The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg - podcast cover

The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

In “The Remnant," Jonah Goldberg enlists a “Cannonball Run”-style cast of stars, has-beens, and never-weres to address the most pressing issues of the day. Is America doomed? Has liberalism failed? And will mankind ever invent something better than ‘90s-era “Simpsons?” Mixing political history, pop culture, rank punditry, and shameless book-plugging, Goldberg and guests will have the kinds of conversations we wish they featured on TV. And the nudity will (almost) always be tasteful. Brace your bingo cards.
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

The End of Identitarian Spoon Ninjas

At long last, it’s over. The ever-intrepid Jonah remains trapped in the CNN studios, but was granted an hour to return to the sausage making factory for a quick rundown of what happened on Tuesday night. He discusses the potential self-fulfilling prophecy of alleging threats to democracy, the record minority turnout for Donald Trump (and what it means for the Democratic party), and the lessons to be learned from the era of language policing and the term “Latinx.” Later is the show, Jonah explain...

Nov 06, 202444 min

Measles, Mumps, and Self-Determination

Note: Things got a little heated on CNN Friday morning. It’s been a long election year. Nevertheless and always a mensch, Jonah addresses the controversy related to Donald Trump’s recent comments regarding Liz Cheney. Manic, spiritually exhausted, and scarred from attempting to get Pippa into her Halloween costume, Jonah capitulates to a brief period of punditry until he is overwhelmed with nausea and pivots to a scathing critique of the right’s new obsession with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Later in ...

Nov 02, 20241 hr 26 min

The Final Countdown

Jonah and Chris Stirewalt have been conscripted from their respective caves of sequestration and dragged into the American Enterprise Institute studio for one last round of 2024 election outcome punditry. Chris and Jonah cover the sorry state of polling practices, engage in some risky predictions, and bemoan the parties’ new political bases. Later in the episode, they take a crack at amateur demographic delineation and put on their leg warmers to take it back to the ’80s for some rehashing of pa...

Oct 31, 20241 hr 28 min

The Great Cancellation of Woodrow Wilson

If Jonah had it his way, “The Fighting Uruk-hai” would be playing softly in the background of this entire episode, but he’s lost his privileges. If that doesn’t give you an idea of what this Remnant episode entails, shame on you—but we’ll give you a few hints anyway. Jonah is joined by Christopher Cox, former congressman and SEC chair, to discuss his new book, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn. Christopher has taken a new approach to his biography of Jonah’s arch nemeses, focusing on the women...

Oct 30, 20241 hr 21 min

The F Words

Jonah has a gift for the masochists that punish themselves by running to the tune of his rants: a long, bingo-card friendly, esoteric Ruminant .First, Jonah forces everyone to listen to Tucker Carlson’s creepy “Daddy” analogy before returning to the ole reliables: gemeinschaft and gesellschaft, the incessant lizard-brain blabbering of late-stage election season, and the nebulous definition of fascism. To wrap up Ruminant el clasico, Jonah chastises Kamala Harris and the other jabronies throwing ...

Oct 26, 20241 hr 31 min

Hedging Hezbollah

Team Remnant has a gift for ye loyal listeners: an entire episode where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris go unmentioned! ( Almost... ) Jonah is joined by Kenneth Pollack, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss the increasingly tenuous conflict in the Middle East. Ken makes the case that accusations of total war between Israel and Iran are blown far out of proportion, inevitably leading Jonah to throw a small tantrum and predict worst-case scenarios. Later in the episode, Ke...

Oct 24, 20241 hr 21 min

Partisan Chiropractors

Republicans are embracing protectionism and populism and Democrats have lost the white working class. Political scientist and professor Seth Masket joins Jonah to discuss his latest piece in The Dispatch and get to the bottom of the changing constitutions and compositions of the political parties. Seth and Jonah dig into the history of American political realignment, the GOP’s strategy in winning over the working class, the black electorate, and the current state of polling. Plus: the strange ob...

Oct 23, 20241 hr 10 min

The Best Worst-Case Scenario

Jonah explores what a Kamala Harris presidency might look like, examines the potential worst-case scenario of either presidential candidate winning, and dives into who The Dispatch ’s content is designed to reach. The Agenda: —Best- and worst-case scenarios for the election —What would a Harris presidency look like? — Where Obama went wrong —Irrational voting practices —Does Trump believe in democracy? — Is Trump like Hitler? — The Base —Who is The Dispatch ’s audience? Show Notes: — Remaking Co...

Oct 19, 202444 min

Free Preview: Annual State of The Dispatch

NOTE: This is only part of the full State of The Dispatch. To listen to the full Dispatch Live with Jonah and Steve that aired on Tuesday, join The Dispatch and watch here . There are many ways to celebrate birthdays. MTV had My Super Sweet 16, Jewish American Princesses have blowout bat mitzvahs, and The Dispatch has, well, Jonah and Steve. In this special free preview of Dispatch Live , packaged with love for ye loyal Remnant listeners, Jonah and Steve begrudgingly eat their spinach and discus...

Oct 17, 202458 min

Tariffs For Dummies

Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and Donald Trump’s love of tariffs. Jonah has braved the no-man’s land that separates conservatives and libertarians to enlist Scott Lincicome, Vice President of the Cato Institute, to discuss his newest report and provide a crash course on tariffs, inflation, and free market principles. Scott makes the case that comparison between 19th century tariff policy and the contemporary global market is a fool’s errand, predicts the best case scenario of w...

Oct 16, 20241 hr 15 min

Instinctual Stupidity

Jonah remains in a similar mental state as fans of the New England Patriots, disaffected and disappointed by a once-successful dynasty that has been reduced to a trash-talking caricature of itself. Alas, the show must go on, so Jonah launches further into his critique of the CBS News scandal, yet another Ta-Nehisi Coates debacle, and Tim Walz’s shoddy critique of the Electoral College. Later in the episode, Jonah ruminates upon The Dispatch’s fifth anniversary, The Remnant bingo card staple that...

Oct 12, 20241 hr 17 min

Media Cringe

Christine Rosen, Jonah's American Enterprise Institute compatriot and Commentary m agazine contributor, usurped today’s episode of The Remnant and invited Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon and former Politico White House correspondent, to discuss the fallout from Ta-Nehisi Coates’ CBS interview, Kamala Harris’ rocky 60 Minutes appearance, and the Harris campaign’s pick-and-choose approach to identity politics. Plus: the anxiety caused by Tim Walz’s rocky rollout, the ...

Oct 10, 202452 min

Slicing Up The South

There’s turmoil in the People’s Republic of The Dispatch . Democratically elected President Jonah J. Goldberg was deposed in the early hours of the morning by dissident General Kevin D. Williamson, who has taken over The Remnant airwaves in an often-precedented coup d’état. Kevin is joined by Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst at the John Locke Foundation, to discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the potential consequences on the fast-approaching presidential electio...

Oct 09, 20241 hr 8 min

Spineless Normies Are the New Base

If you’re seeking to slow the passage of time, you should consider a career in political punditry during the zenith of an election season. Jonah’s Saturday stand-up revisits a news week that has felt more like a news epoch. He reconsiders Tuesday’s vice capades to remind the people what “book banning” really means—outside of a wildly efficient marketing strategy—and opines upon the end of the Port Union Strike and the scourge of collective bargaining. Later in the episode, Jonah pivots to expres...

Oct 05, 20241 hr 27 min

When Walz Met Vance

Recording live from the Cosmo the Wonder Dog Memorial Studio in the catacombs of the American Enterprise Institute, it’s the rankest pundits east of the Mississippi: Jonah Goldberg and Chris Stirewalt! Chris is back in Remnant action and ready to talk Tim Walz’s anxieties, grocery store monopolies, and J.D. Vance’s personality disorder. A few things they know for certain—normie Republicans are feeling left out and low-propensity voters are playing hard to get—but many questions remain unanswered...

Oct 03, 20241 hr 16 min

Pope Fiction

Have you ever wondered what podcasting pundits would have discussed during the Great Schism? Today’s Remnant episode might give you a good idea.Jonah is joined by George Weigel, distinguished senior fellow at the Ethics and Policy Center, to talk all things Vatican City. George and Jonah evaluate Pope Francis, dig into the historical relationship between the Catholic Church and state actors, and discuss just war theory as it relates to ongoing conflict in the Middle East and criticism of Israel....

Oct 02, 20241 hr 8 min

The Idolatry of the Mandate

It’s been a great week for The Remnant . Jon Rauch gave us a rundown on the formation of Goldbergism while Sam Harris broke runtime records, so consider today’s Ruminant the cherry on top. Jonah runs through some of his greatest hits, reminding listeners that Trump plays a much bigger part in the proliferation of wokeness than his grifter army cares to admit, negating the idea of stochastic terrorism once again, and bemoaning the culture wars’ capture of the presidency. No Ruminant would be comp...

Sep 28, 20241 hr 8 min

Sam Harris and the Lemming Dilemma

Are you there, God? It’s Sam Harris and Jonah. At long last, the neuroscientist-philosopher and father of the new atheism movement has come to The Remnant for a Horatian salon that is poised to discuss the really big questions—questions so big we had to double the length of the episode. Jonah and Sam debate dogma, epistemological free-for-alls, the emancipation of C-3PO, and truth as its own defense. Questions abound: Would society be free from all ill if every man and institution was fully secu...

Sep 26, 20242 hr 4 min

The Goldberg Variations

Twenty-one years after Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan revolutionized the chick-flick with Freaky Friday, the powers that be have finally greenlit a remake. Fans were surprised to discover that the studio has taken a different approach to the reboot; this iteration of the film will feature two of the foremost voices in American political punditry, and will concern the intellectual history of one Jonah Goldberg. Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution has taken over Jonah’s role as host ex...

Sep 25, 20241 hr 15 min

Hoisted By Their Own Canard

Jonah is coming off an electric evening with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, where he danced with fire eaters and geeked out with fellow think tank nationals. As a result, he is well prepared to dig into the Hezbollah-pager plot, Trump’s Freudian slip in his attempt to combat antisemitism, the Rich Lowry non-controversy, and the continued bad behavior of J.D. Vance. To close it out, Jonah scolds the media for playing morality police and reminds those still inhabiting the world of the sane ...

Sep 21, 20241 hr 7 min

Human Nature and Potato Salad

Many have sung songs of change, from Charles Bradley to David Bowie to Tupac Shakur. The pace of social and economic changes—and the way they make us feel—is the subject of constant debate. Jonah is joined on today’s episode by Tom Standage, a historian and the deputy editor of The Economist , to make the case that rapid change caused by innovation is nothing new in the annals of history. Jonah and Tom consider why man always jumps to doomsday when new technologies emerge, debate the merits of a...

Sep 19, 20241 hr 7 min

Ohio’s Cat Eaters Who Weren’t

On today’s episode, Jonah is joined by Dispatch heavy-hitter Kevin D. Williamson to discuss his latest piece, “The Exotic Cat-Eaters of Springfield, Ohio.” Unlike many of those sharing unsubstantiated rumors of Haitian migrants eating pets, Kevin actually took a trip to Springfield and spoke with members of the community. This is not a tale of dystopian fur-baby slaughter, but instead a reckoning on the character of J.D. Vance, whom Kevin believes has scapegoated impoverished, hard-working peopl...

Sep 18, 20241 hr 8 min

Cry About It

Much like the crackpots that have descended upon his inbox, Jonah is disgruntled, paranoid, and cranky. This week’s Ruminant concerns the fallout of the Harris/Trump debate, bullies and Jew-haters, and Tenet Media’s insensible goons. Jonah later reminds us of the principle of “they hate us ‘cause they ain’t us,” the distinctions between the anti-left and the anti-state camps of the Right, and misplaced power worship of authoritarianism and revisionism. Finally, Jonah goes full-circle to revisit ...

Sep 14, 202457 min

How D.C. Fails the World

In a continued effort to provide you, dear listener, with a break from the incessant debate coverage, Jonah invites American Enterprise Institute foreign policy superstar Danielle Pletka on the show to find out what the hell is going on in the rest of the world. The tour begins with the Ukraine-Russia war, with Danielle and Jonah setting their sights on Kursk to discuss how the incursion will affect the course of the conflict and the Russian psyche. They then turn their sights to Israel, making ...

Sep 12, 20241 hr 7 min

Serfs of the Web

When Jonah isn’t wrangling spaniels into his sprinter van or running to and from the CNN studio, he moonlights as the assistant treasurer of the International Christine Rosen Fan Club. To thank him for his loyal service, Christine drops by the studio to discuss her new book, The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World . Jonah and Christine dive into the downsides of the digital world, the end of boredom (and what we lose when we eliminate it), the disconnect between the evol...

Sep 11, 20241 hr 17 min

Tucker Carlson’s Wrong Turn

As much as it pains Jonah to admit it, Steve was right about the magic of Door County, Wisconsin. After he adequately disparages a few more of Steve’s opinions, Jonah cleans up after Tucker Carlson and his crackpot “historian” crony. He discusses the role of intellectual and moral corruption in the legitimization of dishonorable revisionism, negates the Zinn-ification of history, and namedrops some philosophers. Plus: the consequences of appeasing your fans, the incessant misuse of the word “reg...

Sep 07, 20241 hr 5 min

An AMA With Jonah From the Wild West

You asked, Jonah has answers. In order to secure his limited edition Blu-ray disc of Aquaman and the Sea-Monkeys , David French has abandoned his post as Remnant guest host, forcing Jonah to appeal to heaven and answer some listener questions. This installment of Remnant AMA features insider knowledge of the business side of The Dispatch , Jonah’s intellectual journey, fish farms, and the possibility of a return to true statesmanship. Plus: the distinction between Trump-inflicted damage and Harr...

Sep 05, 20241 hr 14 min

Magic Kristol Ball

Gather around the campfire at the RV Park in Coon Valley, Wisconsin, to hear the tale of Brother Chris Stirewalt, who has traversed land and sea to tell Jonah legends of Costco demographics, the chief of the Minnesotan fiefdom, and the looming Trumpian hangover on the GOP’s horizon. Brother Stirewalt is benevolent enough to catch Jonah up to speed on the presidential race and shoddy polls, closing it all out with a few predictions regarding the elusive unicorns of the American electorate: the re...

Sep 04, 20241 hr 6 min

Pavement Paradise

Jonah, under the anvil of God and parked outside a Colorado Walmart, gives an update on his current cross-country trek. He ruminates on Kamala Harris' first interview and whether her connection to the Biden administration will actually matter to voters. His psephological Tourette syndrome subsides so he gets into the minutiae of his Wednesday G-File on how Christianity rewired the Western mind and why that's good news even if it’s not quite the good news. Something about a Walmart parking lot br...

Aug 31, 20241 hr 7 min

Brainworms, Bears, and Ballot Boxes

Jonah has chosen to heed the advice of Horace Greeley to go west and get away from the crowds of idlers and imbeciles, anointing none other than Dispatch senior editor Mike Warren as Remnant guardian extraordinaire. Mike is joined by Semafor ’s Dave Weigel for some punditry a la carte. Mike and Dave (who do not need wedding dates) cover RFK Jr.’s recent Trump endorsement, the state of the undecided voting bloc, what to make of the swing state map, and how Americans are feeling about Kamala Harri...

Aug 29, 20241 hr 6 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android