The American Mind Podcast

Ryan Williams, president of the Claremont Institute, recounts his quasi-diplomatic trip to Japan and brings a historian’s perspective. He explores Japan’s long arc from samurai roots to Meiji modernization. They discuss religion’s role in politics, how samurai became bureaucrats, and demographic challenges facing modern Japan.

They debate U.S.-Iran tensions and possible diplomatic moves after recent strikes. They unpack polling that finds young conservatives unexpectedly supportive of intervention. They challenge media narratives about an intergenerational right-wing split. They map conservative factions and discuss how persuasion and outreach might convert provocative online audiences into voters.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit claremontinstitute.substack.comJoining host Spencer Klavan fresh off the plane from a Japan-hosted outreach mission, Claremont Institute president Ryan Williams gives an exclusive debrief with insight into Japanese political philosophy, business strategy, and defense. China, the nation’s longtime adversary across the sea, view it as an obstacle to regional dominance—making prudent a …

A buzzy new essay at New York Mag announces that some women have grown disgruntled at the MAGA movement and by their treatment from some on the New Right. Now their criticisms are being used to publicly discredit conservatism, wholesale. The concerns are real, but need to be addressed in-house—before they become oppo fodder. Meanwhile, Director of National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent has resigned, citing the war in Iran. Plus: returning from Japan, Ryan teases some of his quasi-diplomatic escapades, and shares a few quirks of the nation and its history: available in full on Claremont Digital Plus!Recommended:The Women Leaving the New RightWhat the Hell Happened to DOGE? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit claremontinstitute.substack.comWill Thibeau joins host Spencer Klavan to take measure of our adversary's capabilities in the Iran War.

Following the joint US-Israel airstrike on the Ayatollah Khamenei, the late dictator’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been picked successor by the regime. The Trump administration has begun to signal its objectives, goalposts and exit plan—but is victory clearly defined yet? Meanwhile, a failed terror attack targeting a protest in New York signals cascading effects back home. This week, hosts Spencer Klavan and Mike Sabo talk through the latest in the war on Iran and its potential implications for the American Right’s internal conflicts, including 2028 prospects for J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio.Recommended:Trump Advisers Urge Him to Find Iran Exit Ramp, Fearing Political BacklashOn Iran, Vance Balances Between Trump and the Anti-Intervention RightLeo Strauss and American Foreign PolicyWatch with video on Youtube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit claremontinstitute.substack.comCalifornia’s radical law, forbidding schools and teachers from reporting students' gender dysmorphia and transgender treatments to parents, has just been shot down by the Supreme Court. Eric Wessan, Claremont alum and Solicitor General at the Iowa Office of the Attorney General, joins host Spencer Klavan to discuss the parental rights victory, touch on …

The Ayatollah Khameini is dead in a missile strike. The U.S. and Israel are effectively at war with Iran. Trump and his administration, hawkish on Iran, pursue peace through force with Operation Epic Fury. This week, the guys sit down to hash out the military and trade implications in the Mideast region, and the quagmire of political considerations back home—including presidential powers and an impotent Congress at the forefront. Europe’s response, meanwhile, betrays its continued decline and unreliability.Recommended:Trump Was Always an Iran HawkWatch with video on Youtube 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

James Rosen, Newsmax chief Washington correspondent and investigative reporter, digs into newly seen Nixon-era files exposing stolen NSC documents and a possible military spy ring. He recounts polygraph confessions, transfers to admirals and the Joint Chiefs, tape discoveries that hint at a constitutional crisis, and lingering classified pages.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit claremontinstitute.substack.comPresident Trump took to the podium to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday night. His appraisal: we are so back. Transparency is back, and so are affordability, education, homeownership, and more. On this exclusive Roundtable episode, hosts Ryan Williams and Mike Sabo sit down to discuss the merits of Trump’s speech, t…