In this episode of the Night Owls podcast, John Ellis and Joe Klein sit down with Rye Barcott, co-founder of With Honor, for a candid conversation about courage, service, and the collapse of civic trust in modern American politics. Drawing from his forthcoming book Courage Can Save Us, Barcott profiles a new generation of veterans-turned-public servants, including Mark Kelly, Wes Moore, Mikie Sherrill, and Dan Crenshaw, who are trying to navigate an increasingly toxic political system without surrendering their principles. The discussion explores bipartisan cooperation, the rise of political intimidation and death threats, the importance of national service, and why military culture still produces leaders capable of putting mission above ego. It’s ultimately a surprisingly hopeful conversation about the fragile possibility of civic renewal in a country increasingly organized around grievance, performance, and division.

Hosted by John Ellis and Joe Klein

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Produced by Dale Eisinger