WSJ Opinion: Free Expression

A Message About Free Expression

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:10:00 +0000

After nearly three years of enlightening conversations, Gerry Baker’s weekly Free Expression podcast is coming to an end. But you can still read his column every week in the Journal and he may even pop up from time to time in other places!

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Thinking With Machines

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 4 Dec 2025 18:23:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence has gone from science fiction to an everyday reality in a few years. As the technology advances and transforms almost everything we do, the need to understand its potential - and how to harness it - grows by the day.

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with New York University professor Vasant Dhar, author of a new book “Thinking With Machines: The Brave New World of AI”. They discuss the difference between using AI as an effective tool and becoming over reliant on it and ponder how it may more deeply entrench our economic and social divisions.

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Giving and Thanksgiving

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:24:00 +0000

The time of year when we express our gratitude for our many blessings offer an opportunity to reflect on the importance of giving.

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with financier John Studzinski, who shares lessons learned from his own philanthropy in a new book, “A Talent for Giving, Creating a More Generous Society That Benefits Everyone.” They discuss the projects he started to show the difference between philanthropy and charity, why giving can be a currency for change, and what can be done to broaden what he calls the “community of mankind.”

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Giving and Thanksgiving

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:24:00 +0000

The time of year when we express our gratitude for our many blessings offer an opportunity to reflect on the importance of giving.

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Does Supply-Side Economics Still Work?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 20:45:00 +0000

Once a defining principle of conservative governing economic policy, supply-side economics has taken some political hits in the last decade. The progressive left has always critiqued laissez- faire economics, blaming the pursuit of smaller government, tax cuts, deregulation and open trade for increasing inequality. But now large parts of the right seem to dislike supply-siders too. Populists oppose free trade and favor more government intervention in the economy, and while Donald Trump has achieved big tax cuts in both his terms in office, his signature economic measure is tariffs and he seems eager to expand government's role in the economy, from telling companies what they should be doing with prices to taking stakes in big American firms and directing foreign investment into favored industrial activities.

Have the supply-siders lost?

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Matthew Elliott, member of Britain's House of Lords, and co-author with Arthur Laffer one of the godfathers of supply side economics and Michael Hintze, a London-based hedge fund founder, of a new book “Prosperity Through Growth.” They discuss the case for reviving conservative economic ideas, especially in the U.K., the risks of Trump's tariffs and trade policies, and whether Brexit, which fired the starting gun for populist economics, was a failure.

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America, Russia, China and the Struggle for Global Supremacy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:28:00 +0000

How can the U.S. win the new Cold War against its old Cold War adversaries? Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have come to a truce of sorts in their trade war, with the U.S. reducing tariffs and China agreeing not to block vital commodity exports. Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on, with no signs of any negotiated settlement. President Trump seems to prize his relationships with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, but what is the goal for the U.S. in this age of power rivalry? How can the United States maintain a dominant role in geopolitics, while keeping threats from its adversaries at bay?

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with former Ambassador to Russia and professor at Stanford University Michael McFaul, who details how the U.S. will handle these countries in his new book, “Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder.” They also discuss why Russia is a bigger threat than China to the United States and how China wants to wield its influence through the world economy, unlike Vladimir Putin’s campaign of disruption.

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America, Russia, China and the Struggle for Global Supremacy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:28:00 +0000

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Democrats Make a Startling Comeback on Election Day

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 5 Nov 2025 22:27:00 +0000

Reports of the death of the Democratic party appear to have been greatly exaggerated. The party made big gains across the country in Tuesday’s off-year elections. The races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia produced wins for Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani fought off a challenge from Trump-endorsed Andrew Cuomo, and Gavin Newsom’s plan for a Democrat-favorable redistricting in California won big. How big are the warning signs for the Republican Party and how do they respond?

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Joel Kotkin, professor of urban studies and expert on the culture and politics of American cities, about why large cities like New York and Chicago are moving further and further left, why affordability is the largest issue to urban voters, the changing nature of racial politics and how Donald Trump and Republicans need to respond.

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Democrats Make a Startling Comeback on Election Day

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 5 Nov 2025 22:27:00 +0000

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Are Women to Blame for Wokery?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 20:01:00 +0000

American society has been transformed in the last half century by the entry into the workforce of large numbers of women. Equal gender opportunity has commanded a large consensus for most of that time, but there are some dissenters. Gerry Baker's guest this week on Free Expression is author and commentator Helen Andrews. She's made waves in this month with an article decrying the "Feminization of America" saying the explosion of woke ideas and cancel culture can be directly attributed to the large numbers of women who now work in the law, academia, and the media. Together they discuss the rise of women, its benefits and perils for society and whether it really means the rule of law in America is in peril.

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Science, Evidence, and the Existence of God

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 03:32:00 +0000

For most of the last few centuries, advances in scientific understanding have seemed to undermine arguments for the existence of God. Physical phenomena ascribed to a deity have been discovered to have natural explanations.

But some think that recent scientific discoveries have actually strengthened the case for the existence of at least some supernatural original creator. A new book, by Michel-Yves Bolloré and Olivier Bonnassies, two French authors, argues for a science-based belief in God. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Bolloré, one of the authors of “God, the Science, the Evidence”. They discuss how the Big Bang and the creation of the universe could be the first sign of a creator, how a belief in God is different from having faith, and whether reason can make the case that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.

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A Fractured World

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 21:08:00 +0000

We may be seeing peace break out in the Middle East, but it’s still trade war elsewhere - especially with China. Donald Trump has threatened a 100% tariff on the rival superpower if Beijing goes through with its plan to impose tough restrictions on exports of the rare earth minerals critical to the U.S. economy. These could well be mere negotiating tactics but they’re a reminder of the wider friction that now dominates global economic relations.

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Neil Shearing, Group Chief Economist of Capital Economics and author of “The Fractured Age: How the Return of Geopolitics Will Splinter the Global Economy.” They discuss Shearing’s argument that the world is dividing into two giant economic blocs and what that might mean for stability and peace. They also talk about some unusual developments in global markets of late, especially a weakening dollar and a soaring gold price - the last of which Shearing believes is driven by Chinese official policy.

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Colonialism, Reparations, and the Rise of ‘White Guilt’

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 8 Oct 2025 17:17:00 +0000

In America and much of the West, it's become axiomatic to regard colonialism as a stain on human history. The story told in classrooms and popular culture is one of unrelenting exploitation of hapless people of color by white imperialists. And the narrative has contemporary relevance: demands for reparations for the victims of oppression - But is the modern West's history really a litany of crimes against humanity? Should we pay reparations to the victims?

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker explores these themes with Nigel Biggar, author of “Reparations: Slavery and the Tyranny of Imaginary Guilt.” They discuss Lord Biggar’s experiences in the “culture wars,” the attempts to silence him, and take a critical look at the belief that a debt needs to be paid to the descendants of slaves.

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An End To Climate Alarmism

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 1 Oct 2025 23:19:00 +0000

Last week at the United Nations, Donald Trump derided the climate change movement, calling it a ‘con job,’ a view that the Republican party signed onto as the president won his second term last year. While it may not be a hoax, there's growing evidence that the supposed catastrophe climate change represents has been way overblown. One person whose views have undergone a radical change in recent years is Ted Nordhaus, co-founder and director of the Breakthrough Institute.

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Gerry Baker speaks to Nordhaus, who explains how he has stopped worrying and learned, if not to love, then at least to accept the limited cost of climate change. He argues that government incentives have created a ‘climate industrial complex’ that continues to promote an alarmist message, but says the U.S. is actually on the right track in tackling climate change

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The Woke Revolution and the Populist Backlash

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:27:00 +0000

The murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the summer of rage that followed was a seminal event in U.S. politics. It was seized on by progressive ideologues who controlled most of the cultural and political discourse in America to assert an identity-based ideology and to marginalize dissent.

But their efforts to cement a woke revolution and cancel opposition has come back to haunt them. The re-election of Donald Trump last year represented in part a counter-revolution. And now he and his MAGA majority seem to be using some of the same tactics to squeeze their opponents from the public square.

How did we get here and how can we restore civility in an age of increasingly polarized intolerance?

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of a new book ‘Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse.’

They discuss how illiberalism turned university campuses into hotbeds of intolerance, why there is now a backlash against ‘identity politics,’ and how Donald Trump’s base is more multi-cultural than is portrayed by his critics.

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The Woke Revolution and the Populist Backlash

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:27:00 +0000

How did we get here and how can we restore civility in an age of increasingly polarized intolerance?

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of a new book ‘Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse.’

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Who’s to Blame for Political Violence?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:09:00 +0000

The assassination of Charlie Kirk marked the latest escalation of politically motivated violence, and it may be a breaking point for the country. After the murder of Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota and the attempts on President Donald Trump’s life last year, the U.S. seems to be returning to the dark days of half a century ago when politically motivated violence was almost routine. President Trump and his allies put the blame on the radical left and have threatened a crackdown.

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker discusses the deteriorating political atmosphere with Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who details his own experiences dealing with political threats. They also discuss the prospects for a government shutdown and the changes the Democratic Party needs to make if it is to re-earn the trust of American voters.

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A Top Banker on the Fed, Tariffs, and the Uncertain Outlook for the U.S. Economy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 3 Sep 2025 13:34:00 +0000

With Donald Trump’s tariffs heading towards a Supreme Court showdown, his efforts to reshape the Federal Reserve in his own image intensifying, and another Washington battle under way over funding the federal government, the U.S. economy and markets face new uncertainties entering the fall.

On this episode of Free Expression, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan tells Gerry Baker that despite the uncertainty, he sees no U.S. recession in the near future and thinks inflation remains contained. But he emphasizes the importance of Fed independence and offers his thoughts on tariffs and the growing fiscal crisis, and on the challenges and opportunities posed by crypto currency and artificial intelligence to the banking system.

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Tariffs, Stagflation and the New AI-driven Economy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:35:00 +0000

With emerging signs that Donald Trump's revolutionary tariff regime may be starting to take a toll on U.S. economic prospects, what's the outlook for the immediate future? And how is the latest wave of technological change, allied with a new strand of government activism, going to change longer term economic performance?

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with financier and philanthropist Glenn Hutchins about what the recent jobs and inflation numbers might mean for the economy, what the Federal Reserve should do in response, what the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and the renewed focus on national priorities will mean. And as a long-standing supporter of Democratic candidates and causes, he offers a few thoughts on the future of the Democratic party.

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Democracy on the Brink

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 5 Aug 2025 14:56:00 +0000

Liberal democracy is under siege. Domestically, popular discontent with civic, cultural and political institutions is tempting voters in many democracies towards more authoritarian leadership. Globally, the axis of autocracies in Russia and China threaten to upend weaker democratic neighbors. Donald Trump’s trade policies and diplomacy are weakening alliances and undermining faith in "the west.” Is democracy in retreat? Does it matter? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker and former British prime minister Rishi Sunak discuss the state of democracy in the U.K. and the U.S, how liberal democracy can be strengthened, and how rapid technological change is affecting economics and politics. And the U.K.'s last Conservative prime minister offers his thoughts on the state of conservatism on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Can Israel Win its War in Gaza?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 18:57:00 +0000

While Israel continues to achieve great military successes against Hamas, Hezbollah and most recently Iran in its almost two year campaign, the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Gaza are growing worse. There is growing evidence of famine throughout Gaza, caused by disruptions in the delivery of aid, and both sides are being accused of causing the crisis. International pressure on Israel is mounting. Last week, Emmanuel Macron of France announced he would recognize a Palestinian state and Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, has said he could do the same in September. So can Israel effectively finish its war in the face of the human cost and growing international isolation?

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Israeli journalist and commentator Nadav Eyal about what it could take to settle the war between Israel and Hamas, the international reaction to the crisis, and how Israel can ultimately guarantee its own security and very existence.

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The Last Republican Holdout?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:10:00 +0000

Donald Trump’s control of the Republican Party is almost complete. But there are still some members pushing back against the president. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is a persistent dissident. She was one of the few Senators to vote against a recent package of cuts that had already been approved in a spending bill. She has also voted against and expressed reservations about a number of Donald Trump’s cabinet members. She voted to convict him on impeachment charges after the January 6 2021 Capitol Hill riots.

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Murkowski about her recent memoir, “Far From Home,” her concerns about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stances on vaccines in relation to the recent measles outbreak in Texas, and why she’s “not losing sleep” over the direction of the Republican party.

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Are the Socialists Taking Over the Democratic Party?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 9 Jul 2025 22:14:00 +0000

The hottest properties in the Democratic Party at the moment are self-described democratic socialists. Zohran Mamdani won the party’s nomination for New York City mayor last month while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders (who’s not even a Democrat) are in the forefront of the party’s campaigning against President Donald Trump. The trend alarms the party’s leadership and mainstream establishment, who see it as a quick route to electoral oblivion. Can the next wave of Democratic candidates for local and national elections appeal to the middle, or is the distaste for President Trump making the party hostage to its more radical elements?

On this episode of Free Expression, former Commerce Secretary and White House Chief of Staff William Daley tells Gerry Baker about his concerns for the direction of the Democratic party, what it can learn from the mistake from the Tea Party movement of the GOP, and who he thinks are the party’s most electable candidates for president.

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Trump, the GOP and the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill'

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 2 Jul 2025 21:49:00 +0000

Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress set a July 4th deadline to pass a spending package the President and others gave the moniker the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” Getting the measure to the president’s desk hasn’t been plain sailing - the Senate version passed this week only with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance. Now fiscal conservatives in the House are battling over some of the details, but it seems likely to become law soon enough.

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with economist and former director of the Congressional Budget Office Douglas Holtz-Eakin about the bill’s likely positive impact on the economy as well as the nation's dire fiscal situation, how the nation’s budget challenges still require reform of entitlements that seems politically elusive, and what this signature piece of domestic policy says about the direction of Trump’s Republican Party.

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Is New York City Ready for a Democratic Socialist Mayor?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 22:30:00 +0000

A shockwave rippled through New York politics this week as little-known 33-year old assemblyman Zohran Mamdani toppled Andrew Cuomo, whose political lineage could not compete with his scandal-ridden tenure as governor, to win the Democratic primary nomination for the city’s mayoral election. Mamdani mobilized a coalition of young voters, ethnic minorities and others behind a hard-left platform that called for even higher taxes than New Yorkers already pay and expanded government programs. He has voiced strong support for Palestinian causes and has called to “globalize the intifada” whatever that means. Meanwhile, current mayor Eric Adams plans to run as an independent as a way to head off the new young radical’s path to Gracie Mansion. What does Mamdani’s stunning success say about Democrats - in New York and in the country as a whole.

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker and political analyst Heather Mac Donald look at some of Mamdani’s more radical views, break down just who voted for each candidate, and what the latest far left Democratic plans for a major city may do to New York’s economy and financial sector.

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A Turning Point in Middle East History

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 13:26:00 +0000

Israel’s air assault on the heart of Iran’s nuclear program has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East. Iran’s bid for regional hegemony and the survival of the Islamic regime itself is now under serious threat. But can Israel finish the job on its own or does it need the U.S. to tighten the vise on Teheran? While Donald Trump still says he wants to see a deal made, his administration is also weighing whether to join Israel’s assault. As the conflict continues, who will eventually define the future of the Middle East? On this episode of Free Expression, Middle East policy analyst Marc Reuel Gerecht tells Gerry Baker how much more assistance the U.S. should provide Israel, how Russia and China are reacting to the conflict, and how Iran’s future might look.

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Barry Diller on a Life in Hollywood

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:18:00 +0000

Few people have lived the entertainment world like Barry Diller. Over 60 years in the business, he has run movie studios and TV networks and most recently built a portfolio of digital media properties. In the process he has seen the sector move from a studio-and producer-driven model to the increasingly tech-dominated business it is today.

On this episode of Free Expression, Diller speaks with Gerry Baker about his life in the entertainment business, how modern tech domination has diminished the value of creativity and why Hollywood went woke and progressive. Discussing his newly published memoir, “Who Knew?,” he also reveals what he calls the “sexual nuance” of being gay while being married to a woman, his wife of 25 years, the fashion designer, Diane Von Furstenberg.

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Barry Diller on a Life in Hollywood

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:18:00 +0000

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Can the U.S. Avoid an Oncoming Debt Crisis?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 5 Jun 2025 17:24:00 +0000

The House of Representatives has passed Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and now the Senate is pondering its version. Chief among the concerns for some senators is how much it will add to the federal debt. Already at $36 trillion, how much is too much? Are we on the brink of a major fiscal crisis? On this episode of Free Expression, Bridgewater founder and investor Ray Dalio talks to Gerry Baker about the risks of a debt calamity if bond markets take fright. They also talk about his new book, “How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle”, which chronicles the history of governments with unsustainable debt and offers his “3%”, three-part solution for ensuring fiscal health.

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Newt Gingrich on Donald Trump’s Not-So-Conservative Triumph

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 30 May 2025 13:12:00 +0000

Improbable as it would have once seemed, Donald Trump is the dominant political figure of the first quarter of the 21st century, creating a populist movement not seen in recent American history. But is he really a conservative, and what are the defining characteristics of the way he has bent the Republican party to his will? On this episode of Free Expression, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich talks to Gerry Baker about his new book, “Trump’s Triumph: America’s Greatest Comeback,” why the lack of coverage of Joe Biden’s cognitive decline is one of history’s greatest scandals, and why the courts should not have the power and authority over Donald Trump’s executive power.

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Kelsey Grammer Discusses his Sister’s Tragic Death, its Meaning and the Role of Faith in his Life

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 22 May 2025 23:03:00 +0000

Actor Kelsey Grammer is known for his many acting roles, most notably as radio psychiatrist Frasier Crane in the long running TV sitcom “Frasier.” But behind the comic mask lies a lifelong story of pain and grief. Fifty years ago, his beloved sister Karen was abducted, raped and murdered. In a new memoir, “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” he writes of how the tragedy shaped his own life. On this episode of Free Expression, Grammer speaks with Gerry Baker about his sister as a source of joy in his life, his spiritual reunion with her and his evolving Christian faith. A rare conservative in Hollywood, Grammer also discussed the current political climate in America and how the pursuit of individual freedom remains his guiding philosophy.

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Tariffs, Taxes and ‘The Big, Beautiful Bill’

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 14 May 2025 18:25:00 +0000

This week, Donald Trump celebrated a “reset” with China, lowering tariffs and signaling a major thaw in the trade war between the two countries. Meanwhile, as the President traveled to the Middle East, House Republicans announced their framework for the “big, beautiful” spending bill looking to make changes to Medicaid and reduce the budget deficit. Where does Donald Trump's wider economic agenda now sit?

On this episode of Free Expression, Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw tells Gerry Baker why the President has to stop thinking the U.S. is an economic “loser,” and how the U.S. under Trump is starting take on some of the appearances of an unstable emerging market and gives his perspective on academic freedom on the Harvard campus and elsewhere after the administration's unprecedented campaign against institutions of higher learning.

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Choosing the Next Pope

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 7 May 2025 01:29:00 +0000

The conclave of Cardinals to choose the 267th pope, bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church opened Wednesday at the Vatican. Whoever is chosen by the 133 voting Cardinals from all over the world will follow Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pope who died last month. What kind of leader are the cardinals looking for and where is the church headed? On this episode of Free Expression, theologian, author and commentator George Weigel talks to Gerry Baker about what goes on in the conclave, why he thinks the Cardinals will choose a different character than the autocratic Francis, and how the growth of the Catholic faithful outside its traditional heartland of Europe could be changing the church.

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Choosing the Next Pope

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 7 May 2025 01:29:00 +0000

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The Economic Outlook: The View from The White House

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Sat, 3 May 2025 00:03:00 +0000

It’s been a month since Donald Trump celebrated his “Liberation Day,” announcing a wide range of what he called reciprocal tariffs on a number of countries, with China facing the steepest. Since then matters have been on a roller coaster ride as the President first fiercely defended the plan and then paused it for most countries except China. While fears about the impact on the U.S. and the world have escalated, the economy seems to be toddling along. But great uncertainty remains - not just on tariffs but on the scope and scale of Republican tax plans and the budget. On this episode of Free Expression, Director of the National Economic Council of the United States Kevin Hassett discusses the latest job numbers to come out, how the tariffs began as a place of negotiation, and how the tax plan is progressing through Congress.

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The Economic Outlook: The View from The White House

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Sat, 3 May 2025 00:03:00 +0000

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The Trump Touch - Is America's Leadership Failing?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:34:00 +0000

President Donald Trump's multi-front attempt to remake America and the world is meeting with mixed success. His administration has ended the crisis at the border and is aggressively moving against illegal migrants. But elsewhere the picture is murky. The war in Ukraine rages on, the Middle East continues unsettled and above all, his restless back-and-forth on tariffs and international economics is causing profound damage to faith in U.S. economic stability. And some of his actions suggest an authoritarian style inimical to American values.

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker sits down with Admiral William McRaven, former head of US special operations, to discuss Trump's leadership. McRaven draws on the themes of his new book, "Conquering Crisis: 10 Lessons to Learn Before You Need Them," to assess the first 100 days of Trump's second term, but also the wider challenges of leadership in crisis.

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Lessons from Nixon for Trump's New World Order

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 6 Mar 2025 12:43:00 +0000

As the breach between the U.S. and its allies widens following President Trump's Oval Office bust-up with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his imposition of tariffs on Canada and Mexico, what can history tell us about today's tumult?

On this episode of Free Expression, deputy national security advisor to Trump in his first term Nadia Schadlow shares with Gerry Baker the parallels she sees between Donald Trump and Richard Nixon as both faced a tense and rapidly changing international climate. They discuss how Trump and Nixon both believed in peace through strength, in the importance of a global balance of power and in the opportunity provided by negotiation - sometimes with unexpected partners.

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Peace in Our Time or Dishonorable Surrender?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 19:39:00 +0000

During the week that marked the three-year anniversary of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Donald Trump met with a flurry of world leaders to discuss ending the war, as well as announcing a potential commercial deal with Ukraine over mineral resources. Meanwhile, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution condemning Moscow’s actions even as Ukrainian forces fought on to expel Russians from their territory. So what does all the activity mean for the future of the conflict and is there any end in sight?

On this episode of Free Expression, military historian and analyst Fred Kagan tells Gerry Baker why Vladimir Putin is the only world leader who doesn’t want the war to end, reviews the latest conditions on the battlefield, and argues the Trump administration should not be willing to give concessions to Russia in the name of peace nor give up on NATO.

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Donald Trump's Russian Revolution

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:04:00 +0000

Has the U.S. flipped sides in the great strategic contest of the last century? With his secretary of state calling for a new "partnership" with Russia, his vice president decrying Western Europe's political condition and the president himself seemingly blaming Ukraine for the war that started on its territory three years ago, Donald Trump seems to be executing one of the most dramatic shifts in American foreign policy. Is this the end of the transatlantic alliance and what might it mean for America's larger strategic goals?

On this episode of Free Expression, international relations scholar Hal Brands and author of a new book. "The Eurasian Century", tells Gerry Baker how a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine was always going to be a goal for the United States no matter who won the 2024 election, how Trump may be trying to prise Russia away from China and why the U.S. still needs NATO and European allies.

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Are We Facing a Constitutional Crisis?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:14:00 +0000

Donald Trump has been working at a breakneck speed during his first three weeks in office, prompting alarms from his critics that he is plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis. Many of the administration’s executive actions, including abolishing birthright citizenship, and the initiatives launched by Elon Musk and DOGE, have already faced judicial challenges. So is Donald Trump just testing the limits of his power, or is the criticism of his approach warranted?

On this episode of Free Expression, constitutional law professor John Yoo tells Gerry Baker why a more active Congress would prevent Donald Trump from taking such drastic action to get things done, how the Supreme Court will factor into many of these executive orders, and which of those orders might ultimately fail.

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Will Free Expression Thrive Under Trump 2.0?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 5 Feb 2025 18:34:00 +0000

With Donald Trump making the elimination of diversity, equality, and inclusion programs in the federal government a high priority, there is no doubt the effort will extend to other aspects of society as well. And there are no institutions that are in need of an overhaul from these policies more than American universities. Will years of cancel culture and the obstruction of alternate views on campuses be coming to an end?

On this episode of Free Expression, University of Chicago president Paul Alivisatos tells Gerry Baker about the shift he is seeing towards the Chicago principles of free speech, and the incredible advances being developed in the field of artificial intelligence.

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The Second Trump Administration Hits the Ground Running

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 18:08:00 +0000

With strong enforcement on immigration, executive orders ending DEI initiatives in the federal government, and confirmations of many members of his cabinet, Donald Trump spent most of his first two weeks in office showing the world he’s everything Joe Biden wasn’t. But what about the politics of what the administration is doing?

On this episode of Free Expression, veteran pollster Mark Penn and Gerry Baker discuss the fallout after the pardons issued to the Jan. 6 defendants, what could happen if Donald Trump drifts too far to the right, the role tech CEOs will have over the next four years, and how the world at large will work alongside Donald Trump on foreign policy and tariffs.

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Handling Russia in Donald Trump's Second Term

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 22:31:00 +0000

This week, the second Trump administration began with a flurry of executive orders and comments from the President about how he plans to approach Vladimir Putin and the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, threatening possible sanctions on Russia if a deal can’t be reached. So what are the prospects for peace, and what is the future for military aid for Ukraine with a Republican majority in both the House and Senate?

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, investor Bill Browder tells Gerry Baker the desperate lengths Vladimir Putin will go to stay in power and conquer Ukraine, what the mood in Europe is like now that Donald Trump has taken office and has tariffs on his agenda, and how the destruction of NATO's credibility could be Putin’s “ultimate prize” to shake up the world order.

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Handling Russia in Donald Trump's Second Term

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 22:31:00 +0000

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Trump and the Economy - Second Time a Charm?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:52:00 +0000

Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. His Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent has set an ambitious triple goal of 3-3-3 - three percent growth; a three percent fiscal deficit and a three million a day increase in US oil production. But as Trump prepares to take office clouds are forming over the economic outlook with market interest rates up sharply on growing fears about lingering inflation and the federal deficit.

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, economist and former dean of Columbia Business School Glenn Hubbard and Gerry Baker discuss whether Trump can achieve his goals, whether the Fed will be cutting or raising rates this year, and how Trump’s police’s may help or hinder growth and price stability.

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Trump and the Economy - Second Time a Charm?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:52:00 +0000

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Free Expression Encore: The Best of 2024

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:05:00 +0000

Free Expression's final episode of 2024 features some of Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker's best interviews of the year, including conversations with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Trump National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, Republican Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise and Richard Fontaine and Robert Blackwill, foreign policy commentators and co-authors of “Lost Decade: The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power.”

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Free Expression Encore: The Best of 2024

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:05:00 +0000

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The Year 2024: Donald Trump’s Comeback and a Realignment for the World

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 18:39:00 +0000

Donald Trump’s political comeback, the decline and fall of Joe Biden’s presidency, Kamala Harris’ big defeat and continuing geopolitical earthquakes in the Middle East all contributed to one of the most tumultuous years in recent history. What does a first draft of history tell us about the significance of 2024 and what may come next?

On this special year-in-review episode of Free Expression, Commentary editor and podcast host John Podhoretz talks with Gerry Baker about the dramatic changes at home and abroad, politically, geopolitically and culturally and looks ahead to the big trends in 2025.

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The Year 2024: Donald Trump’s Comeback and a Realignment for the World

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 18:39:00 +0000

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Pardons, Lawfare, and How to Reform the Justice Department

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 5 Dec 2024 15:59:00 +0000

Has the law become the ultimate political weapon to be wielded by Republicans and Democrats? To the surprise of almost no one, Joe Biden issued a pardon to his son Hunter, the scope of which was far more sweeping than most legal experts expected. The move comes after four years in which Democratic prosecutors and Biden's Justice Department have been pursuing Donald Trump through the courts. Now President-Elect Trump has promised a major overhaul of the FBI and the Department of Justice. His choice of Kash Patel to lead the FBI suggests this will be a top priority, but Patel has also unnerved people with his calls for retribution against some of Trump's opponents.

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, conservative attorney Mike Davis tells Gerry Baker why Kash Patel and Pam Bondi are the right people for the respective jobs they’ve been chosen for, what Hunter Biden’s pardon means for the legal future for the entire Biden family, and what kind of reforms will be part of a second Donald Trump administration.

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The Economy in A Second Trump Term

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 21:00:00 +0000

Donald Trump has been quickly filling his cabinet and senior administration positions with a flurry of nominations to his cabinet. The key members of his economics team are still unclear, however. On Tuesday we learned Howard Lutnick will be nominated for Commerce Secretary, taking him out of the contest for Treasury, where the names of Scott Besent, Kevin Warsh, and Marc Rowan continue to circulate. Who will get the top jobs and what will they mean for economic policy in the second Trump term?

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Fox Business host and former chairman of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow discusses with Gerry Baker the Trump economic policy team, and explains why he decided not to pursue being Treasury Secretary himself after meeting with Donald Trump, why extending the Trump tax cuts will be the “first order of business” when the new administration takes over, and why tariffs are the way to fix a broken global trading system.

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The Economy in A Second Trump Term

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 21:00:00 +0000

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Donald Trump’s Plan to Shake up America’s Military

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 23:35:00 +0000

President - Elect Trump is rapidly rolling out his team for his second administration. Controversy swirls around some of his picks, most notably his selection of Congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Robert F. Kennedy Jr for health and human services secretary. But he plans some of his biggest changes for the national security apparatus. On this episode of Free Expression, The Wall Street Journal's Editor at Large, Gerry Baker sits down for a conversation with former Secretary of Veterans Affairs under the previous Trump administration, Robert Wilkie. Sec. Wilkie is heading up the Pentagon transition team and tells us about some of the new administration’s radical plans including removing some of the top military officers and overhauling the culture of the Pentagon.

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Donald Trump’s Triumphant Return to the White House

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 6 Nov 2024 21:55:00 +0000

In one of the greatest comebacks in political history, Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, winning all seven battleground states and seemingly scoring a popular vote victory over Kamala Harris. And with a Republican majority in the Senate and possibly the House as well, a second Trump administration will come into office with the expectation of a robust legislative mandate to roll back the progressive policies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and chart a new populist course.

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley gives Gerry Baker an inside look into how this victory was secured despite Donald Trump’s felony convictions and other challenges, how Trump’s outreach to the Latino community become a major factor on Election Day, and how the Republican party is once again the “Donald Trump, America First ” party.

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The Final Stretch - or is it?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 22:01:00 +0000

With less than a week before polls close, the presidential race seems as close as ever and the contest for control of Congress is also on a knife edge. In a race this competitive almost anything could swing the vote one way or the other - from Joe Biden calling Trump voters "garbage” to the Democrats' traditional advantage in last minute get out the vote efforts.

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, veteran pollster and political consultant Doug Schoen tells WSJ editor at large Gerry Baker about the messages being sent by Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’s closing statements, why Trump might have an edge in the battleground states, what both candidates might do to grab remaining undecided voters and what the contentious post-election climate might look like and how long it will continue.

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Is Donald Trump Closing In on Victory?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 15:07:00 +0000

With less than two weeks left to Election Day, the polling in the battleground states suggest the contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is a dead heat. But there's a growing sense among the political classes that it seems the Republican candidate has a small but decisive edge. Early voting trends, voter registration and suggestions from both campaigns all seem to point - by a whisker - in Trump's favor. So what's the mood among Republicans? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, North Dakota Governor and one-time candidate for president Doug Burgum tells Gerry Baker why he is confident of a Trump win, but also talks about his concerns about the integrity of the ballot and what might happen in the days after the election if it is as close as it seems.

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The Economy At and After the Election

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:21:00 +0000

The economy, stupid? Or maybe not? As Americans cast their votes for President they will be in part both passing judgment on the economic record of the last four years and signaling the type of policies they want for the next four. Donald Trump is promising solutions through tariffs and a range of tax cuts, while Kamala Harris says she will offer handouts for first-time homebuyers, middle-class tax cuts and what she calls “the opportunity economy.” More importantly Republicans point to inflation and interest rates higher than they were four years ago and say Bidenomics has failed while Democrats claim continuing growth and low unemployment vindicate their policies.

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, economist and head of global research at the Carlyle Group Jason Thomas tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about how it would take “an outside shock” for the economy to fall into recession, where interest rates might move next and why Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on China could be a successful strategy.

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Peace Through Strength? Foreign Policy in a Second Trump Term

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 9 Oct 2024 12:45:00 +0000

What will a second Trump term's foreign policy look like? How will it differ from the first term?

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former Trump National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien looks at the multiple challenges that Trump would face if he wins the election next month and how his “America First” approach might play out with multiplying tensions around the world. He tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker it would “make sense” for Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities as it seeks to reduce Teheran’s threat. He also says a deal to settle the Russia-Ukraine war is possible but that the U.S. must show support for Kyiv to bring pressure on Moscow. And he responds to claims in a new book by Bob Woodward that Donald Trump personally sent Vladimir Putin American Covid tests during the pandemic, and that the two world leaders had multiple conversations after the election of Joe Biden.

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Debates, October Surprises and the Coin-Flip Election

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 3 Oct 2024 13:14:00 +0000

JD Vance and Tim Walz took to the debate stage for a substance-heavy debate that was in contrast, not only to the highly personalized debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris last month but also to all the rancorous presidential debates of the last few election cycles. Still, it's unlikely to make an iota of difference to the outcome of the election now just a month away. So what will decide the outcome of this coin-flip election?

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with veteran pollster and consultant Whit Ayres about whether the polls will be accurate this time, whether Donald Trump is facing not just a gender gap, but a “gender chasm” with women voters, and how much race will be a factor in the 2024 Election.

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Under the Heel of Chinese Tyranny

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 13:18:00 +0000

When Hong Kong was handed over to China from the British in 1997, the city colony’s freedoms were supposed to be maintained for the next 50 years. But in nearly half that time, Beijing has broken its promises and imposed its totalitarian rule. A national security law that curtailed freedom of speech has contributed to turning a once-thriving city colony into a climate of repression. One man imprisoned under this national security law has become the face of Hong Kong's suffering. Jimmy Lai, who fled from the mainland to Hong Kong as a boy, became an outspoken critic of the People’s Republic of China after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, and founded a lively free-speech-defending newspaper Apple Daily. In 2020 Lai became the first person convicted under the national security law and has served nearly four years in solitary confinement and is still in prison today.

On this episode of Free Expression podcast Jimmy Lai’s son Sebastien and human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher discuss with Gerry Baker the latest on Jimmy Lai’s health and the appalling conditions he is living under, the bogus charges levied against him, and the diplomatic and economic pressure that can be put on China if Jimmy Lai does not go free.

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Sen. Josh Hawley on Another Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump and the New Republican Party

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 20:35:00 +0000

Donald Trump found himself the target of a second attempt on his life, this time from a gunman who was lying in wait for hours, only to be thwarted by the Secret Service. What’s happening with the former president’s security? And with less than 50 days to go to the 2024 election, has the intensity of campaign rhetoric become dangerous? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) tells Gerry Baker about the mistakes made by Secret Service leadership in both assassination attempts on Donald Trump. They also discuss the election itself and what will determine the outcome as well as the changing nature of the GOP and whether it can be the party of working people.

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Trump's Missed Opportunity

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:19:00 +0000

The verdict is in - Donald Trump came a distant second this week in his first - and perhaps only - presidential debate with Kamala Harris. The former president was repeatedly on the defensive and easily baited by the vice president, despite the fact that she is the candidate of the incumbent and largely unpopular administration. What went wrong? Will there be another chance for Trump to link Harris to the Biden record and to remind voters of the far left policies she supposedly no longer espouses? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Trump presidential transition co-chair and former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells Gerry Baker what he told Trump before the debate and how it went unused, why he thinks Trump should agree to another debate and Harris should not, if he will take a role in a possible second Trump term administration and what priorities that administration should pursue.

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Can Republicans Take the Senate?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 3 Sep 2024 21:04:00 +0000

While most voters are focused on the contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, there are key Senate races across the nation that will decide who will be in control of the chamber in January. One of the most important is in Pennsylvania, where Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey is being challenged by Dave McCormick, a businessman and combat veteran who previously ran for the Republican nomination for Senate in 2022. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, McCormick speaks with Gerry Baker about how the national debate on abortion is playing the Keystone State, whether the Democratic ticket change to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz could change the Senate race, and about that day in Butler, PA when Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt and what role the former president may play in determining the outcome of this and other Senate races.

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The Election and the Economy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:39:00 +0000

Kamala Harris told the Democratic National Convention that she has plans for what she called an “opportunity economy.” But with little detail about what such a platform entails, except for promises to end so-called price gouging and raise taxes on companies and the better off, voters don’t seem to have a clear picture of what they will get if the Vice President wins in November. Meanwhile Donald Trump is pledging to extend and widen his tax cuts from 2017 that are due to expire next year, raise tariffs across the board and roll back regulation. So what might all this mean for a U.S. economy where inflation seems finally to be under control but growth may be slowing? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former World Bank President and Trump administration Treasury official David Malpass explains why a Harris administration would mean more government takeover of the private sector, why the world looks to China instead of the U.S. for economic leadership and what needs to be done to lift long term growth in the U.S.

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The Election and the Economy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:39:00 +0000

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The Onward March of Joy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:36:00 +0000

A month after abandoning their death march to the polls with President Joe Biden and switching to a campaign of joy with Kamala Harris, Democrats are in Chicago to formally nominate Vice President Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. But beyond spreading the happiness, what are the Democrats offering? On the strength of her few policy announcements, so far it looks likely that Harris is trying to put distance between distance herself and Biden. But can she really escape the record of the last four years? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) joins Gerry Baker from the site of the Democratic National Convention to discuss the changed nature of the race, how Kamala Harris plans to tackle the border and price controls, and addresses controversies surrounding her running mate.

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The Onward March of Joy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:36:00 +0000

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Is Trump Losing?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 22:16:00 +0000

With days to go before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the spotlight is shining brightly on Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, as they continue to enjoy a largely substance-free campaign honeymoon, with the sizable help of the media. Meanwhile, cracks in the once-confident campaign of Donald Trump are beginning to show. The former president has spent much of the last few weeks in the fever swamps of conspiracy theory and grievance and Harris seems to have edged ahead in the polls. But with her history of espousing left wing causes and the Biden administration’s uninspiring record, there is no shortage of targets for the GOP to take aim at. Can Trump exercise the self-discipline to take advantage? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, RNC co-chair Lara Trump tells Gerry Baker about how the former president can seize back the initiative from the Democrats, how he can sometimes be “authentic to a fault” with voters and why JD Vance represents the future of the movement Donald Trump started.

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Is Trump Losing?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 22:16:00 +0000

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Tim Walz And The Democrats’ Leftward Lurch

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 8 Aug 2024 12:19:00 +0000

During Tim Walz’s first rally as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Americans got to see a quick-witted and effective speaker who knows how to go on the offensive when he needs to. But beyond the theatre, what’s his actual record as Minnesota governor? Two political insiders who’ve been following Walz for decades sit down with Gerry Baker to size up his tenure. John Hinderaker, president of the Center of the American Experiment, and Scott W. Johnson, a retired Minneapolis attorney and contributor to the site Power Line, paint a bleak picture of rising crime, economic decline and tumbling school performance. They also see Harris’s selection of Walz as confirmation that she's willing to keep up with the demands of the far-left flank of her party.

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Free Expression Encore: Jonathan Haidt

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 13:15:00 +0000

On this encore episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness." Haidt discusses the dangers that are present on social media platforms and how easily accessible they are to kids with very little obstacles to get in the way of them being harmed psychologically.

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Republicans Rally in the Face of Democratic Disarray

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 19:12:00 +0000

The Republican Party gathered this week for its presidential nominating convention and the message coming from the gathering is clear: Donald Trump, after the failed assassination attempt on his life, has rallied the party successfully heading into the final stretch of the election. The selection of Sen. J.D. Vance as vice presidential nominee has doubled down on the party’s populist message, to the concern of some cons. Meanwhile, the chorus of Democrats calling for Joe Biden to step aside has reached a fever pitch, and it seems a new candidate will be taking over any day. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Republican Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise tells Gerry Baker what he was able to tell Donald Trump regarding the attempt on his own life, what J.D. Vance brings to the Trump campaign, and why he wants Joe Biden to keep running for President.

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Republicans Rally in the Face of Democratic Disarray

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 19:12:00 +0000

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Can Biden Survive?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 22:40:00 +0000

In what is the most important week of Joe Biden's presidency, Democrats are in disarray about the man at the top of the ticket for November's election. Despite strong pushback from the White House to calls for him to step down, the drumbeat demanding change is growing louder. Several members of Congress have called for him to go and many more are privately expressing despair about the party's prospects - in congressional elections as well as at the presidential level - if he remains the candidate.

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), the president's most vocal supporter in the Senate, explains why he thinks Biden is the only plausible candidate, excoriates those in his party refusing to unite behind him, and talks about his passionate support for Israel and why so many in his party no longer seem to share it.

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Britain Takes a Turn to the Left

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 5 Jul 2024 16:56:00 +0000

The Labour Party secured a major landslide in Britain's elections, resulting in a parliamentary majority not seen since the early days of Tony Blair. The reign of the Conservative Party, who have governed for 14 years, ended in an ignominious rout. But Labour’s victory, led by Keir Starmer, the new prime minister, was achieved with the lowest share of the vote for a winning party in British history. A strong performance by the populist Reform UK party seems to have split the right wing vote. So what does the downfall of the Tories mean for the conservative movement in the U.K. and elsewhere? And what does Britain’s future under Labour look like? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, political commentator Tim Montgomerie tells Gerry Baker why the United Kingdom may have seen the end of the two-party system, how Keir Starmer will perform on the world stage, and how the Conservative Party can stage a comeback.

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The Night That Sank Joe Biden

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 19:38:00 +0000

By the time Thursday night’s debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump ended, one question was on everyone’s lips: will the president be persuaded to step down ahead of the Democratic convention? His weak and stumbling performance dramatically increased concerns about Biden’s age and stamina, as Donald Trump showed a discipline and focus that has not always been on display

On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Karl Rove tells Gerry Baker Biden’s was the worst presidential debate performance he has ever seen, and he says there is no way back for him to win if he remains the party’s candidate. Rove says he therefore expects the president now to step aside and he assesses the likely field of Democratic presidential contenders.

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The War on Free Speech and the Weaponization of the Law

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:37:00 +0000

Free speech is under threat in unprecedented ways in the U.S.. University campuses deny platforms to those who dissent from progressive orthodoxies. Tech firms block heterodox news and opinion on grounds of "disinformation." Companies discipline employees for challenging nostrums about race, sexuality and gender. How did it get this way? What can be done to reverse the tide? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, law professor and legal analyst Jonathan Turley talks with Gerry Baker about his new book, "The Indispensable Right," on the centrality of free speech to human life, and also about other threats to American rights and values including the ‘lawfare’ that is increasingly waged in American politics.

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It's Time We Tried To Win This War

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 13:23:00 +0000

Are we losing the new Cold War? In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, all sides in America seem to agree that we are in a long new Cold War struggle with Communist China. But if that's the case, why are we just managing the contest rather than actually trying to win it? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former Republican congressman Mike Gallagher, who led congressional efforts to confront China, including most recently with legislation banning TikTok, tells Gerry Baker how Beijing is aggressively advancing around the world - including here at home in the U.S., and how we can rise to meet the challenge. The once rising star in GOP ranks also talks about why he left Congress and how he sees the future of the Republican party.

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Conviction Politics

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 4 Jun 2024 15:12:00 +0000

After Donald Trump’s conviction being on 34 felony counts of falsification of business records and as his sentence looms just ahead of the Republican National Convention, U.S. politics are deeper into uncharted territory. What might happen next? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former federal prosecutor and Trump lawyer James Trusty takes Gerry Baker through all the legal steps the former president will go through, including the appeals process. He explains why Mr. Trump has good reason to expect success but also expressed concern about the larger prospects for equal and independent justice in an age of partisan politics and ‘lawfare.’

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Will A Second Trump Term Fix the Border Crisis?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 29 May 2024 23:42:00 +0000

With the current polls looking better each day for a return to the White House for Donald Trump, what could the next 4 years look like at the southern border? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with former acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf who says a second Trump administration will make radical changes to border enforcement and immigration policy, ensure the deportation of migrants in the US illegally and seek agreements with foreign governments to take asylum seekers and deter migrants from coming to the US.

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How The U.S. Failed To Meet the China Challenge

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 22 May 2024 11:59:00 +0000

It’s a rare subject of bipartisan agreement that China is the greatest strategic challenge facing the U.S., perhaps the greatest it has ever faced. And yet, despite a decade of admirations of both parties acknowledging the threat, we are woefully under-prepared for it. What can the next President learn from the mistakes of the recent past and how might he remedy them? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Richard Fontaine and Robert Blackwill, foreign policy commentators and co-authors of a new book, “Lost Decade: The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power” talk with Gerry Baker about what went wrong and how the next ad ministration must fix it.

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How The U.S. Failed To Meet the China Challenge

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 22 May 2024 11:59:00 +0000

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War and The Fragility of Civilization

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 15 May 2024 23:24:00 +0000

As global instability increases and threats to our national security grow, what can we learn from the history of warfare? In a new book, noted military historian Victor Davis Hanson examines how some wars have resulted not just in defeat for the vanquished but in the annihilation of their civilization and people. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Prof. Hanson tells Gerry Baker about the parallels between these wars and the threats we now face from our increasingly bold adversaries. How can we avoid the mistakes of those previous civilizations and ensure our survival? He also talks about America’s internal fractures and how they are weakening our national security and what our political leaders can do to reverse the damage in a pivotal election year.

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War and The Fragility of Civilization

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 15 May 2024 23:24:00 +0000

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Sex, Lies And Testimony

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 9 May 2024 11:13:00 +0000

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels took to the stand this week in the criminal hush-money trial of Donald Trump, surprising the media, legal experts and even the former President himself. But the more we heard the salacious details in the testimony, the more it seemed the move might backfire on the prosecution. In what already looks to many like a thin case against Mr. Trump, the admission of lurid stories about a sexual encounter that even the judge seemed to think might not be relevant only reinforced the perception that the prosecution is a politically-motivated attempt to discredit the former president and current Republican candidate. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former prosecutor Andy McCarthy talks to Gerry Baker about the case, why it would be a mistake for Donald Trump to testify in his own defense, and the many other legal threats Donald Trump is facing.

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Sex, Lies And Testimony

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 9 May 2024 11:13:00 +0000

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Campuses, Courtrooms and Swing States: Six Months to the Presidential Election

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 1 May 2024 12:55:00 +0000

With the explosion of protests on university campuses and as Donald Trump sits in a courtroom facing felony charges, the 2024 presidential race is at a new level of volatility. Polls show Joe BIden trailing Trump in the key swing states, leaving the current President with only the slimmest of margins as a path to reelection. Six months out, what might change? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report Amy Walter and Gerry Baker discuss which states may decide the future of the presidency and the issues which mean the most when going to the polls.

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Antisemitism U

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 21:49:00 +0000

Have our elite universities become seedbeds of hatred? Since Hamas’ murderous attacks on Israel on October 7th, and the war in Gaza that followed, demonstrations have exploded on the campus of American universities. In the last two weeks, the mayhem has escalated. Columbia University especially has been overrun by angry protesters, many of them pushing nakedly antisemitic messages and harassing Jewish students - who have been advised to steer clear of campus for their own safety. One Columbia professor who has challenged the encampments, Shai Davidai, has even found himself barred from the campus. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Davidai tells Gerry Baker about the growth of Hamas and Hezbollah-supporting organizations at Columbia and other universities and describes the threat they pose not just to Jews but to the wider population.

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Antisemitism U

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 21:49:00 +0000

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Will Israel be Allowed to Win?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 21:30:00 +0000

As the Biden administration and international public opinion up the pressure on Israel to suspend its campaign against an enemy sworn to destroy it, the right of the Jewish state to defend itself seems to be challenged. Can Israel finish the job against Hamas? Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remain in office despite fierce domestic criticism? What are the wider geopolitical issues at stake? On this episode of the Potomac Watch podcast, policy analyst Reuel Marc Gerecht tells Gerry Baker why an occupation of Gaza by Israel is likely necessary, how pro-Palestinian voters in the United States have influence over Joe Biden’s policy decisions, and why Iran and questions about its nuclear program continue to linger over the entire war.

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Is Modern Technology Ruining Our Children?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 4 Apr 2024 20:24:00 +0000

With more and more parents giving their children access to smartphones earlier in their lives a common troubling thread seems to be arising that is affecting the way children are growing up.

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with Jonathan Haidt, Author of “The Anxious Generation” How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.

Haidt discusses the dangers that are present on social media platforms and how easily accessible they are to kids with very little obstacles to get in the way of them being harmed psychologically.

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The Growing Threat of Islamist Terrorism After the Moscow Massacre

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 22:46:00 +0000

After over 140 people were killed at a concert venue in Moscow, Islamic State in Khorasan Province, or ISKP, an Afghanistan-based offshoot of ISIS, quickly claimed responsibility. Who are ISKP and what wider threat do they pose to the West and the U.S. in particular? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Afghan Armed Forces Lieutenant General Sami Sadat tells Gerry Baker why he thinks ISKP will strike again and soon - - perhaps even in the U.S. He also explains how the chaotic and hurried U.S. departure from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Doha Accord of 2020 helped set the conditions for the resurgence of the terrorist menace. According to Sadat, the Biden administration's plans to fight the enemy from "over the horizon" are doomed to fail.

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Soft Landing or Bumpy Road for the Economy?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:30:00 +0000

With the Federal Reserve signaling it still plans to cut interest rates this year, has the inflation threat really abated? Heightened optimism about a soft landing has cooled somewhat as inflation at the start of the year has shown signs of persisting. What happens next will have big political implications too. In an election year, more voters seemingly have a negative opinion of how Joe Biden is handling the economy. If interest rates don’t fall appreciably, it won’t help his re-election prospects. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former Obama White House chief economist Jason Furman tells Gerry Baker why he’s concerned about continuing inflation risks, how rising mortgage rates are causing so much pessimism in households nationwide, and what he thinks the Fed will do next.

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Four Years Later: The Real Cost of Covid

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:50:00 +0000

Four years ago this week, the U.S. shut down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. While officials were adamant that lockdowns, masks, and later vaccines were essential for all Americans to limit the damage from the spread, it's become increasingly clear that the science behind so many of the mandates was decidedly shaky. Yet those who warned at the time of the risks of draconian actions were widely denounced and even silenced. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Professor Martin Kulldorff, one of the most prominent skeptics tells Gerry Baker why he says he was fired as professor of medicine at Harvard University for his views, why the research on vaccines is not so 'black and white,' and why the media and society were so hostile to alternative views on masks, school closures and natural immunity.

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Four Years Later: The Real Cost of Covid

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:50:00 +0000

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Previewing A Tumultuous 2024 Election

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 7 Mar 2024 21:35:00 +0000

Super Tuesday put the seal on the 2024 primary season and the rematch of Joe Biden and Donald Trump is set for November. Biden starts out in a weaker position than any incumbent in decades. But, while polling suggests Trump currently has the edge, many voters seem reluctant to endorse either candidate. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with former Trump pollster and co-executor of the WSJ’s own regular polling Tony Fabrizio to talk about what we can expect in November and whether Biden can turn the race around? Will Trump overcome the Scott’s about his character? With Robert F. Kennedy running as an Independent and pulling votes from both sides, how sure can either party be about winning the 2024 election?

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The War in Ukraine, the Future of Liberalism and the Rise of Populism - a View from Europe

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 16:30:00 +0000

This week Hungary finally agreed to the accession of Sweden to NATO. With characteristic defiance of allies and the U.S., Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who alone in the alliance mainstains strong relations with Vladimir Putin after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, had held out for almost two years against the NATO expansion. It's not the only issue on which Hungary has been an outlier. With his opposition to open borders and a strong believer in traditional Christian values, Orbán's government has been despised by establishment elites and progressives and lauded by many on the right in Europe and the U.S. as a model of conservative populism. What's the reality - Are Orbán's "strong man" government and its admirers here a threat to democracy or its salvation? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast Balázs Orbán, political director to the Hungarian prime minister, discusses the future of the west with Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker.

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What’s Going Wrong and What’s Going Right in Higher Education

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:07:00 +0000

The last few months have been a tumultuous time on the campuses of American universities. Shocking instances of anti-Semitic rhetoric on top of a culture of repression of views that challenge the progressive orthodoxies - as well as evidence of plagiarism - led to the departure of the presidents of two high profile institutions. The University of Chicago has long prided itself as a defender of free speech in academia. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, UChicago President Paul Alivisatos tells Gerry Baker what makes his school special and offers highlights of some of the groundbreaking research his institution is pursuing in science, medicine, and artificial intelligence.

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How Big is The Democrats’ Joe Biden Problem?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 23:15:00 +0000

After special counsel Robert Hur's report described Joe Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” many fears Democrats may have had in private were now out in the open. But with the party’s primary already almost over, is it too late to consider an alternative? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Democratic commentator and scholar Marie Harf tells Gerry Baker why Joe Biden and Donald Trump together will make age a non-issue, which Democrats could be potential successors to Joe Biden and if Kamala Harris is among them, and how both candidates can win voters over on Israel, the border, and the economy.

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A Booming Economy?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 7 Feb 2024 21:11:00 +0000

The U.S. is enjoying one of its best stretches of economic performance in years. Growth is strong, unemployment is low, and, though it remains elevated, inflation has fallen sharply. As the rest of the world stagnates, America seems to be booming.

But how good are things really and can they last? And will the Fed’s continuing struggle to get inflation down eventually push the economy under? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, economist and former presidential adviser Glenn Hubbard tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker how the Fed is facing a tough challenge to get inflation under 3%, and why he thinks policy will remain tight for some time. But he also says the U.S. is undergoing structural changes such as the rise of generative artificial intelligence that could be improving productivity performance in the long run.

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AI: Separating Science Fact from Science Fiction

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:45:00 +0000

From deepfakes to advances in medicine and science, artificial intelligence is becoming one of the most feared and misunderstood innovations of the 21st century. So why are so many people afraid of the future of AI? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang tells Gerry Baker how he went from MIT dropout to powering the AI industry, the effect the technology can have on the military, economics and education, and how AI can be used to distort information during crucial elections across the globe.

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That Was Quick: Trump, Biden and the Shortest Primary Contest in History

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 21:35:00 +0000

After solid victories in Iowa and New Hampshire by Donald Trump, we look set already for a rematch between the former president and Joe Biden. So where does that leave the Republican party? And what should Nikki Haley do next? Should she stay on and fight or accede to the inevitable? What have we learned from this short and apparently moribund primary season about Trump's and Biden's strengths and weaknesses for the general election? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, veteran pollster and consultant Doug Shoen tells Gerry Baker why now is the time for Haley to drop out of the race, why it might be too late for a third-party candidate to come in as an alternative, and who could be on the list to be Trump's running mate and in his potential administration.

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How Secure is the U.S. Election System?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 19:41:00 +0000

U.S. elections now seem routinely dogged by allegations of fraud and outside interference. Not just in 2020, but in several of the most recent presidential contests the losing candidates had cried foul. And so the security of this year’s contest may be more controversial than ever. Are our electoral systems safe - and what about the threat of “misinformation”? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince explains how his company is trying to "build a better internet," how tech companies are trying to fight both hackers and widespread organized attacks and responds to criticism of the company’s internal management processes after a video of an employee being fired went viral.

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Does Nikki Haley Have the Big Mo?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 19:22:00 +0000

The Iowa Caucuses are just a few days away and the New Hampshire primary follows a week after. Donald Trump maintains a big lead in the Hawkeye State and a smaller one in the Granite State. But does Nikki Haley have the momentum? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, WSJ columnist Kimberly Strassel joins Gerry Baker to discuss what’s behind Haley’s apparent advance, what chance Ron DeSantis has of finishing strong and what margin of victory Trump needs in Iowa to declare a decisive victory heading into New Hampshire.

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How Will Iowa and New Hampshire Shape the 2024 Campaign?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 5 Jan 2024 20:27:00 +0000

The first two contests of the 2024 presidential election, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, are just days away. So do any of Donald Trump's rivals have a chance to overtake him, and is Joe Biden a strong enough candidate to win reelection? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, veteran pollster Frank Luntz tells Gerry Baker why Iowa and New Hampshire residents are two completely different voter blocs, why Donald Trump should not refuse to debate Joe Biden, and why a third-party candidate has the potential to win electoral votes in 2024, and who that candidate might be.

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Free Expression Encore: Cardinal Timothy Dolan

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:23:00 +0000

The Free Expression podcast revisits Gerry Baker's conversation with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York. The two discuss how Pope Francis is leading the church worldwide, the importance of the separation of church and state, and how a lack of religion and moral conviction is to blame for our toxic cultural environment.

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Looking Back on a Year of Conflict

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 00:10:00 +0000

As 2023 draws to a close, the war between Ukraine and Russia is approaching the two-year mark in what appears to be a stalemate, while the war between Israel and Hamas rages on. What have we learned? What can we expect in 2024? And how is the U.S. dealing with these challenges? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former CIA director General David Petraeus tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why the Israel/Hamas battlefield is the most “fiendishly difficult” in recent memory, why the U.S. needs to take more robust action against the Red Sea attacks by Houthi forces backed by Iran, how the withdrawal from Afghanistan contributed to Vladimir Putin’s invasion, and how modern warfare has changed since World War II.

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Looking Back on a Year of Conflict

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 00:10:00 +0000

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Time to Cancel Campus Extremism

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:32:00 +0000

Is a long overdue change finally coming to America's universities? With the resignation of Penn president Elizabeth Magill, and the controversial decision to keep Claudine Gay as the president of Harvard, the concerns over liberal indoctrination on campus have reached a fresh peak. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, University of California, Santa Cruz Professor Emeritus of German Literature John M. Ellis tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why the testimony of the three Ivy League presidents on Capitol Hill exposed the intellectual inadequacy, hypocrisy and extremism of the academic leadership of the universities, highlighted the danger caused by the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and how conservatives have been harassed to the point of leaving the university system, leading to a new search for reforms as the backlash continues.

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Ukraine, Israel and Cold War II

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 7 Dec 2023 20:24:00 +0000

From Israel to Ukraine, 2023 has been a year of spreading violent conflict, increasing instability and posing stiff challenges to U.S. global strategy, all within the context of the developing new Cold War with China and its allies, Russia and Iran. It seems likely that our adversaries will probe further in 2024, and with a presidential election in the U.S., geopolitical uncertainty will only intensify. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, historian Niall Ferguson tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about the dangers that could come with a Russian victory in Ukraine, why Israel would benefit from a second Donald Trump administration, although it could lead to the end of NATO, and how the election in Taiwan next month will be a time of great danger as China plans its next move. The two also discuss how pro-Hamas protests on campuses have left American universities in a parlous state.

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Election ‘24: A Real Democratic Primary?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 1 Dec 2023 00:18:00 +0000

Can a little-known congressman from Minnesota really unseat a sitting Democratic president for his party's nomination? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Rep. Dean Phillips tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why Biden's weaknesses as a candidate, and not the policies of the Democrats, could lead to a Donald Trump victory in 2024. They also discuss why Phillips is suing the Democratic Party of Florida, why he's troubled by the "misdeeds" committed by Hunter Biden and other members of the Biden family, and why Joe Biden's deal with Iran to pay for hostages led to Hamas taking their own in the conflict with Israel.

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The Best of the Free Expression Podcast

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 14:04:00 +0000

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.

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The Best of the Free Expression Podcast

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 14:04:00 +0000

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What's Gone Wrong (and Right) with the Democratic Party?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 9 Nov 2023 22:59:00 +0000

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.

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What's Gone Wrong (and Right) with the Democratic Party?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 9 Nov 2023 22:59:00 +0000

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Nikki Haley Rising?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 1 Nov 2023 19:24:00 +0000

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.

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Nikki Haley Rising?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 1 Nov 2023 19:24:00 +0000

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Will the U.S. Draw a Red Line on Iran and Hezbollah?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 19:43:00 +0000

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.

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Larry Fink on ESG, the Economy and the State of Democracy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:50:00 +0000

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.

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Larry Fink on ESG, the Economy and the State of Democracy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:50:00 +0000

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Hamas' Terror and Israel at War

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 20:17:00 +0000

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.

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Hamas' Terror and Israel at War

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 20:17:00 +0000

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The Divided GOP and the Removal of Kevin McCarthy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 5 Oct 2023 23:20:00 +0000

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.

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The Populist Party

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 22:23:00 +0000

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.

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The Populist Party

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 22:23:00 +0000

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Can Tim Scott's Life Story and Faith in American Virtue Take Him to the White House?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 22:32:00 +0000

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.

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Can Tim Scott's Life Story and Faith in American Virtue Take Him to the White House?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 22:32:00 +0000

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American Breakdown - How Trust In Our Institutions and Leaders has Collapsed and How to Rebuild It

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 20:31:00 +0000

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.

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American Breakdown - How Trust In Our Institutions and Leaders has Collapsed and How to Rebuild It

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 20:31:00 +0000

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The China Crisis: How Bad is it?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 7 Sep 2023 22:14:00 +0000

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.

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The China Crisis: How Bad is it?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 7 Sep 2023 22:14:00 +0000

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Can Chris Christie Stop Donald Trump?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 23:15:00 +0000

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.

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Can Chris Christie Stop Donald Trump?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 23:15:00 +0000

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The GOP Debate and the Elephant (Not) in the Room

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:27:00 +0000

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.

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Trump, Biden, Double Standards and None of the Above

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 17:58:00 +0000

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.

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Trump, Biden, Double Standards and None of the Above

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 17:58:00 +0000

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Trump, Crime, Punishment and War

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 9 Aug 2023 20:12:00 +0000

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.

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A Postliberal Future?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 3 Aug 2023 12:30:00 +0000

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.

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Why Mesha Mainor is Abandoning the Democratic Party

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 21:02:00 +0000

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.

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Is There a Spiritual Crisis in America?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:31:00 +0000

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.

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Is There a Spiritual Crisis in America?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:31:00 +0000

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The Best of Free Expression

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 3 Jul 2023 14:53:00 +0000

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.

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The Best of Free Expression

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 3 Jul 2023 14:53:00 +0000

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The Failed Mutiny in Russia and the Fate of Vladimir Putin

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 23:29:00 +0000

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.

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Hunter Biden, Donald Trump and Reviving the American Republic with Vivek Ramaswamy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 20:51:00 +0000

In this week’s Free Expression podcast Gerry Baker, WSJ editor at large, talks with Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy about double standards of justice in politics, the corruption of the federal government and his plans to overhaul the administrative state. He also discusses his ideas for a radical reform of the Federal Reserve and the elimination of the FBI, how he plans to facilitate a peace deal in Ukraine to prise apart the Russia-China alliance. and whether he would consider being a candidate for Vice President for Donald Trump - or anyone else.

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Pence on Trump, the GOP and His Campaign for President

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 00:31:00 +0000

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, former Vice President Mike Pence tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker he can’t defend Donald Trump in his indictment over handling classified documents. Speaking just after Trump pled not guilty to criminal charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith, Pence also says he will “clean house” at the Department of Justice. Pence also talks about Jan. 6 and Trump's criticism of him, says why he thinks now is not the time to "flinch" on pro-life abortion laws, and if he would support the eventual Republican nominee for President in 2024 if he does not succeed.

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The Russia/Ukraine War Reaches A Crucial Phase

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 6 Jun 2023 22:57:00 +0000

With the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, has Russia's invasion of Ukraine reached a critical turning point? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker speaks with House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) about the United States' commitment to aiding Ukraine financially and with armaments, whether Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO, and the concerns that European nations are overpromising and under delivering when it comes to providing support in the conflict. Plus, Rep. Waltz gives his takes on Donald Trump and the person he replaced in Congress, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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The Russia/Ukraine War Reaches A Crucial Phase

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 6 Jun 2023 22:57:00 +0000

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Another Kennedy for President?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 31 May 2023 22:18:00 +0000

Robert F Kennedy Jr, scion of the first family of Democratic politics, has launched an insurgent challenge to incumbent Joe Biden for the party’s presidential nomination for 2024. Early polls have suggested he has the backing of up to one fifth of Democratic voters. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Kennedy Jr. sits down with Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker and talks about his campaign’s populist message: blasting big business and an overreaching government and a political and cultural environment he claims is characterized by official and corporate censorship and control. They discuss Covid lockdown mandates, energy policy and why he opposes US military support for Ukraine against Russia. He is also challenged about his long-standing, controversial - and widely discredited - campaign against vaccines for children and other controversial causes he has promoted.

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The Trump-DeSantis Showdown Is Here

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 24 May 2023 22:11:00 +0000

As Ron DeSantis launches his campaign for president, the race for the 2024 Republican nomination finally gets under way in earnest. What does he need to do to overhaul Donald Trump’s big lead in the opinion polls? And with Senator Tim Scott also joining the fray this week and other candidates expected to join soon, is there any chance this is more than just a two-horse race? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson joins Gerry Baker, Wall Street Journal editor at large, to handicap the intensifying GOP primary race.

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A New Conservative Economic Philosophy?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 16 May 2023 20:34:00 +0000

Has Reaganomics run its course as the dominant economic model for the right? On the episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker continues his look at the evolution of modern conservative thought with public policy commentator Oren Cass. The two discuss whether there is room in conservative thought for a fundamental rethinking of free-market policies that assuages some of their apparent social and economic costs while preserving the benefits.

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Rethinking a Conservative Foreign Policy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 9 May 2023 23:52:00 +0000

How can U.S. foreign policy succeed in a new age of great power confrontation? Does the challenge of an ascendant China mean U.S. support for a European war against Russia is a dangerous distraction? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, conservative foreign policy analyst Elbridge Colby tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker what's at stake for the United States if China invades Taiwan, why it's time for Europe to step up in support for Ukraine and how Donald Trump transformed Republican foreign policy thinking.

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Rethinking a Conservative Foreign Policy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 9 May 2023 23:52:00 +0000

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What Is a Woman? (Sports Edition)

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 3 May 2023 00:27:00 +0000

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker speaks with All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, who has become an outspoken advocate for the exclusivity of biologically female-born athletes in women's sports. Gaines talks about how her message has been received by the LGBT community, why she no longer has sympathy for her critics, and why she says the mainstream media has unfairly labeled her opinions "hate speech."

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Four More Years for Biden?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 21:09:00 +0000

Joe Biden has officially announced he is running for reelection in 2024. But with his approval ratings in the doldrums, his campaign launch suggests his argument will be focused more on raising fears about the Republican alternative than on promoting his own record. Can he pull it off? On this episode of Free Expression Podcast, political scientist Ruy Teixeira talks to Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about the Biden strategy, Republican strengths and weaknesses and why embracing identity politics is a losing approach for Democrats.

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The Death of Merit

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 13:36:00 +0000

The dominant ideology in America today elevates identity over individuality, victimhood over excellence and race over everything. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, commentator Heather Mac Donald tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why there needs to be a choice between meritocracy and equity, and why the racialization of all aspects academia and culture has caused major damage and a need for a counter-revolution.

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The Death of Merit

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 13:36:00 +0000

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The Potentially Dangerous Future of AI

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:45:00 +0000

Should artificial intelligence be embraced or feared? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, computer scientist Yoshua Bengio tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker why he joined others in the technology field in signing an open letter calling for a pause in AI development. They also discuss the potential risks that could come from a lack of a pause, and how artificial intelligence compares to the computer that is the human brain.

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A Crisis of Democracy in Israel?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 20:32:00 +0000

After widespread protests against Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial reforms, the Israeli Prime Minister has put the controversial plan on hold. But what led to the eruption? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, journalist and commentator Ben-Dror Yemini speaks to Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about the challenges of balancing the ambitions of a democratically elected government with the need for constitutional checks and balances, and what the standoff tells us about the rising tensions around the world between populism and liberal democracy.

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New York v. Trump: Politics v. The Law?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 18:23:00 +0000

Is Donald Trump in legal peril, or is he the target of a political prosecution? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, legal scholar Jonathan Turley tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker why Alvin Bragg's pursuit of an indictment is a true abuse of the justice system, how the case can be used to Donald Trump's advantage, and why the Mar-a-Lago investigation is the legal jeopardy the former President should be concerned about the most.

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A Puzzling Bailout and A Perilous Economy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:40:00 +0000

At the end of a tumultuous week for U.S. banks, former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker on this episode of Free Expression why the feds were wrong to rescue Silicon Valley Bank’s depositors and how the bailout may make things worse for the U.S. financial system. She also warns that the Federal Reserve should pause its interest rate increases next week or risk tipping the economy into a deeper crisis.

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A Puzzling Bailout and A Perilous Economy

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:40:00 +0000

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The Rising Backlash Against ESG Investing

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 8 Mar 2023 22:10:00 +0000

Is the ESG craze over? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with veteran investment manager Terrence Keeley about why environmental, social and governance-based investing is in retreat under pressure from investors, conservative critics and Republicans on Capitol Hill. They also discuss whether restoring investing for shareholder returns rather than in pursuit of political ideology should again be the proper objective of asset managers.

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The Perilous State of Geopolitics

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 1 Mar 2023 01:50:00 +0000

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker and geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer survey escalating crises around the world, including China’s deepening partnership with Russia, Ukraine's need for more military and financial assistance, how Joe Biden would defend Taiwan, the growing threat from Iran, and the U.S. Energy Department's conclusion that Covid started in a Chinese lab.

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Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, One Year Later

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:12:00 +0000

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker and historian Robert Kagan take stock of the war between Russia and Ukraine on the first anniversary of the conflict. After Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv this week they discuss America's large and continuing commitment to Ukraine, Vladimir Putin's options as his military is depleted, China's role and why it should be wary of military action against Taiwan, and how, after a century as the world’s dominant power, the US can maintain its global status.

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Is There Hope for Free Speech and Ideological Diversity in American Universities?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 23:26:00 +0000

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, president of the University of Chicago Paul Alivisatos talks with The Wall Street Journal's Editor at Large, Gerry Baker about improving the climate for free speech at American universities and colleges, creating more ideological and intellectual diversity in the faculty, and how American higher education can continue to be a force for socially and economically valuable research and discovery.

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Is There Hope for Free Speech and Ideological Diversity in American Universities?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 23:26:00 +0000

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Is There a Financial Crisis in our Future?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 8 Feb 2023 21:05:00 +0000

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, economist Ken Rogoff talks to The Wall Street Journal's Editor at Large, Gerry Baker about why the U.S. faces a significant chance of recession, the risks of a new financial crisis, and how China is struggling to deal with the realities of its modern economy.

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War in Europe and the Biden Administration on the World Stage

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:44:00 +0000

On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, international relations expert and commentator John Chipman tells The Wall Street Journal's Editor-at-Large, Gerry Baker why Ukraine is in a must-win stage in its war with Russia as the one-year anniversary of the conflict nears, how seriously to take fears of escalation, and what the world makes of the Biden administration’s handling of challenges in the Middle East and China.

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War in Europe and the Biden Administration on the World Stage

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:44:00 +0000

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Inflation, Recession, the Fed - and Free Speech on Campus

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 20:04:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker how much further the Federal Reserve will need to go to contain inflation, whether it will cause a recession and weighs in on the threat to expression and intellectual diversity in universities.

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Paul Ryan on Populism and the Return to Conservatism

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 18:54:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan sits down with Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The two discuss how the tumultuous vote to make Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House could yield positive results for the Republican Party, the debate over raising the debt ceiling, and how the GOP needs to get past Donald Trump to secure a victory in 2024.

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Paul Ryan on Populism and the Return to Conservatism

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 18:54:00 +0000

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Recession, Inflation or Soft Landing in 2023?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 22:41:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, leading economist Jason Furman shares his outlook for the economy for the coming year with Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker. He explains why it’s unlikely the Federal Reserve can engineer a soft landing of low inflation without a recession, why so many experts got it wrong about the temporary nature of inflation in 2022, and how the labor market, China, and policy will determine the path of the economy.

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Can Republicans Find a Way to Break the Stalemate?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 6 Jan 2023 00:34:00 +0000

As Congress ends another day without electing a Speaker of the House, outgoing Senator Ben Sasse talks to Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker about why the nation’s politics is overrun by zealots, how to heal the divisions in the GOP and restore the virtues of persuasion and pluralism to government, and why he is leaving Washington to become president of the University of Florida.

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Can Republicans Find a Way to Break the Stalemate?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 6 Jan 2023 00:34:00 +0000

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The Best of Free Expression 2022

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 14:20:00 +0000

Free Expression's final episode of 2022 features some of Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker's best interviews of the year, including conversations with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, author Douglas Murray, economist Nicholas Eberstadt, author and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, historian Niall Ferguson, and analyst Michael Shellenberger.

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Big Tech’s Brutal Year

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 23:38:00 +0000

With Congress calling for a ban on TikTok, the release of Elon Musk's 'Twitter Files' and the collapse of FTX, the technology sector faces the possibility of regulation now more than ever. On this episode of Free Expression, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks to Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker about why tech companies need to be more transparent about their policies, and the dangers of big political donations coming from the tech sector.

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Big Tech’s Brutal Year

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 23:38:00 +0000

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Benjamin Netanyahu's Ambitions as He Returns to Office

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 22:30:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, incoming Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker of his hopes for a deal to establish normal relationships with Saudi Arabia and a wider peace with the Arab world, how he plans to prevent Iran from going nuclear and what his relationships with Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden might mean for the conflict in Ukraine.

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Will the Republican Party Find Its Way Again?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 8 Dec 2022 22:44:00 +0000

With the defeat of GOP candidate Herschel Walker by incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock in the Georgia Senate runoff election, the Democrats won a 51-49 majority despite Joe Biden's low approval ratings. So what happened and how can Republicans win the Senate back? On the latest episode of Free Expression, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker about why candidate quality and Donald Trump were not to blame for the various losses, and why Republicans need to get even more aggressive about getting their message across to voters.

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Between Inflation and Recession - US Economic Prospects for 2023

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 23:54:00 +0000

With the U.S. economy facing a highly uncertain 2023, what’s the bigger threat - inflation or recession? Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is signaling slowing in the pace of interest rate increases after its fierce tightening this year, but has the Fed already gone too far? On the latest episode of the Free Expression podcast, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerard Baker speaks to former Fed vice chairman Alan Blinder about what’s next for the economy and monetary and fiscal policy.

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Between Inflation and Recession - US Economic Prospects for 2023

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 23:54:00 +0000

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What a Republican House Majority Will Look Like

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 17:47:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, Ways and Means Republican Leader Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker the Republican Party needs to look forward not backward as it considers its future, has admiring words for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and explains how a Republican-controlled House of Representatives can block Joe Biden's agenda and build some legislative achievements in a divided Congress.

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What Happened to the Red Wave?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 9 Nov 2022 23:44:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker talks with conservative author and commentator Matthew Continetti about why an expected dominant victory for the GOP on Election Day never came to fruition, what the results mean for a potential 2024 matchup between Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump, and how Republicans can formulate a message on issues like abortion and crime to increase their popular vote numbers.

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What Happened to the Red Wave?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 9 Nov 2022 23:44:00 +0000

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Is a Second Iranian Revolution on the Horizon?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 4 Nov 2022 15:02:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, policy analyst Reuel Marc Gerecht tell Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker why Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his regime see the most recent protests in Iran as a dangerous threat to their power, why sanctions won't stop Iran's significant nuclear program, and why Iran is aligning with Russia and China in a new Cold War with the West.

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Has the Left Sabotaged American Power?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 1 Nov 2022 22:52:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker about why he thinks the Russia/Ukraine conflict is an "unnecessary war," why the United States should send a strong message on defending Taiwan in the face of China, and how the left has sabotaged U.S. global power and made America look weak on the world stage.

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Britain’s Political Chaos

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 22:47:00 +0000

Whose turn is it to run Britain? On the latest episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker explores the turmoil in what used to be called the world’s most successful political party - the U.K.’s Conservatives. Tim Montgomerie, a leading conservative thinker in Britain, explains how after 12 years of the Tories in office, the aftermath of Brexit and the challenge that populism poses to conservatives, British politics has become so chaotic.

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The Pushback to Woke Capitalism

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 22:19:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker why there is a growing backlash to woke capitalism, why both sides of the cultural divide have embraced victimhood, and why there will be major hurdles on the road back to excellence.

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The Pushback to Woke Capitalism

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 22:19:00 +0000

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Looking for Answers to the Global Energy Crisis

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:11:00 +0000

On a new episode of Free Expression, energy expert Daniel Yergin explains to Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker the turbulence in global energy markets, how the Biden administration’s confused policies on energy are undermining America’s energy security and says a rational mix of natural gas, oil, nuclear and renewables offers solutions to our long-term energy needs.

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Is Reason Under Siege in Today's World?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 5 Oct 2022 19:48:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, professor Steven Pinker tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker whether humans are becoming more rational, why reason should be taught in schools like math and reading, and if society is seemingly becoming more susceptible to conspiracy theories and confirmation bias.

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Is Reason Under Siege in Today's World?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 5 Oct 2022 19:48:00 +0000

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The Mistakes Made Responding to Covid-19

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:19:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, epidemiology expert Jay Bhattacharya tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker about what the world learned from the mistakes made during the pandemic, and the economic damage done by lockdowns and how to avoid resorting to them again.

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Will The November Midterms Be Full of Close Contests?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 01:46:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, pollster Mark Penn talks to Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker about the messages both Democrats and Republicans need to convey to voters in November, why Joe Biden's anti-MAGA speech in Philadelphia may backfire on the President, and why the GOP is still in search of a national leader to unify the party.

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Is Russia on the Brink of Defeat?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 22:15:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, military historian Fred Kagan tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker why the recent counter offensive by Ukraine is the most significant event of the war, why the will of the Russian military is at a breaking point, and how the world would react to Vladimir Putin using tactical nuclear weapons when faced with no other choice.

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How Donald Trump Broke History

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 6 Sep 2022 23:25:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, former senior adviser to President Trump Jared Kushner tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker about how the disruptive Trump presidency led to foreign policy successes, why he thinks the Biden administration provoked the war between Russia and Ukraine, and why the FBI's document search of Mar-a-Lago and the failures of Washington could lead Donald Trump to another White House run to correct "unfinished business."

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Will Trump Be Indicted?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 21:10:00 +0000

On the latest episode of Free Expression, constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz tells Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker the chances of an indictment for the former President are rising. But he says the aggressive approach by the Department of Justice and the FBI are undermining trust in American justice and explains why the hard left is the true danger to the future of democracy.

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Will Trump Be Indicted?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 21:10:00 +0000

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The Decline of Men in the Workforce

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 14:00:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with economist Nicholas Eberstadt about why men are leaving the workforce in greater numbers, what these men are doing with their time while not employed, and if the policies and economics of Covid-19 have forever changed the culture of the office.

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Can the U.S. and China Coexist Peacefully?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 14:38:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with China expert Michael Pillsbury about the fallout from Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, what more the U.S. can do to protect Taiwan from aggression from China, and if there is an internal power struggle within Chinese politics.

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Can the U.S. and China Coexist Peacefully?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 14:38:00 +0000

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How Progressives Caused a Climate Panic and Ruined Cities

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 8 Aug 2022 16:56:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with analyst Michael Shellenberger about why extremists on the left only speak about climate change in the most unnecessarily apocalyptic terms, why the world needs an energy abundance and not energy scarcity, and how progressive policies on crime and drugs have ruined many American cities.

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How Progressives Caused a Climate Panic and Ruined Cities

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 8 Aug 2022 16:56:00 +0000

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The Left's Suppression of Speech

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 2 Aug 2022 02:53:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with talk show host and columnist Dennis Prager about why there is so much censorship of conservative speech by the left, why leftists see organized religion as a hostile force, and why he thinks people would rather be taken care of than be free.

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The Return of Stagflation

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 22:00:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with economist Mohamed El-Erian about when the U.S. economy will see any relief from the high rate of inflation, the mistakes made by the Federal Reserve to try to fix the problem, and the probability of a recession under Joe Biden's fiscal policies.

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Noah Rothman and "The New Puritanism"

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 23:09:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with conservative commentator Noah Rothman about what he calls the "new Puritanism," the left's modern secular religion that attempts to extinguish pleasure from our lives in pursuit of social justice, green extremism and ordered Utopianism, and why they won't succeed.

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The Woke Assault on Western Civilization

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 21:34:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker talks to historian Andrew Roberts about the left’s campaign to defame and discredit the West’s history and the pushback against the woke cultural revolution. And as the British Conservative Party elects a new leader, they consider the condition of modern conservatism on both sides of the Atlantic.

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The Woke Assault on Western Civilization

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 21:34:00 +0000

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Kellyanne Conway, Donald J. Trump, and the Future of the GOP

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 5 Jul 2022 20:47:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with Kellyanne Conway, former counselor to President Donald Trump, about the Jan. 6 Committee, Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony, Donald Trump's possible candidacy in 2024, and why the Republican Party should be recognized for championing women and the issues they value most.

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The Dobbs Decision and the Bioethics of Abortion

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 23:14:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with professor and bioethics expert O. Carter Snead about what Americans have gotten wrong about the original Roe. v. Wade decision, why the debate over what is considered a "person" still continues, and why the electorate will ultimately decide how lawmakers act on abortion in a post-Dobbs world.

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The Dobbs Decision and the Bioethics of Abortion

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 23:14:00 +0000

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The Consequential Decisions of the Supreme Court's Term

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 22:57:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with law professor and former Supreme Court clerk John Yoo about the historically significant conservative direction of the Court, the damage done by the leak of Justice Samuel Alito's draft decision in the Dobbs case, and why the Founding Fathers would have been suspicious of the January 6th Committee hearings.

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The Consequential Decisions of the Supreme Court's Term

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 22:57:00 +0000

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The Successor Ideology and the Threat to Our Freedoms

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 23:28:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with essayist Wesley Yang about how the ascent of progressive ideas in the last few years represents a 'successor ideology”. Seeking to supplant traditional liberalism, it is an authoritarian dogma that has captured most of our cultural, political institutions and even business leadership, compelling compliance with its beliefs on social justice, anti-racism, identity politics and other left-wing nostrums.

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The Successor Ideology and the Threat to Our Freedoms

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 23:28:00 +0000

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Civilization and Its Enemies

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 6 Jun 2022 23:02:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with author and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali about how ideologues and a lack of leadership created a lack of confidence in Western civilization, how the youth of today misinterpret concepts like free speech, and why it's not too late to stop the West from imploding from within.

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Civilization and Its Enemies

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 6 Jun 2022 23:02:00 +0000

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How Do Tragedies Like Uvalde, Texas, Happen?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 31 May 2022 21:11:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with Lionel Shriver, author of We Need to Talk About Kevin, about what tragedies like the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre say about guns, mental health and young men, and if the tide will turn against cancel culture and the war on language.

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How Do Tragedies Like Uvalde, Texas, Happen?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 31 May 2022 21:11:00 +0000

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The Collateral Damage of Lockdowns

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:40:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with biophysicist Michael Levitt about the economic and social damage caused by lockdowns, why there should have been more disagreement among the experts studying Covid-19, and why he thinks the politicization of science will get worse before it gets better.

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Will the World Overcome the Russia and Covid Crises?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 17 May 2022 13:07:00 +0000

Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer about how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revitalized the west and harmed Moscow, why cyberattacks are more of a threat than nuclear proliferation, and how the world now faces three major crises that will require a revival of American unity and purpose to overcome.

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Jonathan Turley and the Fallout From the Supreme Court Leak

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 9 May 2022 19:44:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with legal scholar Jonathan Turley about the ramifications of the leak of the Supreme Court's draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, how legal and constitutional norms are being trampled and what the possible final ruling may mean for abortion, the law and politics.

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Yoram Hazony and the Future of Conservatism

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 2 May 2022 23:04:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with political theorist Yoram Hazony about how conservatism has gone astray from its roots and how it can be rescued by a new generation that embraces religion and traditional values at its heart.

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Douglas Murray and the War on Western Culture

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 22:53:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, author and commentator Douglas Murray speaks with WSJ Editor at Large Gerry Baker about how a culture war has been declared on the traditions and history of the West, the problem with looking at America through a racial lens, and how the United States has become "an exporter of bad ideas."

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Mike Pompeo on Not Underestimating Vladimir Putin

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 00:09:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about why Vladimir Putin did not attempt an invasion of Ukraine during the Trump administration, why Americans are worse off now than during Donald Trump's years in office, and whether Pompeo is considering a run for president in 2024.

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Mike Pompeo on Not Underestimating Vladimir Putin

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 00:09:00 +0000

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Garry Kasparov on Putin and "the Virus of Imperialism"

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 19:52:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with Russian-born chess grand master and outspoken Vladimir Putin critic Garry Kasparov about how the U.S. and its allies are still not taking the Russian menace seriously enough and why the future of the free world may depend on the collapse of the Putin regime.

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Will Vladimir Putin Escalate the Brutality in Ukraine?

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Wed, 6 Apr 2022 22:25:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks with former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates about the need for a new US global strategy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, why Putin’s war is faltering and how the west should deal with the emerging challenges from the China-Russia alliance.

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Orville Schell

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 22:41:00 +0000

Wall Street Journal Editor at Large Gerry Baker speaks this week with author and scholar Orville Schell about whether China can put pressure on Russia to end the invasion of Ukraine and what effect it may have on Xi Jinping's own ambitions to forcibly reclaim Taiwan.

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Dr. Albert Bourla

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 14:00:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks with Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla about how his company was able to develop a Covid-19 vaccine in under a year, the risks of new variants, and why some people distrust scientific institutions.

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Dr. Albert Bourla

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 14:00:00 +0000

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Stephen Kotkin

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 21:11:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks with one of the world’s pre-eminent historians of Russia, Stephen Kotkin, about the autocratic ambitions behind Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, how the west can do more to resist his aggression and how he has placed China at an inflection point in its rise to global superpower status.

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William P. Barr

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 8 Mar 2022 11:01:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks with William Barr about his tumultuous time as Attorney General in the Trump administration. Barr forcefully refutes Donald Trump's claims that the 2020 election was stolen, states why Donald Trump should not run again in 2024, and explains how the Trump presidency began to turn the tide against the progressive march through U.S. culture and institutions.

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Niall Ferguson

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 21:00:00 +0000

On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with historian and author Niall Ferguson about why the war in Ukraine represents a paradigm shift for the world, why Vladimir Putin is “rattling the nuclear saber,” and how this crisis is worse for Joe Biden than the ones that engulfed Jimmy Carter’s presidency in 1979.

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Niall Ferguson

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 21:00:00 +0000

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Lawrence H. Summers

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of "Free Expression," former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers tells Gerry Baker why he would have rather been wrong in predicting the high rate of inflation, why the risk of a recession is high, and why the idea of a federal gas tax holiday is "the ultimate policy gimmick."

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Condoleezza Rice

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 00:30:00 +0000

On the inaugural episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the latest developments in the Russia/Ukraine crisis, the United States' possible role in the conflict, and her take on free speech on college campuses in her role as Director of the Hoover Institution.

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Free Expression

(Gerard Baker, Editor at Large, The Wall Street Journal) — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 20:16:00 +0000

Wall Street Journal Editor-At-Large Gerry Baker explains what is new podcast "Free Expression" is all about

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