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51 episodes
WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch, page 2
by Paul Gigot, The Wall Street Journal · English
From the award-winning opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal, Paul Gigot, Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn and Kyle Peterson discuss the latest from Washington. Get critical perspective and the analysis you need on developments from the nation’s capital. Join them every weekday. Send your feedback to [email protected]
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Donald Trump’s ‘Diesel Deal’ and ‘Energy Ceasefire’
Potomac Watch discusses President Trump’s proposed Russia-Ukraine “energy ceasefire” and “diesel deal,” then turns to Houthi drone/missile attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh airport and broader…
12 Oct 2026 · 26m · 11 chaptersSenate Candidates Debate: Medicare for All, Tariffs, Iran and Social Security
WSJ “Potomac Watch” episode covering Senate debate themes in Michigan, Iowa, and Maine: Medicare for All, tariffs (especially on Canada), Iran policy, and Social Security solvency.
9 Oct 2026 · 26m · 9 chaptersMarco Rubio Hails the Accomplishments of Western Civilization
Potomac Watch discusses (1) France’s student riots and broader global bond-market stress, arguing the unrest is driven mainly by fiscal strain and unsustainable welfare/pension commitments rather…
8 Oct 2026 · 24m · 5 chaptersCan Anduril Help Fix American Shipbuilding?
Whether Anduril can help fix U.S. submarine shipbuilding capacity by applying defense-tech approaches to Virginia-class production and certification, including a new $3.7B effort to build submarine…
7 Oct 2026 · 28m · 8 chaptersJustice Samuel Alito on Originalism, ‘Speechifying’ Colleagues, and Media Caricatures
Justice Samuel Alito discusses his “practical/originalist” method for interpreting the Constitution, how it applies to modern cases, and his views on non-delegation, “common good constitutionalism,”…
6 Oct 2026 · 58m · 22 chaptersSen. Thom Tillis on Losing Friends, Antagonizing Trump, and the GOP’s Future
Sen. Thom Tillis discusses his retirement book How to Lose Friends and antagonize presidents, focusing on GOP internal conflict, pressure from Trump allies, and institutional fights over the…
5 Oct 2026 · 26m · 10 chaptersPete Hegseth Says ‘No Beardos, No Weirdos’ / Donald Trump’s AI Safety Accord
WSJ’s Potomac Watch discusses (1) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “State of the Force” speech on Pentagon priorities and culture-war rhetoric, and (2) President Trump’s AI Safety Accord signed by…
2 Oct 2026 · 24m · 8 chaptersJustice Alito Recuses From the Supreme Court’s Big Climate Case
The Supreme Court’s first case of the term, Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, asks whether cities/counties can sue oil companies in state court for harms allegedly caused by global greenhouse-gas…
1 Oct 2026 · 22m · 20 chaptersThe Democratic ‘Affordability’ Ruse
Democrats’ “affordability” messaging in the 2024/November elections, what policies they’d actually pursue (health care, housing, labor, foreign policy, impeachment), and whether Democrats are truly…
30 Sep 2026 · 28m · 8 chaptersHow Senate Republicans Frame the Midterms / Pope Leo Draws 800,000 in France
WSJ “Potomac Watch” episode covers two threads: (1) how Senate Republicans are using late-session votes to shape the November 3 midterm narrative, and (2) Pope Leo’s France trip after an outdoor…
29 Sep 2026 · 25m · 7 chaptersAn Inside Look at the Drone War in Ukraine
Jillian Melcher reports from Ukraine on how the “drone war” is reshaping the air and ground conflict, and what it implies for U.S./NATO defense, deterrence, and peace talks.
28 Sep 2026 · 31m · 11 chaptersWrapping Up the Trump-Xi Summit / The President vs. the White House Press Corps
Wrap-up of Trump’s three-day summit with Xi Jinping, plus a legal/political fight between the White House and the press corps.
25 Sep 2026 · 27m · 11 chaptersA Standoff of Presidents at the U.N.
UN speeches amid the Iran war, focusing on whether a ceasefire or Strait of Hormuz deal is possible, and how US and Israeli elections shape diplomacy.
24 Sep 2026 · 23m · 8 chaptersWhat’s on Trump’s Agenda With Xi?
The episode previews President Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping in Washington and what “success” could mean.
23 Sep 2026 · 28m · 8 chaptersDonald Trump's U.N. Speech on Iran and 'Super Intelligence'
WSJ “Potomac Watch” discusses President Trump’s 40-minute UN General Assembly speech plus his New York diplomatic meetings.
22 Sep 2026 · 22m · 7 chaptersSen. Ted Cruz on Justice Thomas and the Supreme Court’s Future
Senator Ted Cruz discusses his new book, Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas, and explains Clarence Thomas’s impact on Supreme Court jurisprudence, including originalism, race-related…
21 Sep 2026 · 29m · 8 chaptersThe Houthis Seize a Red Sea Chokepoint / Rep. Salazar's Immigration Warning to Trump
Iranian-backed disruption of global shipping—Houthis seize Red Sea choke points while an Iraqi-backed drone attack hits Saudi oil infrastructure—plus a U.S.
18 Sep 2026 · 25m · 9 chaptersMitch Daniels on Life Lessons from Politics and Academia
Mitch Daniels discusses lessons from his career in politics, business, and academia, focusing on urgency in decision-making, “businesslike” government (especially faster permitting), accountability…
17 Sep 2026 · 30m · 10 chaptersThe Facts on the Ground in Ukraine
Jillian Melcher reports from Ukraine on the southeastern “fortress belt” front, arguing Ukraine has stabilized parts of it via mid-range strikes and a homegrown battlefield management system…
16 Sep 2026 · 24m · 5 chaptersTrump's USPS Plan for Mail Ballots Loses at the Supreme Court
Potomac Watch discusses (1) the Supreme Court rejecting President Trump’s attempt to let the USPS regulate mail-ballot rules for the 2026 midterms, (2) claims about possible ICE involvement at…
15 Sep 2026 · 23m · 7 chaptersWill an AI Slowdown Calm Fears About its Development?
Frontier AI leaders call for “pacing” or slowing AI development and coordinating on safety, amid fears about autonomous “agents” operating on the internet, loss of control, and catastrophic misuse…
14 Sep 2026 · 25m · 9 chaptersLessons Learned and Changes Made 25 Years After 9/11
Reflections 25 years after 9/11 on what the U.S. learned, whether the “war on terror” response succeeded, and what new threats (cyber, space/GPS, AI, critical infrastructure, drones) require now.
11 Sep 2026 · 28m · 10 chapters‘In the War Room’ After Six Months of Conflict with Iran
The Iran-Israel conflict after six months of stalemate, and Israel’s internal “war room” debates on how to fight Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran—plus the diplomatic and electoral fallout in Israel.
10 Sep 2026 · 29m · 11 chaptersA Trump Plan to Pay Stay-at-Home-Moms?
A leaked Trump administration draft would use the Child Care Development Fund (about $14B/year) to let married couples with one stay-at-home parent receive up to ~$9,000 to defray in-home childcare…
9 Sep 2026 · 25m · 4 chapters