WSJ Opinion: Free Expression

Before celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, listen to some of Gerry Baker's most intriguing interviews from this year, including BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink, economist and China expert George Magnus, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump John Bolton, Middle East scholar Reuel Marc Gerecht, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and political science professor Patrick Deneen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Off year elections in Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio went the Democratic Party's way this week but does that presage a second term for Joe Biden in 2024? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, political scientist Ruy Teixeira and co-author of a new book, "Where Have All the Democrats Gone?" tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that the Democrats have lost touch with their core voters over economic and cultural issues, how some Democratic activists’ support for Palestinian terrorists underscores their extremism and how the party risks forfeiting the votes of many of its former supporters to the Republicans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year from the next presidential election, where does the race stand in both parties? Will a clear challenger from the ever-shrinking field emerge to Donald Trump's frontrunner status for the GOP nomination? And what difficulties could Joe Biden face in his reelection campaign? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, veteran pollster Mark Penn tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that Nikki Haley has all the momentum in the race to be the main challenger to Trump and says her rise in the polls spells certain doom for Ron DeSantis. He also argues Joe Biden's handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas could be critical to his re-election chances and thinks neither Rep. Dean Phillips nor anyone else is likely to displace Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. But, he adds, watch out for a strong third party candidate if it is Trump v. Biden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Joe Biden prepared to back up his rhetorical support for Israel? On the latest episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Middle East scholar Reuel Marc Gerecht tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why Israel's promise of the destruction of Hamas may not be possible without the reoccupation of Gaza, why the Biden Administration needs to to draw a red line on Iran's involvement in the conflict, how the escalation of attacks by Hezbollah is inevitable, and why a two-state solution was never viable, and seems even less so now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about why he thinks ESG investing has become so controversial but also misunderstood. He outlines his concerns about embedded inflation in the economy and how it will change investing and says he thinks cryptocurrency could represent a viable hedge against inflation and other risks. He expresses his concern about the state of free speech on university campuses and the wider decline in the quality of American public discourse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Israel prepares an all-out assault on Hamas following the bloody massacre on its soil last weekend, how does this new war in the Middle East unfold? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, former Israeli ambassador to the US and Middle East historian Michael Oren joins Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker from southern Israel, where military barrages and calls to seek shelter interrupt the conversation even as they discuss the likely Israeli military strategy and objectives, how the war could escalate and spread beyond Gaza, the part Iran played in fostering the conflict and what role, in Oren's view, a potential second Donald Trump presidency may have played in the terrorists' planning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What led eight Republicans to vote against Kevin McCarthy and end his time as Speaker of the House? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker speaks with one of the eight, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), about how this historic vote was months in the making. Good and Baker also discuss whether the upheaval was done in part with working with Democrats, the future of the continuing resolution in the House on spending, and some of the names being mentioned to be the next Speaker, including Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After another Trump-less presidential debate seemed to make few waves in the Republican primary race , what can we now expect from the contest? Is the field about to consolidate to just a handful of candidates vying to be the alternative to Trump? How could the frontrunner be defeated? On this week's episode of the Free Expression, conservative author and commentator Matthew Continetti talks with Gerry Baker about the state of the GOP, the future of conservatism and why he thinks the populist wing of the party is firmly in the ascendant for the foreseeable future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Scott entered the 2024 GOP presidential primary with a message of positivity that was in stark contrast to Donald Trump's dark critique of contemporary America. But is it a winning strategy? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, the South Carolina Senator tells Wall Street Journal editor Gerry Baker of his faith in the goodness of America, but also why he fears a government shutdown is imminent, why the patience of some Americans with the funding of Ukraine is running out, and why he advocates the adoption by states of a 15 week - or less - limit on abortion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From government to business to the media, millions of citizens have experienced a steep fall in public trust and confidence in its key institutions. So how did it happen? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, editor at large Gerry Baker talks about his new book, "American Breakdown: Why We No Longer Trust Our Leaders and Institutions and How We Can Rebuild Confidence," with Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul Gigot about how faith can be returned to these pillars of society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Faced with a real estate crisis, record high youth unemployment, and massive debts at the local government level, how much economic trouble is the People's Republic of China in? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, economist and China expert George Magnus tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about whether China under Xi Jinping’s hardline approach is headed down the same road to collapse as the Soviet Union and what are the long-term consequences for the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Christie has fashioned himself as the anti-Trump candidate in the 2024 GOP presidential field, but can his strategy really bring down the former president and propel Christie to the Oval Office? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, the former New Jersey Governor tells Gerry Baker about how he is tackling the task of unifying the Republican Party despite Donald Trump's influence, whether the Hunter Biden investigation should lead to the impeachment of Joe Biden, and why his run for president is not the "kamikaze mission" it's being perceived as to upend the Trump campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time, voters got to see the major candidates for the Republican nomination for President on the same stage, with one glaring exception. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, GOP strategist and columnist Karl Rove tells WSJ editor at large Gerry Baker why he thinks Vivek Ramaswamy had the worst moment of the night in Milwaukee, how Nikki Haley and Mike Pence advanced their cause and says Ron DeSantis just managed to survive, albeit with a couple of difficult moments. And he argues that Donald Trump's absence exposed his vulnerabilities as the frontrunner and insists the former president can still be beaten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does the 2024 Presidential election rest on the legal troubles of Donald Trump and the Biden family? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, former Attorney General William Barr tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why he thinks the latest indictment by Atlanta district attorney of the former president is excessive even as the federal charges he faces are stronger, but why neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump will be the respective nominees for their parties, and why Hunter Biden "would already be in an orange jumpsuit" if he was a member of the Trump family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s Free Expression podcast John Bolton, who served as national security adviser to President Donald Trump tells Wall Street Journal editor at Large Gerry Baker there’s a good chance Trump will be convicted of criminal offenses ahead of the 2024 presidential election and if he is nominated by the Republican Party it will lead to unenviable defeat. He also argues the US needs to be doing much more to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine and to deter potential Chinese aggression in Taiwan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has liberalism really failed and if so, what’s next for America and other democracies? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, political science professor Patrick Deneen tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that the promotion of individual liberty as the organizing principle of society has resulted in the destruction of social cohesion and why it's time for a new political paradigm and the creation of a new elite in tune with true American values. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have Democrats taken African-American votes for granted? Could ethnic minorities find a home in the GOP? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker speaks with Georgia State Rep. Mesha Mainor about her decision last week to join the Republican Party and become the first African-American woman elected representative in the state legislature. She explains what Democrats get wrong about issues like school choice and affirmative action and how they continue to look to the past instead of the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is religious faith on the decline in the U.S.? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York, tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that a lack of religion and moral conviction is to blame for our toxic cultural environment. He also discusses how Pope Francis is leading the church worldwide, the importance of the separation of church and state, and where the pro-life movement stands a year after the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Americans celebrate Independence Day this week, the Free Expression Podcast features some of Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker's best interviews, including conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, 2024 Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., commentator Heather Mac Donald, political scientist Ruy Teixeira and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After an abortive mutiny by Wagner Group leader and mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin, is Vladimir Putin "damaged goods" as the leader of Russia? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, former Ambassador to both Russia and China Jon Huntsman tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why Prigozhin was exiled to Belarus while other Putin rivals have met a far worse fate, what the U.S. response should be, its effect on the Ukraine counteroffensive and why China may already be preparing for a new leadership in Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices