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What the Hell Is Going On
The American Enterprise Institute’s Danielle Pletka and Marc Thiessen address the questions we’re all asking in their podcast, “What the Hell Is Going On?” In conversational, informative and irreverent episodes, Pletka and Thiessen interview policymakers and experts, asking tough, probing questions about the most important foreign policy and security challenges facing the world today.
Episodes
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Extra! About That Debate… Dany and Marc Explain
In this episode of WTH Extra! Dany and Marc discuss the disaster that was the first and likely only debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Is Going To Happen in November? Karl Rove Explains
Summer is over and the election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is right around the corner, with early voting starting this month in some states. Today…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH: Ukraine Takes the War to Putin. General Jack Keane Explains Ukraine’s Strategy and Path to Victory
Ukraine’s cross-border counterattack into Kursk Oblast, Russia, flipped the script on those who thought Ukrainians were losing in a stalemated war. Not only is…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Is Going On at the DNC? Fox News’s Jessica Tarlov Explains
The Democratic National Convention is full steam ahead in Chicago as the Democrats enthusiastically rally around their new nominee, Vice President Kamala…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Extra! Why Do Voters Hate the Biden-Harris Economy? Dany and Marc Explain
In today’s WTH Extra! episode, Dany and Marc discuss Marc’s latest Washington Post column, Two data points explain why voters hate the Biden-Harris economy…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Should I Read This Summer ... LIVE! “Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization” by Brad Wilcox.
Closing out What the Hell’s summer book series, Brad Wilcox discusses his book Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Should I Read This Summer? “The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction” By Meghan Cox Gurdon
In this episode of What the Hell’s summer book series, the WSJ’s Meghan Cox Gurdon discusses the wonders of audiobooks, reading aloud, and her book The…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Should I Read This Summer? “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier” By Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey
Kicking off What the Hell’s summer book series, Arthur Brooks discusses his new bestseller with Oprah Winfrey, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Extra! Why Did No One Challenge Harris? Dany and Marc Explain
In today’s WTH Extra! episode, Dany and Marc discuss Marc’s latest Washington Post column, Harris is a gaffe-prone leftist. Why didn’t anyone challenge her?…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH: Biden Out. Harris In. Ruy Teixeira Explains.
President Biden's sudden withdrawal from the 2024 election may have come as a surprise, but his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH: How Will the Trump Assassination Attempt Impact the Election? Brit Hume Explains
Following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life in Pennsylvania, the former president is moving full steam ahead with his campaign as the Republican…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Extra! How Can Trump Make NATO Great Again? Dany and Marc Discuss
In today’s WTH Extra! episode, Dany and Marc discuss Marc’s latest Washington Post column, How Trump Can Make NATO Great Again. While in office, President…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH: The WSJ’s Annie Linskey Explains Her Reporting on Biden’s Cognitive Decline
On June 4, Wall Street Journal reporters Annie Linskey and Siobhan Hughes broke the groundbreaking story Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping. In…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On With Presidential Immunity? Andy McCarthy Explains
In a spate of end-of-term decisions, the Supreme Court released its decision on the question of presidential immunity, ruling that the president has broad…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Extra! Joe Won’t Go. Dany and Marc Discuss
In today’s WTH Extra! episode, Dany and Marc discuss Dany’s recent substack, Joe Won’t Go. Will President Biden take the advice of panicked liberal pundits…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH: MAGA Isolationism Is A Myth! The Reagan Institute’s Roger Zakheim Explains
The numbers are in, and it’s clear that Americans of all political stripes – Democrats, independents, and both MAGA and non-MAGA Republicans – want America to…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Extra! Is Trump an Isolationist? Dany and Marc Discuss
In this new WTH Extra! series, Dany and Marc discuss Marc’s recent Washington Post column, Biden’s Latest Attack on Trump is Wildly Inaccurate. Is Trump really…
- What the Hell Is Going On
#WTH Russia Eyes Georgia Next. David Kramer Explains
Georgia’s parliament in Tbilisi recently overrode a presidential veto on a “foreign agents” law that sparked an uproar domestically and from the country’s…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On With the Hostage Rescue and Political Turmoil in Israel? Haviv Rettig Gur Explains
This past weekend, Israeli special forces rescued four hostages Hamas kidnapped on October 7 and held in Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp. Israelis were ecstatic…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH: 34 Felonies? Professor Jonathan Turley Explains the Trump Convictions
Last week, Donald Trump became the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a felony after a New York State court found him guilty on 34 counts of…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Live: Reps. Mike Lawler & Ritchie Torres Explain How Congress is Fighting Antisemitism on Campus
Following a year of record-high antisemitic attacks and incidents on college campuses, students, professors, and administrators need to be held to account. But…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is the International Criminal Court Prosecuting Netanyahu and Threatening Congress? Senator Tom Cotton Explains
This week, International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan, K.C., announced on CNN that he will seek arrest warrants for Israel’s democratically…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On With The Corruption of Climate Science? Roger Pielke Jr. Explains
President Biden is pushing through climate regulations at record speed as his administration, activists, and international organizations warn of an impending…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On With Trump’s Trials? John Yoo Explains
Former president Donald Trump is on trial in New York over hush money payments made before the 2016 election. The only problem? Hush money payments as part of…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Antisemitism Exploding on College Campuses? Hillel International’s Adam Lehman Explains
Self-proclaimed “anti-Israel” and “anti-war” protests have gripped college campuses ever since Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack killed, injured, and took hostage…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Live! Our 250th Episode with Amy Walter and Matthew Continetti on the Biden-Trump Rematch—Live Before a Studio Audience!
President Joe Biden is one of the least popular presidents in the history of presidential polling. Former President Donald Trump faces 91 charges across four…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Iran Attacking Israel? Fred Kagan Explains
Last weekend, for the first time since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979, Iran launched a direct attack on Israel from Iranian territory. In total…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Can’t Democrats Quit Trump? The WSJ’s Barton Swaim Explains
Joe Biden and the Democratic Party love labeling Donald Trump and his MAGA followers as the greatest threat to American democracy. So why are…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Is Going On With Biden and Israel? Dan Senor Explains
In the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, Joe Biden stood by America’s closest Middle Eastern partner, providing diplomatic cover and military aid…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Do Americans Think the Economy is Terrible? Gary Cohn on Bidenomics
According to President Biden, his stewardship of the economy – which he has dubbed “Bidenomics” – should be praised as the best America has ever seen…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Did We Do to Our Kids? Nat Malkus On The Consequences of Pandemic School Closures Four Years After COVID
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, students, parents, and teachers were told they have to stay home from school in order to stop the spread of disease. Anyone…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On at Harvard? Larry Summers Explains
Following the terrorist attacks of October 7th, Harvard University was among several elite bastions of higher education to show its true colors – moral…
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WTH Are Americans Thinking About November? Mark Penn Explains His Newest Data
Super Tuesday wrapped up as predicted, with Trump sweeping the GOP win and Haley dropping out. Barring a meteorite, this means we are locked into a Trump-Biden…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On with Seizing Russian Assets? Stephen Rademaker Explains
Two years ago, at the start of the war in Ukraine, $300 billion in Russian assets were frozen in Western banks. The assumption behind Western economic pressure…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Happening Two Years into the War in Ukraine? Yaroslav Trofimov Explains
Since Russia invaded Ukraine exactly two years ago, Yaroslav Trofimov has been covering the war on the ground. His newest book, Our Enemies Will Vanish: The…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH: Natan Sharansky on the Murder of Alexei Navalny
Alexei Navalny was allowed one book in his Siberian prison. He chose Fear No Evil by former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky, who joins us for an important…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On with Biden’s Mental Fitness, the 14th Amendment, and the Border Bill Debacle? Andy McCarthy Explains All
The Department of Justice released a report that Joe Biden willfully retained classified documents – but can’t be tried because - long story short - he is non…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Wrong with UNRWA? Jonathan Schanzer Explains
Media outlets have just begun to report on the rot of the United Nations Relief Works Agency – but the issue goes much farther back than October 7th, and the…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is No Labels’ Plan For 2024? No Labels Co-Chairman Governor Pat McCrory Explains
America seems to be on a locked path towards a Trump-Biden rematch in 2024. But is this what people want? The polls say no. And is this really our only option?…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Happened in New Hampshire… and WTH Happens Next? With Josh Kraushaar
Trump won the New Hampshire primaries, but Nikki Haley is staying in the race. We had a lot of questions for our guest on what this might mean for the next few…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Happened in Iowa...and WTH Happens Next? Sean Trende Explains
The 2024 Iowa caucuses have come and gone, with the key takeaways some freezing temperatures, low turnout, and a Trump slam dunk. 15 percent of eligible Iowans…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Wrong with Gen Z? Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott Explain
Generation Z is now entering the workforce, and free speech levels have never been so low in America. Coincidence? We think not. Legions of Gen Zers are…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Were the 10 Best and Worst Things Biden Did in 2023?
2023 was not a year of shining achievements for the Biden administration. But along with the bad, there were achievements worth celebrating. So this year, Marc…
- What the Hell Is Going On
ICYMI: WTH is Going On with Kicking Trump Off the Ballot? John Yoo Explains
Happy holidays from the WTH team. In case you missed it, we are re-upping one of our best pods of the year with John Yoo, to explain why kicking candidates off…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Happens After the Israel-Hamas War? Elliott Abrams Explains
Nearly three months into the Israel-Hamas war, we’re back with Elliott Abrams for an update on what the hell is going on, and more importantly, where to go…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Have All the Democrats Gone? With Ruy Teixeira
In 2002, Ruy Teixeira co-authored The Emerging Democratic Majority. Now, two decades later, his new book is out – Where Have All the Democrats Gone? So what…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Ukraine Aid’s Best-Kept Secret? Most of The Money Stays in the U.S. John Ferrari Explains
The best-kept secret about aid to Ukraine? 90% of the money the US allocates for military aid is spent here at home. The money goes right to American defense…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is the UN so anti-Israel and anti-American? Brett Schaefer Explains
Why is the United Nations siding with Hamas in its war on Israel? An exaggeration? Nope. The examples are endless. The United Nations Relief Works Agency…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH: Tik Tok, Osama bin Laden, and Hamas. Rep. Mike Gallagher Explains
Since the events of October 7, the Chinese Communist Party has been spreading virulent antisemitic memes in the U.S. via its favorite information warfare tool…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Do Antisemitism and Critical Race Theory Have in Common? Professor David Bernstein Explains
What do Critical Race Theory and antisemitism have in common? A lot, actually, from the roots of each movement, to the ideology, to the way they are weaponized…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Iran Up To in Israel and Gaza? Ken Pollack Explains
It is unclear whether Iran chose the exact date and time of the Hamas attacks, but the detail is irrelevant. The Islamic Republic of Iran has funded…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On with the Explosion of Antisemitism on the Left? Ruth Wisse Explains
There are Charlottesvilles happening every day in America. This time, they’re everywhere, driven by an explosion of antisemitism. And these Charlottesvilles…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Wrong with Congress? Rep. Fitzpatrick Explains
It has been over 20 days since the House of Representatives ousted, and then successively failed to re-elect, a speaker of the House. The dysfunction could not…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Did Hamas Attack and How Will Israel Respond? Haviv Gur Explains
The monstrosity of Hamas’ attack on Israel is hard to fathom. This podcast, with Times of Israel reporter Haviv Gur, shares some insight into developments on…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Aren’t We Holding Iran Responsible For The Attack on Israel? With Elliott Abrams
On October 7th, Israel suffered the worst attack it has experienced in its history at the hands of the terrorist group Hamas. 900 casualties in Israel…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Congress Undermining Our National Defense? Mackenzie Eaglen Explains
Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown last week when it passed a continuing resolution – a stop-gap spending bill that finances the government for a…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Has Trust in American Institutions Collapsed? Gerry Baker Explains
Gallup, Pew, and other reputable polling institutes have been lock-step in reporting the precipitous decline of American trust in the country’s institutions…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is Going On with Kicking Trump Off the Ballot? John Yoo Explains the 14th Amendment, Biden Impeachment and More
The projected Biden-Trump rematch is not merely depressing, it is causing policymakers on the left and the right to abandon good sense. The result? A…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH Can Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Americans Agree On? A Lot, Say Alyssa Rosenberg and Marc Thiessen
In a post-Dobbs political landscape, abortion policy has become the great divider. But disagreements over abortion cannot stifle much-needed conversations…
- What the Hell Is Going On
WTH is the Biden Administration Undermining The Ukrainian Counteroffensive? General Jack Keane Explains
This summer, several articles aired in mainstream media outlets citing unnamed individuals from the Pentagon, and criticizing the speed and tactics of the…