To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes
You are not the crazy ones.
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- Update frequency
- every 2 days
- Average duration
- 45 minutes
- Episodes
- 87
- Years Active
- 2025
David French: Superman, Sanctions, and the Fragile State of Trumpism
Charlie Sykes welcomes David French for a sweeping conversation on MAGA’s unraveling over the Epstein files, Trump’s shaky pivot on Ukraine, and the deeper cultural meaning behind the new Superman fi…
00:53:53 |
Thu 17 Jul 2025
Terry Moran: Trump, Epstein, and the Giddy Cruelty of the Moment
Charlie Sykes is joined by veteran journalist and Substack writer Terry Moran for a bracing conversation on Trump’s unraveling Epstein strategy, the deep contradictions within the MAGA worldview, and…
00:38:10 |
Tue 15 Jul 2025
Anne Applebaum: The Authoritarian Slide
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum joins Charlie Sykes from Warsaw to examine the alarming rise of authoritarian tactics in the U.S., from the militarization of federal agencies to the n…
00:46:04 |
Thu 10 Jul 2025
Justin Wolfers: Tariffs, Trade, and the Price of Incoherence
Economist Justin Wolfers joins Charlie Sykes to discuss Trump’s trade war revival, incoherent economic policymaking, and the human cost of political decisions. From tariffs on allies to Medicaid cuts…
00:42:24 |
Tue 08 Jul 2025
Judge Michael Luttig: The Self-Evident Truths of Freedom
Charlie Sykes is joined by Judge Michael Luttig to reflect on the founding principles of American democracy—and how far we've strayed. Drawing from his powerful essay The Self-Evident Truths of Freed…
00:39:02 |
Thu 03 Jul 2025
Nicholas Grossman: This Is Not Normal
Charlie Sykes welcomes Nicholas Grossman of Arc Digital for a wide-ranging conversation on the political unraveling of the Republican Party, including Senator Thom Tillis's defection and the cult of …
00:53:17 |
Tue 01 Jul 2025
Tim O'Brien: Trump's Day of Rage
Bloomberg's Tim O’Brien joins Charlie Sykes to unpack a whirlwind week in politics, from Trump’s business entanglements—including a dubious new mobile phone venture—to his rage-fueled media attacks a…
00:40:02 |
Sun 29 Jun 2025
Susan Glasser: Basic Trumpology
Charlie Sykes and Susan Glasser break down the chaos of the current moment—from Trump's controversial strike on Iran to the media’s collective amnesia and the deepening crisis of national credibility…
00:41:46 |
Thu 26 Jun 2025
Paul Rieckhoff: The Dangerous New Normal
Charlie Sykes is joined by Iraq War veteran and Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff for a sobering conversation on the U.S. bombing campaign against Iran and the implications of Donald Trump’s …
00:49:01 |
Tue 24 Jun 2025
Olivia Troye: Fear as a Feature
Olivia Troye, former Homeland Security advisor to Mike Pence, joins Charlie Sykes to share her firsthand experience observing immigration court and the chilling tactics now being employed by ICE. The…
00:58:09 |
Thu 19 Jun 2025
Ryan Lizza: Ten Years of Donald Trump
On the 10th anniversary of Trump’s infamous escalator ride, Charlie Sykes and Ryan Lizza reflect on a decade that has radically transformed American politics, media, and civic norms. From the reshapi…
01:01:39 |
Tue 17 Jun 2025
Tom Nichols: Radicalization of the Armed Forces
Charlie Sykes welcomes Atlantic writer Tom Nichols for a fiery, wide-ranging conversation on a week that felt pulled from a dystopian novel. From a U.S. Senator being manhandled at a press conference…
00:34:39 |
Sat 14 Jun 2025
Harry Litman: Trump, the Troops, and the Threat to Democracy
Charlie Sykes is joined by legal analyst and Talking Feds host Harry Litman for a sobering conversation about Donald Trump's latest maneuvers to militarize immigration enforcement—and what it signals…
00:51:02 |
Thu 12 Jun 2025
Brian Klaas: Why Are There So Many Psychopaths in Politics?
Charlie Sykes is joined by political scientist and author Brian Klaas for a sobering look at how modern politics has come to attract the worst kinds of personalities—and why that’s no accident. They …
00:46:27 |
Tue 10 Jun 2025
Sen. Angus King: The Fragility of American Democracy
Senator Angus King joins Charlie Sykes for a sobering conversation on the erosion of constitutional norms, the rise of authoritarianism, and Congress’s failure to defend its own power. Drawing lesson…
00:28:17 |
Sun 08 Jun 2025
Adam Kinzinger: The Billionaire Breakup
Charlie Sykes and Adam Kinzinger dig into the political fallout from Elon Musk's dramatic split with Donald Trump, examining what it means for MAGA loyalty, conservative orthodoxy, and the future of …
00:41:17 |
Thu 05 Jun 2025
Justin Wolfers: Tacos, Tariffs, and the Taquito Economy
Economist Justin Wolfers joins Charlie Sykes to unpack the economic whiplash of Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again trade wars, explaining why the president's tariff policies are more than just politi…
00:46:10 |
Tue 03 Jun 2025
Julian Zelizer: The End of the Bromance
Historian Julian Zelizer joins Charlie Sykes to discuss Donald Trump’s growing hostility toward former allies—from the Federalist Society to Elon Musk—and what it signals about a second Trump term. T…
00:44:34 |
Sun 01 Jun 2025
Ron Fournier: The End of Big, Beautiful Friendships
Charlie Sykes is joined by veteran journalist Ron Fournier to discuss the unraveling of Donald Trump’s once-close alliances with Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin, and Benjamin Netanyahu. They unpack the tra…
00:39:09 |
Thu 29 May 2025
Garry Kasparov: The Putinization of America
Garry Kasparov, Russian dissident and former world chess champion, dissects what he calls the "Putinization" of America. They explore Trump’s admiration for strongmen, the collapse of institutional r…
00:48:24 |
Sun 25 May 2025
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