Ben Shapiro is a political pundit, author, and podcaster. He began as a teenage political commentator – he got his start in this business 15 years ago – and has written many books on many different political topics, some of which he wrote even before he attended Harvard Law. Ben is involved in politics in almost every way you can imagine without being a politician himself, and is an ardent Never Trump-er, but also an ardent Never Hillary-er. Today we discuss how Donald Trump won the Republican Primary, where the Republican Party will go if Donald Trump loses, and what will happen to Breitbart after the election.

Show Notes

• What Donald Trump’s nomination tells us about the Republican Party
• The mistakes made by the establishment
• How the media has discredited itself
• What contributed to Trump’s rise
• What it’s like getting antisemitic tweets
• How Ben’s decision to be anti-Trump has affected his brand
• What will happen to the Republican Party post-Trump
• Why Ben doesn’t buy the binary logic
• The rise of the celebrity politician
• The silver lining about Hillary as president
• Why there will never be a utopia in Israel
• How Ben see’s America’s role to be in the Syrian civil war
• The challenges of writing fiction

Links

• Ben’s podcast: The Ben Shapiro Show
• YouTube channel: Ben Shapiro Thug Life
• The Daily Wire
• Connect with Ben Shapiro: Twitter

Tomi Lahren is a political commentator and host of her own show for TheBlaze. She’s received millions of views for her Final Thoughts segment on social media, and also waded into controversy for her opinions on topics from race to immigration. Today we discuss Trump’s campaign, why she believes in American Exceptionalism, how she responds to her critics, and her career so far.

Show Notes

• What being a conservative means to Tomi
• The policies that Tomi believes in, and the ones she would repeal
• Why the topic of immigration is so important to her
• Her stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
• Why she believes in American Exceptionalism
• About the time she met Donald Trump
• About the racial issues that Tomi brings up
• Why she thinks the polls are biased and Trump may be winning this election
• How she responds to her critics and the Change.org petition about her
• What Republicans should do after election day
• Advice for people looking to be the next Tomi Lahren
• Where she wants to go next in her career

Links

• TheBlaze.com/tomi
• Facebook.com/tomilahren
• Twitter.com/TomiLahren

“Bullying works better in politics and in life than I think it should.” – Bill Kristol

Bill Kristol is the editor of the Weekly Standard, and I sat down with him in his D.C. office to chat about why he isn’t supporting Trump, what will happen to the GOP after the election, and how the media has covered this race. We talk about the alt-right, the true definition of neoconservatism, and lessons from his career in Washington.

Show Notes

• When Bill Kristol met Hillary Clinton
• His phone call with Donald Trump
• Was Donald Trump winning the Republican primaries a fluke or a sign of the state of the country?
• Why the celebrity and brand appeal of Trump can’t be underestimated
• Why Bill Kristol is voting for Evan McMullin
• How the media has covered this race
• The elements of the media that have really benefited from Trump
• What happens to the GOP after the election
• Who should lead the Republican party going into 2020
• What neoconservatism really means
• If democracy will work in the Middle East
• What you can learn from Bill Kristol’s career path
• The fluidity of Washington

Links

• Thoughts on Machiavelli
• Crisis of the House Divided: An Interpretation of the Issues in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates
• Andrew Ferguson
• Chris Caldwell
• WeeklyStandard.com
• Connect with Bill Kristol:

Twitter | Website

Rick Wilson is a Never-Trumper, and now the Campaign Strategist for Evan McMullin’s Presidential bid. I talk with Rick about the opposition research that has come out on Trump and why it didn’t come out during the primaries, what the media has done to the election, and why he believes Evan McMullin has a shot. We also discuss the possibility of a new conversation party that splits with the GOP.

Show Notes

• Rick’s thoughts at the start of Trump’s bid
• Why the recent Trump revelations didn’t come out during the primaries
• When Rick met Donald Trump and Clinton
• What the media’s role in this election has been
• Why Donald Trump is such a good media magnet
• How the alt-right media has changed this election
• About Evan McMullin’s presidential bid
• Why he knows there is more oppo on Trump that will come out before the election is over
• What happens after the Trump campaign is over
• The possibility of a new conservative party that breaks with the Republicans
• Rick’s advice for becoming a great political strategist
• What Rick learned from Lee Atwater

Links

• EvanMcMullin.com
• Connect with Rick Wilson on Twitter

In this episode, I talk with Jack Abramoff about the presidential campaign, what he thinks about the Clinton Foundation, and how to change the power-grabbing culture of Washington. Jack also shares some insights from the lobbying scandal that ended up with him in prison, and how he’s learned and grown from that time in his life.

Show Notes

• What Jack thinks about this election
• How his feelings on the Clinton foundation have been influenced by his conviction
• Why congress is having trouble with Trump
• How the republican party can unify
• What Jack would do to change corruption in D.C.
• Why the culture of Washington needs to change
• About the law loopholes that didn’t get him in prison, and the laws that did
• How to recover from a major career setback
• The right reasons to go into lobbying

Links

• The Camp of The Saints
• Wikipedia – Jack Abramoff
• Wikipedia – Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
• This episode in The Hill
• This episode in The Drudge Report
• Connect with Jack Abramoff:

Twitter | Website

Grover Norquist thinks it was the IRS that leaked Donald Trump’s 1995 tax return to The New York Times. The influential head of Americans for Tax Reform sat down with me to discuss his view of Donald Trump, what he thinks of the #NeverTrump movement, the time he met George Soros and how he would advise an aspiring master of the conservative political universe.

Show Notes

• Grover gives his view on the release of Trump’s tax records (5:46)
• Grover’s personal interactions with Trump (12:31)
• How Trump won the GOP primary  (16:24)
• How can Grover support a guy who differs so much on the issues? (24:26)
• Grover dishes on his foreign policy views (39:37)
• Grover dismisses #NeverTrump (47:07)
• Grover meets George Soros (53:23)
• Answering Twitter questions (1:00:37)
• How to become a right-wing master of the political universe (1:03:07)
• Grover on his influences (1:09:41)

Links

• I Led Three Lives
• The Defence of Duffer’s Drift
• Fight, Flight, Fraud: The Story of Taxation
• The Way the World Works
• Grover Norquist on 60 Minutes
• Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government’s Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives
• End the IRS Before It Ends Us: How to Restore a Low Tax, High Growth, Wealthy America
• Connect with Grover Norquist:

Facebook | Twitter | Website

Matt Lewis is a college graduate with a political science degree, author, CNN contributor and my colleague at The Daily Caller. In this episode I talk with Matt about career trajectory, his success story, this election cycle, becoming a pundit in political journalism, his struggles to get where he is today, choosing the right career path and of course, politics.

Matt’s book Too Dumb to Fail, was written pre-Trump nomination, and sets the bar for explaining where the Republican party stands. This book hits the nail on the head on the state of the Republican party and of the Conservative Movement.

Show Notes

• Farming, rednecks and rural Maryland
• Matt’s father’s influence on his political career
• The focus of Matt’s writing for the last 5 years
• Why Trump will probably do well in Maryland
• Matt’s manager role at Roy Rogers fast food restaurant chain
• The only networking book you’ll ever need
• Why you should quit a job that isn’t fulfilling
• Hitting rock bottom and the courage born from desperation
• Don’t be afraid to quit a job
• The disenchanting nature of losing a campaign
• Making the move from political consultant to political journalism
• How blogging and the internet reinvented Matt’s career
• Blogging as a volunteer for Human Events online
• Politics Daily
• From cable TV show on Tucker to working for Tucker Carlson at The Daily Caller
• The transition from cut throat television to a prolific writer
• How TV can make you narcissistic and neurotic if you are not careful
• Why Matt started hosting his own podcast
• Advice for the next great pundit or contributor to CNN
• Why Trump still has a good chance of winning the electoral college
• Why Matt may not vote in the 2016 presidential election
• Matt tells the story of his first interaction with Donald Trump
• Why Trump is the perfect storm
• What if Mitt Romney decided to run in May as a third party candidate?
• Matt’s support of Rand Paul
• If Trump looses what will happen to the Republican party?
• How opposing Trump is bad for one’s career in conservative commentary
• Admired historical leaders
• Which 3 books have most shaped Matt’s world views
• What Matt believes that no-one else believes
• What does Matt hope he will be remembered for?

Two turning points in Matt’s life:

1. 1998 Becoming a professional campaign manager for the Maryland State Senate Campaign
2. 1999 Interning and working at The Leadership Institute

Links

• Too Dumb to Fail by Matt Lewis
• The Leadership Institute
• The working class epidemic of demoralization
• Charles Murray
• Shephard University, West Virginia
• Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty by Harvey Mackay
• Congressman Alex Mooney and Congressman Tom Graves
• Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
• Hitch-22: A Memoir by Christopher Hitchens
• The Revolution will not be Televised by Joe Trippi
• TownHall.com
• Straight Talk on Blogging
• Matt Lewis on MSNBC’s Tucker
• Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher
• Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
• The Great Debate by Yuval Levin
• Michael Oren on The Jamie Weinstein Show
• Connect with Matt Lewis:

Facebook | Twitter | The Daily Caller | Roll Call | Podcast

Roger Stone is a long time advisor of Donald Trump – he is a defender of Trump even though he has no official connection to the campaign any longer. In this interview, we talk about the Trump campaign from beginning to present; how Roy Cohn mentored a young Trump, how Roger advised him early on, and his current campaign operations.

Roger also leads us into an inside look at his decades-long career in political advising, from helping Reagan get on the ballot in New York to working with Nixon post-presidency.

Show Notes

• What Donald Trump learned from Roy Cohn
• What Roger thinks of allegations Trump campaign is tied to Putin
• What he makes of Trump’s shuffling of campaign staff
• How much Trump is actually worth
• The saga of Trump’s involvement in birtherism
• Why Roger thinks Trump should release his tax records
• What Roger thinks of his ban from cable television
• About his time working for Richard Nixon post-presidency

Links

• 01 Alan Dershowitz – The Strange, Incredible Dysfunction of The 2016 US Election
• Roy Cohn
• Confessions of an Advertising Man
• Six Crises
• The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ
• Connect with Roger Stone:

Facebook | Twitter | Website

In this episode, I sit down with the former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren. We discuss the current U.S. Presidential campaign, how Israelis are viewing the election, and America’s changing relationship with Israel. Ambassador Oren also talks about his late-blooming career, the opportunities he sees for Israel in the future, and what Netanyahu’s legacy will be.

Show Notes

• Ambassador Oren’s thoughts on the current election
• Trump’s position on Israel
• Why Israelis are watching this election
• What has happened as America has turned more inward?
• What does Israel want in Syria?
• How the Israeli army has prepared for the wars of the 21st Century
• The immense opportunities for Israel in the world today
• Netanyahu’s legacy
• Ambassador Oren’s success in his late 40’s

Links

• Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East
• Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present
• Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide
• Connect with Michael Oren:

Facebook | Twitter

In this episode, I speak with Karl Rove about the 2016 race, what he thinks about Trump’s campaign, and how the media landscape is changing. Mr. Rove gives his thoughts on Trump’s rise, how the GOP will heal should Trump lose, and his career highlights. He also gives suggestions for food in Austin, TX and opinions on Hamilton: An American Musical.

Show Notes

• Rove grades Monday’s debate (4:54)
• Rove’s bizarre tale about how he once unintentionally got under Hillary Clinton’s skin (9:01)
• Rove on the state of the presidential race (13:19)
• Rove explains how the media landscape has changed (21:10)
• What happens to GOP if Trump loses? (27:27)
• Rove on Ted Cruz endorsement of Trump (37:38)
• How to be the next Karl Rove (42:10)
• Rove on the writers he reads and the books that influenced him (54:34)

Links

• The Timeline of Presidential Elections
• The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America
• The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters
• The Federlist Papers
• Alexander Hamilton, American
• Connect with Karl Rove:

Facebook | Twitter | Website