It's that time of year when we ask you to open your wallets, dear listener, and make a tax-deductible donation to Reason's annual webathon: https://reason.pub/4pzsSOE.

In this special episode of The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Robby Soave, and Peter Suderman respond to all of your burning questions. Nothing is off limits!

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Audio Mixer: Ian Keyser

The post Ask Us Anything: Libertarians Answer Your Questions appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch dig into the disconnect between strong Black Friday spending and a public mood shaped by rising costs, economic anxiety, and slipping approval numbers for President Donald Trump. They explore why so many Americans feel poorer despite higher overall wealth, how regulation and subsidies have distorted key markets like housing and health care, and what to make of polling that shows young voters warming to democratic socialism.

The conversation then turns to the war crime allegations against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who allegedly gave the orders to "kill everybody" on Venezuelan boat strikes that resulted in the killing of survivors, and what limits actually exist on the use of military force. The editors also examine a new federal ban on hemp products and the damage it could inflict on a growing legal industry. A listener asks whether recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions signal a troubling erosion of constitutional protections, and the group takes time to reflect on the legacy of playwright Tom Stoppard and his long association with free speech and small government ideals.

Join us this Thursday, December 4, at 2:30 p.m. ET for a special live edition of The Reason Roundtable as part of our annual webathon. Send your questions for the Reason editors to [email protected] with "Webathon" in the subject line.

Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaOOdtJqzmY

0:00—Economic anxiety and standards of living

18:45—War crime allegations against Hegseth

32:09—Federal hemp ban threatens industry

37:35—Listener question on ICE constitutionality

46:45—The legacy of Tom Stoppard

56:31—Weekly cultural recommendations

Mentioned in This Podcast

"Toplines - Heartland Nov 2025 Democratic Socialism," by Rasmussen Reports

"New Low in U.S. 'Very Satisfied' With Personal Life," by Gallup

"'Kill Everybody,'" by Christian Britschgi

"Trump's Venezuela Escalation Could Destroy MAGA, Warns Rand Paul," by Jacob R. Swartz

"What Does Fentanyl Have to Do With Alleged Drug Boats 2,600 Miles Away? Absolutely Nothing," by Tosin Akintola

"Trump Allegedly Misidentified a Colombian Fisherman as a Venezuelan 'Narcoterrorist,'" by Jacob Sullum

"The Constitution Does Not Allow the President To Unilaterally Blow Suspected Drug Smugglers to Smithereens," by Rand Paul

"They Built a Hemp Business in Good Faith but Washington Is About To Crush It," by Brittany E. Hunter

"Trump vs. the Constitution," by Damon Root

"5% of People Detained By ICE Have Violent Convictions, 73% No Convictions," by David J. Bier

"Hot August Fright: The Month Republicans Lost Their Minds Over Immigration," by Matt Welch

"How Lou Reed Inspired Anti-Communist Revolutionaries and the Rest of Us," by Matt Welch

"Václav Havel's Funeral: Why Truth Needs Love," by Matt Welch

Upcoming Reason Events

Reason Versus debate: Big Tech Does More Good Than Harm, December 10

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Video Editor: Ian Keyser

The post Is Economic Anxiety Driving People to Socialism? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Nick Gillespie are joined by Reason senior editor Robby Soave to discuss President Donald Trump's unexpectedly warm White House meeting with New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and why he now describes the socialist's agenda as "practical." They examine what this moment suggests about Trump's shifting political instincts, how it fits with his recent comments on tariffs and the state of the economy, and what the disbanding of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) signals about his governing approach.

The group then looks at Trump's attempt to influence the pending Warner Bros. merger and the broader media landscape, including worries about misinformation and new reporting that major MAGA influencer accounts on X are operating from overseas. The panel also considers the implications of six Democrats telling service members they do not have to obey illegal orders and the ensuing backlash. A listener asks how to reconcile consumer benefits from intense market competition with the need to preserve incentives for long-term innovation and investment.

0:00—DOGE disbands

4:02—Trump meets Mamdani in the oval office

14:50—White House seeks influence over Warner Bros. merger

27:58—Red Scare, Oliva Nuzzi, and cancel culture

38:46—Listener question on preserving incentives in a market economy

51:29—Democrats encourage military not to follow illegal orders

57:49—Weekly cultural recommendations

Mentioned in This Podcast

"Republican Socialism," by Eric Boehm

"To the Socialists of All Parties," by Katherine Mangu-Ward

"A Dirge for DOGE," by Christian Britschgi

"How I Found Out: Part 1," by Ryan Lizza

"FDR's War Against the Press," by David T. Beito

"Mamdani Understands Something About Trump That European Leaders Don't," by Matthew Petti

Upcoming Reason Events

Reason Versus debate: Big Tech Does More Good Than Harm, December 10

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Video Editor: Ian Keyser

The post Trump Embraces Mamdani Socialism as 'Practical' appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Nick Gillespie are joined by Reason reporter Eric Boehm to unpack President Donald Trump's sudden shift on the Jeffrey Epstein files after trying to block the vote, the GOP pressure campaign behind it, and what the episode suggests about his grip on the party. They also examine Trump's mixed signals on tariffs, including his move to roll back duties he imposed in the first place, and whether this moment reinforces the basic economic arguments critics have made for years. The group also digs into whether Trump's proposed tariff dividend makes any economic sense.

The conversation then turns to rising tensions with Venezuela as unauthorized strikes continue and Trump signals interest in direct talks with Nicolás Maduro. A listener then asks what would need to change in order to push American health care away from government-run insurance and toward a system shaped by private plans.

0:00—The Epstein files fracture Trump's coalition

18:12—Tariff rollbacks and stimulus checks

36:17—Listener question on government healthcare

47:33—More unauthorized military strikes in Venezuela

56:54—Weekly cultural recommendations

Mentioned in This Podcast

"Trump's Epstein Reversal," by Liz Wolfe

"Jeffrey Epstein: Trump 'Spent Hours At My House' With Victim," by Matthew Petti

"State of U.S. Tariffs: October 30, 2025," by Yale Budget Lab

"Trump's Tariffs Are Likely To Make Toys More Expensive This Christmas Shopping Season," by Eric Boehm

"The Trump Administration Finally Admits That Tariffs Raise Prices," by Eric Boehm

"Tariff Stimulus Checks Are an Unserious Idea," by Eric Boehm

"Wanted: Honesty on Health Care," by Shikha Dalmia

"What Free Market Health Care Would Actually Look Like," by John Osterhoudt

"How Making GLP-1s Available Over the Counter Can Unlock Their Full Potential," by Jeffrey A. Singer

"Presidential Drift: Clinton's Haiti policy has no anchor," by Nick Gillespie

"Don't Send Cubans and Venezuelans Back To Suffer Under Communism," by Billy Binion

"Maduro and His Crony Made Millions While Venezuelan Children Starved," by César Báez

"Britain and Colombia Cut Off U.S. Intelligence Access Over Caribbean Boat Bombings," by Matthew Petti

Upcoming Reason Events

Reason Versus debate: Big Tech Does More Good Than Harm, December 10

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Video Editor: John Osterhoudt

The post How the Epstein Files Turned MAGA Against Trump appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, Reason editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by the editor in chief of The Argument, Jerusalem Demsas, to discuss the end of the government shutdown and what Democrats actually gained from it. They examine the renewed focus on Obamacare subsidies and how both parties are struggling to articulate a coherent health care vision that moves beyond stale talking points.

The group then turns to Zohran Mamdani's win in New York and what it reveals about the uneasy overlap between the abundance movement and the rising progressive wing of the Democratic Party. The panel digs into President Donald Trump's talk of $2,000 tariff "dividends," and whether it undermines his claim that affordability is "a con." They also examine the differences and similarities between modern-day liberals and libertarians. A listener then asks whether fixing America's broken health care system should start with reforming insurance or dramatically expanding the supply of doctors.

0:00—What did Democrats gain from the government shutdown?

19:34—Obamacare subsidies and healthcare in the spotlight

26:30—The abundance agenda vs. socialism

41:34—Tariff dividend checks and the affordability "con"

46:14—Listener question on health insurance

57:07—Difference between liberalism and libertarianism

1:13:11—Weekly cultural recommendations

Mentioned in This Podcast

"Reopening?" by Liz Wolfe

"America's Longest Government Shutdown Shows Why We Must Free Air Traffic Control from Politics," by Robert Poole

"Mamdani's Win Suggests a Socialist Future for Democrats and a Rocky One for American Politics," by J.D. Tuccille

"No Excuses for Zohran Mamdani and Radical Socialism," by Robby Soave

"Mamdani Teaming Up With Lina Khan Paints a Grim Picture of What's To Come," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

"New York Voters Say Yes to Faster Housing Approvals," by Christian Britschgi

"Mamdani Claims 'Mandate' for Bigger Government: 'There Is No Problem Too Large for Government To Solve,'" by Joe Lancaster

"6 Zohran Mamdani Campaign Promises That New York City Can't Afford," by Jack Nicastro

"The People Who Wrecked N.Y. Schools Love Zohran Mamdani," by Matt Welch

"Trump Seems Very Confused About 'Affordability,'" by Eric Boehm

"Abundance Makes the Case for 'Supply-Side Progressivism,'" by Virginia Postrel

"The Death of Contrarianism," by Matt Welch

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Video Editor: Ian Keyser

The post Did Democrats Blow It on the Government Shutdown? appeared first on Reason.com.