The Reason Roundtable

On this special edition of The Reason Roundtable, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the sweeping Democratic victory in the midterm elections and what it means for the future of MAGA. With Republicans suffering major losses across the country, the editors debate whether the party can break from President Donald Trump after a decade of embracing his agenda. They examine how the war with Iran, tariffs, immigration enforcement, and corruption contributed to the defeat, and whether Republican leaders will acknowledge their mistakes or simply look for someone to blame. The conversation turns to what Democrats can legitimately claim from their victory, particularly as progressive and moderate factions compete to shape the party's future. The editors discuss the growing backlash against artificial intelligence and data centers, as well as the dramatic shift among Gen Z voters toward Democrats. They also revisit the choice between Trump and Kamala Harris in 2024, reflecting on whether the past two years have changed their assessments of that election and what the results might mean for the 2028 presidential race. 0:00—Did the midterms kill MAGA? 5:15—Who will lead the Republican Party? 11:55—Will Republicans learn from their mistakes? 18:05—The uncertain future of U.S. politics 24:00—Why Gen Z abandoned Republicans 32:30—Revisiting the 2024 election 38:35—The road to 2028 Upcoming Reason Events Reason Versus—Authoritarianism Is a Right-Wing Problem, November 10 Mentioned in the Podcast: "Bluenami," by Liz Wolfe "The 'Vibe Shift' Was Real, but It Wasn't What the GOP Thought It Was," by Jesse Walker "Midterms 2026: Data Centers Out, Reproductive Freedom In," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown "Trump Enters His George W. Bush Era as Democrats Sweep House and Senate," by Eric Boehm "Jon Ossoff, Once the Senate's Most Vulnerable Democrat, Won Reelection by Running Against Trump's Corruption," by Joe Lancaster "Amy Acton Beats Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio Governor's Race," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown "How Democrats Can Stop the Iran War Now," by Matthew Petti "Impeach Pete Hegseth for the Disastrous Iran War," by Gene Healy "Massachusetts Voters Overwhelmingly Reject an Attempt To Repeal Marijuana Legalization," by Jacob Sullum The post Did the Midterm Elections Just Kill MAGA? appeared first on Reason Magazine.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss what the midterm elections could mean for libertarians. They debate whether a Democratic victory might help curb President Donald Trump's executive power and why Republicans may struggle to learn from their mistakes. The conversation then turns to races in Ohio, Alaska, and Michigan that reveal growing tensions within both parties. The editors then examine how much power Democrats would actually have if they retake Congress, particularly when it comes to Trump's tariffs and the war with Iran. They also weigh the value of congressional investigations against the risk of more political grandstanding. Finally, a listener's question about gerrymandering leads to a discussion of electoral reform and the possibility of expanding the House of Representatives. 0:00—What the midterms mean for libertarians 14:22—Races in Ohio, Alaska, Michigan, and California 27:19—What will Democrats do with power? 33:26—Listener question on gerrymandering 41:59—Will midterms be a referendum on Trump? 50:31—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events Reason Versus—Authoritarianism Is a Right-Wing Problem, November 10 Mentioned in the Podcast: "For Libertarians, Election Day Is the Cruelest Day of the Year," by Nick Gillespie "What Will Democrats Do?" by Eric Boehm "A Democratic Senate?" by Liz Wolfe "The Midterms Offer a Choice Between Two Brands of Socialism," by J.D. Tuccille "Dems in Disarray?" by Peter Suderman "Haley Stevens Endorses Mike Rogers, Spurns Leftist Abdul El-Sayed," by Robby Soave "Abdul El-Sayed Is a Socialist in All but Name," by Robby Soave "Ramaswamy's Attack on Amy Acton Was Bad Enough. Trump and Vance Made It Worse," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown "Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Over Alaska Senate Race, Calling Proposed Remedy 'Infeasible,'" by Joe Lancaster "Ranked Choice Voting Will Untangle Alaska's Dan Sullivan Controversy. It's Also on the Ballot Itself," by Eric Boehm "Antics in Alaska," by Liz Wolfe "To Confuse Voters, Mary Peltola's Campaign Recruited a Second Dan Sullivan," by Robby Soave "Trump's Latest Attempt To Salvage the Midterms: Bribe and Extort the Voters," by Joe Lancaster The post What Do Libertarians Have To Gain From the Midterms? appeared first on Reason Magazine.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch are joined by Associate Editor Liz Wolfe to discuss California's proposed 5 percent wealth tax on billionaires, which a Hoover Institution study suggests could ultimately cost the state $39 billion in lost revenue. With wealthy residents already leaving California, the panel examines whether the measure will survive next week's vote, why Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes it, and how public sector unions have helped fuel the state's spending problems. The panelists then look to France, where mounting unrest and economic stagnation raise questions about the long-term consequences of high taxes, expansive welfare programs, and pension obligations that increasingly burden younger generations. Next, they discuss Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returning home after 10 months in exile. Then, with the midterm elections next week, the editors examine whether Trump's tariffs, war with Iran, and mounting allegations of corruption will deliver Democrats control of Congress. Finally, a listener asks whether today's democratic socialist movement will ultimately be remembered like the libertarian and Tea Party movements of the early 2010s. 0:00—California's wealth tax proposal 13:02—Will France protests influence America? 22:50—Corina Machado returns to Venezuela. 31:19—Listener question on the DSA 44:40—2026 Midterm elections preview 58:34—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events Reason Versus - Authoritarianism Is a Right-Wing Problem, November 10 Mentioned in the Podcast: "Will the Wealth Tax Fail?" by Liz Wolfe"France Is a Warning to California's Tax-the-Rich Crowd," by Veronique de Rugy"California's 'Wealth Tax' Could Cost the State $39 Billion," by Eric Boehm"Report: California's Proposed 'Billionaire Tax' Is Based on Bad Research," by J.D. Tuccille"A Wealth Tax Built on Billionaires Who Aren't Really Billionaires," by Veronique de Rugy "New Book Says Jared Kushner Funneled Money to Middle East Mercenaries. Kushner Denies It." by Matthew Petti"Trump's Tariffs Are Politically Toxic," by Eric Boehm "The Democrats' Socialist Moment," by Matt Welch "Family Separation Drama Fjord Is a Haunting Depiction of Unchecked State Power," by Peter Suderman The post California's Wealth Tax Could Cost the State $39 Billion appeared first on Reason Magazine.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the riots engulfing France and whether the country's increasingly unsustainable welfare state has made it ungovernable. They examine competing claims that immigration and austerity are fueling the unrest, the political gains being made by the French right, and why even modest pension reforms provoke fierce resistance. The conversation turns to the United States, where President Donald Trump's tariffs are losing support among blue-collar voters and Republicans are struggling in traditionally conservative areas like Ohio. The panelists then discuss the abrupt departure of White House press secretary Katie Zacharia after just five days on the job. Later, they examine Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D–Mass.) opposition to a proposed $45 billion merger involving McCormick and Unilever. Finally, a listener asks why libertarians don't follow the Democratic Socialists of America's example by trying to reshape the Republican Party from within. 0:00—France's riots and the imploding welfare state 21:29—Trump's tariffs lose support among blue-collar voters. 29:41—Zacharia's tenure as White House press secretary 35:45—Listener question on libertarian influence strategy 45:52—Warren's corporate merger opposition 57:07—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events Reason Versus - Authoritarianism Is a Right-Wing Problem, November 10 Mentioned in the Podcast: "France Burns," by Liz Wolfe "Protesters in France and Spain Are Angry at Government Failure—and Demanding More Government," by Reem Ibrahim "French Tantrum," by Liz Wolfe "Yes, Heavy Regulation Hurts the Economy. Just Look at France." by Veronique de Rugy "Even Blue-Collar Workers Have Turned Against Trump's Unpopular Tariffs," by Eric Boehm "Ohio's Democrat Momentum," by Liz Wolfe "Trump Fired Kimberly Guilfoyle for Influence Peddling That Pales Next to His Presidential Profiteering," by Jacob Sullum "Why populism leads to decline," by Nick Gillespie "How Third Parties Die," by Jesse Walker "How GOP Fiscal Sanity Died, in 7 Easy Steps," by Matt Welch "Be Prepared for Elizabeth Warren's Reign of Economic Error," by Nick Gillespie "Elizabeth Warren Wants the Government To Investigate America's 'Sandwich Shop Monopoly,'" by Christian Britschgi "The Elizabeth Holmes Documentary You Can See Everything Is an Act of Radical Empathy," by Peter Suderman "Thank Dutch Merchants, Not a Strong State, for Capitalism," by Edward Stringham Today's sponsor: Cato Innovation Project: Design your own full-time, paid role at Cato. If we fund your idea, you spend two years executing it. Apply here: cato.org/reason The post France's Welfare State Is Finally Imploding appeared first on Reason Magazine.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Nick Gillespie are joined by reporter Reem Ibrahim to discuss Vice President J.D. Vance's bizarre definition of socialism. They examine whether Vance genuinely believes what he's saying or is attempting to redefine socialism to avoid acknowledging the Trump administration's own big-government policies. Next, the panel discusses America's growing $2 trillion deficit, the rising cost of Social Security and Medicare, and the generational divide between older Americans receiving government benefits and younger workers paying for them. The editors also examine youth protests in France, where students are demanding improvements to public schools despite the country's already extensive government spending. They then discuss allegations that U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle offered political access in exchange for help paying off personal credit card debt and what the controversy reveals about government corruption. Finally, a listener asks about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to publicly broadcast an execution and whether turning capital punishment into a spectacle could encourage extremism. 0:00—Vance rebrands socialism. 08:48—Largest budget deficit ever 25:50—Youth protests in France 38:15—Listener question on public executions 46:25—Guilfoyle's corruption scandal 56:20—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events The World Premiere of Escaping Venezuela, October 13 Mentioned in the podcast: "J.D. Vance Accidentally Comes Out as a Socialist," by Billy Binion "Trump Has Been Trampling Free Speech for More Than 40 Years—and It Keeps Getting Worse," by Jacob Sullum "Protesters in France and Spain Are Angry at Government Failure—and Demanding More Government," by Reem Ibrahim "The Great British Exodus: Taxes, Housing Costs, and Terrible Healthcare Are Driving Young Brits Away," by Reem Ibrahim "The Federal Government Just Posted the Largest Annual Budget Deficit Since COVID," by Eric Boehm "Livestreaming an Execution," by Liz Wolfe "Kimberly Guilfoyle's Grift Is at Least as Offensive as Hunter Biden's," by Robby Soave The post J.D. Vance Is Playing Dumb About Socialism appeared first on Reason Magazine.