Episodios

  • The Far-Right Algorithm: Anti-Churchill, Anti-West

    The Far-Right Algorithm: Anti-Churchill, Anti-West
    Mar 25 2026
    On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on President Trump’s recent comments that appear to show a desire to back away from his war in Iran. David argues that Trump is comfortable as a “wartime” president as long as the enemy is American Democrats, and then he compares the president’s rhetoric about Iran with his rhetoric about his fellow Americans. Then, David is joined by the historian and journalist Lord Andrew Roberts to discuss why right-wing podcasters seem so fixated on insisting that Winston Churchill was the villain of the Second World War. Frum and Lord Roberts discuss the origins of pseudo-historians and why they appeal so much to the American right. Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of the novel “Burr,” by Gore Vidal, and the relationship between art and morality. Sign up for David Frum’s newsletter alert. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 m
  • Why Britain Is Saying No to Trump’s Iran War

    Why Britain Is Saying No to Trump’s Iran War
    Mar 18 2026
    On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on President Trump’s dangerous disregard for Congress’s powers of war-making and peacemaking. David argues that though Republicans have enabled the president’s dark impulses, Democrats in Congress also seem happy to turn a blind eye to the Trump administration’s actions in Iran. This, David argues, jeopardizes the restraints put on the president in a constitutional government. Then, David is joined by Alastair Campbell, a writer and co-host of “The Rest Is Politics,” to discuss how President Trump has poisoned the “special relationship” between the United States and Great Britain. Frum and Campbell analyze how Trump’s impulsive war in Iran has put further strain on the alliance and how Trump’s relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer differs from former President George W. Bush’s relationship with former Prime Minister Tony Blair at the outset of the war in Iraq. Finally, David ends the show with a discussion of the German novel “The Director,” by Daniel Kehlmann. David explores how the novel offers a poignant portrayal of moral compromise in Nazi Germany. Sign up for David Frum’s newsletter alert. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h y 7 m
  • Can Democrats Actually Win in Texas?

    Can Democrats Actually Win in Texas?
    Mar 11 2026
    On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on Kristi Noem’s removal as head of the Department of Homeland Security. David warns that the chaos at the department, combined with President Trump’s demand that the SAVE Act be passed before he will sign any budget for DHS, could endanger Americans as the U.S. wages war against Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Then David is joined by former Representative Beto O’Rourke to discuss the hotly contested 2026 Senate primary in Texas between James Talarico and Representative Jasmine Crockett. Frum and O’Rourke discuss what this race means for the future of the Democratic Party, why Texas Democrats always seem to fall short of victory, and the importance of the Texas Senate race for control of the chamber. Finally, David is joined by Samuel Fleischacker, a philosophy professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” and discuss how Smith would fit in politically today. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 m
  • Trump’s War With Iran and a New Danger at Home

    Trump’s War With Iran and a New Danger at Home
    Mar 4 2026
    On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum discusses the recent shooting in Austin. David warns that the shooting is an example of how Trump could use the threat of terror from Iran to crack down on American freedoms. Then David is joined by The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols to discuss the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran. David and Tom discuss Trump’s motives for launching another regime-change war and assess the competence of the administration to achieve its goals. They discuss the mistakes that were made in Iraq by the Bush administration and how, 23 years later, none of those lessons seems to have been learned. David and Tom wonder if the Trump administration has any plan for an end game in Iran, and discuss how not having one could lead to suffering among the Iranian people and turmoil in the region. Frum and Nichols observe that the United States has embarked on a costly state-building project— but the question of whether the Trump administration realizes that is a different matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 m
  • When Caring Becomes Counterculture

    When Caring Becomes Counterculture
    Feb 25 2026
    On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” Atlantic staff writer David Frum opens with his take on President Trump’s reaction to a recent Supreme Court defeat on tariffs, arguing that the real issue is not just economics but the president’s drive for unchecked power. Then David is joined by Tim Miller of “The Bulwark” to unpack Tim’s recent trip to Minneapolis and what he saw on the ground amid ongoing ICE enforcement operations in the Twin Cities. They explore why younger Americans find “Resist libs” cringe and how that cynicism has helped fuel Trump’s politics. David and Tim also debate whether Never Trump conservatives are losing the core values that once defined them and whether that evolution is necessary in order to actually take on Trump. Finally, David revisits the history and meaning of the State of the Union address, questioning whether this long-standing ritual needs rethinking in the Trump era. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h y 1 m
  • Why We Changed Our Minds About Politics

    Why We Changed Our Minds About Politics
    Feb 18 2026
    On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” David opens with a warning about President Trump’s escalating efforts to bend American institutions to his will. David explains how episodes including the Justice Department’s attempted prosecution of members of Congress, the political pressure on the Federal Reserve, and the campaign-style appeals delivered at Fort Bragg represent a systematic attempt to erode the guardrails of American democracy. Then, David is joined by Mona Charen, a contributor at “The Bulwark” and longtime conservative commentator. Together, they reflect on their shared political evolution—from their early days as Reagan-era conservatives to their break with today’s Republican Party. They discuss what they believe they got right and what they got wrong, how Trump transformed the conservative movement, and why the version of conservatism they once believed in may be gone. Finally, David discusses “My Early Beliefs,” the 1938 essay by John Maynard Keynes, and explores what Keynes’s reflections on changing one’s mind can teach us about political growth. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 m
  • How Trump Could Break the 2026 Elections

    How Trump Could Break the 2026 Elections
    Feb 11 2026
    On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” David opens with his reaction to the racist AI video of Barack and Michelle Obama that was posted and quickly deleted by President Trump’s Truth Social account. He argues that when the president engages in this behavior, it undermines his administration’s other actions that resemble those of a normal presidency. David is then joined by Stephen Richer, a former Republican county recorder of Maricopa County. They discuss Stephen’s experience navigating Trump’s 2020 election denial, standing up to pressure from the president, and confronting election denialism within his own party. They also examine the Trump administration’s current activities in Georgia and how they could set the stage for more election denialism in 2026. Finally, David reflects on Edward Gibbon’s “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” as the series marks its 250th anniversary. Though the monumental work remains essential to understanding the fall of Rome, David explores how Gibbon’s moralizing of history can lead modern readers to dangerous conclusions. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h
  • Trump Versus Canada

    Trump Versus Canada
    Feb 4 2026
    On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” David opens with his thoughts on the reported $500 million-dollar deal between World Liberty Financial, a Trump-family business venture, and the United Arab Emirates, as reported by “The Wall Street Journal.” David discusses the helplessness we feel as we are bombarded with stories where it seems all restraint has broken down and explains what laws exist that are meant to curtail corrupt practices. Then, David is joined by former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to discuss the Trump administration’s overtures to an Albertan secessionist movement, the harm the Trump presidency has done to the American-Canadian alliance, and how Trump is pushing Canada into China’s arms. David and Premier Kenney also discuss how the failures to address immigration by liberal parties across the West have led to dangerous far-right populist movements. Finally, David discusses “The Imperialist,” by Sara Jeannette Duncan, and how it can help us better understand what is being lost by Trump’s destruction of the relationship between America and Canada. Sign up for David Frum’s newsletter alert. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h y 5 m