POTUS is at war with the courts, with the press, and on account of it's leaking like a sieve, he's kinda at war with his own administration. Reason's resident legal aficionado Damon Root stop by to expound on the legal wrangling over the immigration ban, the tension between the executive and judicial branch, and there's some stuff about Waco, Devos, Black History Month and Axel Rose too. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss...
Feb 11, 2017•1 hr 51 min
Is it a Muslim Ban? Should America just 'bar the damn door'? Is it racism? Or is it perhaps just more 'what-about-ism'? What is the connection between Trump's Immigration policy and the location of his many real estate holdings? There are perhaps good answers to these questions, I can't promise you'll find them here... but given the other sources you've probably already consulted, you could do so much worse. Kevin Williamson of National Review sits in. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o...
Feb 01, 2017•1 hr 21 min
A week under our belts and we're still reeling... A deluge of executive activity, constitutional controversies, 'emoluments'(?!), lawsuits, like -- a lot of lawsuits, sex tapes (well, not yet, but you wouldn't really be surprised by that, would you?), media panics, entirely legitimate media outrage, a twitter beef with geopolitical consequences, more media panics, more very legitimate outrage, a $40-billion-30-foot-high wall, a future entirely devoid of guacamole... and, there's more, but you ge...
Jan 27, 2017•1 hr 39 min
The waning hours of President Obama's tenure, on the eve of Trump-Mageddon, and the hits just keep on coming. The President-Elect finds himself embroiled in a nasty fight with an almost universally revered CIVIL RIGHTS ICON -- who in this particular showdown may just be playing the part of a cuddly Alex Jones. And of course, since 'two beefs are always better than one,' Trump is simultaneously mixing it up with CNN too. Is this a prelude to a broader Trumpian assault on the free press!? Maybe? D...
Jan 19, 2017•1 hr 42 min
After a day of confirmation hearings and protesters in pink t-shirts, amid growing uncertainty about the future of Obama Care, and just ahead of President Obama's Farewell Address in Chicago; a dossier filled with potentially explosive and definitively explicit allegations about the incoming President-Elect explodes onto the scene. Is it accurate? Where did it come from? Has Trump been compromised? Wait -- did someone say "golden shower"? WOULD YOU PLEASE SHUT UP -- WE'RE STILL TRYING TO READ TH...
Jan 11, 2017•1 hr 30 min
Welch has been eying the guitar in the corner all night, some thoughtful listeners sent the fellas a huge bottle of Johnny Walker Black, and appears they've been reading newly released intelligence briefs for the last hour. If you were in the room, you'd probably be a little drunk too. It's the first fifth of 2017... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www....
Jan 07, 2017•1 hr 24 min
In the final dispatch of 2016, THE COLUMNISTS examine the recent terror attacks in Berlin -- parsing predictable responses, likely fallout, and beyond. And as the Obama Presidency draws to a close, an increasingly 'complicated' (if not entirely frosty... but perhaps 'cold-ish') relationship with Vladimir Putin (or is it 'some 400lb guy sitting around in his mom's basement') are hogging the spotlight and throwin' shade on POTUS's legacy. And about this legacy business... they kick that around too...
Dec 30, 2016•1 hr 42 min
Definitive accusations from the US intelligence community. Promises of reprisals from President Obama. A last ditch effort to sway Electoral College voters and prevent Donald Trump from moving into the White House. SPOILER ALERT: You’ll hear exactly zero mentions of Archduke Ferdinand in this dispatch (and perhaps that’s for the best). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus e...
Dec 20, 2016•1 hr 4 min
In the final days of the Obama administration, many ‘journalos’ (pronounced: jurn-ah-lows) are producing fond remembrances of the outgoing administration while closely scrutinizing every (frequently confusing) move and utterance from the incoming administration. What are they getting right? And what are they getting wrong? Plus: perspectives on the new-McCarthyism. Why you should be super scared of Russia and Trump's pick for Secretary of State (or Naw). And some guy named Coates REALLY want’s y...
Dec 15, 2016•1 hr 23 min
If a white nationalists speaks to a meager audience on a Texas campus, can any American avoid hearing about it? When Tomi tangles with Trevor on The Daily Show, does anyone really win? The answer to both of these questions could be a resounding "no". But not to worry, Hillary Clinton is back and she's imploring lawmakers to help plebs... (sorry), stupid voters... (sorry), idiots like you -- differentiate between fake news and approved... (sorry), factual news outlets. If you can't imagine any pr...
Dec 09, 2016•1 hr 37 min
“Fidel Castro dead, y’all!” Revolutionary, Dictator, Monster and... Human Rights Champion!? No seriously, some idiot wrote that, and worse besides. The Columnists offer an unvarnished appraisal of the newly muerto totalitarian. Glenn Garvin of the Miami Herald is on hand to help make sense of Castro’s legacy and his surprisingly numerous apologists. It’s more than a little disrespectful — but he deserves so much worse. But Wait, there’s more: Jill Stein raises tons of money, Donald Trump tweets ...
Dec 01, 2016•1 hr 30 min
A Hamilltonian dressing down for the Vice President Elect? A White Nationalist Confrence in the Nations Capital? Sure -- it's almost Thanksgiving, but before digging into the Turkey, stuffing and cranbary sause -- we managed to sneak in one more dispatch. And "they" said it couldn't be done... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wethefifth.com/subscribe...
Nov 22, 2016•1 hr 21 min
What do you do after a media apperance in Midtown Manhattan. If you answered, "Eat Ground Beef with Friends" -- you've probably been drinking with Kat Timpf and Matt Welch. Trump Ditches the Press Pool to Grab a Steak To Dinner. Steve Bannon (White House “Chief Strategist”, Xenophon, Anti-Semite, Spousal Abuser, Racist, All of the Above) Lebron James vs Phil Jackson ("Did you just call us a 'posse'!?") And The Latest Installment Of The Most Important Story of this Election… “How racist is donald...
Nov 18, 2016•1 hr 20 min
The election is finally over, and Donald Trump is President Elect of the United States... "What the hell happend!?" This weighty audio dispatch may help sort out a few things. Moyhinan, Welch and Foster are reunited. Andrew Schulz of the Brilliant Idiots podcast makes a return appearance. You're going to be fine... Really. everythings gonna be OK. We think... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers ...
Nov 11, 2016•1 hr 42 min
This week, Hollywood Mike Moynihan deigns to rejoin the Troika of Truth in our last podcast before Election 2016 is dumped on our heads like a sack of dead rats. Kmele heroically calls in from “Easter Island” (a massage bar on the Upper West Side?) to let everyone know that he STILL thinks that maybe Donald Trump hasn’t been playing footsie with David Duke all along. For longer than Bill Weld probably deserves, we discuss the oddness of the Libertarian vice presidential nominee “vouching for Mrs...
Nov 03, 2016•1 hr 1 min
This week, comedian Andrew Schulz ( http://theandrewschulz.com , The Brilliant Idiots Podcast) stops by, Moynihan is a no show, and things get out of hand quickly (The 'explicit content' warning is there for a reason people). Up for discussions: Schulz shares some thoughts on the privilege of celebrity and recounts a recent run in with Jerry Seinfeld. Kmele hearts another SNL skit but hates Ava DuVernay's new Netflix mass incarceration doc ("13th"). While Welch quotes MLK, explains how lead pain...
Oct 26, 2016•1 hr 36 min
We selected some stories, organized them in a thoughtful way -- and even developed a few punchy segways. But we didn't do much with any of that... On the eve of the final presidential debate, the damn broke, or something... and this here was the outcome. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wethefifth.com/subscribe...
Oct 19, 2016•1 hr 16 min
Moynihan watches the presidential debate with his old pal Glenn Beck. Donald Trump doesn't understand how handshakes work at all. Hillary Clinton should probably give up on email at this point. And there's obviously only one hope for avoiding an all out nuclear conflict between the United States and Russia: someone's gonna need to arm the Kurds while setting up a 'No Fly Zone'... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi...
Oct 13, 2016•1 hr 24 min
2016 Libertarian Party Presidential Hopeful Gary Johnson Swings By. We talk Vice Presidential Debates, Aleppo, Foreign Policy, BLM and the Era of Fake News Narratives. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wethefifth.com/subscribe...
Oct 06, 2016•1 hr 4 min
Near the tail end of the recording, Moynihan pronounced this the best show we've ever done..." Perhaps so. What we can say for sure about this weeks installment of The Fifth: 1) We lost track of time, 2) Much wine was poured & consumed, and 3) Gary Johnson is at least as handsome as Han Solo. We recap the Week in Presidental Campaign 'Stuff' (from the first presidential debate, to Gary Johnson's latest 'Aleppo Moment'. Kmele recounts his recent appearance on the Brilliant Idiots podcast and ...
Sep 30, 2016•1 hr 23 min
The triumvirate has much to discuss after a weekend disrupted by terror attacks in several states and yet another high profile police shooting. Media speculation, double standards and misestimation of risk abound. Also... Denzel Washington. Josh Zepps, host of We The People Live stops by to help get things sorted. ( http://www.wtplive.com ) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bo...
Sep 21, 2016•1 hr 18 min
We had to MacGyver the hell out of this weeks dispatch. It's almost as if someone was trying to stop us... (Just asking questions here). Aleppo, Baskets of 'Deplorables', More Hacked Emails, Hillary's Flu-Ghazi... or is it a Trumpian Putanist plot (JUST ASKING QUESTIONS)... Excuse the less then amazing audio. Recorded via Skype from three different cities over internet connection and microphones of variable quality. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public epis...
Sep 15, 2016•1 hr 14 min
Colin Kaepernick rides the pine (which makes sense on many levels). Donald Trump visits Mexico. Hillary Clinton squares off with the AltRight. A few things remain unclear: Will our heroes ever get around to the oft promised discussion of 'private prisons'? Will Welch learn to properly operate the clock in the studio? Will Mexico pay for the wall? Will Moynihan finally learn how to 'Dab'? Andrew Kirell of the Daily Beast sits in for the hour. "What a Time to Be Alive" is an above average album, "...
Sep 01, 2016•1 hr 14 min
When Buck Sexton sits in for the hour there's a good chance the conversation will turn to foreign policy. As it turns out, that's exactly what happened and despited promises to the contrary, it pretty much stayed there. We did manage to establish a new (as in "first ever" and "only") Official Beer of the Fifth Column, so that's something. Other highlights: It's Moynihan's Birthday... Pretty sure Matt is drunk... and Kmele managed to pretzel Paul Krugman, Isis, Obama Care and the War in Iraq into...
Aug 25, 2016•1 hr 7 min
Moynihan is off this week, appears he had obligations related to something he's describing as "his real job". We don't know what that's supposed to mean but it sounds illegal. Author and Observer columnist Michael Malice fills the empty chair for am hour and change, shouts things into the mic and generally enriches our regular rhetorical intercourse. Up for discussion this week: Gary Johnson's diminishing (but not completely exhausted) prospects for getting into the presidential debates. Matt We...
Aug 18, 2016•1 hr 14 min
Episode 20: The most discursive and 'intrupty' installment to date, but never worry, they always stick that landing (that's an Olympics reference). This Week: - Obligatory Olympics Banter- Malia Obama twerks and tokes at Lalapalooza- Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, Lose in Court, But Kinda Win, Maybe...- Clinton and Trump Dazzle the American Electorate With More Email Scandals, Assassination Plots and the Appearance of Generalized Political Corruption- The Justice Department is Unimpressed with the...
Aug 11, 2016•1 hr 5 min
The Conventions are over, Welch, Moynihan and Foster are back in Gotham and it feels like Autumn in August. Still, Trump related anxieties have managed to reach new levels of 'OH-MY-GOD'; will his ascension to the presidency result in a nuclear conflict, the dismemberment of NATO, Armageddon, or garden variety disappointment & dishonesty? What's so great about NATO? And what's this about a contingent of Black Lives Matter protestors moving into the park adjacent to Kmele's apartment? Welch, ...
Aug 04, 2016•1 hr 11 min
The Fifth Column's presidential convention coverage continues. Matt Welch phones in from the convention floor in Philadelphia, Moynihan convalesces in New York after a harrowing Republican convention and Foster dabs his brow compassionately with a damp cold cloth. On The Agenda This Week: The DNC has developed it's own 'damn email' problem; somehow it involves Russians and a pair of geriatric US presidential candidates. Trump and Sander's convention speeches are analyzed for an all together diff...
Jul 27, 2016•1 hr 6 min
Welch and Moynihan from the Floor of the RNC Convention... What could possibly go wrong? No more description. You listen, you find out! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wethefifth.com/subscribe...
Jul 21, 2016•55 min
A trifecta of highly charged police involved shootings dominate the headlines; what are the odds that resulting media coverage and political rhetoric are substantive, fact-based and solutions oriented? And what is President Obama going on about? Plus: Which member of the triumvirate was roughed up for backtalking the cops? Will Barbra Boxer accept Welch's VERY indecent proposal?And, perhaps most importantly, when is carrying around a bottle of wine in a Ziplock bag filled with ice not dignified ...
Jul 13, 2016•47 min
