The Big Ben Show

Ben discusses how the Democrats' denunciation of masculinity is hurting them with voters. Mark Halperin, editor-in-chief of 2WAY and host of Next Up with Mark Halperin unpacks the dangers of media groupthink and shares what he thinks the media is getting wrong in the political sphere today. Then, FOX News Senior National Correspondent Aishah Hasnie joins with the latest updates on where President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' stands in the Senate. Later, Christine previews her risky flight out of Newark Airport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben unpacks the Biden administration's efforts to hide the truth about President Biden's cognitive decline from the American public. He's joined by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) to discuss the state of President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill', as well as his thoughts on his primary race in the 2026 election cycle. He's then joined by FOX News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich to discuss the media's role in downplaying concerns in the final months of Joe Biden's presidency. Later, the Big Ben Crew talk Andor, school plays, and whether Dylan is getting fired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben breaks down the decline in faith in institutions, in the country, and in one another, particularly among young, Democrat voters. He's then joined by Cygnal Pollster John Rogers to discuss the rise in friendship fall-outs after the 2024 election. Author David Zweig joins to discuss the poor decisions made by American schools during the Covid pandemic and the consequences of those mistakes as detailed in his book, An Abundance of Caution. Later, Ben reacts to Taylor Swift's involvement in Blake Lively's legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Follow Ben on X: @bdomenech Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben refreshes his podcast with a new objective and eyes on the future! This week he weighs in on President Trump's proposed Hollywood tariffs and explains how it could revitalize America's film industry. Then, FOX News Correspondent Lucas Tomlinson discusses his recent trip to Estonia and previews the President's upcoming Saudi Arabia visit. Later, they cover the potential for the new NFL stadium in Washington D.C. Later, Ben reacts to Bill Burr's take on politics, the Newark Airport outage, and plans for Mother's Day. Follow Ben on X: @bdomenech Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Ben interviewed President Trump in the Oval Office in February he asked if there was ever going to be a way to get the Washington Commanders back in D.C.? This week, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced an agreement with the team, bringing the franchise back to the nation's capital. The move to the site of the old RFK stadium is not without controversy - receiving pushback from progressives. Ben discusses the political and cultural significance of this deal and explains how the project can revitalize the neglected area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a difficult week for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after new reports alleged that he shared sensitive information on another Signal chat. But is the chaos in the Pentagon a result of different warring factions within the Department of Defense? Ben unpacks the different motivations behind the attacks against Secretary Hegseth and explains the ways in which the second Trump administration will reshape America's approach to foreign policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the most talked about faces in politics today isn't a politician, but instead, tech billionaire Elon Musk. Musk's loud approach to changing policy and elections has come with somewhat of a cost, forcing Republicans to reevaluate their relationship with the controversial yet influential figure. In the world of politics, money talks. But when donors do the talking, what do American voters hear? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A week after Liberation Day, the global market has felt the aftershock of President Trump's tariffs. As Americans witness massive changes here at home, the White House says conversations with foreign leaders are also in the works that could reshape our trade partnerships and our economy. How will President Trump's second administration usher in a new era of geopolitics? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The accidental leak of a National Security Signal chat to The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg has ignited fierce debate and conversation in Washington. While Goldberg is known for his long-standing opposition to President Trump, there is a real question of just how such pertinent information got into the wrong hands. Ben breaks down why it was so surprising that NSA Michael Waltz was the one in the wrong here, what this means for regular DC communication on apps like this, and why this was the first major wake-up call for a White House that had been scandal-free for the first two months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer surprised Democrats by defending the vote to avoid a government shutdown. Now, he is receiving major pushback from his party and is even canceling his book tour on Antisemitism. Does Senator Schumer's weakened grip on leadership signal a shift toward younger, more radical Democrats, setting the stage for a significant transformation within the party? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With a looming government shutdown, Ben ponders how it could prove the validity of DOGE cuts. He notes that only 'essential' employees continue to work during a government shutdown while the rest are furloughed, and whether people will notice the shift in productivity, if there is any. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben reacts to President Trump's first address to the joint session of Congress, since his return to the White House. While he notes that the Democrats are currently without a real leader and lacking a cohesive response to the President's address, there is still a real question of whether the Republicans are indeed overstepping their mandate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben comments on how the press and Democrats have zeroed in on Elon Musk’s actions at DOGE as a proxy to attack President Donald Trump. But will Democrats' attacks on Elon backfire, as some polls show a majority of Americans believe there is widespread waste, fraud and abuse in government? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost a full month into the second Trump administration, the pace has shocked the political world. Ben breaks down the firings and upcoming legislative agenda, from the flurry of executive orders to the Elon Musk-fueled disruption of government bureaucracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben analyzes the complexities of the USAID and how President Trump's plans for the agency will impact American interests abroad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As media layoffs and organizational pivots begin following President Trump's return to the White House, Ben delivers a monologue going into detail on how this happened, and how it may shape the industry going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Days into the second Trump Administration and the President is hitting the ground running. Ben gives his thoughts on a memorable inaugural weekend, highlighting the remarkable odds President Trump overcame to return to the Oval Office. He also looks ahead to the 2026 midterms, forecasting what the slim Republican majority will be able to accomplish in Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben breaks down the confirmation hearing of Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, and how he was able to survive major blows from the Democrats and the media. Plus, he argues how Pete's fight for survival helped other nominees and could be the determining factor in President-elect Trump getting his entire cabinet confirmed. Ben also shares why he thinks Republicans should let Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) speak at every confirmation hearing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In his new book, All the President's Money: Investigating the Secret Foreign Schemes That Made the Biden Family Rich, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) details the work that his committee has done to show how the Biden family profited off of their political power at the expense of the American taxpayer. Plus, Chairman Comer previews some of the big-ticket items Congress has on the agenda for the second Trump Administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we ring in the New Year, Life Editor of The Spectator World, Ross Andersen weighs in on the most popular movies and television series from 2024. While noting some of the biggest hits of the year were Twisters and Shogun, they analyze why highly anticipated sequels such as Joker 2 and Moana 2 didn't quite hit the mark. Plus, they discuss their all-time favorite Christmas movies and look ahead to 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this encore episode, Ben recalls one of the most monumental weeks in American political history in mid-July. It was a week that included former President Trump narrowly surviving an assassination attempt, accepting a Presidential nomination, and selecting a Vice-Presidential nominee all within around 52 hours. Plus, the wagons were circling President Biden as a key ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) publicly called for the President to step aside, as the 46th President of the United States would eventually do so, just 2 days after the original release of this podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben argues why Congress' worst decisions are made when they're on tight deadlines to keep the government funded. With multiple Republican members of Congress leaving to serve in the Trump administration, Speaker Mike Johnson will now have to manage an even narrower majority. In the long term, that involves passing President-elect Trump's agenda, but in the short term that means convincing Congress to agree upon a 1547-page spending bill to keep the government funded before they go home for holiday break. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After months of controversy striking at the heart of New York City's crime crisis, Marine Veteran Daniel Penny had his manslaughter charge dismissed and was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide for the death of Jordan Neely. Nick Ohnell Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Rafael Mangual, has written extensively about urban crime and jail violence to broader matters of criminal and civil justice reform. Ben and Rafael break down the investigation, the trial, and what the result means for a city torn over the political circumstances of the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author David Harsanyi discusses his new book The Rise of BlueAnon: How the Democrats Became a Party of Conspiracy Theorists. David and Ben make their way from numerous examples, from COVID-19 to the coverup of President Biden's health, his eventual pardon of his son Hunter, and the Russian collusion hoax, to show that despite the constant mainstream media clamoring, it turns out that Democrats were the actual conspiracy theorists all along. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this Thanksgiving eve, Ben revisits a conversation where he draws on the history of Thanksgiving, from the Pilgrims on the Mayflower to President George Washington's creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday, to explain why despite America's modern struggles, we still have a lot to be thankful for in our unique American experiment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As President-elect Trump rolls out his cabinet, receiving both criticism and praise, Ben notes how the idea that the President-elect is simply picking who he sees on TV and who has been loyal is a flawed argument. Ben examines what cabinet picks really mean for the 2nd Trump Administration and reflects on President Biden's nominations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President-elect Trump's cabinet is forming at a much faster pace in comparison to his first administration. Ben notes how the first time around, there were members with solid resumes, but were in stark opposition to the President's agenda. Plus, Ben reacts to the President-elect's pick of FOX & Friends Weekend Co-Host and Veterans Advocate Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost, four years ago, President Trump's political career looked dead in the water. Now he is the first President since Grover Cleveland to return to the White House after losing his reelection bid. Ben pontificates on how President Trump pulled it off, and how despite some of the nervousness among Republicans during the last week of the campaign after comedian Tony Hinchcliffes's Puerto Rico joke and Ann Selzer's Iowa poll, the fundamentals of this election were always in favor of 45, now 47. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do some across the world think former President Trump returning to the White House would be better for the global order than Vice President Harris? Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Freddy Gray notes that behind closed doors and across Europe, diplomats are recognizing a new world order reality that might be served better by the strength of President Trump. Ben and Freddy note how egregiously the mainstream media has been in the tank for the Harris campaign, but how it could be hard to overcome those false stories finding their way into the daily rhetoric. Plus, they look at where the Electoral College looks like with 4 days to go until Election Night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While it has become apparent that former President Donald Trump has the momentum in the race for the White House, it's unclear how it will all play out on election night. As the candidates make their closing arguments, Ben notes what insiders and experts are seeing. While internal polls show the Republicans primed to take the Senate, House, and the White House, Ben reflects on the overconfidence of Republicans in previous cycles, that led to disappointment on election night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As sports gambling has become widely legalized across the country and more accepted into the mainstream culture, fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing writer at The Atlantic, Charles Fain Lehman weighs in on why this social change may have more negative effects than positive. Lehman shares some alarming economic and social findings in the states where sports gambling has been legalized. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With two weeks left in the race for the White House, the candidates are making their closing arguments. Ben shares his conversation with Co-Host of The Fifth Column podcast, Kmele Foster on how the dynamics of the presidential race have changed in the month of October. Plus, they analyze media blitz strategies and what voting groups both sides will target in an attempt to win an election with razor thin margins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With under two weeks to go until Election Day, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are trying different media blitz strategies to win over the last small sliver of Independent voters. Vice President Harris had a combative interview with FOX News Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier and decided not to attend the Al Smith dinner in New York City. Meanwhile, President Trump attended the dinner and joined many popular podcasts to target lower-propensity male voters across several demographics. Ben sits down with FOX News Audio Political Analyst Josh Kraushaar to break down their strategies and discuss what key races to watch on election night that could tell us early on whether it will be a good night for Republicans or Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Vice President Harris continues a media blitz that will include an interview tonight on Special Report with FOX News Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier, Ben notes how extreme her closing arguments are in the race for the White House. Highlighting how her responses to race relations and the Israel-Hamas war are disturbingly aligned with extremist author Ta-Nehisi Coates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With both theTrump-Vance and Harris-Walz tickets trying to convince voters that they’re best fit to lead the country, what are both campaigns missing to seal the deal? Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) discusses the often forgotten but monumental impact of the suburban women vote and how the Trump-Vance campaign can regain that demographic. Plus, Ben and Rep. Mace discuss the role women’s rights will play in national and state elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the media blitz by Vice President Kamala Harris continues, Ben notes that as she struggles with answering basic questions expected of any presidential candidate, the excitement of 'vibes' behind the Harris-Walz campaign has severely worn off. Despite the Vice President’s marginal lead nationally, Ben explains the uphill battle she faces in the electoral college. Plus, Ben notes that President Biden seems unfazed emotionally by Harris' struggles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A recent New York Times poll recently showed that for the first time in modern history, young men are now more likely to attend church regularly than women. Ben notes that anecdotally, younger men are more interested in getting married and having families than their female counterparts. For a conversation on this, and how these trends ripple through the rest of American culture, Ben is joined by Associate Professor at Eastern Illinois University and author of the Graphs about Religion substack, Ryan Burge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the post day spin heats up after the Vice-Presidential Debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Ben gives his analysis on the debate. He shares why Senator Vance was able to outperform expectations despite being singled out by moderators and the press. Plus, he notes that Governor Walz looked to be unprepared and out of place on such a high stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the election reaches a fever pitch, Ben takes a step back from the horse race coverage to have a conversation with Cosplayer, YouTuber, and CEO of Catwoman, 'Snarky Jay.' They discuss some of the latest movies, ComiCon 2024, and why Hollywood producers at Disney and Marvel so often forget their most loyal fans in hopes of creating an audience that simply does not exist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the presidential race tightens and reaches a fever pitch, Ben takes a step back to look at prominent Senate races. Ben notes that not only does the map favor Republicans, but with some exception the GOP learned their lesson from the 2022 election cycle and has moved to nominate more palpable candidates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are locked in a razor-thin race, the rust-belt states hold the keys to the White House for vote parties. Ben is joined by former Ohio Congressman and 2020 presidential candidate Tim Ryan to discuss what Vice President Harris needs to do to win those states. Plus, Ryan weighs in with details of what the next administration needs to do to combat China as well as have a successful energy policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former President Trump survived a second assassination attempt over the weekend. Just two months after the first attempt, Ben responds to this jarring display of violence against the former President and why Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas bears the brunt of responsibility. Plus, Ben notes how Vice President Harris, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and liberal political commentators are responding to the second assassination attempt on the former President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As fallout from the ABC Presidential Debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris continues, Ben sits down with ‘Washington Examiner’ Chief Political Correspondent Byron York to break down where the race stands. Given the moderator bias, they weigh in on how the standard era of network-moderated presidential debates may be ending. Plus, they note while former President Trump may have lost the debate after falling for one too many of the traps set by Vice President Harris, the fundamentals of the race have not differed, and the former President still might win the day on key issues with Independent voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the dust settles from the ABC Presidential Debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Ben notes the pros and cons of the former President’s performance. Highlighting Trump’s stronger handling of key issues such as immigration, the economy, and national security, but also critiquing his inability to shy away from taking Harris' bait on crowd sizes and abortion. Plus, Ben provides his analysis on the performance of debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s official, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to face off in the ABC Presidential Debate, September 10th. Ben reviews how President Trump performed at the first 2024 Presidential Debate, given that most of the analysis was on President Biden's lackluster performance. Plus, Ben notes how he anticipates Vice President Harris will address 9 key major policy flip-flops and what President Trump needs to do to swiftly come out on top. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This morning, Jonathan Martin wrote a controversial article in POLITICO, saying that some GOP leaders are secretly hoping that former President Trump loses in November. Ben tears apart Martin's op-ed line-by-line, and notes that he hasn't been in conservative circles for years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the election season enters its final push after Labor Day, the matchup between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Harris is a true toss up. Ben looks back on how much the race has changed since mid-July, in what was once of the most historic weeks in American political history. Former President Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt, accepted a Presidential nomination, and selected a vice-presidential nominee all within the course of around 52 hours. Plus, the wagons circled around President Biden as key ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) publicly called for the President to step aside. Later, Ben gives his unique perspective on these major political stories and shares where we will go as a nation in the coming days and years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben critiques CNN's handling of the first sit down interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz since they became their party's nominees. He notes the lack of tough questions from Dana Bash, while sizing up where we are in the race for the White House heading into Labor Day. Besides the light questioning and shorter than advertised interview, he explains how Vice President Kamala Harris did not do enough to separate herself from President Biden or address her numerous policy flip flops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben takes a break from the constant discussion of the 2024 Presidential Election to share his thoughts on the current state of the “cancel culture movement." He notes how the unclear definitions of cancel culture can manifest in the ruining of everyday people's lives. Holding a more detrimental impact than legitimate bad behavior from prominent individuals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last night the Democratic National Convention concluded in Chicago, with Vice President Harris’ nomination acceptance speech. Ben is joined by Republican Campaign strategist and co-founder of Purple Strategies, Alex Castellanos to recap the week’s events and provide insight on whether Vice President Harris successfully transitioned into her role at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket. Plus, they discuss how the Trump-Vance campaign should adjust their messaging now that they’re up against Vice President Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices