Andrew Sullivan's one-on-one interviews on pardons, Israel, Christianity, and political journalism.
The Dishcast favors patient, adult conversation over quick partisan combat. Its episodes move from personal recollection into constitutional power, liberalism, conservatism, Israel, genetics, consciousness, writing, and the moral weather around public life.
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The Dishcast is hosted solely by Andrew Sullivan, the writer behind the Weekly Dish on Substack, and consists of extended one-on-one interviews rather than panel discussions or narrated storytelling. A recurring format feature is Sullivan's personal opening, in which he discusses his health, mood, current events, or life in Washington, DC before introducing the guest and topic. Guests are typically journalists, historians, and political writers, including figures like Jeffrey Toobin, Eli Lake, Jonah Goldberg, George Packer, Mark Halperin, and historian Tom Holland, who appears as a recurring guest. Political episodes cover constitutional mechanics such as the presidential pardon power, U.S. foreign policy debates over Israel and Iran, and the history of American political journalism from the Drudge Report era through Trump-era media. Other episodes turn to religious and classical history, discussing the origins of Christianity, Roman moral norms, and modern parallels to ancient power politics. A smaller set of episodes focuses on personal or philosophical topics, such as happiness research or the changing path into a writing career. Conversations are unscripted and often argumentative, with Sullivan pushing back on guests rather than simply prompting them. Episodes generally run between 25 and 55 minutes. The show suits listeners already following American political commentary, journalism, and history rather than newcomers seeking primers. Production is a single recurring host format with no narrator or ensemble cast beyond Sullivan and his guest.
Made for: Listeners who follow American political commentary, foreign policy debates, and history and want extended one-on-one interviews rather than news-format shows.
What sets it apart: Combines a personal, diary-style host preamble about Sullivan's own life with argumentative, single-guest interviews spanning constitutional law, foreign policy, and ancient/religious history rather than sticking to one beat.
Unafraid conversations about anything andrewsullivan.substack.com
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Personal candor and sustained guest argument make The Dishcast a revealing account of how political ideas change across institutions and generations.
The Dishcast turns political argument into a personal, discursive interview. The host often starts with candid accounts of illness, mood, cannabis, or an electric bike before pressing a guest on the ideas and experiences behind a public position.
An e-bike, a sativa, then presidential journalism: Andrew Sullivan takes you along for the turn.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A clear, historically grounded discussion of presidential pardons, from Ford and Nixon to Trump-era abuse.
The Dishcast frames presidential pardons as mercy with political teeth. Jeffrey Toobin brings his legal and journalistic background to a conversation about his book The Pardon, starting with Gerald Ford's decision to pardon Richard Nixon and moving into the older constitutional…
A loose, reflective conversation about writing, journalism, and how public life has changed in the web era.
Derek Thompson's visit to The Dishcast centers on the changed life of writing and journalism, with Andrew Sullivan setting a mood that is unusually weary from war and politics before turning to one of the writers he clearly admires.
A bracing Dishcast conversation on Christianity, crucifixion, Rome, and the moral shock of treating cruelty as ordinary.
Tom Holland's visit to The Dishcast turns a Holy Week conversation toward crucifixion, empire, and the moral shock of worlds where cruelty is ordinary.
Goldberg and the host trace how Drudge-era scandal culture taught online political media its speed, tone, and appetite for conflict.
The Dishcast catches Jonah Goldberg in a reflective mood about conservatism and the early web, with the strongest passage turning on Drudge, Newsweek's spiked story, and the Starr Report as a dial-up-era political event.
A historically grounded Israel-Iran discussion that follows today's arguments back through Zionism, Oslo, and the two-state fight.
Eli Lake's Dishcast appearance treats the Israel-Iran war less as a breaking-news tick-tock than as an entry point into older arguments about Israel, Zionism, Palestinian statehood, and the coalitions that formed around them.
Arthur Brooks and Andrew Sullivan connect happiness to immigration, ambition, and America's uneasy gift for rewarding restless people.
Arthur Brooks joins The Dishcast for a conversation that starts with happiness but quickly widens into character, ambition, and the American bargain.
A literary Dishcast turn through Orwell, Hitchens, sincerity, and the temperament behind political judgment.
The Dishcast brings George Packer into a bleak winter setting and, at least in this stretch, turns less on programmatic post-liberal argument than on the moral habits of writers.
A reflective Washington conversation about media prestige, outsider ambition, and the clubby habits behind covering power.
Mark Halperin's Dishcast appearance is less a campaign chronicle than a Washington conversation about the culture that grew around covering power.
Dan Carlin's solo essays connecting executive power, historical collapse, and American democracy.
Atlantic staff writers and host Hannah Rosen unpack Trump-era foreign policy, economics, and democracy.
Two hosts and a correspondent unpack one Latin America story a week, from Chile's election to Iran's war.
Ryan Evans interviews defense and intelligence insiders, from Ukraine's front lines to Marine marksmanship doctrine.
Lawfare's weekly panel turns Supreme Court rulings and war-powers fights into legal debate.
Derek Thompson interviews one expert per episode to test big claims against the data.
Jeffrey Toobin and Andrew Sullivan focus on the pardon power in Article II and why Alexander Hamilton saw it as both mercy and a tool for ending rebellions.
The host begins flat.
Holy Week sets the tone.
Illness first.
This episode discusses the political and cultural parallels between the US and Western Europe, featuring insights from Matt Goodwin on recent upheavals in UK politics.
Andrew Sullivan speaks with Eli Lake about Israel, Iran, and the politics that shaped the Oslo era, the George W.
The host discusses a critical moment in U.S.
This episode features a discussion with Michael Pollan exploring the complex and difficult topic of consciousness and its mysteries.
The host welcomes listeners, discusses the changing seasons, and previews upcoming guests including Vivek Ramaswamy, while encouraging subscriptions.
The host discusses his recent massage and ongoing experience with weight loss medication, sharing his body fat and weight changes.
Andrew Sullivan introduces upcoming guests on his Dishcast, covering topics from Democratic politics to consciousness, and shares his personal exhaustion.
This episode features an interview with Jonathan Rauch discussing his essay labeling the Trump administration as fascist in the context of current political events.
This episode features Kevin Williamson discussing the dangers of populism, with upcoming interviews on topics like the pardon power, conservatism, trade, and consciousness.
Charlie Sykes discusses recent troubling events including the Venezuela news, Greenland gambit, Justice Department actions, and a Minnesota killing, expressing fear and depression about the administration's response and the state of politics.
Andrew Sullivan thanks subscribers, discusses the podcast's ad-free model, and encourages new subscriptions.
Andrew Sullivan welcomes listeners to 2026, discusses subscription price increase, previews upcoming guests including Claire Belinsky, Jason Willick, and Vivek Ramaswamy, and critiques the left's lack of debate on the 2024 election.
Happiness starts after the housekeeping.
The host discusses wealth inequality in New York and previews an upcoming interview with Laura Field about the intellectuals behind Trump.
Andrew Sullivan discusses his personal fatigue and previews an upcoming interview with Simon Rogoff about Trump's psychology and narcissism in leadership.
The mood starts in winter dark.
Andrew Sullivan discusses his podcast's subscription model and introduces a conversation about Dwight Eisenhower as a great American during Trump's second term.
The episode opens on an e-bike.
Andrew Sullivan hosts a political commentary show featuring interviews with prominent figures and discussion of current events.
Andrew Sullivan hosts a political commentary podcast, discussing his sleep issues and teasing upcoming interviews with Fiona Hill and Mark Halperin.
The host reflects on changes in Washington DC after a federal takeover, noting a restored sense of authority and reduced disorder.
Andrew Sullivan hosts a special early morning episode discussing upcoming guests and the impact of recent global events on the international order.
The host returns to Washington DC after a storm, shares personal reflections, and previews upcoming guests including Karen Howe on AI and a biography of Dwight Eisenhower.
Host Andrew Sullivan previews upcoming guests and introduces a conversation with British commentator Douglas Murray.
The host welcomes listeners to a new era of Trump 2.0, thanks subscribers for their support, and praises the engaged community for fostering civil disagreement.
Andrew Sullivan interviews Mike White, creator of the TV show Enlightened, about his career and life.
The host introduces the podcast, mentions upcoming guests, and discusses current events and cultural topics.
Andrew Sullivan introduces upcoming guests and topics for his political commentary podcast.
The host introduces upcoming guests and topics for the podcast, focusing on political and cultural issues in the Trump era.
Andrew Sullivan previews upcoming guests discussing marriage equality, European politics, China, AI, faith, Spinoza, and bodybuilding.
The host welcomes listeners, promotes subscriptions, previews upcoming guests on political and cultural topics, and introduces a conversation with an old friend.