Today we discuss the news that Jack Smith’s office informed Donald Trump that he’s the target of their classified-documents investigation. What does it mean for Trump? How do the other Republican candidates respond? And we try to figure out what Mike Pence is up to. Give a listen.

Today’s podcast considers the defenestration of CNN’s new chief and the declining ratings of the Fox News Channel along with Tucker Carlson’s new experiment on Twitter and asks whether this is the moment that the cable-news era ended. Also: Chris Christie! Give a listen.

Today’s podcast watches the rise of RFK Jr. and asks how it is that the ultimate Establishment family—the Kennedys—has produced a trans-ideological anti-establishment candidacy and what that says about how our politics is ordered. And are things starting to shift in the Republican primary? Give a listen.

Today we discuss the sonic boom heard over Washington D.C. yesterday and what it says about our defense preparedness. We then take up the worrisome provocations by China in the Taiwan Strait and new signs of sagging support for Ukraine. The gang also analyzes a puzzling New York Times article on Joe Biden’s age. Give a listen.

Today’s podcast considers the potential larger meaning and effect of Joe Biden’s trip-and-fall in Colorado Springs yesterday—and whether Ron DeSantis is finding his sea legs as a candidate. Give a listen.

Today’s podcast features legal eagle Adam White previewing the upcoming decisions of the Supreme Court. But first, the grudging media acknowledgement of Kevin McCarthy’s political triumph—and is Trump now certain to be indicted by Jack Smith? Give a listen.

Today’s podcast continues to consider the political fallout from the debt limit deal, examines the idea that Chat GPT is the end of school homework as we know it, and wonders at the strategy of Chris Christie as he enters the presidential race. Give a listen.

The debt ceiling deal has been reached, and the podcast crew suggests that it’s a big but modest win for Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy—but what does it do for Joe Biden? Does McCarthy’s triumph mean he’s lost, or is there a political upside for the president in the terms of the deal. And has the situation in Ukraine escalated over the weekend? Give a listen.

In commemoration of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot today and Memorial Day on Monday, we will not be releasing episodes of the Commentary Magazine podcast. We’ll be back to annoy you on Tuesday.

We are fortunate to be joined on today’s podcast by Fred Kagan, military historian at AEI and analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, to explain to us the incredible complexities of the present moment in the Russia-Ukraine war. But first we assess the first day of the DeeeSantis (as the governor of Florida himself pronounces it) presidential campaign. Give a lsiten.

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Today’s podcast looks ahead a few hours to the Ron DeSantis announcement of his presidential candidacy. Why is he doing it on Twitter Spaces? What’s his strategy for victory? And then—what on earth are the Los Angeles Dodgers thinking in relation to a group that is in every particular a defamation of religious Catholics? Give a listen.

Today’s podcast examines the entry of Tim Scott into the presidential race and asks what he can do to enhance his position. Also, the debt ceiling talks and the apparent progress being made there. Give a listen.

Today’s podcast rolls its eyes at Joe Biden’s sudden conversion to the idea that he, as president, can invoke the 14th amendment to solve the debt-ceiling crisis—something three weeks ago he said he could not do. Is this more grist for the mill of his chances in 2024? Not so fast; there are data that suggest the Republicans have more to worry about than Democrats next year. Give a listen.

Eliana Johnson joins the podcast today to discuss the media campaign against Dianne Feinstein, the refusal of the media to examine the condition of John Fetterman, and how Fetterman’s clothing choices signify something about the nature of fashion in American politics. Also, next week’s Republican-presidential-candidate-Palooza. Give a listen.

The podcast crew drops its collective jaw at the clearly questionable “near catastrophic” car chase through New York starring Harry and Meghan that clearly didn’t quite happen. What do the Sussexes have in common with the movie Addams Family Values? Give a listen.

Today’s podcast points out yesterday’s daily double in the Senate, with John Fetterman delivering a garbled round of questioning for bankers hastily and foolishly cleaned up by a Washington Post reporter and Dianne Feinstein claiming to have been voting in the Senate during months when she was in California supposedly recovering from “shingles.” What effect will this have on voter views of Joe Biden, himself the object of questioning about his compos mentis? Give a listen.

Eli Lake joins the podcast today to discuss the findings and fallout of the Durham report on the FBI’s conduct during its investigation of the Trump campaign in 2016 and after. Give a listen.

Jonathan Schanzer joins us today to discuss the firing of 1,400-plus rockets at Israel from Gaza and why this time is different from, say, 2021 in the nature of the enemy, the nature of the threat, and the nature of the geopolitical efforts being made against Israel led by Iran. Also, the Turkish elections. Give a listen.

Today’s podcast takes up, again, the baffling refusal of Republicans running against Donald Trump to…run against Donald Trump. How do they think they can beat him if they don’t try to beat him? Also, the immigration crisis and the indictment of the subway chokeholder. Give a listen.

Today’s podcast reviews Donald Trump’s performance at the CNN Republican Town Hall in New Hampshire—and not only his, but the hysterical Twitter reaction to it and the waves of liberal hostility generated against CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for somehow not preventing Trump from being effective. And what’s this about the Biden family earning millions and hiding it? Give a listen.