The Moynihan Report

Michael Moynihan talks with Cambridge historian Brendan Simms about his biography Hitler: A Global Biography. Simms dismantles the WWII revisionism currently popular on social media: The idea that Churchjill was the war's true antagonist. Simms explains why Hitler declared war on the U.S., his obsession with German emigration to the United States, and how Nazi ideology was fueled by a deep-seated hatred of international capitalism. Hitler: A Global Biography is available here.Brendan Simms is Director of the Centre for Geopolitics at University of Cambridge and a prolific author on European geopolitics, past and present, and his principal interests are the German Question, Britain and Europe, Hitler’s global anti-semitism, Humanitarian Intervention and state construction.

Devon Archer explains what it was like to be caught between Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump, and how power, access, and consequences actually played out behind the scenes.In this extended interview, Archer speaks firsthand about his relationship with Hunter Biden, the reach of Joe Biden’s influence, and how the Trump era changed the legal and political stakes. He reflects on business dealings, loyalty, fallout, and what happens when proximity to power turns into liability.This conversation is not about accusations or defenses. It’s about the real-world consequences of political access and what it feels like to be caught in the middle as alliances shift and scrutiny intensifies.

Michael interviews Adam Irving, grandson of David Irving and head of Irving Books, the publisher managing his grandfather’s catalog. The conversation looks at David Irving’s trajectory from bestselling World War II historian to a figure discredited for Holocaust denial and racist distortion. Michael probes how Adam handles the responsibility of publishing work widely condemned for distorting the historical record and what it means to run a business in the shadow of that legacy.

Today's episode features journalist and author Jamie Kirchick, who dissects the rise of the populist, far-right movement on both sides of the Atlantic and the accompanying decay of mainstream conservative politics. The discussion focuses on the rapid ascent of parties like Germany's AfD, noting that their success is driven by failure to integrate immigrants and the subsequent Danish model adopted by mainstream parties to curb their influence. Domestically, Moynihan and Kirchick characterize figures like Tucker Carlson as "the most dangerous antisemite in America right now" and a fusion of "every awful ideology," exploring his influence over politicians like JD Vance and the MAGA wing's adoption of pro-Russian, anti-capitalist, and isolationist foreign policy that demands a revisionist view of World War II. Finally, the episode touches on historical revisionism, previewing an interview with the grandson of Holocaust denier David Irving, and questions the utility of debunking misinformation in the current, high-speed digital environment.

Michael Moynihan sits down with Robby Soave to discuss Trump’s liberal use of pardons. Technically, Trump has the power to dole out pardons as he pleases (and he has), but is this verging on dictatorship? Using Trump’s extraordinary move to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, Michael and Robby will delve into how Trump wields pardons as a tool for personal and political “justice.”Subscribe to the YouTube!

This episode is a wide-ranging, candid chat where Michael Moynihan and guest columnist Eli Lake dive deep into the messy overlap of culture and politics today.They start with a fun intellectual detour, dissecting the punk rock ethos and suggesting that the anti-authoritarian, norm-defying spirit actually makes Socrates the original punk. This cultural lens is quickly applied to modern politics, where they discuss how the rise of figures like Nick Fuentes and his followers is basically a political version of punk rock. They argue that this shock-jock, transgressive style is a direct reaction to the illiberal social pressures of recent years (think: Black Squares and trigger-happy social media bans).The conversation then hits the controversial shift of Tucker Carlson, pointing out his "horseshoe" alignment with figures from the radical left, like Noam Chomsky. They suggest Tucker's appeal comes from his genuine rejection of his old Washington world.Finally, the talk gets serious about the Constitution, as Moynihan and Lake criticize the Trump administration's foreign policy; specifically the unauthorized use of the military in Venezuela against drug boats. Lake argues this overreach, done without Congressional approval, is a dangerous move that could undermine the foundations of the Republic by setting a precedent for presidents to start wars without a proper legal or democratic say.Subscribe to the YouTube!

Meghan McCain sits down with Michael to unpack the surge of right-wing podcasts and personalities dominating the media landscape. Big voices like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly are changing the tone—and the reach—of the conservative movement. Are they expanding the base or losing the middle? Here’s what you need to know.Subscribe on YouTube!

Tom Freston's story is a compelling journey of media creation fueled by unconventional experiences and a zeal for the non-mainstream. His memoir, Unplugged Adventures: From MTV to Timbuktu, chronicles his life, from an eight-year stint in India and Afghanistan on the hippie trail where he was a businessman running a successful clothing empire (a venture eventually destroyed by Carter administration tariffs), to his pivotal role in creating global media powerhouses. MTV, his defining legacy, was born in 1980 out of a desire to create a specialized "narrow caster" for music fans, reflecting a passionate, low-budget, no-experience culture similar to Vice Media's early days. The channel became a culture leader for over two decades, achieving success despite initial resistance from cable operators and record companies, famously using the "I Want My MTV" campaign featuring stars like David Bowie and Mick Jagger. This innovative spirit continued as MTV pioneered the reality TV boom with The Real World and when Freston's team launched Comedy Central out of competitive brashness against HBO, nurturing future comedy icons. Freston's career at the top of Viacom ended abruptly when Sumner Redstone fired him, famously for not buying MySpace, a moment that underscored the disruptive force of the digital revolution. Later, Freston got involved with Vice Media, drawn to its edgy, chaotic, and fun sky's the limit culture, only to witness its struggle with growth, overspending, and a missed opportunity to be acquired by Disney. Through it all, Freston believes his success stemmed from his confidence, ability to attract talent, and a commitment to having creative people in charge of his networks.Subscribe to the YouTube!

Signal President Meredith Whittaker joins The Moynihan Report for a deep dive into the AI industry, exposing how artificial intelligence is often just a marketing term designed to degrade jobs rather than replace them. An ex-Googler, Whittaker breaks down the dangerous concentration of power within Big Tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, revealing how their surveillance business model creates an unholy alliance with the government. The conversation covers the chilling reality of digital privacy, the failure of "private" apps like WhatsApp, the threat of targeted spyware, and the inside story of the Crypto Wars, all while touching on figures like Sam Altman and the fight for true encryption.Subscribe to the YouTube!