The Commentary Magazine Podcast

It's not going well for Joe Biden in the wake of the sweeping pardon he granted his son. Democrats are discomfited, Karine Jean-Pierre is at a loss, and mainstream media is despondent. Donald Trump, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying a honeymoon. We contrast his bold statement demanding the release of Hamas's hostages with the Biden approach. And we also delve a bit into what's happening in Ukraine. Give a listen.

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Today John is under the weather, so the rest of us take on Joe Biden's broad pardon of his son Hunter, what it says about the Biden presidency, and how it complements Donald Trump's pick of Kash Patel for director of the FBI. What do we think of Patel? What do we think of Trump's picking his daughter's father-in-law to be a senior adviser on the Middle East? And, finally, how's the Hezbollah ceasefire holding up and what can we learn from the reignited civil war in Syria? Give a listen.

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We try to make sense out of Israel's participation in the ceasefire that began today—and which Hezbollah may already have violated. Did Israel actually want this because it needed time to recover its strength? Or did it have to agree because it needed weapons from the United States that were being withheld? Oh, and what on earth was with that weird Kamala Harris video in which she appeared to be, shall we say, not entirely sober? Give a listen.

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According to Israel, it is agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in large measure to stave off an American assault in the UN on Israel's efforts in Lebanon. We discuss what this reminds us of, why it's outrageous if indeed this is the case, and whether Israel can find a way to benefit from the pause. Also, hijinks with tariffs and fights on the patio at Mar-A-Lago! Give a listen.

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Today's podcast begins with the horrible murder of a Hasidic emissary in the UAE and the growing institutional anti-Semitism in Canada before moving on to the very interesting political dynamic emerging from the Trump picks for Cabinet and other jobs—a post-conservative-movement ideological and policy free-for-all whose winners and losers will help define the Republican Party for the rest of the century. Give a listen.

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Today we talk about AG pick Pam Bondi and why we should take the Trump transition seriously. Then we look back on the Kamala Harris campaign and wonder, What the heck was that? Give a listen.

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The news that the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant came the same day that 19 Democrats voted to embargo "offensive weaponry" to Israel—and a former Israeli cabinet minister was denied entry to a conference in Australia because her very presence might be "disruptive." The war against Jews is relentless and ever-morphing, and there is going to be pushback. Give a listen.

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Today we take up Donald Trump's newest picks, Linda McMahon for education secretary and Dr. Oz to oversee Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and we talk about the potential for outsiders to shake up dysfunctional institutions. We also get into where the Democrats go next on social issues and how Republicans can best counter trans extremism. Give a listen.

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Today's podcast delves into a New York Times story suggesting Donald Trump thinks Matt Gaetz will not be confirmable, or confirmed, by the Senate. What's going on here? What will Gaetz do? And what does this mean for the other nominees? Also, the effort of leading Israelis to blame Benjamin Netanyahu for the continuing hostage crisis takes an especially ugly turn. Give a listen.

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Noah Rothman joins us today to talk about presidential appointments and how to stay calm and rational as Donald Trump continues to make news at the same dizzying clip he did during his presidency. Oh, and why it's comical that liberals are now claiming they don't have a social-media platform they can dominate. Give a listen.

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