Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large And Host,
“The Josh Hammer Show”

The ever-explosive issue of abortion is back in the news once again, thanks to former President Donald Trump’s newly unveiled stance on the topic (which effectively amounts to “states’ rights”) and the Arizona Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold a strict abortion ban dating back to 1864 (when Arizona was not yet a state). Trump is a complicated figure when it comes to this divisive issue: Though he is not known to be a staunch pro-lifer personally, he nominated three of the justices who subsequently joined the 2022 Dobbs opinion that mercifully overturned 1973’s Roe v. Wade abomination. The risk for pro-lifers is that the Republican Party, under Trump, moves toward being a European-style conservative party that is essentially “pro-choice” on the issue of abortion. That is a real risk. On the other hand, the pro-life issue has simply not been a political winner when it has been put directly before voters. This presents somewhat of a paradox. For details, read my most recent column.

We’ve had two episodes of “The Josh Hammer Show” since our last newsletter. First, the episode we released for our radio affiliates and podcast audience included a takedown of Tucker Carlson’s propagandist recent interview of a deeply anti-Semitic pastor, an explanation as to how neoliberal immigration policy got us to the point where ingrates openly chant “death to America” within our borders, explained the historical (and tragic) significance of Donald Trump’s first criminal trial commencing this week, and more. Second, in a new bonus episode just released this morning, Rabbi Pinchas Taylor of the American Faith Coalition joined me for a wide-ranging conversation about the impending Passover holiday and the importance of redemption for every new generation, how American history is steeped in biblical allegory, and much more. You can listen to all episodes of “The Josh Hammer Show” at the Newsweek website, on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Some other recent highlights from the past week include appearances with Megyn Kelly, Jesse Kelly, Jenna Ellis’s Salem TV and radio shows, Newsmax, One America News Network, and more. I have two other items to share, as well. First, my friend Ari David of Upward News published an in-depth interview with me on the unprecedented lawfare shaping the 2024 presidential election; you can check out the interview right here. Second, in case you missed it, my Intercollegiate Studies Institute-sponsored debate at Harvard last Thursday on the proper limits of campus speech in the aftermath of the Hamas pogrom of Oct. 7, 2023, is now on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. To keep up with everything I’m doing, make sure to follow me on Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook. As a reminder, I also recently launched a second show, “America on Trial with Josh Hammer,” with The First; you can subscribe and listen to my daily episodes on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

As a final reminder for those of you who live in the New York area, I will be at City Winery in New York City tonight for a Tangle News-hosted conversation about the 2024 presidential election! It should be a lot of fun—I’ll be one of three panelists discussing all things 2024 election-related. You can get your last-minute tickets right here from the City Winery site.

Also, here’s a very important update: Newsweek Voices is now live! I am now putting out fresh bonus audio content every weekday, which we are calling “Josh Hammer Premium.” This content is paywalled and only available for paying Newsweek subscribers. So make sure to subscribe to Newsweek here if you are not already doing so!

Our additional highlighted Newsweek op-eds from the past week include selections from Joseph Epstein, Alfonso Aguilar and Wes Anderson, Paul Coleman, Paul du Quenoy, and Joshua Walker.

Thanks, as always, for reading and subscribing to this newsletter! Please share the newsletter throughout your own social circles and distribution channels. We’ll see you next week.