Anti-War President Starts New War. Again.
The Iran bombings, public land selloffs, and the collapse of big city governance
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 10 min
The Reason Roundtable
Every Monday, the libertarian editors of the magazine of “Free Minds and Free Markets”—Matt Welch, Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Peter Suderman—discuss and debate the week’s biggest stories and what fresh hell awaits us all.
Episodes
Israel Strikes Iran. Is Escalation Inevitable?
U.S. involvement in the new Middle East conflict, political violence at home, and the No Kings protests
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Fake Immigration Crisis Triggers Actual Violence
Are outdated laws ripe for abuse? A listener asks whether it's time to sunset certain old laws.
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Artificial Intelligence Is Making Everything Weird
Artificial intelligence is making everything weird, impacting everything from scams and education to entertainment and geopolitics. The panel discusses the fear and excitement surrounding AI's effects on jobs and culture, as well as policy responses in the US and China. The conversation also touches on the Democratic Party's struggles with young men, a controversial NASA appointment, a listener question about the budget deficit and Stephen Miller's claims, and the court battles over Trump's tariffs. Finally, the hosts share their cultural recommendations, including documentaries and music.
Jun 02, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Trump's War on Harvard
Plus: A listener asks how to reasonably cut government spending.
May 27, 2025•1 hr 4 min
The GOP Budget Is Big, Bloated, B.S.
Plus: A listener asks if the economic inequality data is bad.
May 19, 2025•1 hr 17 min
What Did We Learn From DOGE?
Plus: A listener asks which domestic policy changes could realistically boost U.S. manufacturing without raising costs for consumers.
May 12, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Trump's War on Childhood
Plus: A listener asks if we're finally defunding NPR and PBS.
May 05, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Trump's Independent Voter Problem
Plus: A listener asks about possible book club books that are "subtly libertarian."
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Why Due Process Matters
Plus: A listener asks who was the better president: Trump or Obama?
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Why Trump's China Tariffs Won't Work
Plus: A listener asks whether or not Thomas Jefferson was right.
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Can Anyone Stop Trump's Tariffs?
Plus: A listener asks if it's time for journalists to stop steel-manning Trump's policies.
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Time for a DOGE Dance Party
Plus: What is a DOGE dance party?
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Trump's War With the Courts
Plus: A listener asks why some American libertarians seem to unquestioningly accept everything Vladimir Putin says.
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Why We Don't Need the Department of Education
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether a Kamala Harris presidency would have been preferable.
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 8 min
It's Trump's Economy Now
Plus: A listener asks the editors to discuss the pros and cons of homeownership.
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Trump vs. Zelenskyy: Democracy Dies in Drama?
Plus: A listener asks the editors how to best determine whether Trump’s second term is good or bad for individual freedom.
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Are Democrats Actually in Disarray?
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether it makes sense for a country to have a sovereign wealth fund.
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Justin Amash on Why the President Isn't Above the Law
Plus: A listener asks the editors to guess if the real reason Donald Trump is so passionate about tariffs is because he sees them as a deal-making tool rather than a purely economic instrument.
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 10 min
DOGE vs. Deep State
Plus: A listener asks the editors if there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of freedom in the United States.
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Trump's Dumb Trade War
Plus: A listener asks the editors about the implications of Trump personally suing CBS to obtain transcripts from an interview with Kamala Harris.
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 10 min
The Cultural Consequences of Trump's Victory
Plus: A listener asks the editors to name their least favorite national emergency from the list of those currently in effect.
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Donald Trump's Chaotic and Contradictory Day 1
Plus: A listener asks the editors about the validity of using emergency measures to restrict movement during the L.A. wildfires.
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 7 min
How Awful Policies Fueled the L.A. Fires
Plus: A listener asks the editors if Donald Trump is the most libertarian president ever.
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Why MAGA Is Fighting Over High-Skilled Immigration
Plus: A listener asks the editors about subsidies for trains, planes, and roads.
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 10 min
2024's Most Undercovered Stories
Surely 2025 will be a freewheeling romp, right?…Right? Happy New Year!
Dec 30, 2024•58 min
Was Biden Right To Take Prisoners Off Death Row?
Plus: A listener asks the editors to consider the Second Amendment's key importance for keeping the government in check.
Dec 23, 2024•59 min
Do You Have To Choose a Side in Politics? Reason Versus The Bulwark
The Bulwark's Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell debate Reason's Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch on choosing a side in politics.
Dec 20, 2024•1 hr 26 min
Biden's Messy Mercy
Plus: A listener asks the editors to consider the tradeoffs of involuntary commitments to mental institutions.
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Why Socialists Are Cheering the Death of an Insurance CEO
Plus: A listener asks the editors if libertarians are more prone to believing in conspiracy theories.
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 3 min
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