Every episode

May 26, 2026 01:32:21

Military Education and American Manhood (w/ Jasper Craven)

Matt and Sam talk to Jasper Craven about his new book, God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood.

May 18, 2026 00:05:06

Even More Listener Questions, Answered [Teaser]

Matt and Sam answer even more listener questions about Straussianism, esoteric writing, prose style, Steely Dan, and more.

May 11, 2026 01:16:05

The Seven Year Anniversary Mailbag Episode

Matt and Sam answer listener questions about post-Trump politics, the meaning of Zohran, the fate of liberalism, and more.

May 4, 2026 00:04:34

Reasons To Believe [Teaser]

Matt and Sam have a personal, wide-ranging conversation about religious faith in our troubled times.

Apr 27, 2026 01:30:01

Peter Thiel and the Antichrist

Matt and Sam discuss Peter Thiel's lectures on the Antichrist and what they reveal about both his politics and this political moment.

Apr 17, 2026 00:04:46

The Pope and the President [Teaser]

Matt and Sam discuss Leo XIV approach to the papacy, President Trump's attacks on the first American pope, just war theory, and more.

Apr 10, 2026 01:25:44

The Bund: Fighting Fascism, Fighting Zionism (w/ Molly Crabapple)

Molly Crabapple joins to discuss her new book, "Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund."

Apr 1, 2026 00:05:17

Misogyny, MAGA-style [Teaser]

Matt interviews Sam about his recent New York magazine article, "The Women Leaving the New Right," and MAGA-style misogyny.

Mar 23, 2026 01:10:48

From Neocon to Never-Trump (w/ Bill Kristol)

Matt and Sam talk to Bill Kristol about his journey from neoconservative thought leader to anti-Trump "liberal."

Mar 16, 2026 00:04:25

James Talarico and the Politics of Progressive Christianity [Teaser]

Matt and Sam discuss the Christian populism of James Talarico, Presbyterian seminarian and winner of the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Texas.

Mar 6, 2026 01:16:33

Trump's War Against Iran (w/ Matt Duss)

Matt and Sam talk to Matt Duss, a leading foreign policy expert on the left, about the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

Feb 27, 2026 00:02:41

Standing Athwart History, Yelling "Slop!" (w/ John Ganz) [Teaser]

Matt and Sam talk to John Ganz about rightwing intellectuals yet again being surprised the leopard is eating their face.

Feb 23, 2026 01:19:49

Leaving MAGA Behind (w/ Pedro L. Gonzalez)

Matt and Sam talk to writer Pedro Gonzalez about his break with MAGA and the New Right.

Feb 16, 2026 00:03:20

'Shattered Glass,' Journalism, & the End of History [Teaser]

Matt and Sam discuss the 2003 film, Shattered Glass, about disgraced New Republic writer and fabulist Stephen Glass.

Feb 9, 2026 01:16:46

Tucker Carlson's Phases & Stages (w/ Jason Zengerle)

Matt and Sam talk to Jason Zengerle about his new book, Hated By All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind.

Feb 2, 2026 00:05:53

On the Ground in Minneapolis (w/ Lydia Polgreen) [Teaser]

Matt and Sam talk to Lydia Polgreen about her reporting from Minneapolis.

Jan 26, 2026 01:13:00

The Donroe Doctrine (w/ David Adler & Matt Kirkegaard)

Matt and Sam discuss Venezuela, Greenland, and the "Donroe Doctrine" with the Progressive International's David Adler and Matt Kirkegaard.

Jan 19, 2026 00:04:20

The Killing of Renee Good [Teaser]

Matt and Sam discuss the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, and the perilous times it exemplifies.

Jan 12, 2026 01:37:46

January 6, Five Years Later (w/ Robert Draper)

Matt and Sam talk to Robert Draper about his reporting from the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and how the Republican Party "lost its mind" in the months that followed.

Jan 2, 2026 00:05:57

Great Books and the AI Apocalypse (w/ Matt Dinan) [Teaser]

Matt and Sam talk to Matt Dinan about teaching, the AI apocalypse, and the state of our souls.

Dec 22, 2025 01:01:10

UNLOCKED: Trump's Big, Beautiful Ballroom (w/ Kate Wagner)

We're unpaywalling our excellent conversation with Kate Wagner (of McMansion Hell) about Trump's White House ballroom project and the politics of architecture.

Dec 15, 2025 00:06:28

What We Got Wrong (and Right) about the Right in 2025 [Teaser]

Matt and Sam look back at the American right in 2025—and offer predictions about the year ahead.

Dec 8, 2025 01:04:43

One Podcast After Another (w/ Jesse Brenneman)

Matt and Sam are joined by KYE's intrepid producer, Jesse Brenneman, to discuss the recent film, One Battle After Another.

Dec 1, 2025 00:01:30

On Friendship (w/ Andy Elrick)

Andrew Elrick interviews Matt and Sam about friendship and politics, conservative views of friendship, and how friendship shapes their podcast.

Nov 24, 2025 01:09:36

The Furious Minds of MAGA (w/ Laura Field)

Matt and Sam talk to Laura Field about her new book, Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right.

Nov 17, 2025 00:04:27

Trump's Big, Beautiful Ballroom (w/ Kate Wagner) [Teaser]

Matt and Sam talk to McMansion Hell's Kate Wagner about Trump's White House ballroom.

Nov 11, 2025 01:14:27

Zohran, the Jews, and Reckoning with Gaza (w/ Peter Beinart)

Matt and Sam talk to Peter Beinart about Zohran and Islamophobia, Jews and anti-semitism, the genocide in Gaza, and more.

Nov 3, 2025 01:31:51

Break Glass in Case of Emergency

Matt and Sam are very worried.

Oct 24, 2025 00:03:53

Command + F + Hitler [Teaser]

Matt and Sam discuss the Young Republican Hitler group chat, Graham Platner, the No Kings rallies, and more.

Oct 15, 2025 01:32:56

How Charles Murray (Almost) Predicted the Trump Era

Matt and Sam read Charles Murray's 2012 book, "Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960–2010."

Oct 6, 2025 00:03:56

How To Give A Damn [Teaser]

Matt and Sam indulge in some rank punditry: on Zohran's campaign, Hegseth's pathetic speech to the generals, and ICE authoritarianism on the march.

Sep 29, 2025 01:26:21

Death, Power, and the Charlie Kirk Memorial (w/ Pat Blanchfield)

Matt and Sam discuss the Charlie Kirk memorial service/MAGA rally with Pat Blanchfield.

Sep 19, 2025 00:03:37

The Assassination of Charlie Kirk [Teaser]

Matt and Sam discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and where they think we're heading in its wake.

Sep 12, 2025 01:20:27

The Case for Democracy (w/ Osita Nwanevu)

Matt and Sam talk to Osita Nwanevu about his new book, The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding.

Sep 5, 2025 00:03:48

An Officer and a Spy (w/ John Ganz) [Teaser]

Matt and Sam discuss Roman Polanski's 2019 film about the Dreyfus affair, An Officer and a Spy, with John Ganz.

Aug 28, 2025 01:45:13

Frank Meyer, Inventor of Conservatism (w/ Daniel J. Flynn)

Matt and Sam interview Dan Flynn about his extraordinary new biography of Communist-turned-National Review-editor Frank Meyer.

Aug 23, 2025 01:00:48

The Christian Right's "Wild Faith" (w/ Talia Lavin) [Unlocked]

In light of James Dobson's death this week, we've unlocked Matt's conversation with Talia Lavin about her book, Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America.

Aug 18, 2025 01:27:05

The Minority Voters Moving Right (w/ Daniel Martinez HoSang)

Matt and Sam talk with Daniel HoSang about the gains the GOP and Trump are making with racial minorities.

Aug 11, 2025 00:04:59

From Armageddon to Zionism — More Listener Questions [Teaser]

Matt and Sam answer listener questions about Christian Zionism, Roy Cohn, and more.

Aug 4, 2025 01:10:29

Has Trump 2.0 Been a Success So Far? — And Other Questions

Matt and Sam answer listener questions about Trump 2.0, Judaism and Catholicism, bourbon, literature, and more.

Jul 28, 2025 00:04:27

Trump's Epstein Problem [Teaser]

A number of listeners wanted the KYE take on the Jeffrey Epstein story — here it is.

Jul 18, 2025 01:15:39

How Republics End (w/ Mike Duncan) [Unlocked]

Mike Duncan (host of the "Revolutions" podcast) joins to discuss the conservative obsession with the fall of Rome — and the real lessons of Roman history.

Jul 11, 2025 00:03:48

Zohran! (w/ Waleed Shahid) [Teaser]

It's Zohran time! Matt and Sam talk to campaign strategist Waleed Shahid about Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani's decisive victory in NYC's Democratic mayoral primary.

Jul 4, 2025 01:52:33

A Complicated Man: William F. Buckley, Jr. (w/ Sam Tanenhaus)

Matt and Sam talk to Sam Tanenhaus about his long-awaited biography of William F. Buckley, Jr.

Jun 27, 2025 00:03:30

MAGA's War Over the War with Iran (w/ Curt Mills) [Teaser]

Matt and Sam are joined by Curt Mills of The American Conservative to discuss the intra-MAGA conflict over Israel's war in Iran.

Jun 23, 2025 00:05:37

Immigration Showdown in LA (w/ E. Tammy Kim) [TEASER]

Journalist Tammy Kim joins the pod to talk about the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles — and the raids that precipitated them.

Jun 12, 2025 01:22:18

Reagan, the Movie (w/ Jesse Brenneman) [UNLOCKED]

Matt, Sam, and Jesse watch "Reagan" (2024) — a terrible movie about a(-nother) senile president.

Jun 7, 2025 00:03:23

Joe Biden's Betrayal [TEASER]

Matt and Sam discuss Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.

Jun 2, 2025 01:28:24

Christopher Caldwell's Case Against Civil Rights

Matt and Sam discuss Christopher Caldwell's "The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties," a broadside against the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

May 22, 2025 00:02:10

Trump as Messianic Prophet (w/ Manvir Singh) [TEASER]

Sam is joined by anthropologist Manvir Singh to (respectfully) discuss how Trumpism manifests the features of a messianic cult.