Podcast · 67 episodes
The David Frum Show, page 2
by The Atlantic · English
To defend democracy, one has to believe in it. To believe in democracy, one has to understand it. Where it came from. How it works. What’s true. What’s not. What others did before you. How it could be better. How to make a difference. Each week, The David Frum Show digs deep into the big questions people have about our society, explains the progress Americans have made together, and reminds us that the American idea is worth defending.
All episodes, page 2
On the Brink of Global RecessionThe episode argues that a breakdown in US-Iran ceasefire talks and related energy disruptions could trigger renewed global inflation and an imminent global recession, especially in the “global…22 Apr 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 18 chapters
Is Anybody Actually Winning Trump’s Iran War?The episode argues that the U.S.-Iran “cold truce” is effectively an ongoing war, focused on Iran’s nuclear brinkmanship and dueling blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, with knock-on effects for…15 Apr 2026 · 58 min · 13 chapters
What It Means to Be AmericanThe David Fromm Show episode “What It Means to Be American” (1-year anniversary) argues that America’s core promise still endures, but the country has become less aspirational and more…8 Apr 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 16 chapters
Watching War From the Strait of HormuzThe episode centers on the limited, confusing information about a US-Iran war and what it looks like “from” the Strait of Hormuz—both literally (Graham Wood’s calm, holiday-like observations) and…1 Apr 2026 · 53 min · 20 chapters
The Far-Right Algorithm: Anti-Churchill, Anti-WestThe episode argues that far-right online culture “rehabilitates” Nazi ideology and attacks Winston Churchill, and links this to anti-Semitism and anti-democratic, anti-Western politics.25 Mar 2026 · 54 min · 19 chapters
Why Britain Is Saying No to Trump’s Iran WarThe episode argues that the US war against Iran is being fought without congressional authorization, creating a constitutional crisis, and that Britain’s participation is constrained by legal and…18 Mar 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 24 chapters
Can Democrats Actually Win in Texas?The episode mixes two threads: (1) a political analysis of whether Democrats can win statewide in Texas after the March 3 primary, and (2) a book dialogue on Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations and…11 Mar 2026 · 57 min · 23 chapters
Trump’s War With Iran and a New Danger at HomeThe episode (David Frum Show segment) argues that Trump’s war with Iran is being managed recklessly, with major risks to U.S.4 Mar 2026 · 53 min · 18 chapters
When Caring Becomes CountercultureThe episode blends two threads: (1) a constitutional/political analysis of how Trump’s desire for unchecked personal power collides with institutional limits (tariffs requiring congressional process;…25 Feb 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 21 chapters
Why We Changed Our Minds About PoliticsDavid Frum and Mona Charon discuss how they changed their political beliefs over time, using recent Trump-era examples to argue that institutions (Justice Department, military norms, Federal Reserve…18 Feb 2026 · 56 min · 20 chapters
How Trump Could Break the 2026 ElectionsThe episode argues that election denialism and federal pressure could threaten the 2026 U.S.11 Feb 2026 · 1 h · 28 chapters
Trump Versus CanadaThe episode links two threads: (1) a reported U.S. corruption/national-security concern involving Trump-family business ties and UAE chip access, and (2) Jason Kenney’s view that Trump is pressuring…4 Feb 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 20 chapters
What the Neocons Got RightA dialogue on “what the neocons got right,” using neoconservatism’s origins (City College of New York Trotskyite communists turned Democrats) to argue that moral formation and shared civic norms…28 Jan 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 26 chapters
Why Trump Sides With PutinThe episode argues that Donald Trump’s approach to Russia—especially Vladimir Putin—is driven by a transactional, “might makes right” worldview and a personal affinity that undermines Ukraine and U.S.21 Jan 2026 · 1 h · 16 chapters
Trump Has Redefined Presidential ScandalThe episode argues that the Trump era is redefining “presidential scandal” into something broader than traditional wrongdoing—spanning law enforcement, economic institutions, foreign policy, and even…14 Jan 2026 · 57 min · 24 chapters
Trump Has No Plan for VenezuelaThe episode argues the U.S. lacks a coherent plan for a military operation in Venezuela, portraying it as driven by Donald Trump’s impulse and oil-seizure thinking rather than coordinated…7 Jan 2026 · 58 min · 15 chapters
Bonus Episode: How Is Trump Planning to ‘Run’ Venezuela?A special episode of The David Frum Show discussing the U.S. apprehension of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife and what Donald Trump may mean by saying “America is going to run…3 Jan 2026 · 31 min · 13 chapters
Facts Vs. Clicks: How Algorithms Reward ExtremismThe episode argues that algorithmic recommendation systems reward outrage and fear, pushing audiences toward extremism and conspiratorial thinking.31 Dec 2025 · 1 h 2 min · 23 chapters
Why Has Comedy Become So Right-Wing?How comedy and podcasting shifted toward right-wing politics, tied to technology, media incentives, and audience “complicity.” The episode also uses Helen Lewis’s trip to the Riyadh Comedy Festival…24 Dec 2025 · 1 h 1 min · 19 chapters
How Crypto Is Turning America Into a KleptocracyThe episode argues that U.S. public-corruption law has been narrowed by Supreme Court decisions, and that cryptocurrency—especially meme coins and stablecoins—creates hard-to-trace ways to funnel…17 Dec 2025 · 1 h 4 min · 27 chapters
How to Stop Trump’s Plan to Steal the 2026 ElectionsThe episode argues that the Trump administration is actively trying to undermine the 2026 U.S.10 Dec 2025 · 53 min · 17 chapters
Architect of Obamacare: Health Care Is Still a MessThe episode mixes (1) David Frum’s commentary on alleged corruption and rule-breaking in the Trump administration, and (2) an interview with Jonathan Gruber on why U.S.3 Dec 2025 · 47 min · 20 chapters
My Friend, Bill BuckleyThe episode is a David Fromm interview with Sam Tannenhaus about William F. Buckley Jr.’s life and influence, framed by Buckley’s 100th birthday (Nov. 2025).26 Nov 2025 · 1 h 2 min · 20 chapters
The End of the American EmpireThe episode argues that the “American idea” of rule-based leadership is eroding and the U.S.19 Nov 2025 · 1 h 1 min · 26 chapters