censorship-11600126230 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/18/teachers-unions-school-reopening-coronavirus-397997 https://www.weforum.org/great-reset#articles https://t.co/rQBzDy4CHs?amp=1 https://americanmind.org/audio/the-1619-project-exposed-a-special-edition-of-the-american-mind-podcast/ https://americanmind.org/audio/the-existential-questions-of-2020-a-special-edition-of-the-american-mind-podcast/ https://amgreatness.com/2020/11/09/was-pfizers-vaccine-news-slow-walked-until-after-the-election/ https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/11/20/7-ways-the-2005-carter-baker-report-could-have-averted-problems-with-2020-election/ https://archive.is/i7kyN https://americanmind.org/memo/democrats-versus-the-vote/ https://americanmind.org/features/get-ready-for-a-fight/trumps-greatest-achievement/ https://www.rebelnews.com/one_more_act_in_the_perpetual_coup_against_trump_ben_weingarten_with_ezra_levant https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nevada-election-worker-voting-irregularities-trump-campaign https://twitter.com/MattFinnFNC/status/1325801059206500353?s=20 https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1325803289955487744?s=20 https://twitter.com/AdamLaxalt/status/1325616624842403841?s=20 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/michigan-gop-chairwoman-says-software-glitch-tallied-thousands-of-republican-votes-as-democrat https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1325809489774317568?s=20 Visit The American Mind for more great content. And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at [email protected] *** Music: "A Thousand Days" by Remember 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

Did you watch the Grammys? Us neither. Won’t stop our editors from talking about it, though we’re more interested in a viral clip of Joe Biden—is it deepfaked? It’s not, but it might as well be. Our editors unpack both topics. Plus: it's a battle of the Governors as Gavin Newsom faces recall and Ron DeSantis pops red pill after red pill. 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

If you’re a wealthy prep school parent wanting to discuss how the maw of woke culture is swallowing up all things good and true, you’ll have to do it in secret or face instant cancellation. Meanwhile, the House passed the dubiously-titled “For the People Act,” which would do a number on representative government. Plus: The good and bad of National Review. 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 light at the end of the COVID tunnel is finally within sight—provided you live in a red state. Blue states remain under the thumbs of petty tyrants. Meanwhile, cancel culture claims new victims, from Mr. Potato Head to Dr. Seuss. Plus: Sacramento’s school district is pushing for the formation of “racial affinity groups”—a new caste system looms. 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

While free speech finds a new venue in the popular app Clubhouse, Democrats in Congress are openly asking TV carriers why Republican and conservative-leaning channels like OANN and Fox News are allowed on the air. It’s a new front in the war between digital renegades and regime flunkies: a profusion of energy on one side, a chilling desire to squash dissidents on the other. Can Clubhouse and other apps like it survive a coming onslaught by petty tyrants? 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

Rush Limbaugh passed away yesterday—his work touched tens of millions of people, our editors included. Then there’s Governor Cuomo, who is embroiled in a scandal after covering up COVID nursing home deaths from the public. Plus: the Claremont Institute has launched a new DC-based branch: The Center for the American Way of Life. Arthur Milikh, the Center’s executive director, joins to talk about reclaiming a more robust kind of conservatism. 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 second impeachment trial of former President Trump lumbers on, but does anybody even care about this undisguised show trial? Melinda Gates and elites like her would appreciate it if you would just think that everything fits neatly into a Marxist box. That notion isn’t just wrong—it’s degrading—especially when applied to women. Plus: Mitt Romney has proposed cutting checks to families that have children. Our editors analyze. 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 Left is laying the rhetorical groundwork for a domestic war on Trump supporters, as red state governments start planning how to respond. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced plans to push back on the Big Tech Cartel—will they work? Our editors, joined for the first time by new managing editor Seth Barron, discuss the desperation and discreditation of the mainstream media. 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 this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Ryan Williams, president of the Claremont Institute, is joined by Charles Kesler and Matthew Spalding. The group elucidates the 1776 Commission’s report, the liberal response to it, populism in America, and the potential for national renewal. 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

Those crazy kids actually did it: A group of redditors under the banner of r/WallStreetBets are singlehandedly taking the populist fight to Wall Street billionaires—and they’re winning. For now. Of course, elites of every stripe are spitting mad. Our editors discuss this strange and hilarious new movement. Plus: what is in Trump’s political future—and by extension, the GOP’s? 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 official: Biden is the 46th president. Beneath the inane boilerplate of the new president’s speech (accompanied by a tearful chorus of celebration from the usual journos) lurked a much more sinister kind of rhetoric. Our editors give a close reading of the address. Plus: Biden scrapped the 1776 Commission. What’s he up to? 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 the wake of January 6, a multitude of personalities—from both sides of the aisle—came out of the woodwork to call for banning Trump and many of his supporters from the largest social media platforms. The editors discuss this dropping of the banhammer, focusing especially on David French's “analysis” of the situation. Plus: Trump has been impeached for a second time. 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's supporters took their dissatisfaction with the 2020 election all the way into the Capitol yesterday, and then things got serious. Four people are dead, including one woman who was shot by Capitol Police. Our editors discuss. Plus: what happens when machines threaten to outdo humans? 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

With the counting of the Electoral College vote drawing near, Senator Josh Hawley has vowed to object to certification on January 6. Who will take up the GOP mantle in 2024? Plus: DC, the Imperial City, has a corrupting influence on its inhabitants—including think tanks. 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

2020 is drawing to a close, and with vaccines rolling out across the nation, so too is the COVID pandemic. Hypothetically. But this won’t stop the ruling classes from coming up with other cockamamie reasons to shut you down and take your money. Don’t despair, though: the editors are here to lift your spirits on this Christmas special with discussion of their favorite carols and more. 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 electoral college has cast their ballots. But there are lingering issues percolating through public discourse, from corruption to separation. Our editors have measured commentary to tell you what you should be watching and what is white noise. Plus: a frank discussion about class, religion, and politics in 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 this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Ryan Williams, President of The Claremont Institute, interviews Brian Kennedy, President of The American Strategy Group. Kennedy talks about his experiences on the ground in contested states during the 2020 election cycle and carefully breaks down the current state of play, pinpointing what issues he thinks are most likely to bear fruit for conservatives. 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 this special installment of The American Mind Podcast, Ryan Williams, President of The Claremont Institute, interviews Dr. John Eastman. The two discuss Dr. Eastman’s experience navigating legal battles in the wake of the 2020 election. 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

California’s government at both the state and local level would like to wish you a big bah humbug. Another round of lockdowns is hitting small business especially hard, and Spencer has a report from the ground. Plus: YouTube is censoring people who talk about voter fraud in ways they don’t like. 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 Yorker's latest cover art, which depicts "love life" in the time of COVID lockdowns, reveals far more about our deep cultural sickness than perhaps it intends to. But meanwhile, pockets of resistance from both parties form against coronatarian tyranny and the excesses of our arrogant ruling class. Our editors look forward with hope to build a new, working-class coalition that will stand together against the woke madness that is sure to lie ahead of us. 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

Thanksgiving may be around the corner, but Trump’s presidency isn’t over yet. Assuming that Biden wins the electoral college—not a foregone conclusion, mind you—what will Trump be able to do in his last days in office? Will he sputter out, or will this be the most incendiary lame duck presidency we’ve ever seen? Plus: our editors discuss their Thanksgiving plans. 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

Election day has come and gone, so legacy media outlets are right back to covering coronavirus. Clinging to the last shreds of their viewership, they are doing their best to make the virus as scary as possible—a goal which dovetails perfectly with the policies of blue state leaders like Gavin Newsom and Meg Whitmer. As if that wasn’t bad enough, global elites are trying to initiate a “Great Reset” that will deprive you of everything you own. Seriously. They’re proud of that. Our editors unleash hellfire on the stupidity. 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 a staggering display of dangerous hysterics, leftists have taken to floating the idea of post-Trump “truth and reconciliation commissions.” This of course amounts to the flogging of sinners (read: conservatives) against wokeism. At AOC’s call, one group actually started making a list of people who worked for him in an attempt to cancel those public servants. Our editors, sure to be first on the list, discuss the meaning of this disastrous development. 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 this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Ryan Williams and Spencer Klavan interview Matt Braynard, former data chief and strategist for Trump's 2016 campaign and director of a new program to detect voter fraud in the 2020 election. The group discuss election integrity, potential voter fraud, and how the system to check for it works under the hood. 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

November 3 has come and gone, but we still don't know who’ll take the White House come January. Election officials seem to have spent the day flailing around wildly, and the night doing...nothing. Despite the uncertainty, our editors identify the most important takeaways to keep in mind as the election unfolds. See Claremont Institute-TPPF war game Ryan mentions here. 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 a desperate final gambit for relevance, the legacy media has been actively trying to prevent you from hearing about Hunter Biden’s shady business dealings with foreign powers. Increasing numbers of independent sources are confirming pieces of the story, but of course defending ol’ Joe is the legacy media’s first and only priority. With the election around the corner, the full editorial cast is back in the saddle to discuss how they are feeling about the election and what to watch out for. Plus: everyone makes an election prediction. 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 a disgusting display of unbridled power, Twitter and Facebook have censored the New York Post’s exposé on Hunter Biden--Twitter has gone so far as to lock the Post out of their own account for days on end. While the exposé is still a developing story, parts of it are now confirmed true. Spencer and David commandeer the studio this week to break down the censorship issue and the exposé. Plus: Jeffrey Toobin decided to uh, enjoy himself on a business call. Some are trying to defend the indefensible. 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

Surprising nobody who’s paying attention, Facebook and Twitter decided to preemptively censor a New York Post exposé about Hunter Biden’s role in mediating between a Ukranian businessman and Joe himself. Effectively, Big Tech has decided you do not deserve to choose for yourself what is plausible and true. Our editors discuss what got us to this point in Big Tech censorship, and where we’ll likely go from here. 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