Mike talks with Greg Lukianoff, attorney, New York Times bestselling author, and President and CEO of FIRE: the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. They discuss Greg’s latest book, The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech - And Why They Fail, with Nadine Strossen. Topics Mike & Greg discuss include: - Why calling words “violence” leads to actual violence - The case against hate speech laws - Free speech lessons from Nazi Germany and Rwanda - Shoutdowns as mob censorshi...
Jul 02, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Trey and Justin continue with two more Supreme Court cases from the end of the term. They begin with Mahmoud v. Taylor, which allows parents to opt out their children from pre-K LGBTQ+ books. Here, Trey argues that education is value-driven, and the public sphere can never do what is necessary for education. Justin agrees but believes there is a space in which universal values can be applied. The hosts then turn to Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton and the upholding of a Texas law requiring age ve...
Jul 01, 2025•14 min
Trey and Justin open this week with the United States bombing of Iran. In this sweeping conversation, the hosts look at not only the legal aspect of President Trump’s bombing order but also the political. This includes conversations about the growing potential rift in MAGA, the debate between Tucker Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz, and an examination of the power of the U.S. President as it relates to war. Next, the pair discuss the first of three major cases released at the end of the United State...
Jun 28, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Mike talks with Joan C. Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law and Hastings Foundation Chair (emerita) at University of California College of Law San Francisco. She’s the author of the recently released book, Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back, which they discuss in this episode. Topics Mike & Joan cover include: - class blindness on the left - the ‘missing middle’ - why moving to the center isn’t the answer - why red states with ‘family values’ have s...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Mike, Justin, and Joey open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of the Supreme Court’s 6–3 decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender teens. Joey defends the ruling as consistent with constitutional principles and the rule of law, emphasizing the importance of state authority in medical regulation. Justin criticizes the decision as both legally flawed and harmful, arguing that it targets a marginalized group and disregards medical co...
Jun 24, 2025•19 min
This week, Mike and Justin are joined by Joey Ashbrook, a new conservative voice on The Politics Guys. They open with a discussion of the escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran. Justin argues that Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal “set the ball in motion” for today’s crisis. Joey contends that Iran’s uranium enrichment past peaceful-use levels justifies Trump’s hardline stance. Mike suggests Netanyahu may have maneuvered the U.S. into deeper involvement by initiating strikes ...
Jun 21, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Mike, Trey, and Tim open with a look at one part of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that could have some bipartisan support - the plan to give every child born in the US a $1,000 investment account. From there, they turn to Elon Musk, who issued a sort of apology for some of the things he said about President Trump, as well as a lawsuit alleging Musk conducted a “brazen scheme to bribe Wisconsin citizens to vote”. They close by considering Tim’s recent Substack post about how he’s changing his teaching...
Jun 17, 2025•18 min
Mike and Trey are joined by a new co-host, Tim King, a Professor of Economics at the University of Austin. The guys start off with a discussion of the civil unrest in Los Angeles. Tim argues that Democrats are hurting themselves politically by appearing to side with violent protesters. Trey points out that the administration’s legal justification for deploying troops is on shaky ground. Mike highlights that while the president receives broad deference on these matters, the failure to follow prop...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Trey and Justin begin the show by discussing two Supreme Court cases. The first case resulted in a unanimous decision against Mexico’s lawsuit against gun manufacturers. The case sparked a discussion between the hosts about their own positions on gun rights and the merits of the case. Trey viewed it as a pointless case. Next, the hosts addressed the split decision to allow DOGE access to social security information. While acknowledging the problematic nature of the institutional presidency, the ...
Jun 10, 2025•21 min
Trey and Justin join forces for the first time in this week's episode! The pair begin with a discussion of Trump's new travel ban and its relationship to the attack in Boulder. Then they discuss both the social media battle between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump and whether this is the last gasp for economic conservatives in the Republican Party. They close the show discussing the impact of Ukraine's drone strikes and how it borders, as close as one can, to the workings of a James Bond-lik...
Jun 07, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Mike talks with Lura Forcum, president of the Independent Center, an organization that represents people who are fed up with partisan politics and feel politically homeless. Topics Mike & Lura discuss include: how Lura went from a marketing professor to running the Independent Center true independents vs learners if there are enough independents to make a real difference whether partisan politics is such a bad thing the two-party stranglehold on political power how the Independent Center hop...
Jun 04, 2025•58 min
Mike, Justin, and Sam open with the Russia-Ukraine war and Trump’s shifting tone toward Putin. Sam calls Putin “crazy like a fox” and blames Biden’s weak deterrence, arguing Ukraine will ultimately have to concede territory. Mike notes that while Congress is pushing for more sanctions, “if you give Putin an inch, he’ll take three and a half miles.” Justin worries that conceding ground may only encourage further Russian aggression and doubts anyone has real leverage to end the stalemate. Next, th...
Jun 03, 2025•17 min
This week, Mike and Justin welcome conservative attorney Sam Dewey to the podcast. They start with a discussion of the big rulings this week on President Trump’s tariffs. Sam says the real issue is Congress giving too much tariff power to the president. Justin sees a troubling pattern of executive overreach. Mike highlights the irony that conservative legal doctrines may now limit Trump’s power. Next, they turn to the latest bunch of clemency actions from President Trump. Sam defends the pardons...
May 31, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Mike talks with Eric Heinze, professor at Queen Mary University of London and author of Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left. Topics Mike and Eric discuss include: why critical theory resists a single definition the Radical Critique of Western Liberal Democracythe left’s greatest legacy: redefining history as collective self-scrutiny the left’s big blind spot prospects for change Eric Heinze on X The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell i...
May 28, 2025•52 min
Justin and Ken kick things off by diving into the recent wave of controversy at university graduation ceremonies, focusing on student protests, administrative discipline, and the fallout from pro-Palestinian activism. Ken highlights how some universities have responded with severe penalties, while Justin points out the broader context of political pressure from the Trump administration. Next, they discuss the Trump administration’s escalating battles with Harvard, Columbia, and other top univers...
May 27, 2025•20 min
Justin and Ken start by digging into the passage of the so-called “big, beautiful budget bill”—a sweeping House measure with far-reaching fiscal and policy implications. Justin highlights the political maneuvering and procedural oddities that defined the bill’s passage, while Ken offers a critical breakdown of its contents, deficit impact, and the dramatic tradeoffs between tax cuts and program cuts. Both note the bill’s likely downstream effects on Medicaid recipients, rural healthcare, SNAP be...
May 24, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Mike talks with Eva Posner, founder and CEO of Evinco Strategies, a political consulting firm specializing in first-time candidates from diverse backgrounds who face barriers in traditional campaigns. Topics Mike & Eva discuss include: why you have to be weird to run for office the importance of ‘Rolodexing’ the power of relatability the value of ‘hard asks’ challenges first-time candidates face the importance of call time getting potential donors to open their wallets Eva Posner on X The Po...
May 21, 2025•59 min
Mike and Justin open this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of oral arguments at the Supreme Court in the birthright citizenship case. The Court is considering not the merits of the President’s order putting constraints on birthright citizenship, but rather if district court judges have exceeded their authority by issuing universal injunctions against the order. Next is a look at President Trump’s executive order on lowering drug prices. Neither Justin nor Mike sees much in the order...
May 20, 2025•19 min
Mike and Justin open with a discussion of the 90-day pause in the tariff war between the United States and China. Markets loved the move, and Mike makes the case that this may have been the Trump plan all along, and that at this point, he seems to be getting significant concessions. However, Americans have yet to feel the impact of the tariffs — something that will change before long. Next, they turn to President Trump’s Middle East trip. Mike thinks he sees a fairly coherent strategy that he so...
May 17, 2025•59 min
Mike talks with David Graham, a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Project: How Project 2025 is Reshaping America. Topics Mike and David discuss include: - what makes Project 2025 different from previous policy blueprints - how closely connected President Trump is to Project 2025 - personnel policies in Project 2025 - Project 2025 and the Unitary Executive theory - how Christian Nationalism ties in to Project 2025 - implementation of Project 2025- best and worst case scenarios Da...
May 14, 2025•53 min
Mike and Ken open with a look back at the legacy of former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, who died on May 8. Souter, who was named to the Court by Republican President George H.W. Bush, was a big disappointment to many on the right, which Ken argues was in part by design, due to the complications of abortion politics in the post-Roe, pre-Dobbs era. Next, they discuss a divided Supreme Court allowing the Department of Defense’s ban on transgender troops to go forward while a challenge to the...
May 13, 2025•19 min
Mike and Ken open with a discussion of something lapsed-Catholic Mike thought he’d never see - an American Pope. While Pope Leo is unlikely to be as progressive as his predecessor, he’s no ultra-conservative who has said some critical things about Vice President Vance in the past. Then they turn to tariffs: the just-announced agreement between the US and the UK, if and when more agreements may be forthcoming, the economic damage that’s almost certain even if deals start pouring in, and a strange...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Mike talks with attorney, former law school dean, and current Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. In 2022, Secretary Benson was recognized for her refusal to back down in the face of threats and harassment in the wake of the 2020 presidential election with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. She’s running for governor of Michigan in 2026 and is the author of the recently released book The Purposeful Warrior: Standing Up for What’s Right When the Stakes Are High. Topics Mike &am...
May 07, 2025•54 min
In this Constitution show Trey and Ken tackle two amendments: the 20th and the 22nd. The 20th changes when and how Congress and the President take office. The 22nd formalizes the precedent of President Washington’s two term limit. The pair delve into the history, ratification, and implementation of the 20th and 22nd amendment! The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Mike’s Substack: What Fresh Hell is This? Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level...
May 06, 2025•18 min
Trey and Ken open with a detailed look into Trump’s first 100 days in office. This includes a conversation as to why we rate presidents’ first 100 days along with detailed discussions of Trump’s handling of both economic policy and foreign policy. Imbedded in this conversation is a look at the U.S. / Ukrainian resources deal and what that means for the future of the war and an extended conversation on Mike Pence leaving as National Security Advisor and his chances to make it past the Senate to b...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Mike talks with Mike Nellis, former Senior Advisor to Kamala Harris and Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Authentic, a digital marketing agency that’s raised over a billion dollars for campaigns and had a 77% client win rate in 2024. Topics Mike & Mike discuss include: - the evolution of political fundraising - how AI is being used in political marketing - White Dudes for Harris - what went wrong for Democrats in 2024 - the authenticity of Donald Trump - working class voters and the Dipl...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Mike and Justin open with a look at President Trump’s executive orders concerning higher education: one on accreditation, another on reporting foreign funding, and a third concerning historically Black colleges and universities. Following that they turn to Trump’s actions on K-12 education, one focusing on artificial intelligence and the other on discipline in schools. They close with a discussion of oral arguments before the Supreme Court on a case involving parents who want to opt out their ch...
Apr 29, 2025•20 min
Mike and Justin open with a discussion of yet another wild week for the world economy, largely due to instability caused by President Trump’s changing positions on trade and the economy. He hates the Fed Chair he appointed but won’t fire him (even though he claims he can), says the US is talking with China, which China denies, and is now dealing with multiple lawsuits challenging his authority to impose broad-based sanctions using emergency powers. Next they turn to what appears to be Elon Musk’...
Apr 26, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Mike talks with Adam Swart, the founder of Crowds on Demand, the original paid protesting firm, and a leading expert on protests, political optics, and narrative strategy. A lifelong liberal, Adam now finds himself increasingly "not liberal enough" for many in the modern Left. Topics Mike and Adam discuss include: - the false dichotomy between ‘real’ and ‘fake’ protests - why every significant protest is a paid protest - the left’s protest advantage over the right - throwing tantrums vs getting ...
Apr 23, 2025•55 min
Mike and Trey open with a look at a recent Trump Executive Order intended to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Mike is generally in favor, though he doesn’t see it as having a huge impact. He also points to the absurdity of importing prescription drugs from Canada, arguing that it’s a sign of a fundamentally broken system. Trey makes the case that even if this EO results in savings, it doesn’t come close to offsetting the additional healthcare costs imposed on many Americans by Trump adminis...
Apr 22, 2025•20 min
