The Dispatch Podcast: "Is Donald Trump's Golden Age Here?"

Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Steve Hayes
Panelists: Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, Megan McArdle
Theme: Roundtable discussion on Trump-era politics, DOJ actions, Congressional dysfunction, the economy, and the culture of performative government

Episode Overview

This week, Steve Hayes hosts a lively and deeply critical roundtable with Jonah Goldberg, Kevin Williamson, and Megan McArdle. The panel dissects the failed DOJ attempt to indict six Democratic lawmakers over a public video about refusing unlawful orders, political theater around the Epstein files, ongoing administration corruption, and the current state of the Trump economy. The conversation is frank, at times sardonic, and laced with dismay at the erosion of institutional norms.

Key Discussion Points

1. DOJ’s Attempted Indictment of Six Democratic Lawmakers

[00:00–13:10]

• Context: Six Democratic members of Congress (with military and intel backgrounds) recorded a video reminding active-duty personnel that unlawful orders must be refused, in response to controversial Trump administration military action. The DOJ sought to indict them; the grand jury refused.
• Panel Reaction:
  • Kevin Williamson calls the DOJ's attempt "absurd and silly," adding, "The Trump administration’s attempt to criminalize this activity is an example of exactly the sort of thing these people are talking about, which is using power of the government in irresponsible and dangerous ways" ([04:05]).
  • The group agrees the video itself is performative and arguably unhelpful, but the criminalization effort represents a chilling escalation.
  • Jonah Goldberg: “...this is sort of next level... for people who comfort themselves... this stuff is not theoretical... they tried to criminalize this video” ([07:13]).
  • Megan McArdle, on the grand jury’s rejection: “It is good news that the system holds, but that's kind of like saying, you know, it's good news that my airbags worked. Something has gone badly wrong by the time you have verified that your airbags were functional” ([11:35-12:01]).

Notable Quotes:

• On institutional decay:
  “Impeachment is pretty much a dead letter at this point. No president's party will ever vote for it... that constitutional safeguard has just been falsified” – McArdle ([12:09]).

2. Congressional Hearings and Political Theater: The Epstein Files

[13:10–24:04]

• The panel discusses a “useless” House hearing centered on Pam Bondi and the “Epstein files.” Hayes and Williamson agree these hearings are mostly performance for partisans and, notably, Trump himself.
• Kevin Williamson compares congressional hearings to a “mock trial in eighth grade,” criticizing the lack of substance and a complete absence of self-respect among participants ([14:47–16:56]).
• Jonah Goldberg notes that the real audience is Trump: “Cabinet secretaries are performing for an audience of one on TV... They're trying to prove to Donald Trump that they're fighting for him” ([18:57–19:24]).
• On Bondi’s approach: Goldberg sees her contempt for oversight as impeachable and sees echoes of “North Korean level praise for Dear Leader” from Trump loyalists.

Notable Quotes:

• “Self-respect keeps you out of that job. It’s just so embarrassing... It’s gotta be embarrassing for them in some way. But then… their ability to be embarrassed has just been removed.” – Williamson ([16:42])
• “It's more interesting in terms of inside-the-Beltway Kremlinology... They're not trying to persuade the public... they're trying to prove to Donald Trump that they're fighting for him.” – Goldberg ([18:57–19:24])

3. Corruption and Cronyism: The Commerce Secretary Saga

[26:20–33:53]

• The NYT exposes a donor-driven effort, involving Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trump, to block a new international bridge (benefiting a billionaire's monopoly).
• The panel agrees there is little pretense; such stories are "shocking but not surprising."
• Megan McArdle: “He has left people who are manifestly bad at their jobs in position because they're obsequiously loyal to him…” ([29:26])
• Kevin Williamson: “Kind of New York, Palm Beach rich guy world is even more... small and incestuous. And the incentives are very strong there to stay in the good graces of that circle.” ([32:18])
• On lying as an inherent practice: “These people just sort of lie for practice... They're going to the liar’s gym.” — Williamson, jokingly, with McArdle chiming, “Never skip lie day.” ([33:53–34:04])

4. Tariffs, Congressional Cowardice, and the Economy

[34:10–47:55]

• Two House votes saw small numbers of GOP members break with the party on Trump’s tariffs—a sign of possible but limited dissent.
• Jonah Goldberg: Republican backbone often appears only after primary deadlines have passed, and “Trump cannot cost them the nomination” ([36:10]).
• Megan McArdle: “As his popularity numbers decline, he’s going to lose some people... It is leaking into Donald Trump’s approval ratings. And the more that slips... what is the benefit in two years of sucking up to this man who is shortly going to leave the scene?” ([39:11–42:50])
• On economic reality versus political narrative:
  • Kevin Williamson & Jonah Goldberg point out tariffs are both a small fraction of GDP and a regressive tax—felt most by lower-income Americans ([46:53–47:55]).
  • Jonah Goldberg rails against Navarro’s assertions: “Peter Navarro is a liar” ([47:59]).

5. State of the Economy & Perceptions of Progress

[44:00–48:24]

• Despite January’s strong job numbers, the panel stresses that long-term job growth has been overstated—downward revisions to the past year’s figures, combined with stagnant mobility in jobs and housing, have left Americans feeling “stuck.”
• Kevin Williamson: “The downward revisions in the job numbers... suggests that that first year left us something short of the golden age that Donald Trump thinks we are in.” ([45:39])
• Jonah Goldberg: “Tariffs as being implemented are regressive. The regressive taxes on lower income Americans.” ([47:14])
• Steve Hayes notes, “Neither political party is offering any real reform agenda on the entitlements that are driving that [national] debt” as the CBO projects massive debt expands to $64 trillion in a decade ([48:24]).

6. Not Worth Your Time: Valentine’s Day Roundtable

[48:24–59:00]

• The closing segment takes a humorous turn as panelists reveal their attitudes and strategies for Valentine's Day. Standout moments include:
  • Jonah Goldberg (whose wife is away): “...You do the minimum or more. And so I’m always a flowers and chocolates guy.” ([50:07])
  • On combining Valentine's with his daughter’s February 11th birthday: “If they... combine Valentine’s Day and birthday, that's a real test... Not good enough for my daughter.” ([50:13])
  • Megan McArdle: “I expect Valentine’s Day to be celebrated... But I am cheap and... do not appreciate extravagant romantic gestures made with our joint money.” ([51:21])
  • Kevin Williamson recounts buying his wife literally all the tulips at Whole Foods: “We had a house full of tulips, and she was very happy about that. And it was kind of absurd...” ([54:13])
  • Much camaraderie and self-deprecating banter on romantic expectations, domestic labor, and chainsaw use ensues.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “It is good news that the system holds, but that's kind of like saying, you know, it's good news that my airbags worked. Something has gone badly wrong by the time you have verified that your airbags were functional.” — Megan McArdle ([12:01])
• “Cabinet secretaries are performing for an audience of one on TV... They are trying to prove to Donald Trump that they're fighting for him.” — Jonah Goldberg ([18:57])
• “These people just sort of lie for practice... They’re going to the liar’s gym.” — Kevin Williamson ([33:53])
• “Our institutions are still strong enough to hold against that. Which means, if you are a Republican, what is the benefit in two years of sucking up to this man who is shortly going to leave the scene?” — Megan McArdle ([42:50])
• “If you say [Valentine’s Day] is a bogus holiday, it wins you nothing. So you do the minimum or more. And so I'm always a flowers and chocolates guy.” — Jonah Goldberg ([50:07])

Important Timestamps

• [00:00–03:29]: Intro, context, and the lawmakers’ video
• [03:29–13:10]: DOJ attempts at criminalization and its implications for the rule of law
• [13:10–17:40]: Epstein files hearing and political performativity
• [24:04–34:04]: Commerce Secretary corruption and cronyism
• [34:10–42:50]: Tariffs, House votes, and future party fractures
• [44:00–48:24]: Economy, labor/job market, CBO projections
• [48:24–59:00]: Valentine’s Day: lighthearted closing roundtable

Tone & Style

• Cynical, exasperated, darkly humorous: There’s deep frustration—and sometimes resignation—at the normalization of performative governance, escalating attacks on institutional norms, and rampant cronyism.
• Conversational, incisive, occasionally personal: The panel weaves policy substance with personal anecdotes, especially in the closing segment.

Summary Takeaway

This episode delivers a sharp, sometimes wry assessment of year two of Trump’s second administration: a climate where government power is weaponized for personal grievance, political loyalty supersedes competence, and policy debates are increasingly staged for spectacle rather than substance. Institutional guardrails are holding—barely—but there’s broad agreement among the hosts that the American political system, its parties, and its public discourse are in a dangerous, at times farcical, place. The “golden age” is an illusion muddied by economic stagnation, mounting debt, and deep civic disillusionment—leavened, at least, by the panel’s capacity for humor and camaraderie.