The Commentary Magazine Podcast

Episode: Podcasting Vs. Broadcasting
Date: December 4, 2025
Host: John Podhoretz
Panel: Abe Greenwald, Christine Rosen, Eliana Johnson

Overview

This episode of The Commentary Magazine Podcast dives into the evolving power dynamics between traditional broadcast media (especially cable news) and the surging influence of podcasts and other digital-first formats. The hosts address recent political controversies—particularly the struggles of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Trump’s increasingly unilateral style in foreign and domestic policy (including the Venezuela situation and presidential pardons), as well as the media and cultural shifts in news consumption, podcasting’s growth, and a notable discussion on the Minnesota Somali COVID aid fraud. The episode closes with a gripping crime fiction recommendation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Pete Hegseth Scandal: News Reporting & Political Reality

[03:13 – 19:55]

-- Overuse of “The Noose is Tightening” trope

• John Podhoretz observes repetitive, dramatic language in both TV and print media describing the situation around Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (“the noose is tightening…”), but notes that, if anything, recent complications (including credible denials) have muddled the story rather than clarified it.
  • “I do think that some of his conduct in the last week has been morally impeachable, if not actually impeachable ... [but] the idea that the story is getting worse… Maybe, Eliana, you can help” (John, 05:53)

-- Hegseth’s Resilience

• Eliana Johnson recounts Hegseth’s history of overcoming scandals — from his rocky confirmation, allegations of mismanagement and sexual harassment, “Signal Gate,” and dismissing close allies, to accusations about his handling of military strikes in Venezuela. Despite “Beltway scandals,” Trump has consistently stood by him.
  • “What’s clear to me is that Donald Trump likes this guy. And it's going to take something much bigger than these sort of Beltway scandals...” (Eliana, 08:04)

-- Media’s Adversarial Relationship

• Christine Rosen points out Hegseth’s contempt for both media and internal oversight, as evidenced by his refusal to participate fully in the Inspector General’s investigation. She highlights his leadership deficits, including inability to fill key Pentagon roles.
  • “He’s a troublesome cabinet member and he doesn’t react well under pressure... the lack of competence for the person who heads the Department of War really should matter.” (Christine, 09:46 & 14:08)

-- Survival through Politics, Not Competence

• The panel concludes Hegseth is likely to keep his job unless proven to have lied directly, with Trump’s support dovetailing with a broader, more belligerent administration stance towards Venezuela.
  • “Will he be forced out? Not unless... he has not been candid... I don't think that's survivable.” (John, 15:12)

2. Trump’s Unilateralism: Venezuela, Pardons, and the Limits of Power

[15:42 – 27:04]

-- Surprising Belligerence on Venezuela

• The hosts are perplexed by the administration’s aggressive approach towards Venezuela, especially given Trump’s previous “Great Ender of Wars” persona.
  • “It is very interesting and remains a very puzzling thing... because it is not being met with what one would ordinarily imagine would happen...” (John, 16:43)

-- Presidential Pardons and Constitutional Dilemmas

• Discussion turns to the unchecked nature of the presidential pardon and whether a bipartisan constitutional amendment might be inevitable if such pardons continue to be wielded so openly.
  • “We really are in Caudillo territory here.… The only positive I can see here is… there will be a huge bipartisan consensus that the 29th Amendment needs to be passed…” (John, 17:47)

-- Perpetuation of Contradictions

• Christine Rosen highlights Trump's recurrent pattern: using past Democratic norms-breaking as justification while simultaneously promoting himself as a law-and-order iconar; the contradiction is, she argues, increasingly visible and unstable.
  • “...that contradiction is being exposed, I think every week in this administration in various policy forms.” (Christine, 27:43)

3. Podcasting vs. Broadcasting: Media Shifts and Influence

[33:42 – 57:41]

-- Decline of Cable, Rise of Podcasts

• The panel notes the declining cultural relevance and viewership of traditional broadcast shows (e.g., “Morning Joe,” MSNBC's rebranding woes), contrasted with the meteoric rise of digital-first shows/podcasts such as Midas Touch and Joe Rogan.
  • “It sort of doesn’t matter whether [Scarborough’s] on or not… the energy is no longer on a cable show… it’s coming from podcasts” (John, 39:18)
  • “...regular people are actually consuming new news and media... CNN... is very circular and incestuous in a way, and it's not, it's really not impactful.” (Eliana, 45:03)

-- On Influence: Political vs. Cultural

• Strong debate on whether figures like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly are “bigger” outside of Fox, with Eliana arguing their political influence has waned, while Abe suggests they've traded it for expanded cultural clout.
  • “If we frame it as I think they were more politically influential then, now they're more culturally influential.” (Abe, 57:11)

-- The Fake Realities of Media

• The transition from scripted, broadcast “news” to reality TV-like formats in podcasting brings both a sense of authenticity and a proliferation of “fake” or constructed narratives.
  • “...what we're now finding out is reality TV news is fake.” (Abe, 51:32)
  • “People love podcasts because they feel like they're listening in on a conversation...” (Christine, 51:32)

4. Minnesota’s Somali COVID Aid Scandal: Greed over Terror

[60:55 – 69:08]

-- Media Misdirection

• Eliana Johnson unpacks the Feeding Our Future scandal, where Somali-connected nonprofits in Minnesota siphoned COVID aid, not primarily to fund terrorism (as some politicians have claimed), but for self-enrichment and luxury lifestyles. She criticizes calls for new investigations as political posturing, since federal prosecutors have traced nearly every dollar.
  • “I think the idea that the core issue here is about the siphoning of taxpayer dollars to terrorists… is a real distraction from what's actually the issue, which is that a massive fraud was perpetrated because people are greedy.” (Eliana, 63:08)

-- Political Fallout

• John points out the potential for significant political consequences for Minnesota’s governor and political class, as the scandal becomes a template for fraud investigations nationwide.

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Christine on Hegseth’s leadership:
  "The lack of competence for the person who heads the Department of War really should matter. And I think ultimately does matter to the American people." (13:58)

• Abe on Presidential Pardons:
  "That's optimistic, though, because it also could be that... it just becomes the new norm, new standard." (19:36)

• John on the cultural influence of podcasts:
  "It’s coming from podcasts, it’s coming from these transmission vectors that are neither that don’t come through a television screen, they come through a computer screen." (38:14)

• Eliana on the Feeding Our Future case:
  "...the intent, I think it's important for people to understand, was not on the part of the fraudsters to fund terrorism, to siphon money to Al Shabaab. ...a massive fraud was perpetrated because people are greedy." (63:08)

• Abe on the impact of new media:
  "...the rise of reality TV eventually came for the news. People got tired of scripted news and podcasts and all these new formats are the equivalent of reality TV for news analysis." (50:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Hegseth scandal and Trump admin loyalty: 03:13 – 19:55
• Trump unilateralism and pardon power: 15:42 – 27:04
• Broadcast decline vs. podcast rise, media dynamics: 33:42 – 57:41
• Tucker, Megyn Kelly, and influence debate: 48:29 – 57:41
• Minnesota Somali COVID aid scandal explained: 60:55 – 69:08
• Book recommendation ("Out" by Natsuo Kirino): 69:13 – 71:11

Book Recommendation

Christine Rosen:

• Out by Natsuo Kirino
  • “It is very good hard boiled crime fiction but with a wonderful undercurrent of the worst parts of human nature... set in Tokyo and tells the story of four women who work the overnight—the graveyard shift—at a bento box factory... extremely violent and gruesome aftermath of this crime. Don’t read it if you’re squeamish.” (69:13)

Conclusion

The podcast underscores the growing irrelevance of traditional broadcast political media in setting the national conversation, supplanted by nimbler, more direct forms of influence like podcasts and YouTube shows. The hosts highlight the increasingly performative and posturing nature of both political scandal coverage and political reactions themselves. Throughout, the panel maintains a tone marked by wit, skepticism, and historical perspective, providing trenchant analysis for listeners invested in both current affairs and the shifting landscape of American media.