WSJ Opinion: Free Expression

Donald Trump found himself the target of a second attempt on his life, this time from a gunman who was lying in wait for hours, only to be thwarted by the Secret Service. What’s happening with the former president’s security? And with less than 50 days to go to the 2024 election, has the intensity of campaign rhetoric become dangerous? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) tells Gerry Baker about the mistakes made by Secret Service leadership in both assassination attempts on Donald Trump. They also discuss the election itself and what will determine the outcome as well as the changing nature of the GOP and whether it can be the party of working people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The verdict is in - Donald Trump came a distant second this week in his first - and perhaps only - presidential debate with Kamala Harris. The former president was repeatedly on the defensive and easily baited by the vice president, despite the fact that she is the candidate of the incumbent and largely unpopular administration. What went wrong? Will there be another chance for Trump to link Harris to the Biden record and to remind voters of the far left policies she supposedly no longer espouses? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Trump presidential transition co-chair and former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells Gerry Baker what he told Trump before the debate and how it went unused, why he thinks Trump should agree to another debate and Harris should not, if he will take a role in a possible second Trump term administration and what priorities that administration should pursue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While most voters are focused on the contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, there are key Senate races across the nation that will decide who will be in control of the chamber in January. One of the most important is in Pennsylvania, where Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey is being challenged by Dave McCormick, a businessman and combat veteran who previously ran for the Republican nomination for Senate in 2022. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, McCormick speaks with Gerry Baker about how the national debate on abortion is playing the Keystone State, whether the Democratic ticket change to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz could change the Senate race, and about that day in Butler, PA when Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt and what role the former president may play in determining the outcome of this and other Senate races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamala Harris told the Democratic National Convention that she has plans for what she called an “opportunity economy.” But with little detail about what such a platform entails, except for promises to end so-called price gouging and raise taxes on companies and the better off, voters don’t seem to have a clear picture of what they will get if the Vice President wins in November. Meanwhile Donald Trump is pledging to extend and widen his tax cuts from 2017 that are due to expire next year, raise tariffs across the board and roll back regulation. So what might all this mean for a U.S. economy where inflation seems finally to be under control but growth may be slowing? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former World Bank President and Trump administration Treasury official David Malpass explains why a Harris administration would mean more government takeover of the private sector, why the world looks to China instead of the U.S. for economic leadership and what needs to be done to lift long term growth in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A month after abandoning their death march to the polls with President Joe Biden and switching to a campaign of joy with Kamala Harris, Democrats are in Chicago to formally nominate Vice President Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. But beyond spreading the happiness, what are the Democrats offering? On the strength of her few policy announcements, so far it looks likely that Harris is trying to put distance between distance herself and Biden. But can she really escape the record of the last four years? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) joins Gerry Baker from the site of the Democratic National Convention to discuss the changed nature of the race, how Kamala Harris plans to tackle the border and price controls, and addresses controversies surrounding her running mate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With days to go before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the spotlight is shining brightly on Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, as they continue to enjoy a largely substance-free campaign honeymoon, with the sizable help of the media. Meanwhile, cracks in the once-confident campaign of Donald Trump are beginning to show. The former president has spent much of the last few weeks in the fever swamps of conspiracy theory and grievance and Harris seems to have edged ahead in the polls. But with her history of espousing left wing causes and the Biden administration’s uninspiring record, there is no shortage of targets for the GOP to take aim at. Can Trump exercise the self-discipline to take advantage? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, RNC co-chair Lara Trump tells Gerry Baker about how the former president can seize back the initiative from the Democrats, how he can sometimes be “authentic to a fault” with voters and why JD Vance represents the future of the movement Donald Trump started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During Tim Walz’s first rally as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Americans got to see a quick-witted and effective speaker who knows how to go on the offensive when he needs to. But beyond the theatre, what’s his actual record as Minnesota governor? Two political insiders who’ve been following Walz for decades sit down with Gerry Baker to size up his tenure. John Hinderaker, president of the Center of the American Experiment, and Scott W. Johnson, a retired Minneapolis attorney and contributor to the site Power Line, paint a bleak picture of rising crime, economic decline and tumbling school performance. They also see Harris’s selection of Walz as confirmation that she's willing to keep up with the demands of the far-left flank of her party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this encore episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness." Haidt discusses the dangers that are present on social media platforms and how easily accessible they are to kids with very little obstacles to get in the way of them being harmed psychologically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican Party gathered this week for its presidential nominating convention and the message coming from the gathering is clear: Donald Trump, after the failed assassination attempt on his life, has rallied the party successfully heading into the final stretch of the election. The selection of Sen. J.D. Vance as vice presidential nominee has doubled down on the party’s populist message, to the concern of some cons. Meanwhile, the chorus of Democrats calling for Joe Biden to step aside has reached a fever pitch, and it seems a new candidate will be taking over any day. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Republican Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise tells Gerry Baker what he was able to tell Donald Trump regarding the attempt on his own life, what J.D. Vance brings to the Trump campaign, and why he wants Joe Biden to keep running for President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In what is the most important week of Joe Biden's presidency, Democrats are in disarray about the man at the top of the ticket for November's election. Despite strong pushback from the White House to calls for him to step down, the drumbeat demanding change is growing louder. Several members of Congress have called for him to go and many more are privately expressing despair about the party's prospects - in congressional elections as well as at the presidential level - if he remains the candidate. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), the president's most vocal supporter in the Senate, explains why he thinks Biden is the only plausible candidate, excoriates those in his party refusing to unite behind him, and talks about his passionate support for Israel and why so many in his party no longer seem to share it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Labour Party secured a major landslide in Britain's elections, resulting in a parliamentary majority not seen since the early days of Tony Blair. The reign of the Conservative Party, who have governed for 14 years, ended in an ignominious rout. But Labour’s victory, led by Keir Starmer, the new prime minister, was achieved with the lowest share of the vote for a winning party in British history. A strong performance by the populist Reform UK party seems to have split the right wing vote. So what does the downfall of the Tories mean for the conservative movement in the U.K. and elsewhere? And what does Britain’s future under Labour look like? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, political commentator Tim Montgomerie tells Gerry Baker why the United Kingdom may have seen the end of the two-party system, how Keir Starmer will perform on the world stage, and how the Conservative Party can stage a comeback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the time Thursday night’s debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump ended, one question was on everyone’s lips: will the president be persuaded to step down ahead of the Democratic convention? His weak and stumbling performance dramatically increased concerns about Biden’s age and stamina, as Donald Trump showed a discipline and focus that has not always been on display On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Karl Rove tells Gerry Baker Biden’s was the worst presidential debate performance he has ever seen, and he says there is no way back for him to win if he remains the party’s candidate. Rove says he therefore expects the president now to step aside and he assesses the likely field of Democratic presidential contenders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Free speech is under threat in unprecedented ways in the U.S.. University campuses deny platforms to those who dissent from progressive orthodoxies. Tech firms block heterodox news and opinion on grounds of "disinformation." Companies discipline employees for challenging nostrums about race, sexuality and gender. How did it get this way? What can be done to reverse the tide? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, law professor and legal analyst Jonathan Turley talks with Gerry Baker about his new book, "The Indispensable Right," on the centrality of free speech to human life, and also about other threats to American rights and values including the ‘lawfare’ that is increasingly waged in American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we losing the new Cold War? In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, all sides in America seem to agree that we are in a long new Cold War struggle with Communist China. But if that's the case, why are we just managing the contest rather than actually trying to win it? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former Republican congressman Mike Gallagher, who led congressional efforts to confront China, including most recently with legislation banning TikTok, tells Gerry Baker how Beijing is aggressively advancing around the world - including here at home in the U.S., and how we can rise to meet the challenge. The once rising star in GOP ranks also talks about why he left Congress and how he sees the future of the Republican party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Donald Trump’s conviction being on 34 felony counts of falsification of business records and as his sentence looms just ahead of the Republican National Convention, U.S. politics are deeper into uncharted territory. What might happen next? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former federal prosecutor and Trump lawyer James Trusty takes Gerry Baker through all the legal steps the former president will go through, including the appeals process. He explains why Mr. Trump has good reason to expect success but also expressed concern about the larger prospects for equal and independent justice in an age of partisan politics and ‘lawfare.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the current polls looking better each day for a return to the White House for Donald Trump, what could the next 4 years look like at the southern border? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with former acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf who says a second Trump administration will make radical changes to border enforcement and immigration policy, ensure the deportation of migrants in the US illegally and seek agreements with foreign governments to take asylum seekers and deter migrants from coming to the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a rare subject of bipartisan agreement that China is the greatest strategic challenge facing the U.S., perhaps the greatest it has ever faced. And yet, despite a decade of admirations of both parties acknowledging the threat, we are woefully under-prepared for it. What can the next President learn from the mistakes of the recent past and how might he remedy them? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Richard Fontaine and Robert Blackwill, foreign policy commentators and co-authors of a new book, “Lost Decade: The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power” talk with Gerry Baker about what went wrong and how the next ad ministration must fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As global instability increases and threats to our national security grow, what can we learn from the history of warfare? In a new book, noted military historian Victor Davis Hanson examines how some wars have resulted not just in defeat for the vanquished but in the annihilation of their civilization and people. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Prof. Hanson tells Gerry Baker about the parallels between these wars and the threats we now face from our increasingly bold adversaries. How can we avoid the mistakes of those previous civilizations and ensure our survival? He also talks about America’s internal fractures and how they are weakening our national security and what our political leaders can do to reverse the damage in a pivotal election year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels took to the stand this week in the criminal hush-money trial of Donald Trump, surprising the media, legal experts and even the former President himself. But the more we heard the salacious details in the testimony, the more it seemed the move might backfire on the prosecution. In what already looks to many like a thin case against Mr. Trump, the admission of lurid stories about a sexual encounter that even the judge seemed to think might not be relevant only reinforced the perception that the prosecution is a politically-motivated attempt to discredit the former president and current Republican candidate. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former prosecutor Andy McCarthy talks to Gerry Baker about the case, why it would be a mistake for Donald Trump to testify in his own defense, and the many other legal threats Donald Trump is facing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the explosion of protests on university campuses and as Donald Trump sits in a courtroom facing felony charges, the 2024 presidential race is at a new level of volatility. Polls show Joe BIden trailing Trump in the key swing states, leaving the current President with only the slimmest of margins as a path to reelection. Six months out, what might change? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report Amy Walter and Gerry Baker discuss which states may decide the future of the presidency and the issues which mean the most when going to the polls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have our elite universities become seedbeds of hatred? Since Hamas’ murderous attacks on Israel on October 7th, and the war in Gaza that followed, demonstrations have exploded on the campus of American universities. In the last two weeks, the mayhem has escalated. Columbia University especially has been overrun by angry protesters, many of them pushing nakedly antisemitic messages and harassing Jewish students - who have been advised to steer clear of campus for their own safety. One Columbia professor who has challenged the encampments, Shai Davidai, has even found himself barred from the campus. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Davidai tells Gerry Baker about the growth of Hamas and Hezbollah-supporting organizations at Columbia and other universities and describes the threat they pose not just to Jews but to the wider population. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Biden administration and international public opinion up the pressure on Israel to suspend its campaign against an enemy sworn to destroy it, the right of the Jewish state to defend itself seems to be challenged. Can Israel finish the job against Hamas? Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remain in office despite fierce domestic criticism? What are the wider geopolitical issues at stake? On this episode of the Potomac Watch podcast, policy analyst Reuel Marc Gerecht tells Gerry Baker why an occupation of Gaza by Israel is likely necessary, how pro-Palestinian voters in the United States have influence over Joe Biden’s policy decisions, and why Iran and questions about its nuclear program continue to linger over the entire war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With more and more parents giving their children access to smartphones earlier in their lives a common troubling thread seems to be arising that is affecting the way children are growing up. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with Jonathan Haidt, Author of “The Anxious Generation” How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Haidt discusses the dangers that are present on social media platforms and how easily accessible they are to kids with very little obstacles to get in the way of them being harmed psychologically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After over 140 people were killed at a concert venue in Moscow, Islamic State in Khorasan Province, or ISKP, an Afghanistan-based offshoot of ISIS, quickly claimed responsibility. Who are ISKP and what wider threat do they pose to the West and the U.S. in particular? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Afghan Armed Forces Lieutenant General Sami Sadat tells Gerry Baker why he thinks ISKP will strike again and soon - - perhaps even in the U.S. He also explains how the chaotic and hurried U.S. departure from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Doha Accord of 2020 helped set the conditions for the resurgence of the terrorist menace. According to Sadat, the Biden administration's plans to fight the enemy from "over the horizon" are doomed to fail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Federal Reserve signaling it still plans to cut interest rates this year, has the inflation threat really abated? Heightened optimism about a soft landing has cooled somewhat as inflation at the start of the year has shown signs of persisting. What happens next will have big political implications too. In an election year, more voters seemingly have a negative opinion of how Joe Biden is handling the economy. If interest rates don’t fall appreciably, it won’t help his re-election prospects. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former Obama White House chief economist Jason Furman tells Gerry Baker why he’s concerned about continuing inflation risks, how rising mortgage rates are causing so much pessimism in households nationwide, and what he thinks the Fed will do next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four years ago this week, the U.S. shut down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. While officials were adamant that lockdowns, masks, and later vaccines were essential for all Americans to limit the damage from the spread, it's become increasingly clear that the science behind so many of the mandates was decidedly shaky. Yet those who warned at the time of the risks of draconian actions were widely denounced and even silenced. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Professor Martin Kulldorff, one of the most prominent skeptics tells Gerry Baker why he says he was fired as professor of medicine at Harvard University for his views, why the research on vaccines is not so 'black and white,' and why the media and society were so hostile to alternative views on masks, school closures and natural immunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super Tuesday put the seal on the 2024 primary season and the rematch of Joe Biden and Donald Trump is set for November. Biden starts out in a weaker position than any incumbent in decades. But, while polling suggests Trump currently has the edge, many voters seem reluctant to endorse either candidate. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with former Trump pollster and co-executor of the WSJ’s own regular polling Tony Fabrizio to talk about what we can expect in November and whether Biden can turn the race around? Will Trump overcome the Scott’s about his character? With Robert F. Kennedy running as an Independent and pulling votes from both sides, how sure can either party be about winning the 2024 election? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Hungary finally agreed to the accession of Sweden to NATO. With characteristic defiance of allies and the U.S., Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who alone in the alliance mainstains strong relations with Vladimir Putin after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, had held out for almost two years against the NATO expansion. It's not the only issue on which Hungary has been an outlier. With his opposition to open borders and a strong believer in traditional Christian values, Orbán's government has been despised by establishment elites and progressives and lauded by many on the right in Europe and the U.S. as a model of conservative populism. What's the reality - Are Orbán's "strong man" government and its admirers here a threat to democracy or its salvation? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast Balázs Orbán, political director to the Hungarian prime minister, discusses the future of the west with Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last few months have been a tumultuous time on the campuses of American universities. Shocking instances of anti-Semitic rhetoric on top of a culture of repression of views that challenge the progressive orthodoxies - as well as evidence of plagiarism - led to the departure of the presidents of two high profile institutions. The University of Chicago has long prided itself as a defender of free speech in academia. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, UChicago President Paul Alivisatos tells Gerry Baker what makes his school special and offers highlights of some of the groundbreaking research his institution is pursuing in science, medicine, and artificial intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After special counsel Robert Hur's report described Joe Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” many fears Democrats may have had in private were now out in the open. But with the party’s primary already almost over, is it too late to consider an alternative? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Democratic commentator and scholar Marie Harf tells Gerry Baker why Joe Biden and Donald Trump together will make age a non-issue, which Democrats could be potential successors to Joe Biden and if Kamala Harris is among them, and how both candidates can win voters over on Israel, the border, and the economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. is enjoying one of its best stretches of economic performance in years. Growth is strong, unemployment is low, and, though it remains elevated, inflation has fallen sharply. As the rest of the world stagnates, America seems to be booming. But how good are things really and can they last? And will the Fed’s continuing struggle to get inflation down eventually push the economy under? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, economist and former presidential adviser Glenn Hubbard tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker how the Fed is facing a tough challenge to get inflation under 3%, and why he thinks policy will remain tight for some time. But he also says the U.S. is undergoing structural changes such as the rise of generative artificial intelligence that could be improving productivity performance in the long run. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From deepfakes to advances in medicine and science, artificial intelligence is becoming one of the most feared and misunderstood innovations of the 21st century. So why are so many people afraid of the future of AI? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang tells Gerry Baker how he went from MIT dropout to powering the AI industry, the effect the technology can have on the military, economics and education, and how AI can be used to distort information during crucial elections across the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After solid victories in Iowa and New Hampshire by Donald Trump, we look set already for a rematch between the former president and Joe Biden. So where does that leave the Republican party? And what should Nikki Haley do next? Should she stay on and fight or accede to the inevitable? What have we learned from this short and apparently moribund primary season about Trump's and Biden's strengths and weaknesses for the general election? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, veteran pollster and consultant Doug Shoen tells Gerry Baker why now is the time for Haley to drop out of the race, why it might be too late for a third-party candidate to come in as an alternative, and who could be on the list to be Trump's running mate and in his potential administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. elections now seem routinely dogged by allegations of fraud and outside interference. Not just in 2020, but in several of the most recent presidential contests the losing candidates had cried foul. And so the security of this year’s contest may be more controversial than ever. Are our electoral systems safe - and what about the threat of “misinformation”? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince explains how his company is trying to "build a better internet," how tech companies are trying to fight both hackers and widespread organized attacks and responds to criticism of the company’s internal management processes after a video of an employee being fired went viral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Iowa Caucuses are just a few days away and the New Hampshire primary follows a week after. Donald Trump maintains a big lead in the Hawkeye State and a smaller one in the Granite State. But does Nikki Haley have the momentum? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, WSJ columnist Kimberly Strassel joins Gerry Baker to discuss what’s behind Haley’s apparent advance, what chance Ron DeSantis has of finishing strong and what margin of victory Trump needs in Iowa to declare a decisive victory heading into New Hampshire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first two contests of the 2024 presidential election, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, are just days away. So do any of Donald Trump's rivals have a chance to overtake him, and is Joe Biden a strong enough candidate to win reelection? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, veteran pollster Frank Luntz tells Gerry Baker why Iowa and New Hampshire residents are two completely different voter blocs, why Donald Trump should not refuse to debate Joe Biden, and why a third-party candidate has the potential to win electoral votes in 2024, and who that candidate might be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Free Expression podcast revisits Gerry Baker's conversation with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York. The two discuss how Pope Francis is leading the church worldwide, the importance of the separation of church and state, and how a lack of religion and moral conviction is to blame for our toxic cultural environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 2023 draws to a close, the war between Ukraine and Russia is approaching the two-year mark in what appears to be a stalemate, while the war between Israel and Hamas rages on. What have we learned? What can we expect in 2024? And how is the U.S. dealing with these challenges? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former CIA director General David Petraeus tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why the Israel/Hamas battlefield is the most “fiendishly difficult” in recent memory, why the U.S. needs to take more robust action against the Red Sea attacks by Houthi forces backed by Iran, how the withdrawal from Afghanistan contributed to Vladimir Putin’s invasion, and how modern warfare has changed since World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is a long overdue change finally coming to America's universities? With the resignation of Penn president Elizabeth Magill, and the controversial decision to keep Claudine Gay as the president of Harvard, the concerns over liberal indoctrination on campus have reached a fresh peak. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, University of California, Santa Cruz Professor Emeritus of German Literature John M. Ellis tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why the testimony of the three Ivy League presidents on Capitol Hill exposed the intellectual inadequacy, hypocrisy and extremism of the academic leadership of the universities, highlighted the danger caused by the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and how conservatives have been harassed to the point of leaving the university system, leading to a new search for reforms as the backlash continues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Israel to Ukraine, 2023 has been a year of spreading violent conflict, increasing instability and posing stiff challenges to U.S. global strategy, all within the context of the developing new Cold War with China and its allies, Russia and Iran. It seems likely that our adversaries will probe further in 2024, and with a presidential election in the U.S., geopolitical uncertainty will only intensify. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, historian Niall Ferguson tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about the dangers that could come with a Russian victory in Ukraine, why Israel would benefit from a second Donald Trump administration, although it could lead to the end of NATO, and how the election in Taiwan next month will be a time of great danger as China plans its next move. The two also discuss how pro-Hamas protests on campuses have left American universities in a parlous state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can a little-known congressman from Minnesota really unseat a sitting Democratic president for his party's nomination? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Rep. Dean Phillips tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why Biden's weaknesses as a candidate, and not the policies of the Democrats, could lead to a Donald Trump victory in 2024. They also discuss why Phillips is suing the Democratic Party of Florida, why he's troubled by the "misdeeds" committed by Hunter Biden and other members of the Biden family, and why Joe Biden's deal with Iran to pay for hostages led to Hamas taking their own in the conflict with Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, listen to some of Gerry Baker's most intriguing interviews from this year, including BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink, economist and China expert George Magnus, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump John Bolton, Middle East scholar Reuel Marc Gerecht, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and political science professor Patrick Deneen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Off year elections in Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio went the Democratic Party's way this week but does that presage a second term for Joe Biden in 2024? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, political scientist Ruy Teixeira and co-author of a new book, "Where Have All the Democrats Gone?" tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that the Democrats have lost touch with their core voters over economic and cultural issues, how some Democratic activists’ support for Palestinian terrorists underscores their extremism and how the party risks forfeiting the votes of many of its former supporters to the Republicans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year from the next presidential election, where does the race stand in both parties? Will a clear challenger from the ever-shrinking field emerge to Donald Trump's frontrunner status for the GOP nomination? And what difficulties could Joe Biden face in his reelection campaign? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, veteran pollster Mark Penn tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that Nikki Haley has all the momentum in the race to be the main challenger to Trump and says her rise in the polls spells certain doom for Ron DeSantis. He also argues Joe Biden's handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas could be critical to his re-election chances and thinks neither Rep. Dean Phillips nor anyone else is likely to displace Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. But, he adds, watch out for a strong third party candidate if it is Trump v. Biden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Joe Biden prepared to back up his rhetorical support for Israel? On the latest episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Middle East scholar Reuel Marc Gerecht tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why Israel's promise of the destruction of Hamas may not be possible without the reoccupation of Gaza, why the Biden Administration needs to to draw a red line on Iran's involvement in the conflict, how the escalation of attacks by Hezbollah is inevitable, and why a two-state solution was never viable, and seems even less so now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about why he thinks ESG investing has become so controversial but also misunderstood. He outlines his concerns about embedded inflation in the economy and how it will change investing and says he thinks cryptocurrency could represent a viable hedge against inflation and other risks. He expresses his concern about the state of free speech on university campuses and the wider decline in the quality of American public discourse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Israel prepares an all-out assault on Hamas following the bloody massacre on its soil last weekend, how does this new war in the Middle East unfold? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, former Israeli ambassador to the US and Middle East historian Michael Oren joins Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker from southern Israel, where military barrages and calls to seek shelter interrupt the conversation even as they discuss the likely Israeli military strategy and objectives, how the war could escalate and spread beyond Gaza, the part Iran played in fostering the conflict and what role, in Oren's view, a potential second Donald Trump presidency may have played in the terrorists' planning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What led eight Republicans to vote against Kevin McCarthy and end his time as Speaker of the House? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker speaks with one of the eight, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), about how this historic vote was months in the making. Good and Baker also discuss whether the upheaval was done in part with working with Democrats, the future of the continuing resolution in the House on spending, and some of the names being mentioned to be the next Speaker, including Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After another Trump-less presidential debate seemed to make few waves in the Republican primary race , what can we now expect from the contest? Is the field about to consolidate to just a handful of candidates vying to be the alternative to Trump? How could the frontrunner be defeated? On this week's episode of the Free Expression, conservative author and commentator Matthew Continetti talks with Gerry Baker about the state of the GOP, the future of conservatism and why he thinks the populist wing of the party is firmly in the ascendant for the foreseeable future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Scott entered the 2024 GOP presidential primary with a message of positivity that was in stark contrast to Donald Trump's dark critique of contemporary America. But is it a winning strategy? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, the South Carolina Senator tells Wall Street Journal editor Gerry Baker of his faith in the goodness of America, but also why he fears a government shutdown is imminent, why the patience of some Americans with the funding of Ukraine is running out, and why he advocates the adoption by states of a 15 week - or less - limit on abortion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices