Best William F Buckley Podcasts (2025)

1
MAGA x DOGE, So Far (w/ John Ganz) [TEASER] 2:11

11h ago2:11

2:11

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy The first three weeks of Donald Trump's second administration have seen a flurry of vicious executive orders aimed at the federal workforce, trans people, government agencies, and others—all while Elon Musk and his deranged band of young sociopaths, otherwise kno…

1
A Surgeon General's Warning: Dr. Richard Carmona on RFK Jr.’s nomination 38:41

1h ago38:41

38:41

As Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services advances in the Senate, former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona talks to Margaret Hoover about the danger he fears Kennedy could pose to public health. Carmona criticizes Kennedy’s history of spreading misinformation about vaccines and health care and false…

1
Ayn Rand Against the World (w/ Jennifer Burns) 2:00:31

6d ago2:00:31

2:00:31

An atheist, a radical for capitalism, a caricature of a greedy libertarian, a best-selling novelist, a difficult partner and passionate lover, and the self-proclaimed greatest philosopher since Aristotle: Ayn Rand was many things, and we talk about almost all of them in this epic episode. To do so, we called upon historian Jennifer Burns, whose int…

1
'Time for Democratic outrage’: Mike Murphy and James Carville on the new Trump era 34:59

7d ago34:59

34:59

Two veteran strategists–Democrat James Carville and Republican Mike Murphy–sit down with Margaret Hoover to assess the fallout from the 2024 election and the challenges that lie ahead for both parties. At the USC Center for the Political Future’s Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics, Carville and Murphy discuss the chaotic first weeks of Presi…

1
How Republics End (w/ Mike Duncan) [TEASER] 2:36

12d ago2:36

2:36

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy A stock rhetorical trope on the right is to invoke ancient Rome when talking about American decline—often making direct comparisons between the Goth invaders and contemporary immigrants, obsessing over homosexuality and Rome's fall, and more. If their understandi…

1
Newt Gingrich takes on GOP skepticism of legal immigration 44:08

13d ago44:08

44:08

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about his new PBS documentary “Journey to America: With Newt and Callista Gingrich,” his longstanding support for legal immigration, and the executive actions President Trump has taken in his first days in office. Amid rising Republican skepticism of all immigration, Gingrich…

1
The Entrepreneurial Ethic & How We Work Today (w/ Erik Baker) 1:36:26

19d ago1:36:26

1:36:26

This is a fascinating episode that takes up thinkers that the podcast has covered before—the Koch brothers, Austrian economists like Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek, and others—but from a different angle: that of the entrepreneurial work ethic. Historian Erik Baker's superb book on the topic, Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Eth…

1
Fox analyst Juan Williams: ‘We are at a critical juncture in terms of race’ 1:05:21

20d ago1:05:21

1:05:21

Journalist and author Juan Williams joins Margaret Hoover to talk about civil rights in America as the nation prepares to inaugurate Donald Trump as president on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Williams, who wrote the companion book to the 1987 PBS documentary series Eyes on the Prize, discusses his latest book, New Prize for These Eyes, which charts t…

1
Defying a dictator: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Katya Snytsina, and Natalia Kaliada 43:25

27d ago43:25

43:25

Margaret Hoover sits down with three Belarusian dissidents–exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, athlete-turned-activist Katya Snytsina, and theater director Natalia Kaliada–to discuss their fight against Aleksandr Lukashenko’s dictatorship. Kaliada is co-founder of the Belarus Free Theatre, which recently debuted the play KS6: Small F…

1
UNLOCKED: Are Progressives to Blame for Urban Disorder? (w/ Hayes Davenport) 56:24

30d ago56:24

56:24

A bunch of you requested that we un-paywall this recent bonus episode, which features some highly practical insights for organizers, volunteers, and public servants. So we have! (All the other bonus episodes are good too; please subscribe.) — Right wing movements thrive by cultivating fears of disorder. Conservatives depict blue cities as sites of …

1
Are Progressives to Blame for Urban Disorder? (w/ Hayes Davenport) [Teaser] 3:59

1M ago3:59

3:59

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Right wing movements thrive by cultivating fears of disorder. Conservatives depict blue cities as sites of rampant crime, chaos, and iniquity. And often enough, it is progressives — with their overdeveloped empathy and concern for the poor and criminalized — who …

1
Women vs. The System (w/ Dorothy Fortenberry) 1:07:32

1M ago1:07:32

1:07:32

Back in October, before the 2024 election, we had on our friend—and brilliant screenwriter and playwright—Dorothy Fortenberry to talk about gender and the presidential campaign. Amid all the postmortems and Democratic soul searching, we wanted to have Dorothy back on to revisit some of those questions, starting with the difficulties women face in r…

1
Peggy Noonan: GOP senators ‘will regret it’ if they don’t serve as check on Trump 48:05

2M ago48:05

48:05

Best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Peggy Noonan sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the presidential election, Donald Trump’s second term, and her new book, A Certain Idea of America. Noonan, a former speechwriter for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, details the Republican Party’s evolution since the 1980s …

1
Trump 2.0 and the Courts (w/ the 5-4 podcast) 1:05:00

2M ago1:05:00

1:05:00

It's been a while since we've had our friends from the 5-4 podcast on KYE, and we thought there was no better time to do so than the weeks before Donald Trump is inaugurated, again, as president. As listeners might guess, we wanted to talk to them about what opportunities Trump might have during his second term to reshape the federal judiciary—and …

1
Journalists under attack abroad: Alsu Kurmasheva, Maria Ressa, and Jonathan Munro 32:21

2M ago32:21

32:21

Three journalists on the frontlines of the global fight for press freedom sit down with Margaret Hoover at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York to discuss threats to the media around the world and how free countries in the West can help protect the press abroad. Alsu Kurmasheva, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist wrongfully detained …

1
Reagan, the Movie (w/ Jesse Brenneman) [Teaser] 4:11

2M ago4:11

4:11

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy We wanted to offer something of a palette cleanser for our subscribers, so we decided to watch the recent movie, Reagan, with our intrepid producer, Jesse Brenneman. Even better, it's based on the 2006 book, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, …

1
Organizing in Rural America (w/ Luke Mayville) 1:07:51

2M ago1:07:51

1:07:51

This is a conversation we've wanted to have for a while, and it seemed like there was no better time than now, as many people on the broad center-left are asking tough questions about Donald Trump's strength in rural America—according to one post-election analysis, he won 62 percent of rural voters. To unpack what's happening in these parts of the …

1
The Fight to Free Jimmy Lai: Sebastien Lai and attorney Jonathan Price 45:07

3M ago45:07

45:07

Sebastien Lai, whose father publisher Jimmy Lai is on trial in Hong Kong, and Jonathan Price, a member of Jimmy Lai’s international legal team, talk to Margaret Hoover about their effort to build global support for his release. Jimmy Lai had been a leading voice in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement before his arrest in 2020 under a controversial n…

1
Trump the Dove? Or Trump the Neocon? (w/ Curt Mills) 1:03:10

3M ago1:03:10

1:03:10

The second Trump administration hasn't started, but it's already proving chaotic, disturbing, and downright bewildering. (Not unlike the first!) Trump's picks for key staff and cabinet positions display a discordant, if not altogether surprising, mix of ideologies, experience, and scandalous baggage. (Indeed, one of his picks, Matt Gaetz for Attorn…

1
What's Wrong with the Democrats? [TEASER] 3:25

3M ago3:25

3:25

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy! In our first episode after the 2024 elections, we briefly considered what the results revealed about how Donald Trump won, and why Kamala Harris lost, before discussing what Trump's first picks for his White House staff and Cabinet meant for his second terms as …

1
AEI’s Kori Schake on the ‘genuine risk’ and potential upside of Trump 2.0 foreign policy 43:18

3M ago43:18

43:18

Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute joins Margaret Hoover to discuss Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy in his second term and how it may impact the U.S. and the world. Schake, a defense policy expert who served in Republican and Democratic administrations, makes the case for conservative internationalism and details the flaws s…

1
Jon Meacham on what Trump’s reelection means for the soul of the nation 31:35

3M ago31:35

31:35

After Donald Trump’s historic reelection, presidential biographer Jon Meacham joins Margaret Hoover to discuss what the outcome means for the soul of the nation and what comes next. The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian had warned Americans against the “genuine risk” of returning Trump to power, but he explains why he accepts the results. He also re…

1
Trump's Triumph (w/ Ian Ward) 1:10:41

3M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

As the reality of Donald Trump's decisive victory sets in, we wanted to talk to Politico's Ian Ward, who's done some of the very best reporting on post-liberal intellectuals, JD Vance, and MAGA-world, in addition to spending time on the campaign trail this fall. After breaking down the results of the presidential election, we discuss Vance's role i…

1
H.R. McMaster: America is electing a wartime president 48:05

3M ago48:05

48:05

H.R. McMaster, Donald Trump’s second national security advisor, joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his tumultuous experience in the Trump White House, what he characterizes as Trump’s “disruptive” leadership, and what a second term could look like. McMaster, who recently published At War With Ourselves about his nearly 14 months in the administration…

1
UNLOCKED: Voting: What Is it Good For? (w/ Astra Taylor, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, & Malcolm Harris) 1:05:22

3M ago1:05:22

1:05:22

If you're on the left and you've spent time on the internet in the past few weeks, you've probably observe or participated in debates about the strategic value and moral status of voting in the 2024 election: Is it okay to vote for Kamala Harris even though her administration is complicit in a genocide? Is voting an exercise in signaling one's mora…

1
Voting: What Is it Good For? (w/ Astra Taylor, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, & Malcolm Harris) [TEASER] 3:41

3M ago3:41

3:41

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy If you're on the left and you've spent time on the internet in the past few weeks, you've probably observe or participated in debates about the strategic value and moral status of voting in the 2024 election: Is it okay to vote for Kamala Harris even though her a…

1
Counting the vote: A bipartisan panel on voting, elections & Elon Musk 52:55

4M ago52:55

52:55

Margaret Hoover sits down with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer (R), Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), and veteran GOP election attorney Benjamin Ginsberg for a bipartisan discussion of the facts about elections and voting in America. After a screening of “Counting the Vote” at the 92nd Street Y in New York, the experts talk ab…

1
The Infernal Triangle (w/ Rick Perlstein) 59:47

4M ago59:47

59:47

The author of several excellent books about the history of American conservatism, including The Invisible Bridge, Nixonland, and Reaganland, Rick Perlstein makes his triumphant return to Know Your Enemy. Drawing on Rick's wealth of historical knowledge, as well as his American Prospect column — entitled "The Infernal Triangle" — we explore the fail…

1
Gov. Josh Shapiro says the 2024 race is a ‘jump ball’ in Pennsylvania 36:33

4M ago36:33

36:33

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the state’s pivotal role in the race for the White House and what Kamala Harris needs to do to win it. At the Abington Arts Center in Shapiro’s hometown, the Democratic governor assesses Harris’ strategy and contrasts her agenda with Donald Trump’s. He also defends Harris’ eff…

1
The Christian Right's "Wild Faith" (w/ Talia Lavin) [TEASER] 4:54

4M ago4:54

4:54

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy In this episode, Matt is joined by journalist Talia Lavin to discuss her new book, Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America, one of the most fascinating and unique books published on the Christian right during the Trump-era. Lavin takes her subj…

1
Condoleezza Rice on Israel, Ukraine, and the perils of American isolationism 32:10

4M ago32:10

32:10

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joins Margaret Hoover to discuss America’s role in the world amid multiple crises and the dangers of retreating from global leadership. In a recent Foreign Affairs essay, Rice warned about the “perils of isolationism.” She explains why these sentiments concern her and how leaders should reframe arguments i…

1
Democratic Dilemmas after the New Deal Consensus (w/ Timothy Shenk) [TEASER] 2:41

4M ago2:41

2:41

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Historian Timothy Shenk joins us for a conversation about his new book, Left Adrift: What Happened to Liberal Politics, a timely look at political strategy on the liberal-left as the New Deal Consensus cracked up in the late 1960s and 1970s through Bill Clinton's…

1
GOP Senate candidate Larry Hogan vows to ‘stand up to the crazy’ on both sides 30:32

4M ago30:32

30:32

Former Maryland Governor and current Republican Senate nominee Larry Hogan sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss why he’s running to flip a seat long held by Democrats and what he will do if he wins. Hogan, who was popular even among Democrats when he left office in 2023, makes the case for Maryland voters to support him over Democrat Angela Al…

1
Boys and Girls in America (w/ Dorothy Fortenberry) 1:23:18

4M ago1:23:18

1:23:18

This conversation is a little different. We thought that exploring the life of, say, Russell Kirk might not be the best way to spend the weeks before such a consequential election, so this is the first of a few episodes that won't be about a text or a life, but about the 2024 elections—hopefully digging a little deeper than most, and with a special…

1
Hillary Clinton braces for an October surprise, warns of Trump 2.0 threat 29:37

4M ago29:37

29:37

Hillary Clinton sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about threats to press freedom around the world, crises in the Middle East, and the stakes of the 2024 election. In a discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York City, the former secretary of state assesses the dangers faced by journalists abroad and in the U.S. Clint…

1
More Mailbag, More Friends [Teaser] 4:52

5M ago4:52

4:52

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Matt and Sam continue the 100th episode extravaganza by answering more truly excellent listener questions and hear from more friends of the show. Topics include: leftwing politics and orthodox Christianity, how to maintain hope (especially on the socialist left),…

1
‘I’d be a fool to dredge that up’: Bill O’Reilly faces questions about harassment settlements 46:10

5M ago46:10

46:10

Bill O’Reilly sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss his latest book, the presidential race, and the sexual harassment allegations that led to his firing from Fox News. In Confronting the Presidents, O’Reilly and co-author Martin Dugard present essays on each of the nation’s presidents. O’Reilly defends their depiction of Herbert Hoover and his …

1
Know Your Friends: 100th Episode Mailbag 1:21:10

5M ago1:21:10

1:21:10

To celebrate the 100th episode of Know Your Enemy, Matt and Sam decided to open up the mailbag and field listener questions—which, as always, proved to be incredibly intelligent and interesting, with topics ranging from what they've learned along the way to the politics of guns. Plus, past guests from the podcast stop by to offer their commentary o…

1
Fmr. Trump economic adviser: Harris agenda is ‘consistent with the socialist playbook’ 41:47

5M ago41:47

41:47

Economist Kevin Hassett joins Margaret Hoover to talk about economic policies laid out by former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in their debate this week. Hassett, who chaired the White House Council of Economic Advisers in the first Trump administration, defends Trump’s handling of the economy both before and during the CO…

1
Kamala's Commanding Debate Performance [TEASER] 3:44

5M ago3:44

3:44

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Your intrepid hosts watched the first, and possibly only, presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump so you didn't have to—and then stayed up late to talk about it. After a somewhat wobbly start, Harris seized the momentum with a visceral, deeply …

1
[UNLOCKED] The Uncommitted Movement (w/ Waleed Shahid & Abbas Alawieh) 59:35

5M ago59:35

59:35

Matt and Sam interview Waleed Shahid and Abbas Alawieh, two organizers of the Uncommitted Movement, about their experiences in the months following October 7 as well as before, during, and after the Democratic National Convention. As an Arab-American from Michigan and one of the state's two Uncommitted delegates to the DNC, what has Abbas heard fro…

1
The Uncommitted Movement (w/ Waleed Shahid & Abbas Alawieh) [Teaser] 2:45

5M ago2:45

2:45

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Matt and Sam interview Waleed Shahid and Abbas Alawieh, two organizers of the Uncommitted Movement, about their experiences in the months following October 7 as well as before, during, and after the Democratic National Convention. As an Arab-American from Michiga…

1
Political Fictions (w/ Vinson Cunningham) 1:08:51

5M ago1:08:51

1:08:51

Today, we're joined by one of our favorite writers and thinkers, Vinson Cunningham, to discuss his excellent debut novel, Great Expectations, which tells the story of brilliant-but-unmoored young black man, David Hammond, who finds himself recruited — by fluke, folly, or fate — onto a historic presidential campaign for a certain charismatic Illinoi…

1
California Sen. Alex Padilla makes the case for Kamala Harris 36:36

6M ago36:36

36:36

California Sen. Alex Padilla sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss Vice President Kamala Harris, his longtime friend and colleague. The son of Mexican immigrants, Padilla was appointed to Harris’ seat after she won the vice presidency in 2020. An MIT graduate, he initially hoped to become an aerospace engineer. But he was instead drawn to polit…

1
Kamala's Convention [Teaser] 6:19

6M ago6:19

6:19

Four days in Chicago, dozens of speeches by Democratic luminaries and backbenchers, and a spotlight on Kamala Harris, who reintroduced herself to America — your favorite podcast co-hosts endured watching the Democratic National Convention and are here to report on what they saw. It was, in many ways, a highly successful convention: massive crowds, …

1
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch says America is ‘over ruled’ 46:21

6M ago46:21

46:21

Justice Neil Gorsuch sits down with Margaret Hoover at the Supreme Court to talk about his new book, Over Ruled, and his concern that America has “too much law.” In its recent term, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine, a precedent established in 1984 that required judges to defer to federal agencies when interpreting unclear statutes.…

1
What Happened to America's Political Parties? (w/ Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld) 1:11:35

6M ago1:11:35

1:11:35

Why are American political parties so ineffectual? Why do they seem, simultaneously, so frantically active and so incapable of achieving specific objectives? Why have the Democrats tended to seem listless, uncertain of their own ideological identity; while the Republicans are increasingly dominated by a radical, lunatic fringe more interested in be…

1
What's Wrong with J.D. Vance? 1:28:05

6M ago1:28:05

1:28:05

In this episode, your co-hosts take a harrowing journey into the life, mind, and times of J.D. Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio and current vice-presidential pick of Donald Trump. You probably were introduced to Vance as the author of Hillbilly Elegy, his 2016 memoir that attempts to explain the plight of the "white working class" in places …

1
GOP Sen. and combat vet Joni Ernst on Ukraine, antisemitism, and restoring civility 36:32

6M ago36:32

36:32

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst sits down with Margaret Hoover in Iowa to talk about her life and her views on trade and foreign policy. Ernst, a combat veteran, explains why she advocates for confronting threats abroad and providing strong support to Israel and Ukraine. She also reflects on how a visit to Soviet-controlled Ukraine in 1989 helped shape …

1
Project 2025 Implodes (w/ Mary Harris) 23:56

6M ago23:56

23:56

An extra episode for you: Sam went on Slate's What Next podcast (hosted by Mary Harris) to discuss the rise and fall of the Heritage Foundation's Trump transition project — Project 2025. Is it dead? Why did Trump's campaign resent it so much? And how much influence would its architects have in a second Trump administration? We'll back to your regul…

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William F Buckley Podcasts

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