
Can Israel Win its War in Gaza?
While Israel continues to achieve great military successes against Hamas, Hezbollah and most recently Iran in its almost two year campaign, the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Gaza are growing worse. There is growing evidence of famine throughout Gaza, caused by disruptions in the delivery of aid, and both sides are being accused of causing the crisis. International pressure on Israel is mounting. Last week, Emmanuel Macron of France announced he would recognize a Palestinian state and Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, has said he could do the same in September. So can Israel effectively finish its war in the face of the human cost and growing international isolation? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Israeli journalist and commentator Nadav Eyal about what it could take to settle the war between Israel and Hamas, the international reaction to the crisis, and how Israel can ultimately guarantee its own security and very existence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Last Republican Holdout?
Donald Trump’s control of the Republican Party is almost complete. But there are still some members pushing back against the president. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is a persistent dissident. She was one of the few Senators to vote against a recent package of cuts that had already been approved in a spending bill. She has also voted against and expressed reservations about a number of Donald Trump’s cabinet members. She voted to convict him on impeachment charges after the January 6 2021 Capitol Hill riots. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Murkowski about her recent memoir, “Far From Home,” her concerns about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stances on vaccines in relation to the recent measles outbreak in Texas, and why she’s “not losing sleep” over the direction of the Republican party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are the Socialists Taking Over the Democratic Party?
The hottest properties in the Democratic Party at the moment are self-described democratic socialists. Zohran Mamdani won the party’s nomination for New York City mayor last month while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders (who’s not even a Democrat) are in the forefront of the party’s campaigning against President Donald Trump. The trend alarms the party’s leadership and mainstream establishment, who see it as a quick route to electoral oblivion. Can the next wave of Democratic candidates for local and national elections appeal to the middle, or is the distaste for President Trump making the party hostage to its more radical elements? On this episode of Free Expression, former Commerce Secretary and White House Chief of Staff William Daley tells Gerry Baker about his concerns for the direction of the Democratic party, what it can learn from the mistake from the Tea Party movement of the GOP, and who he thinks are the party’s most electable candidates for president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump, the GOP and the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill'
Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress set a July 4th deadline to pass a spending package the President and others gave the moniker the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” Getting the measure to the president’s desk hasn’t been plain sailing - the Senate version passed this week only with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance. Now fiscal conservatives in the House are battling over some of the details, but it seems likely to become law soon enough. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with economist and former director of the Congressional Budget Office Douglas Holtz-Eakin about the bill’s likely positive impact on the economy as well as the nation's dire fiscal situation, how the nation’s budget challenges still require reform of entitlements that seems politically elusive, and what this signature piece of domestic policy says about the direction of Trump’s Republican Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is New York City Ready for a Democratic Socialist Mayor?
A shockwave rippled through New York politics this week as little-known 33-year old assemblyman Zohran Mamdani toppled Andrew Cuomo, whose political lineage could not compete with his scandal-ridden tenure as governor, to win the Democratic primary nomination for the city’s mayoral election. Mamdani mobilized a coalition of young voters, ethnic minorities and others behind a hard-left platform that called for even higher taxes than New Yorkers already pay and expanded government programs. He has voiced strong support for Palestinian causes and has called to “globalize the intifada” whatever that means. Meanwhile, current mayor Eric Adams plans to run as an independent as a way to head off the new young radical’s path to Gracie Mansion. What does Mamdani’s stunning success say about Democrats - in New York and in the country as a whole. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker and political analyst Heather Mac Donald look at some of Mamdani’s more radical views, break down just who voted for each candidate, and what the latest far left Democratic plans for a major city may do to New York’s economy and financial sector. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Turning Point in Middle East History
Israel’s air assault on the heart of Iran’s nuclear program has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East. Iran’s bid for regional hegemony and the survival of the Islamic regime itself is now under serious threat. But can Israel finish the job on its own or does it need the U.S. to tighten the vise on Teheran? While Donald Trump still says he wants to see a deal made, his administration is also weighing whether to join Israel’s assault. As the conflict continues, who will eventually define the future of the Middle East? On this episode of Free Expression, Middle East policy analyst Marc Reuel Gerecht tells Gerry Baker how much more assistance the U.S. should provide Israel, how Russia and China are reacting to the conflict, and how Iran’s future might look. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barry Diller on a Life in Hollywood
Few people have lived the entertainment world like Barry Diller. Over 60 years in the business, he has run movie studios and TV networks and most recently built a portfolio of digital media properties. In the process he has seen the sector move from a studio-and producer-driven model to the increasingly tech-dominated business it is today. On this episode of Free Expression, Diller speaks with Gerry Baker about his life in the entertainment business, how modern tech domination has diminished the value of creativity and why Hollywood went woke and progressive. Discussing his newly published memoir, “Who Knew?,” he also reveals what he calls the “sexual nuance” of being gay while being married to a woman, his wife of 25 years, the fashion designer, Diane Von Furstenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can the U.S. Avoid an Oncoming Debt Crisis?
The House of Representatives has passed Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and now the Senate is pondering its version. Chief among the concerns for some senators is how much it will add to the federal debt. Already at $36 trillion, how much is too much? Are we on the brink of a major fiscal crisis? On this episode of Free Expression, Bridgewater founder and investor Ray Dalio talks to Gerry Baker about the risks of a debt calamity if bond markets take fright. They also talk about his new book, “How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle”, which chronicles the history of governments with unsustainable debt and offers his “3%”, three-part solution for ensuring fiscal health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newt Gingrich on Donald Trump’s Not-So-Conservative Triumph
Improbable as it would have once seemed, Donald Trump is the dominant political figure of the first quarter of the 21st century, creating a populist movement not seen in recent American history. But is he really a conservative, and what are the defining characteristics of the way he has bent the Republican party to his will? On this episode of Free Expression, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich talks to Gerry Baker about his new book, “Trump’s Triumph: America’s Greatest Comeback,” why the lack of coverage of Joe Biden’s cognitive decline is one of history’s greatest scandals, and why the courts should not have the power and authority over Donald Trump’s executive power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelsey Grammer Discusses his Sister’s Tragic Death, its Meaning and the Role of Faith in his Life
Actor Kelsey Grammer is known for his many acting roles, most notably as radio psychiatrist Frasier Crane in the long running TV sitcom “Frasier.” But behind the comic mask lies a lifelong story of pain and grief. Fifty years ago, his beloved sister Karen was abducted, raped and murdered. In a new memoir, “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” he writes of how the tragedy shaped his own life. On this episode of Free Expression, Grammer speaks with Gerry Baker about his sister as a source of joy in his life, his spiritual reunion with her and his evolving Christian faith. A rare conservative in Hollywood, Grammer also discussed the current political climate in America and how the pursuit of individual freedom remains his guiding philosophy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tariffs, Taxes and ‘The Big, Beautiful Bill’
This week, Donald Trump celebrated a “reset” with China, lowering tariffs and signaling a major thaw in the trade war between the two countries. Meanwhile, as the President traveled to the Middle East, House Republicans announced their framework for the “big, beautiful” spending bill looking to make changes to Medicaid and reduce the budget deficit. Where does Donald Trump's wider economic agenda now sit? On this episode of Free Expression, Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw tells Gerry Baker why the President has to stop thinking the U.S. is an economic “loser,” and how the U.S. under Trump is starting take on some of the appearances of an unstable emerging market and gives his perspective on academic freedom on the Harvard campus and elsewhere after the administration's unprecedented campaign against institutions of higher learning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Choosing the Next Pope
The conclave of Cardinals to choose the 267th pope, bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church opened Wednesday at the Vatican. Whoever is chosen by the 133 voting Cardinals from all over the world will follow Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pope who died last month. What kind of leader are the cardinals looking for and where is the church headed? On this episode of Free Expression, theologian, author and commentator George Weigel talks to Gerry Baker about what goes on in the conclave, why he thinks the Cardinals will choose a different character than the autocratic Francis, and how the growth of the Catholic faithful outside its traditional heartland of Europe could be changing the church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Economic Outlook: The View from The White House
It’s been a month since Donald Trump celebrated his “Liberation Day,” announcing a wide range of what he called reciprocal tariffs on a number of countries, with China facing the steepest. Since then matters have been on a roller coaster ride as the President first fiercely defended the plan and then paused it for most countries except China. While fears about the impact on the U.S. and the world have escalated, the economy seems to be toddling along. But great uncertainty remains - not just on tariffs but on the scope and scale of Republican tax plans and the budget. On this episode of Free Expression, Director of the National Economic Council of the United States Kevin Hassett discusses the latest job numbers to come out, how the tariffs began as a place of negotiation, and how the tax plan is progressing through Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump Touch - Is America's Leadership Failing?
President Donald Trump's multi-front attempt to remake America and the world is meeting with mixed success. His administration has ended the crisis at the border and is aggressively moving against illegal migrants. But elsewhere the picture is murky. The war in Ukraine rages on, the Middle East continues unsettled and above all, his restless back-and-forth on tariffs and international economics is causing profound damage to faith in U.S. economic stability. And some of his actions suggest an authoritarian style inimical to American values. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker sits down with Admiral William McRaven, former head of US special operations, to discuss Trump's leadership. McRaven draws on the themes of his new book, "Conquering Crisis: 10 Lessons to Learn Before You Need Them," to assess the first 100 days of Trump's second term, but also the wider challenges of leadership in crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lessons from Nixon for Trump's New World Order
As the breach between the U.S. and its allies widens following President Trump's Oval Office bust-up with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his imposition of tariffs on Canada and Mexico, what can history tell us about today's tumult? On this episode of Free Expression, deputy national security advisor to Trump in his first term Nadia Schadlow shares with Gerry Baker the parallels she sees between Donald Trump and Richard Nixon as both faced a tense and rapidly changing international climate. They discuss how Trump and Nixon both believed in peace through strength, in the importance of a global balance of power and in the opportunity provided by negotiation - sometimes with unexpected partners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peace in Our Time or Dishonorable Surrender?
During the week that marked the three-year anniversary of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Donald Trump met with a flurry of world leaders to discuss ending the war, as well as announcing a potential commercial deal with Ukraine over mineral resources. Meanwhile, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution condemning Moscow’s actions even as Ukrainian forces fought on to expel Russians from their territory. So what does all the activity mean for the future of the conflict and is there any end in sight? On this episode of Free Expression, military historian and analyst Fred Kagan tells Gerry Baker why Vladimir Putin is the only world leader who doesn’t want the war to end, reviews the latest conditions on the battlefield, and argues the Trump administration should not be willing to give concessions to Russia in the name of peace nor give up on NATO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump's Russian Revolution
Has the U.S. flipped sides in the great strategic contest of the last century? With his secretary of state calling for a new "partnership" with Russia, his vice president decrying Western Europe's political condition and the president himself seemingly blaming Ukraine for the war that started on its territory three years ago, Donald Trump seems to be executing one of the most dramatic shifts in American foreign policy. Is this the end of the transatlantic alliance and what might it mean for America's larger strategic goals? On this episode of Free Expression, international relations scholar Hal Brands and author of a new book. "The Eurasian Century", tells Gerry Baker how a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine was always going to be a goal for the United States no matter who won the 2024 election, how Trump may be trying to prise Russia away from China and why the U.S. still needs NATO and European allies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are We Facing a Constitutional Crisis?
Donald Trump has been working at a breakneck speed during his first three weeks in office, prompting alarms from his critics that he is plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis. Many of the administration’s executive actions, including abolishing birthright citizenship, and the initiatives launched by Elon Musk and DOGE, have already faced judicial challenges. So is Donald Trump just testing the limits of his power, or is the criticism of his approach warranted? On this episode of Free Expression, constitutional law professor John Yoo tells Gerry Baker why a more active Congress would prevent Donald Trump from taking such drastic action to get things done, how the Supreme Court will factor into many of these executive orders, and which of those orders might ultimately fail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Free Expression Thrive Under Trump 2.0?
With Donald Trump making the elimination of diversity, equality, and inclusion programs in the federal government a high priority, there is no doubt the effort will extend to other aspects of society as well. And there are no institutions that are in need of an overhaul from these policies more than American universities. Will years of cancel culture and the obstruction of alternate views on campuses be coming to an end? On this episode of Free Expression, University of Chicago president Paul Alivisatos tells Gerry Baker about the shift he is seeing towards the Chicago principles of free speech, and the incredible advances being developed in the field of artificial intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Second Trump Administration Hits the Ground Running
With strong enforcement on immigration, executive orders ending DEI initiatives in the federal government, and confirmations of many members of his cabinet, Donald Trump spent most of his first two weeks in office showing the world he’s everything Joe Biden wasn’t. But what about the politics of what the administration is doing? On this episode of Free Expression, veteran pollster Mark Penn and Gerry Baker discuss the fallout after the pardons issued to the Jan. 6 defendants, what could happen if Donald Trump drifts too far to the right, the role tech CEOs will have over the next four years, and how the world at large will work alongside Donald Trump on foreign policy and tariffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Handling Russia in Donald Trump's Second Term
This week, the second Trump administration began with a flurry of executive orders and comments from the President about how he plans to approach Vladimir Putin and the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, threatening possible sanctions on Russia if a deal can’t be reached. So what are the prospects for peace, and what is the future for military aid for Ukraine with a Republican majority in both the House and Senate? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, investor Bill Browder tells Gerry Baker the desperate lengths Vladimir Putin will go to stay in power and conquer Ukraine, what the mood in Europe is like now that Donald Trump has taken office and has tariffs on his agenda, and how the destruction of NATO's credibility could be Putin’s “ultimate prize” to shake up the world order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump and the Economy - Second Time a Charm?
Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. His Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent has set an ambitious triple goal of 3-3-3 - three percent growth; a three percent fiscal deficit and a three million a day increase in US oil production. But as Trump prepares to take office clouds are forming over the economic outlook with market interest rates up sharply on growing fears about lingering inflation and the federal deficit. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, economist and former dean of Columbia Business School Glenn Hubbard and Gerry Baker discuss whether Trump can achieve his goals, whether the Fed will be cutting or raising rates this year, and how Trump’s police’s may help or hinder growth and price stability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Free Expression Encore: The Best of 2024
Free Expression's final episode of 2024 features some of Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker's best interviews of the year, including conversations with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Trump National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, Republican Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise and Richard Fontaine and Robert Blackwill, foreign policy commentators and co-authors of “Lost Decade: The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Year 2024: Donald Trump’s Comeback and a Realignment for the World
Donald Trump’s political comeback, the decline and fall of Joe Biden’s presidency, Kamala Harris’ big defeat and continuing geopolitical earthquakes in the Middle East all contributed to one of the most tumultuous years in recent history. What does a first draft of history tell us about the significance of 2024 and what may come next? On this special year-in-review episode of Free Expression, Commentary editor and podcast host John Podhoretz talks with Gerry Baker about the dramatic changes at home and abroad, politically, geopolitically and culturally and looks ahead to the big trends in 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


