The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan

Jonah Goldberg, journalist and author known for National Review and co-founding The Dispatch. He talks about the early internet’s media shakeup and blogging’s heyday. He traces how hyperlinks and Twitter reshaped public debate. He reflects on conservatism’s internal tensions and how performative politics changed discourse. He also shares funny personal beats about his family and why dogs matter.

Matt Goodwin, author, pollster and academic who studies British politics and populism. He discusses his working-class roots and tough schooling. He digs into Brexit, the Red Wall shift, immigration and integration, the decline of liberal democracy, and why traditional parties lost touch with voters.

Eli Lake, an investigative journalist and national security reporter who writes on Israel and foreign policy. He traces his Zionist formation, debates Israel’s nuclear ambiguity and US-Israel ties. He discusses shifts in Israeli politics, the Iran nuclear deal, regional security threats and the changing reasons and risks of war with Iran.

Kathryn Paige Harden, behavioral geneticist and psychology professor at UT Austin and author of The Genetic Lottery and Original Sin, joins to explore genetics, morality, and responsibility. She discusses growing up evangelical, twin studies of faith, genetic links to violence and cooperation, how biology shapes choice, and the tension between accountability and punishment.

Michael Pollan, bestselling writer on food, mind, and culture, discusses his new book A World Appears. He tours theories of consciousness from panpsychism to global workspace and critiques the brain-as-computer idea. Conversation ranges from phenomenology and novels that capture inner life to mind-wandering, the effects of smartphones, children’s consciousness, and why walks and boredom matter for thinking.

Sally Quinn, veteran Washington journalist and famed hostess, reflects on decades in D.C. life and media. She recalls meeting Ben Bradlee, the shifting social scene of Georgetown, clashes around Clinton and Obama, Bezos’s Post era, and the decline of in-person Washington sociability. Conversation touches on spirituality, silent retreats, memorable characters, and how journalism and parties once bridged divides.

Zaid Jilani, a center-left journalist and Substack writer, reflects on his Southern immigrant upbringing and path into reporting. He discusses Democratic electoral weaknesses, affordability driven by corporate concentration, universal childcare and tax ideas, AI’s promises and risks, and practical immigration guardrails. Short, candid takes on party strategy and political culture.

Jason Willick, a Washington Post columnist who writes on law and politics and a former Wall Street Journal editorial writer. He discusses how the courts reacted across two Trump terms. They cover DOJ independence, the Supreme Court immunity fight, the politics of prosecuting a president, immigration and deterrence strategies, and the magnetic pull of power and patronage.

Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow at Brookings and Atlantic contributor, offers sharp analysis on rising authoritarian currents. He explains why he labels parts of Trumpism as fascism. Short takes cover norm-breaking as a power tactic, the glorification of violence, dehumanizing rhetoric toward immigrants, masked paramilitary units, and the collapse of traditional gatekeepers.

Kevin Williamson, conservative writer and national correspondent at The Dispatch, reflects on a long career from local newspapers to National Review. He discusses the rise of populism, the Tea Party to Trump arc, media culture shifts, and lessons from economic liberalization. Short, sharp conversations on politics, culture, and moments that reshaped contemporary conservatism.