The Dispatch Podcast

Steve Hayes is joined by Sarah Isgur, Michael Warren, and Kevin Williamson to discuss Sarah’s new book, Last Branch Standing; the history of partisan attacks on the Supreme Court; and the state of the two-week ceasefire with Iran.

The Agenda:
—Trump's attacks on the Supreme Court
—Public perception of the court
—Sarah's writing process
—Ambiguity in the ceasefire
—Strait of Hormuz tolls
—NWYT: The Masters tournament menu

Dispatch Recommendations
—Schrödinger’s Ceasefire
—Ossining, New York, in the ‘Unwoke’ 1950s
—SCOTUStoday: Sotomayor criticizes Kavanaugh
—A Peaceful Uneasy Feeling

Order Sarah’s book here.

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Sarah Isgur is joined by Mike Warren, Kevin Williamson, and David Drucker to discuss the firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the White House's proposed 2027 fiscal budget.
The Agenda:
—Pam Bondi's DOJ
—The future of the DOJ
—Fallout from the Epstein files
—Trump's proposed 2027 budget
—Trump's midterm messaging
—NWYT: TMZ's political coverage
Dispatch Recommendations
—Marriage Got Better—So Why Is It Disappearing?
—Welcome to the Party, Christmas and Easter Christians
—What the No Kings Protests and Tea Parties Have in Common
—The Last Conservatives

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Jonah Goldberg is joined by Dispatch contributors David French, Megan McArdle, and Mike Nelson to discuss whether ground operations in Iran are still an option and the significance of Meta's two landmark losses in social media addiction trials.

The Agenda:
—Trump's prime-time address
—Potential ground operations
—How to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
—True deterrence against Iran
—Meta and Google addiction trials
—Banning phones in schools
—NWYT: Kid Rock's Army flyover

Dispatch Recommendations
—Why Rubio’s Stock Is Rising With MAGA
—Birthright Citizenship Oral Arguments
—Birthright Citizenship Has a Long Historical Precedent
—The Welfare-Warfare State, Redux

The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Jonah Goldberg is joined by Gil Guerra, Kevin Williamson, and Megan McArdle to discuss the nationwide blackouts in Cuba and whether the country will be next in Trump’s crosshairs.
The Agenda:
—The state of play in Cuba
—History of the blackouts
—A Russian tanker arrives
—How much does Cuba matter to the U.S.?
—The case for regime case
—The left’s fascination with Cuba
—How would the right react?
—NWYT: Melania and the educational AI robot
Dispatch Recommendations:
—Meet the Has-Beens, Never-Weres, and Felon Locked in a Trumpy Primary
—The Era of Cookbooks Is Not Over
—Our Almost-Promised Land
—The Institutional Rot of the Right’s Youth Politics
Show Notes:
—Will Cuba Be the Next to Fall?

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Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Mike Warren, and Mike Nelson to measure the strategic success of the war in Iran so far and discuss the diverging war aims between U.S. and Israel.
The Agenda:
—Is Iran winning the war?
—Trump's shifting rhetoric
—Trump's daily video montage briefing
—U.S. and Israel's diverging war aims
—Bad timing for a shutdown fight
—NWYT: The America First award
Dispatch Recommendations:
—Media’s New Ethical Dilemma: Polymarket and Kalshi
—The Gorilla Channel
—Meet the Has-Beens, Never-Weres, and Felon Locked in a Trumpy Primary
—Will Cuba Be the Next to Fall?
Show Notes:
—G-File: Two Trump Administrations
—Audrey Fahlberg's reporting on Joe Kent

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Steve Hayes is joined by David Drucker, Mike Warren, and Jonathan Martin, Politico's politics bureau chief, to discuss the upcoming midterm elections and the Democrats' ongoing identity crisis.
The Agenda:
—The Trump effect on 2026 midterms
—Partisan redistricting efforts
—Scandals in state primaries
—Democratic identity crisis
—The GOP after 2028
—NWYT: Meals with sources
Show Notes:
—On the Road with Jonathan Martin

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Steve Hayes is joined by Jonah Goldberg, Megan McArdle, and David French to discuss the growth of prediction markets and the differing goals that Israel and the U.S. may have in the war with Iran.
The Agenda:
—The harms of sports betting
—Fantasy football podcasts and gambling
—Monetizing insider trading
—How does gambling affect sports?
—The libertarian argument regarding addiction
—Mismatched aims for the war in Iran
—Tension between the U.S. and Israel
—NWYT: Can a vegan candidate win in Texas?

The Dispatch Podcast is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Warren and Dispatch contributors Mike Nelson, a retired Army Special Forces officer and a member of the Atlantic Council's Counterterrorism Project, and Tim Mak, founder of the Counteroffensive and Iran War Dispatches.

The Agenda:
—Latest updates out of Iran
—On-the-ground reporting during war
—Internet blackout in Iran
—Obama's policy toward Iran
—Drone warfare
—The Ukraine-Russia war
—American support for war
—NWYT: A spicy salsa lawsuit

The Dispatch Podcast is a production of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Dispatch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠by clicking here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This roundtable was recorded in Dallas, Texas, on March 11, 2026, at our Dispatch Energy event.
Steve Hayes sits down with Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Alex Trembath, the executive director of the Breakthrough Institute and contributor to the Dispatch Energy newsletter, to discuss the war in Iran’s effect on oil markets and what Ronald Reagan got right about energy 50 years ago.
The Agenda:
—Military success vs. policy success
—U.S. energy independence
—Prolonged oil disruption
—Ronald Reagan's 1974 address
—The end of the climate hawks
—2026 and beyond
Show Notes:
—Alex’s latest for Dispatch Energy

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Steve Hayes is joined by Kevin Williamson, Mike Warren, and James Sutton to discuss the latest on Iran and how the domestic costs of war could affect the upcoming midterms.
The Agenda:
—What is “unconditional surrender”?
—Rising oil prices
—Public support for war
—MAGA media’s reaction
—J.D. Vance’s isolationism
—Young Republican’s reaction
— NWYT: McDonald's CEO's burger scandal
Show Notes:
—Paul Miller on the war with Iran
—Tanner Greer's essay on Iraq

The Dispatch Podcast is a production of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Dispatch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠by clicking here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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