Mona and Jay are joined by Tom Nichols – known on Twitter as RadioFreeTom – professor at the Naval War College, NeverTrumper extraordinaire, Jeopardy champion (though that didn’t come up), and author of the forthcoming book The Death of Expertise. If you think there might be a connection between the declining respect for expertise and authority in America and the rise of Trump, you’d be right. Can he pivot for the general election? Why do people even ask that?

Jay and Mona then mull why Trump’s attack on Judge Curiel had purchase when so many of this other offenses slipped by, and ask what will become of the Republican Party. They close with some praise: Jay lauds Bernard Lewis on his 100th birthday, and Mona raves about Jung Chang’s book, The Wild Swans, that she’s having trouble putting down.

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Mona begins with a guest: Walter Olson, of the Cato Institute. They talk about the Libertarian party and the Libertarian ticket of Gary Johnson and William Weld. Then Jay joins Mona for some Trump talk: Trump U, the “Mexican” judge, and so on. For the remainder of the show, Mona leads a discussion of some big problems facing America: runaway entitlements, debt, a feeble foreign policy. Jay chimes in dyspeptically. Mona is indulgent. In conclusion, Jay relates an unusual lunchtime encounter.

Music: The final section of the final movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 9 in C, Op. 59, No. 3

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David French -- lawyer, writer, soldier, father -- and decent, humane man joins Mona and Jay to discuss matters of conscience and how to cope with the Republican Party’s embrace of an unstable, fascistic showman. The only good thing to emerge from the Year of Trump may be the demonstrated integrity of those who staunchly oppose him.

Music: Ombra mai fu" from Handel's opera "Xerxes" by George Frederich Handel. The voice sounds like a woman, but is actually a male countertenor.

 

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Jay and Mona begin with some Memorial Day reflections and then turn to the grim business of politics. This podcast is a protracted answer to those who say that this election is just a contest like all the others, a choice of the lesser of two evils, a hold-your-nose-and-pick one case. They think it’s different, a hinge moment that could destroy conservatism, and possibly much more. The week offered a perfect contrast: Gov. Susana Martinez, they urge, is the antithesis of Trump. Little good cheer this week, but honesty aplenty.

Music is the Marine Corps hymn in honor of Cpl. Nicholas Thom (whom Mona mentioned) and all those who gave their lives for this country.

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Jay and Mona are actually in the same place for this edition of Need to Know — on a boat on the Danube courtesy of National Review. With the river (which is not blue) as backdrop, they discuss travel, and the state of things in the post-Trump inevitability world. NR senior editor Ramesh Ponnuru joins to discuss whether the people are to blame, how and whether to reform the primary system, and whether conservatism was rejected. Jay announces that he has left the Republican Party. Mona is unusually indecisive. Even Ramesh (unlike the river) is a bit blue.

Music from this week's episode:  The Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss II

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There are too many people to condemn to fit into one podcast, but Jay and Mona do their level best to race through some of the most deserving: John Boehner, Bob Corker, Terry McAuliffe, Will Ferrell, Mike Pence, and Hillary Clinton. But there are a few bright spots: the late Harry Wu, a hero, former Senator Tom Coburn, ditto, and well, that’s it for heroes. These are not good times. Still, this podcast sets some records for sheer number of topics covered – and with pizazz!

The music is from Tom Lehrer’s That Was The Year That Was.

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The Wall Street Journal’s Mary Kissel joins Need to Know to take a tour of the remaining candidates’ approach to foreign and trade policy. Take your Prozac first.

Jay and Mona then discuss the bathroom wars (Mona’s ready to man – you should forgive the expression – the barricades), CPT, Swiss Muslims and handshakes, backdoor amnesty, Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, and more.

Music from this week's episode: Finale (Fugue), “Falstaff,” Verdi

 

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Donald Trump and his army are not too happy about Colorado. Mona and Jay are not too happy about Trump and his army. They discuss.

They also discuss Ted Cruz, about whom they have sharp disagreements. And Bill Clinton, about whom they are in harmony. And Paul Ryan (ditto).

Mona analyzes the folly of government intervention in private compensation. Jay tells a couple of tales from Guatemala. They both talk about winning the war against Islamofascism, another long, twilight struggle, whether we want one – which we don’t – or not.

Music from this week's episode: "La Campanella" ("The Little Bell"), from Liszt's "Paganini Etudes," S. 141, played by Evgeny Kissin.

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The Weekly Standard’s Steve Hayes joins Need to Know to talk about the critical Wisconsin primary (he’s a native), the state of the Republican race, conservative media, and the condition of the Republican Party.

Jay and Mona then consider Bernienomics, the pageant of the presidential primary season, George W. Bush, charity (pro and con), and a visit by a certain political figure to a matzah factory in New York, among other topics. There is the usual complement of stories, book recommendations, plus a bonus – a Bill Buckley quote Mona hadn’t heard before. It’s a good one.

Music from this week's episode: Sondra Radvanovsky - Act 1 cavatina & cabaletta (Roberto Devereux)

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No guest this week, just Jay and Mona catching up on the overlooked nuggets of the week’s news. They speak of Cruz -- does he have an authenticity problem? – and Kasich (who has an ego problem). Jay has an unusual take on Trump’s abortion comments. Lewandowski and the man he serves are subject to a good filleting. And much more.

Music from this week's show: “The March of the Siamese Children” from “The King and I” by Richard Rodgers, arranged and played by Stephen Hough, piano.

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