Left, Right & Center
KCRW
Left Right & Center is for listeners who feel like people on the other side of the political divide are on Mars. David Greene pieces together the big picture by inviting people from the left and the right to unpack their ideological differences, not to smooth them over, and look at what’s truly at stake. The show offers a rare kind of clarity. It doesn’t ask you to agree. It asks you to look more closely at what’s happening and to challenge your assumptions. You might not always agree – you might even get angry – but you’ll know why you feel the way you do. No knee-jerk reactions or name calling. This show doesn’t promise easy answers or warm fuzzies; it promises more clarity for the chaotic political era we’re all living through.
Episodes
Mentioned books
37 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 50min
How TSA Lines Are Shifting Political Leverage On Immigration
Sarah Isgur, a conservative political commentator and legal analyst, and Mo Elleithee, a Democratic strategist and Georgetown politics director, debate airport TSA delays and DHS funding standoffs. They discuss ICE deployments at airports and potential presence near polling sites. They analyze unusual polling dynamics shaping party strategy and unpack a Supreme Court challenge over mail-in ballot deadlines.
59 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 50min
Iran War Triggers Homeland Security Threats With Leadership In Flux
Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch and former political staffer, offers conservative analysis. Mo Elleithee, Georgetown politics director and longtime Democratic strategist, provides left-leaning perspective. They debate Joe Kent's resignation, DHS staffing chaos and TSA backups, shifting Trump foreign policy toward regime change, historical risks of leader removal, and how primaries reshaped governing incentives.
26 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 50min
Oil Markets Hang On Trump’s Every Word About Iran
Will Swaim, conservative commentator and CEO of the California Policy Center. Mo Elleithee, Georgetown politics director and progressive commentator. They debate presidential responsibility in wartime and how a president’s remarks can move oil markets. They discuss Congress’s role in defining war aims, leadership at Homeland Security, and how media and secrecy shape public understanding.
68 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 50min
Trump Goes to War While Congress Sits Back
Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch offering conservative takes on law and foreign policy, and Mo Elleithee, Georgetown politics director with left-leaning election and foreign policy analysis, discuss U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and why the rationale keeps shifting. They debate executive war powers, Congress’s retreat from oversight, and the political fallout for midterm races in Texas.
8 snips
Feb 27, 2026 • 50min
Does Trump’s Economic Vision Match What Americans See?
Sarah Isgur, conservative commentator and senior editor at The Dispatch. Mo Elleithee, Democratic strategist and Georgetown politics director. They spar over Trump’s State of the Union claims versus public polls. They debate the Supreme Court tariff ruling and its limits on presidential power. They also discuss when outrage over political remarks and athletes’ reactions actually matters.
27 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 50min
Prince Andrew Arrested. Will The Epstein Files Take Down Others?
Mike Dubke, Republican communications strategist and former White House communications director, and Mo Elleithee, Georgetown politics director and former DNC communications lead, discuss the fallout from the Epstein files and Prince Andrew's arrest. They compare international versus U.S. consequences. They debate political reverberations, messaging for the State of the Union, and the battle over voting rights and federal versus state control.
22 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 50min
Texas Dems are stuck on identity politics with Senate race at stake
Will Swaim, conservative commentator and California policy leader. Elizabeth Bruenig, Atlantic writer and progressive analyst. They debate Texas Senate primary drama and intraparty identity fights. They parse GOP establishment versus insurgent strains in Texas races. They also weigh competing housing bills in Congress and the politics around Olympic athletes facing presidential criticism.
39 snips
Feb 6, 2026 • 50min
Congress takes up ICE reforms, Trump calls to “nationalize” voting
Sarah Isgur, former DOJ spokesperson and legal analyst, and Mo Elleithee, Georgetown political director and former DNC communications lead, debate immigration and election fights. They discuss Democrats using funding to limit ICE tactics. They explore proposals like body cameras and independent probes. They also tackle Trump's push to nationalize voting and what federal involvement in elections might mean.
30 snips
Jan 30, 2026 • 50min
Will changes to ICE operations in Minneapolis be enough?
Mo Elleithee, Democratic strategist and Georgetown politics director, and Will Swaim, conservative commentator and California Policy Center president, discuss Minneapolis immigration operations after two fatal shootings. They debate Tom Homan’s role, local-federal coordination, targeted arrests versus sweeps, political fallout and whether Congress will impose new guardrails. Listener questions probe presidential power and U.S. standing abroad.
55 snips
Jan 23, 2026 • 50min
Trump threatens Greenland… then pulls back
Joining the discussion are Sarah Isger, Senior Editor at The Dispatch and former DOJ spokesperson, alongside Mo Alethi, Executive Director at Georgetown’s Institute of Politics. They dive into Trump’s controversial threats over Greenland and his quick backtrack after NATO talks. Sarah explains the 'taco Trump' pattern of responding to economic pressures, while Mo highlights the damage to U.S. credibility among allies. The duo also critiques the far-right tone of recent federal social media posts and reflects on surprises from Trump’s first year in office.
