The Dispatch Podcast

What is happening on the ground in Afghanistan and why are we still there? The Trump administration has closed five bases, reduced the number of American troops to 9,ooo, and signed a peace deal with the Taliban. But as Thomas Joscelyn points out in today’s podcast, the peace deal is really nothing more than a “pretext for justifying withdrawal.” While the United States reckons with its military presence in the Middle East, other foreign threats are lurking behind the scenes. From the Russian bounties intelligence leak to recent cyberattacks on coronavirus vaccine-related targets on American soil, Russia is engaging in shadow wars against the United States. And as Thomas reminds us, China’s deep-seated anti-Americanism is also cause for concern. On this week’s foreign policy episode, Sarah, Steve, and Thomas dive into these issues and address Israel’s sabotage efforts in Iran, Trump’s reflexive isolationism and business-minded foreign affairs strategy, and the implications of a Biden presidency for American interests abroad. Show Notes: -This week’s Vital Interests newsletter on the world’s most dangerous alliance, and Thomas Joscelyn’s podcast Generation Jihad. -Trump’s West Point commencement speech,and the latest reporting on Israel and Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Navarro, director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy for the Trump administration, published a scathing hit piece against top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci in USA Today this morning. “Dr. Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public, but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on,” Navarro writes. For months now, Fauci has bickered with White House officials and pleaded with reporters to not turn his interview sound bites into a personality contest between him and Donald Trump. Sarah, Steve, and David are joined by Andrew to discuss Navarro’s op-ed and why our public health crisis has become subsumed into the culture war. On the topic of cancel culture, opinion columnist Bari Weiss resigned from the New York Times yesterday, citing the paper’s toxic culture and her editors’ acquiescence to persistent bullying from her colleagues. Many journalists in the Twitterverse came to her defense, but others pushed back, arguing that she was not really canceled, but simply unwilling to take criticism from her colleagues. After all, isn’t disagreement with one’s colleagues a perfect exercise of free speech? But as David points out, “If you are using your words not to debate a human being but to try to inflict pain on them in the hopes that they shut up, that’s different.” Sarah and the guys take on these questions and address the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on school reopenings, the Goya boycott, presidential election polls, and a very serious debate over French fries. Show Notes; Peter Navarro USA Today op-ed about Anthony Fauci, Chuck Woolery tweet. Kaiser Family Foundation study. David’s French Press on Bari Weiss’ resignation from the New York Times, her resignation letter, Nicholas Christakis’ definition of cancel culture on Twitter, Harper’s Magazine letter, Ivanka Trump Goya tweet. Jonathan Martin New York Times article on Biden’s swing state strategy, FHQ electoral map. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The day after his son was born on October 2, 2009, Jake Tapper watched a news report about a team of 53 American troops who were relentlessly attacked by 400 Taliban insurgents at the Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan. “In the haze of it all, there was a moment where I was sitting there holding my son and watching this news report about eight other sons, taken from this earth,” he said. Inspired by this story of American valor, Tapper began researching the story and eventually published a book chronicling the events in 2012. Fast forward eight years and his book, The Outpost, is now a movie. On today’s episode, Jake Tapper discusses the new blockbuster film with Sarah and Steve, and spends some time discussing the Taliban exit deal, the effectiveness of counterinsurgency abroad, and a sneak peek into the novel he’s working on. Show Notes: -The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor book, “The Outpost” movie, and Tapper's political thriller The Hellfire Club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An open letter published by Harper’s, signed by 153 prominent names, warning against illiberal behavior received swift pushback online. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss which socio-political issues of our time are within the scope of reasonable disagreement while also addressing why illiberalism has become such a global phenomenon. Should schools reopen fully in the fall? Why has the fight over mask-wearing devolved into a culture war issue? Does Trump understand his own constituency? Sarah and the guys weigh in on these questions while also addressing Trump’s Mt. Rushmore speech, and the future of the GOP in a post-Trump era. Show Notes: -Harper’s Magazine’s “Letter on Justice and Open Debate,” Vox writer’s retaliatory Twitter response to the letter,  The Dispatch Podcast episode with Yascha Mounk. -Trump’s July Fourth speech at Mount Rushmore, Trump’s Twitter tirade against NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, Forbes interview with Kanye West on a presidential run. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yascha Mounk, the founder of Persuasion, joins Sarah and David to discuss his new publication and the project of defending liberal democracy. Show Notes: -Persuasion -Stranger in My Own Country -Stop Firing the Innocent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and the guys discuss reporting about a Russian plot to pay bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill American troops, the battle for control of the Senate, and cancel culture's effect on our conversation about race in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Astead Herndon, national politics reporter at The New York Times, joins Sarah and Steve to discuss his reporting from the president's rally in Tulsa to the Biden campaign and veepstakes. Show Notes: -Astead's work at the Times -Follow Astead on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss the state of the 2020 race as we kick off the first week of summer, and what the revelations in John Bolton's book mean for the president's administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martin Gurri, a former CIA analyst, joins Sarah and Steve to discuss our information overload, the loss of trust in institutions and figures of authority, and the role of tech platforms.Show Notes:-Gurri's book The Revolt of The Public-Gurri's piece on post-truth-Vaca Frita recipe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss the president's executive order on policing, proposed reforms on Capitol Hill, the growing tension between China and India, and the Supreme Court's landmark Title VII decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices