The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Guests: Ronald J. Pestritto & Christopher J. Scalia Host Scot Bertram talks with Ronald J. Pestritto, professor of politics and Charles and Lucia Shipley Chair in the American Constitution at Hillsdale College, about Hillsdale’s new online course, “The Federalist.” And Christopher Scalia, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, gives a defense of fiction and discusses his new book 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Adam Kissel & Christina Lamb Chakalova Host Scot Bertram talks with Adam Kissel, visiting fellow for higher education reform in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, about the decline of American Ivy League colleges and universities and his new co-authored book Slacking: A Guide to Ivy League Miseducation. And Christina Lamb Chakalova, assistant professor of art at Hillsdale College, continues a series on the history and character of American art. This week, she dives into photography and the illustrations of Norman Rockwell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Bradley Birzer & Jason L. Riley Host Scot Bertram talks with Bradley Birzer, professor of history and Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College, about the writings and enduring legacy of Ray Bradbury. And Jason L. Riley, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, discusses the ramifications of affirmative action initiatives in the black community and his new book, The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don’t Need Racial Preferences to Succeed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Josh Hammer & Mickey L. Mattox Host Scot Bertram talks with Josh Hammer, host of The Josh Hammer Show and senior editor-at-large at Newsweek, about Israel’s role in the Middle East and his new book Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West. And Mickey Mattox, Flack Family Foundation Chair and professor of theology at Hillsdale College, discusses the life and writings of Augustine of Hippo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Kevin Portteus, Daniel J. Mahoney, & Brent Cline Host Scot Bertram talks with Kevin Portteus, professor of politics and director of American Studies at Hillsdale College, about how the American Founders viewed the question of birthright citizenship and a recent essay he wrote on the subject. Daniel J. Mahoney, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and senior writer at Law & Liberty, discusses his recent book The Persistence of the Ideological Lie: The Totalitarian Impulse Then and Now. And Brent Cline, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a short series on the Harlem Renaissance. This week, the life and work of poets Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Andrew Klavan & Colin Brown Host Scot Bertram talks with Andrew Klavan, author and host of The Andrew Klavan Show, about making beauty out of the world as it is and his new book, The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness. And Colin Brown, recent graduate of the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship at Hillsdale College, discusses his doctoral thesis looking at Benjamin Franklin as a revolutionary statesman. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Joe Concha & Derek Stauff Host Scot Bertram talks with Joe Concha, author and Fox News contributor, about the strategy behind President Donald Trump's winning campaign and his new book, The Greatest Comeback Ever: Inside Trump's Big Beautiful Campaign. And Derek Stauff, associate professor of music at Hillsdale College, gives an overview of the musical function and history of the organ. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Dana Perino & Benedict Whalen Host Scot Bertram talks with Dana Perino, co-host of Fox News’ The Five and America's Newsroom and former White House Press Secretary, about the lessons she's learned over the course of her career and her new book I Wish Someone Had Told Me . . .: The Best Advice for Building a Great Career and a Meaningful Life. And Benedict Whalen, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, gives a biographical sketch of American writer and humorist Mark Twain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Richard Samuelson & George H. Nash Host Scot Bertram talks with Richard Samuelson, associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C. campus, continuing their conversation around the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. This week, they discuss the battle at Lexington and Concord. And George H. Nash, American historian and chronicler of American conservatism, discusses William F. Buckley and the beginnings of the conservative movement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Charlie Kirk, Christina Lamb Chakalova, & Ellen Condict Host Scot Bertram plays excerpts from a speech by Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and syndicated radio host, about the Trump administration's efforts to curtail the bureaucratic state. Christina Lamb Chakalova, assistant professor of Art at Hillsdale College, gives an overview of the history and character of American art. And Ellen Condict, English teacher at Hillsdale Academy and adjunct professor of English and Education at Hillsdale College, explains the importance of memorization in education. Listen to Charlie Kirk's complete speech here: https://freedomlibrary.hillsdale.edu/programs/national-leadership-seminar-phoenix-arizona/hitting-the-ground-running-the-trump-transition-and-early-priorities See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Miles Smith IV & Justin Shubow Host Scot Bertram talks with Miles Smith, assistant professor of History at Hillsdale College, about a recent essay he wrote on the historical role of the press in American politics. And Justin Shubow, president of the National Civic Art Society, lays out the roots of modern architecture and explains the importance of classical art and architecture in public spaces. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Kevin Portteus, Titus Techera, & Stephen Goniprow Host Scot Bertram talks with Kevin Portteus, professor of Politics and director of American Studies at Hillsdale College, about a recent article he wrote on the history and political theory of American immigration policy. Titus Techera, executive director at the American Cinema Foundation, explains how Hollywood lost touch with the American people. And Stephen Goniprow, a recent graduate of Hillsdale's Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship, outlines the intellectual foundations of global justice theory. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Charles N. Steele, Will Thibeau, & Derek Stauff Host Scot Bertram talks with Charles N. Steele, director of the Center for Commerce and Freedom and Herman A. and Suzanne S. Dettwiler Chair in Economics at Hillsdale College, about Understanding Capitalism, the latest online course from Hillsdale College. Will Thibeau, director of the American Military Project at the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life, lays out how DEI initiatives weaken the American military as described in a recent report. And Derek Stauff, associate professor of music at Hillsdale College, gives some simple tips on how to better appreciate classical music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Joseph Postell, Lawrence Perelman, & Michael Tripepi Host Scot Bertram talks with Joseph Postell, associate professor of politics at Hillsdale College, about the origins of the bureaucratic state as laid out in his book Bureaucracy in America: The Administrative State’s Challenge to Constitutional Government. Lawrence Perelman, founder & CEO of Semantix Creative Group, shares the lessons he learned as a close friend of National Review founder William F. Buckley Jr. and takes us inside his new book American Impresario: William F. Buckley, Jr., and the Elements of American Character. And Michael Tripepi, assistant professor of physics at Hillsdale College, explains why physicists study infrared light. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Khalil Habib, Kevin M. Shipp, & Brent Cline Host Scot Bertram talks with Khalil Habib, associate professor of politics and Allison and Dorothy Rouse Chair in Politics at Hillsdale College, about how examples of statesmanship in the Roman Republic can teach us about good government. Kevin M. Shipp, former CIA officer and anti-terrorism expert, lays out the history of the CIA and gives an overview of his new book Twilight of the Shadow Government: How Transparency Will Kill the Deep State. And Brent Cline, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a short series on the Harlem Renaissance. This week, the life and work of writer James Weldon Johnson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Richard M. Langworth, Catherine Austin Fitts, & Tori Hope Peterson Host Scot Bertram plays a previous interview with the late Richard Langworth, writer, historian, and senior fellow at the Hillsdale Churchill Project, about common misconceptions and myths about Winston Churchill. Catherine Austin Fitts, president of Solari, Inc., warns of the potential consequences of efforts by central banks to impose the use of digital currencies. And Tori Hope Peterson, author, speaker, and Hillsdale graduate, talks about the process of recovering from past traumas and her new book Breaking the Patterns That Break You: Healing from the Pain of Your Past and Finding Real Hope That Lasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Mollie Hemingway & Mark P. Mills Host Scot Bertram talks with Mollie Hemingway, senior journalism fellow at Hillsdale College and editor-in-chief at The Federalist, about the first month of President Donald Trump's second term in office. And Mark P. Mills, senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and director of the National Center on Energy Analytics, talks about the economics and future of electric vehicles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Wilfred McClay & Tyler O'Neil Host Scot Bertram talks with Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson chair in classical history and western civilization at Hillsdale College, about the distinction between speech and free expression as detailed in his recent essay in The New Criterion. And Tyler O'Neil, a Hillsdale graduate and managing editor at The Daily Signal, reveals the link between left-wing dark money groups and American bureaucracy and discusses his new book The Woketopus: The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: John J. Miller & Daniel Dreisbach Host Scot Bertram talks with John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College, about the decrease in local news sources and whether “news deserts” are a real thing. And Daniel Dreisbach, professor of Justice, Law, & Criminology at American University, outlines hows the Christian faith informed the political principles of the American Founding. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guests: Jeremiah Regan, Victoria Coates, & Eric Hutchinson Host Scot Bertram talks with Jeremiah Regan, executive director of online learning at Hillsdale College, about Hillsdale’s upcoming “Totalitarian Novels” online course. Victoria Coates, vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation, outlines the benefits of the American-Israeli relationship and discusses her new book,The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel―And America―Can Win. And Eric Hutchinson, associate professor of classics and director of the Collegiate Scholars Program at Hillsdale, summarizes the relationship between Augustine and the classics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.