Guests: Scott Jennings & Ava Downs

Host Scot Bertram talks with Scott Jennings, senior political commentator at CNN, about his new book, A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilization, and the character of President Trump's first year back in office. And Ava Downs, a junior at Hillsdale College and a 2025 junior Olympic champion in international trap shooting, discusses how she trains to compete at a global level and how her Hillsdale experience has helped her.

Guests: Scott Jennings &amp; Ava Downs
Host Scot Bertram talks with Scott Jennings, senior political commentator at CNN, about his new book,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Common-Sense-Washington-Civilization/dp/0063472171" data-outlook-id="960334ab-96a2-4cc7-9cfa-f9f5f23f2380" data-linkindex="0" data-ogsc="" data-auth="NotApplicable">A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilization</a>,&nbsp;and the character of President Trump's first year back in office. And Ava Downs, a junior at Hillsdale College and a 2025 junior Olympic champion in international trap shooting, discusses how she trains to compete at a global level and how her Hillsdale experience has helped her.

The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour is a one-hour, weekly radio show/podcast advancing the efforts of Hillsdale College in radiating its knowledge and teaching to the world outside of campus. Listeners will hear the arguments and debates that make up the liberal arts education and will experience the learning and teaching that happens on campus. Hosted by Scot Bertram.

The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour is a one-hour, weekly radio show/podcast advancing the efforts of Hillsdale College in radiating its knowledge and teaching to the world outside of campus. Listeners will hear the arguments and debates that make up the liberal arts education and will experience the learning and teaching that happens on campus. Hosted by Scot Bertram.

The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour is a one-hour, week…

The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Subscribe to receive every episode of every podcast on the Hillsdale College Podcast Network delivered directly to your device.

Subscribe to receive every episode of every podcast on the Hillsdale College Podcast Network delivered directly to your device.

Hillsdale College Podcast Network Superfeed

Scott Jennings Explains the Common Sense of Donald Trump

Guests: Miles Smith IV & Steven F. Hayward 

Host Scot Bertram talks with Miles Smith IV, assistant professor of history at Hillsdale College, about his recent essay on the cultural crisis reducing the effectiveness of the U.S. Navy. And Steven F. Hayward, professor of public policy at Pepperdine University and senior fellow at Pacific Research Institute, discusses how Jimmy Carter shattered American confidence in the presidency as described in his book The Real Jimmy Carter: How Our Worst Ex-President Undermines American Foreign Policy, Coddles Dictators and Created the Party of Clinton and Kerry.

Guests: Miles Smith IV &amp; Steven F. Hayward&nbsp;
Host Scot Bertram talks with Miles Smith IV, assistant professor of history at Hillsdale College, about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/07/08/us_navys_cultural_crisis_1121366.html?utm_source=dlvr.it" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" data-ogsc="">his recent essay</a>&nbsp;on the cultural crisis reducing the effectiveness of the U.S. Navy. And Steven F. Hayward, professor of public policy at&nbsp;Pepperdine&nbsp;University and senior fellow at Pacific Research Institute, discusses how Jimmy Carter shattered American confidence in the presidency as described in his book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Real-Jimmy-Carter-Ex-President-Undermines/dp/0895260905" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1" data-ogsc="">The Real Jimmy Carter: How Our Worst Ex-President Undermines American Foreign Policy, Coddles Dictators and Created the Party of Clinton and Kerry</a>.

The Real Legacy of Jimmy Carter

Guests: John J. Miller & Jonathan Butcher

Host Scot Bertram talks with John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College, about his recent essay on why journalism suffers when journalists lack curiosity. And Jonathan Butcher, acting director at the Center for Education Policy and Will Skillman Senior Research Fellow in Education Policy at the Heritage Foundation, discusses how Americans are far more united than the media portrays and dives into his new book The Polarization Myth: America's Surprising Consensus on Race, Schools, and Sex.

Guests: John J. Miller &amp; Jonathan Butcher
Host Scot Bertram talks with John J. Miller, director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College, about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/the-news-is-where-you-look/" data-outlook-id="06bdbd36-18b7-40a2-af2b-827157966774" data-ogsc="" data-linkindex="0" data-auth="NotApplicable">his recent essay</a>&nbsp;on why journalism suffers when journalists lack curiosity. And Jonathan Butcher, acting director at the Center for Education Policy and Will Skillman Senior Research Fellow in Education Policy at the Heritage Foundation, discusses how Americans are far more united than the media portrays and dives into his new book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Polarization-Myth-Americas-Surprising-Consensus/dp/1641774835" data-outlook-id="be5d853d-a72e-4f86-8bb2-ef6bbb6d322a" data-ogsc="" data-linkindex="1" data-auth="NotApplicable">The Polarization Myth: America's Surprising Consensus on Race, Schools, and Sex</a>.

Americans Are More United Than We Think

Host Scot Bertram sits down with Hyperion Knight, concert pianist and distinguished fellow at Hillsdale College, and discusses the newest Hillsdale College online course: "The History of Classical Music: Chopin through Gershwin." Also, we count down the most popular episodes of 2025.

Host Scot Bertram sits down with Hyperion Knight, concert pianist and distinguished fellow at Hillsdale College, and discusses the newest Hillsdale College online course: "<a href="https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/classical-music-2" data-outlook-id="589e9e10-96aa-436b-81d5-351065b02f81" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" data-ogsc="">The History of Classical Music: Chopin through Gershwin</a>." Also, we count down the most popular episodes of 2025.

Scott Jennings Explains the Common Sense of Donald Trump

In 2 playlist(s)

The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips