Podcast Episodes

Mamdani’s Victory Is Less Significant Than You Think

Does Zohran Mamdani’s win mean a new dawn for the Democratic Party? Not exactly, Ross Douthat argues. In this mini-episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross explains that the New York mayor’s office has h…

Published on 8 hours ago

What Palantir Sees

Who’s afraid of Palantir? The company’s chief technology officer, Shyam Sankar, joins Ross Douthat for a conversation about what the shadowy company actually does — and the thorny political and ethic…

Published on 6 days, 9 hours ago

Taylor Swift’s Trad Turn

Is Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” the soundtrack for the Trump era? Self-titled “conservative dad” Ross Douthat thinks so, and explains why in this mini-episode of “Interesting Times.

Thought…

Published on 1 week ago

The Next Economic Bubble Is Here

Is the artificial intelligence revolution keeping the entire economy afloat? This week on “Interesting Times,” Ross talks with Jason Furman, an economist from the Harvard Kennedy School and a contrib…

Published on 1 week, 6 days ago

Amy Coney Barrett Is Looking Beyond the Trump Era

Justice Amy Coney Barrett is playing the long game. In this week’s “Interesting Times,” she walks us through the current court’s most controversial rulings, why she believes that her originalist inte…

Published on 2 weeks, 6 days ago

He Believes America Should Be a Theocracy. He Says His Influence Is Growing.

Evangelical pastor and self-proclaimed Christian nationalist Doug Wilson has been preaching for decades that America needs to reclaim its Puritan past. But in 2025, he believes he’s “significantly” m…

Published on 3 weeks, 6 days ago

Hasan Piker Is Flirting With the Revolution

The Twitch and YouTube star Hasan Piker understands what pushes people to commit acts of political violence. But does that understanding tip over into appreciation? In this episode of “Interesting Ti…

Published on 1 month ago

The Grand Strategy Behind Trump’s Crackdown on Academia

What is wrong with higher education in America? According to many on the right, a lot. This week, Ross Douthat talks to May Mailman, the lawyer behind President Trump’s battles with Harvard and Colum…

Published on 1 month, 1 week ago

Ezra Klein Is Worried — but Not About a Radicalized Left

Ezra Klein argues that the left desperately needs a unifying project — for its own survival and for the sake of the country. In this episode of Ross Douthat’s “Interesting Times,” Ross and Ezra asses…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

I was set to interview Charlie Kirk. Then he was assassinated.

In moments of political shock and horror, where can we turn? Ross was supposed to interview Charlie Kirk next month for the show and now offers his reflections on Kirk, his political movement and his…

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago