THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th, 2026
Twelve of the top 50 conservative podcasts got a full recap today, from Ted Cruz's hour with Justice Clarence Thomas to Victor Davis Hanson doing double duty across two different shows. Here's what you missed.
The Ben Shapiro Show — "Will Republicans Win In 2026?"
Ben Shapiro takes stock of the GOP's suddenly razor-thin House majority after the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, then makes the case that the Trump administration's Venezuela operation — capped by the capture of Maduro — could become a real political asset heading into the 2026 midterms, particularly with Hispanic voters in swing states.
GOP's House margin narrows to near-parity following LaMalfa's death
Frames the Maduro capture as a midterm boost, including outreach to Hispanic swing-state voters
Says Democrats are pivoting to an “affordability” message; argues Republicans should hit back on inflation and government waste (cites Minnesota Medicaid fraud)
MAHA guest Alex Clark joins to discuss childhood vaccine-schedule debates
Also touches a Supreme Court case on Roundup liability
Verdict with Ted Cruz — "Justice Clarence Thomas One-on-One"
Senator Ted Cruz sits down with Justice Clarence Thomas for a wide-ranging, personal conversation tied to Cruz's new book on Thomas — tracing Thomas's path from a childhood without plumbing in Pinpoint, Georgia to the Supreme Court, and digging into his judicial philosophy.
Thomas credits his grandfather's self-reliance ethic and a young-adult reading of Thomas Sowell for his political turn
Recounts his journey from Catholic seminary student to civil-rights-era activist to conservative jurist
Argues constitutional rights (the Second Amendment included) are God-given, not state-granted, and champions originalism
Revisits his Kelo dissent, warning that broad “public use” eminent-domain rulings can hurt vulnerable communities
Reflects on cross-ideological collegiality among justices, contrasting it with today's polarization
The Megyn Kelly Show — Ep. 1398, "Disturbing New Details About Attempted Trump Assassin, and Harry and Meghan’s Rocky U.K. Start"
Megyn Kelly leads with newly surfaced FBI findings on Thomas Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate Trump in Butler, PA, then pivots to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's turbulent return to the UK.
New FBI details on Crooks describe a flat emotional affect as a child and a history of harming family pets; his father supplied the rifle used in the shooting
Reports Harry and Meghan pulled their kids from a UK school after just two days amid public disapproval
Revisits the Lindsey Clancy murder trial, including harassment directed at the holdout juror after the verdict
Also covers US Open tennis moments, including praise for Ben Shelton's handling of a reporter's question
The Michael Knowles Show — Ep. 2061, "Nude Sydney Sweeney Ad Enrages The Libs"
Michael Knowles uses a sports-betting ad featuring Sydney Sweeney as a jumping-off point for a broader critique of ad standards and cultural inconsistency, then works through a run of culture-war stories from Texas to Massachusetts.
Argues the backlash to the Sweeney ad is inconsistent given how sexuality shows up elsewhere in advertising and women's sports coverage
Covers Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's remarks on drag queens and LGBTQ advocacy
Digs into the Lindsey Clancy case, focusing on the jury's holdout juror
Flags a Massachusetts custody dispute involving Catholic parents and gender-identity policy in schools
Notes Texas A&M cut roughly 200 courses tied to gender studies, ethnic studies, and climate change
The Andrew Klavan Show — Ep. 1295, "9/11 And the Search for Accountability"
Marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Andrew Klavan reflects on hope as a Christian virtue before turning to accountability — both in the Lindsey Clancy case and in a wide-ranging interview with former Trump counterterrorism official Sebastian Gorka on Iran.
Frames hope as an active virtue distinct from naive optimism or fatalism, tied to reflections on 9/11 as a historical turning point
On the hung jury in the Clancy case, argues people must be held accountable despite insanity claims
Gorka claims Iran is the top state sponsor of terrorism and ties over 110,000 US overdose deaths to cartel drugs trafficked under the Biden administration
Gorka also claims roughly 181 jihadists killed and about 110 hostages rescued over an 18-month span
Klavan draws a line between condemning violent ideologies and condemning entire religious populations
The Glenn Beck Program — "What Everyone’s Missing About the Ed Sheeran/Macklemore Drama"
Glenn Beck uses Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's tour after a pro-Palestinian protest performance as a jumping-off point to explore free speech versus compelled speech and property rights, drawing a historical comparison to Soviet-era forced political compliance.
Macklemore pulled from Sheeran's tour after a Gaza-imagery protest performance; stadium owner Robert Kraft bans him from his venues
Other opening acts withdraw from the tour in solidarity
Draws a comparison to composer Shostakovich being forced into public political compliance under Stalin
Criticizes both political sides for effectively demanding ideological loyalty oaths from public figures
Raises a constitutional question about whether city-owned stadiums banning performers by viewpoint could violate the First Amendment
The Rubin Report — "Evil AI Plan Revealed as Tech CEOs & Bill Gates Push Globalist Group to Regulate AI"
Dave Rubin takes aim at a push by tech CEOs and political figures to create international AI regulatory bodies, arguing the effort would be as toothless as existing climate accords and amounts to a manufactured crisis meant to expand government control.
Argues proposed global AI governance structures would mirror weak, ineffective climate accords
Claims companies like Anthropic promote AI-doomsday narratives partly to lock in a regulatory advantage
Features commentary from Nvidia's Jensen Huang, JD Vance, and Palantir's Joe Lonsdale favoring market competition over regulation
Suggests AI progress could reduce reliance on immigration and centralized public schooling
Compares current AI-safety alarmism to past failed predictions about climate change and COVID-19
The Sean Hannity Show — "Newt Gingrich: Why the 2026 Midterms Will Shock America"
Sean Hannity and longtime friend Newt Gingrich reminisce about their three-decade friendship and Gingrich's tenure as House Speaker, with Gingrich predicting a historically lopsided GOP win in the 2026 midterms.
Recall first meeting in 1990 and reminisce about Gingrich's 1995–99 Speakership
Discuss the Contract with America and its welfare-reform achievements
Gingrich recalls working with Clinton to balance the federal budget, and revisits the Clinton impeachment saga
Predicts a historically lopsided GOP win in the 2026 midterms
Sharp criticism of what they frame as socialist drift inside the Democratic Party
The Victor Davis Hanson Show — "Mark Carney Is Leading Canada ‘Right Over the Cliff’"
Victor Davis Hanson argues Canada under PM Mark Carney is following EU-style socialist policy that's damaging its economy, citing demographic and growth statistics while promoting his new book.
Cites Canada's low birth rate (~1.25) and one of the highest euthanasia rates in the West as signs of decline
Claims Canada's per-capita GDP growth (~1.1%) is the slowest in the West
Accuses Canada of economically aiding China via trade deals while still depending on U.S. military protection
Promotes his new book, “The Counterrevolution”
Comments on the Lori Vallow Daybell murder trial and gives a personal health update following recent surgery
The Daily Signal — "Victor Davis Hanson: Iran Is Preparing an October Surprise Before the Midterms"
In a separate Daily Signal appearance, Victor Davis Hanson argues Iran is quietly preparing an “october surprise” timed to land right before the midterms, given a shared interest with Democrats in prolonging tension that hurts Trump.
Argues Iran and Democrats share an interest in prolonging tension, keeping gas prices elevated and opinion soured on Trump
Describes an unusual information blackout inside Iran, with no embedded Western journalists or confirmed US ground troops
Speculates Mossad may have assets inside Iran but says Israel isn't publicizing any operations
Notes ordinary Iranians who contact people abroad are reportedly hunted down by the regime
Outlines how he expects the Trump administration to respond to further Iranian provocations through Election Day
Problematic Women — "Conservative and Proud: Is the Right Representing Women?"
In its series finale after nearly a decade on air, the hosts of Problematic Women reflect on the show's legacy as co-host Virginia Allen announces she's joining the Trump administration and Morgan shares she's expecting a baby.
Series finale after roughly nine years on the air
Virginia Allen announces she is joining the Trump administration at HHS
Co-host Morgan announces she is expecting a baby
Hosts trace the show's founding back to 2017 by Kelsey Bowler and Lauren Evans
Encourage listeners to follow Emily Jashinski and Isabelle Brown for conservative women's commentary going forward
The Kevin Roberts Show with Larry O’Connor — "Radical Shift: Inside the Smithsonian’s Ideological Takeover"
Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts argues the Smithsonian has drifted from honoring the Founders toward promoting progressive ideology, citing specific exhibits and budget figures.
Says major exhibits dedicated to Washington, Jefferson, or Hamilton are missing, replaced by gender-transition and race-politics content
Cites roughly $1.08 billion in annual congressional funding, about 63% of the Smithsonian's budget
Criticizes Secretary Lonnie Bunch for linking the institution to the 1619 Project and Black Lives Matter
Claims curators preserved 2020 riot debris as historical artifacts
Calls for Congress and the Smithsonian's Board of Regents to intervene