Just Asking Questions

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One guest. One topic. Many questions. Reason’s Liz Wolfe and Zach Weissmueller put a current event, trend, or idea under the microscope and analyze it at length with help from an outside guest who knows a thing or two about it. We don’t have all the answers, but we do have lots of questions.

Reason


    • May 29, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 14m AVG DURATION
    • 82 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Just Asking Questions

    David Stockman: Trump Is a 'Faker' on the Debt

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 69:16


    Reagan's budget chief warns that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could balloon the national debt to $60 trillion, risking a catastrophic bond market crisis.

    Gary Winslett: The American Dream Has Migrated South

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 65:59


    Middlebury professor Gary Winslett argues the South—not China—poached the Rust Belt's manufacturing base by out-competing it on policy.

    Noah Smith: I Owe Libertarians an Apology

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 77:20


    The econ blogger explains why libertarians might have been (kind of) right all along—and why our ideas are more necessary than he thought in the age of Trump.

    Do These Libertarians Regret Voting for Donald Trump?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 88:01


    Three libertarians—Dave Smith, J.D. Tuccille, and Liz Wolfe—revisit their reluctant votes for Trump, weighing the promises, chaos, and consequences of his second term so far.

    Ross Douthat: Why Digital Life Threatens Freedom and Family

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 63:33


    The New York Times columnist warns that digital life may be eroding the cultural foundations needed to sustain meaning, family, and community.

    Glenn Greenwald: Americans' Liberties Are in Danger

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2025 88:35


    The journalist joins the show to discuss due process, immigration enforcement, and the growing tensions between the courts and the executive branch.

    Michael Beckley: China Is Dangerously Weak

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 78:18


    The Danger Zone co-author joins the show to discuss China's peaking power, and why that actually makes them more dangerous.

    Derek Thompson: Democrats Must Change

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 67:00


    The Atlantic's Derek Thompson urges Democrats to embrace more libertarian, pro-growth policies in his new book.

    Rand Paul: Why I Oppose Trump's Tariffs

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 23:24


    The Kentucky senator joins Just Asking Questions to explain why he's fighting against the president's unilateral tariffs.

    Batya Ungar-Sargon: The Case for MAGA Leftism

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 77:39


    The author and columnist joins the show to discuss immigration, deportations, and being a "MAGA leftist."

    Phil Magness: The Problem With Trumponomics

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 69:27


    Economic historian Phil Magness on the real history of tariffs and why Trump is so wrong about them.

    Kelsey Piper: A Reasonable Approach to AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 79:03


    Vox's Kelsey Piper joins the show to discuss the drastic differences between the Biden and Trump administrations on AI—and what it all means for the future of humanity.

    Just Answering Questions: Live Q&A

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 47:13


    Reply to this post with questions for Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe, who will address listener comments.

    Tom Woods: The COVID Lessons We Can't Forget

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 93:10


    The historian and podcaster joins us on the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 emergency to relive all the pandemic policy failures.

    James Pogue: What Ukraine Reveals About MAGA

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 91:08


    Vanity Fair's James Pogue dives into the dissident right, his personal experiences with MAGA, and how Ukraine policy is unfolding.

    Matt Taibbi: The Collapse of the Censorship Regime

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 81:43


    The award-winning journalist discusses the collapse of a post–World War II consensus, online speech police, and the legacy media on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

    Randy Barnett: How Legal Is Trump's Agenda?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 76:38


    Georgetown constitutional law professor Randy Barnett discusses the legality of DOGE, Trump's executive orders, and birthright citizenship.

    Aaron Sibarium: Is DEI Over?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 82:32


    The Washington Free Beacon's Aaron Sibarium discusses the various slashes the Trump administration has made to DEI projects and USAID.

    John Cochrane: How Will DOGE 'Disrupt' the Government?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 69:35


    Stanford economist John Cochrane discusses DOGE, tariffs, and what it will take to prevent a debt crisis.

    Julia Gelatt: What Happens if Trump 'Seals the Border'?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 78:57


    Demographer Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute joins Just Asking Questions to discuss the likely effects of the president's executive orders on immigration.

    Angela McArdle: What Role Did the Libertarian Party Play in Freeing Ross Ulbricht?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 20:12


    The Libertarian Party national chair talks about the role the party played in securing a presidential pardon for Ulbricht on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

    Mike Pesca: How Will Trump 2.0 Transform America?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 82:43


    Mike Pesca reacts to Trump's inauguration and slate of executive orders on the latest Just Asking Questions.

    Meghan Daum: After the Fires, What's Left of L.A.?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 64:12


    Author and podcaster Meghan Daum lost her home in one of the wildfires affecting the Greater L.A. area. She joins the show to discuss what the city is like right now, and how it got this way.

    Tyler Cowen: Why Do We Refuse To Learn From History?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 66:10


    Economist Tyler Cowen on historical lessons, populism today, and the philosophical debates within libertarianism.

    Isabelle Boemeke: Time for the Nuclear Option?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2025 72:28


    Isodope founder Isabelle Boemeke discusses the ongoing potential renaissance of nuclear energy.

    nuclear option isabelle boemeke
    Byrne Hobart: What happened to progress?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2024 77:39


    Finance and tech writer Byrne Hobart discusses how bubbles are a good thing, overcoming stagnation, and the religiosity of space exploration.

    Guillaume Verdon: Should We Have a 'Second Amendment for AI'?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 87:33


    Based Beff Jezos, co-founder of Extropic, discusses AI safety, decentralization, and going analog.

    Brianna Wu and TafTaj: How Have Trans Issues Scrambled Our Politics?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 69:38


    Brianna Wu and TafTaj discuss the role of transgender issues in the 2024 election, "centrist" trans politics, and their own personal stories.

    Nic Carter: Did Bitcoin Win the Election?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 69:13


    Crypto podcaster, writer, and infrastructure investor Nic Carter discusses the role digital assets played in Trump's election, the persecution of Polymarket, and the "enormous spiritual chasm between the right and the left."

    Vinay Prasad: What Does RFK Jr. Get Right and Wrong?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 85:00


    YouTuber Dr. Vinay Prasad joins Just Asking Questions Live on Tuesday November 26 at 1 p.m. EST.

    Yuval Levin: What is Trump's "Mandate"?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 60:13


    A.E.I.'s Yuval Levin discusses Trump's mandate (or lack thereof), building coalitions, and how the classic divide between Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine remains relevant.

    Lee Fang: Will Democrats Ever Recover From 2024?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2024 79:37


    Independent journalist Lee Fang discusses why the Democrats lost so badly and whether or not the party has the ability to course correct anytime soon.

    Patrick Ruffini: Why Did Trump Win?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 70:25


    Author and GOP strategist Patrick Ruffini discusses Trump's re-election and the ways in which the party is changing.

    Dave Smith, David Stockman, and Jacob Grier: Who Is The Lesser Evil?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 110:49


    Dave Smith is for Trump. Jacob Grier is for Harris. David Stockman says we're screwed either way.

    Thierry Malleret: Is the Great Reset Underway?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2024 62:07


    Great Reset co-author Thierry Malleret discusses stakeholder capitalism, libertarianism, and his new book satirizing the World Economic Forum on Just Asking Questions.

    Brian Trascher: Has FEMA failed North Carolina?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2024 73:14


    The Vice President of the United Cajun Navy, Brian Trascher, discusses effective disaster response and the problems with FEMA.

    Michael Brendan Dougherty: How Will Immigrants Reshape America?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2024 90:28


    National Review's Michael Brendan Dougherty discusses the differences between conservatives and libertarians on the issue of immigration.

    Ford Fischer: What's the Untold Story Behind 'Stop the Steal'?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024 77:40


    Documentarian Ford Fischer discusses his experience covering the "Stop the Steal" movement, January 6, and what it all means for the future of journalism and democracy.

    Richard Staropoli: What's Wrong With the Secret Service?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 76:24


    An ex-Secret Service agent explains what he thinks left Donald Trump vulnerable to two close-call assassination attempts within two months.

    Erika Sanzi: What Are Schools Really Teaching?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 82:29


    Director of Outreach for Parents Defending Education, Erika Sanzi, discusses woke indoctrination in education.

    Glenn Greenwald: Why Did Brazil Ban X?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2024 65:42


    Glenn Greenwald discusses Brazil's ban of X, the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, and the global crackdown on speech on Just Asking Questions.

    Bob Murphy: How Bad Is the National Debt?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 74:31


    Economist Bob Murphy explains the technical details of government debt and why Modern Monetary Theory is so dangerously wrong.

    Kyla Scanlon: What's Actually Wrong With the Economy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 75:29


    Economist and author Kyla Scanlon discusses inflation, economic narratives, and the housing market.

    Jane Coaston: What Is 'Freedom' to Democrats?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2024 80:02


    The New York Times contributor discusses the Democratic National Convention and the rhetoric of "freedom" on Just Asking Questions.

    César Báez and Daniel Di Martino: What Happened in Venezuela's Election?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 69:01


    Two Venezuelan immigrants explain the current political unrest in the country.

    Nate Silver: How Likely Is a Kamala Harris Presidency?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 68:07


    Statistician Nate Silver will join Just Asking Questions at 12:30 p.m. ET this Thursday to talk about the state of the Democratic Party.

    Vivek Ramaswamy: Is There a Libertarian-Nationalist Alliance?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 33:15


    The former presidential candidate discusses the ideological tensions within the America First movement.

    Alex Thompson: Why Did Biden Drop Out?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 77:36


    Axios reporter Alex Thompson discusses Joe Biden's exit and the rise of Kamala Harris on Just Asking Questions.

    Mary Katharine Ham: What's Trump's Agenda?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 66:10


    Fox News commentator Mary Katharine Ham discusses Trump's new policy agenda.

    Dave Weigel: What If Biden Quits?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 81:15


    Dave Weigel discusses Biden's decline and the possibility of replacing him on Just Asking Questions.

    joe biden quits dave weigel just asking questions
    Ruth Whippman: How Is Masculinity Changing?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2024 77:33


    Ruth Whippman discusses her new book BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity.

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