The Wayne Besen Show
News & Commentary by Author and Activist Wayne Besen, an independent-minded host.
Episodes
On today’s show, the Respect for Marriage Act passed Congress, giving new protections for same-sex marriage. During the debate, Republican Congresswoman, Vicky Hartzler, gave a weepy, histrionic speech opposing the bill. Fortunately, Andrew Hartzler, her gay nephew, took her to task on TikTok. You must see this, it’s amazing.
In the next segment, we talk about how right-wing efforts to protect Christian’s ability to discriminate mi...
On today’s show, we begin with the horrific massacre at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado. The mass shooting highlights the impact of hate speech and violence in America, as well as the nation’s deadly obsession with guns.
Next, we discuss the superb Nancy Pelosi stepping aside as House Speaker, to likely be replaced by the supine Kevin McCarthy – a weak, spineless follower with a gaping hole in his soul. While the GOP ran on crime an...
The Red Wave turned into a Red Ripple, with Democrats holding the Senate and the House still in play. We begin our post-election coverage with 10 key lessons learned in the midterms.
One bright spot for Republicans is a 20-point victory for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Wayne explains why DeSantis is highly overrated and will turn out to a bust. DeSantis victory, and bigoted right-wing policies, is leading activists to consider an “an...
This week’s election is one of the most important in American history. Republicans are running more than 300 election deniers who traffic in the Big Lie. Our show begins with Wayne offering the Top 10 reasons why people should vote for Democrats.
Next, we talk about how it’s time for the NBA to put the kybosh on Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who was suspended for promoting an antisemitic movie. We compare the abominable be...
On The Wayne Besen Show, we talk about the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi’s house in San Francisco and attacked her husband Paul Pelosi. We also talk about the abortion mill known as Herschel Walker. It seems like he’s facilitated more abortions than touchdowns.
Pennsylvania Republican Senate Dr. Oz makes a historic campaign gaffe, saying that state lawmakers should be included in reproductive discussions between women and t...
A new poll shows that voters are leaning Republican as the midterms rapidly approach. Despite offering no tangible economic plans, voters seem willing to hand over our country to election-denying “Big Lie” conspiracy peddlers. On Wayne Besen’s War of the Words, we discuss how such recklessness places democracy at grave risk and could lead to the end of America as we know it. We interview Sean Strub, the mayor of Milford, PA and the...
On today's show, we talk about an alarming sex panic in Nebraska that has shaken up the state's politics. What started as an attack by Christian nationalists on liberals and LGBTQ people has morphed into a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. Then we interview Mimi Swartz, an executive editor with Texas Monthly. We're going to discuss Texas politics. Do Democrats have a shot at political power in 2022, or will they be disappoi...
On today's show, we discuss how Republicans use historical revisionism to whitewash history and sanitize their unsavory behavior. Then we interview Paul Street, who's on the editorial board of the organization Refuse Fascism. Street is the author of many books, including his latest, This Happened Here: Amerikaners, Neoliberals, and the Trumping of America.
On today’s show, we examine why Trump and the Republican Party jeopardize Israel’s national security and sovereignty. Then we address the burning question on everyone’s mind. Is this week’s scorching weather the result of climate change? Find out in our conversation with Julie McNamara, an expert with the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Thanks for joining War of the Words. I’m your host Wayne Bese...
On today’s show, we respond to right wing Republicans who smear progressives as communists, simply because they want a fairer economy and a strong middle class. We also address how conservatives deliberately conflate Venezuela’s authoritarian socialism with Democratic Socialism in Scandinavia. Apparently, they think American voters are too dumb to know the difference.
We then interview prolific author Gene Stone. He’s the author of...
On today’s show, we discus right wing Republican efforts to take away life-saving HIV prevention drugs, commonly known as PrEP. Yes, it’s as crazy and dangerous as it sounds. We talk about how perverse attempts by Republicans to portray a 10-year-old rape victim’s abortion as a hoax backfired. Then we interview Katherine Stewart. She has reported on the Religious Right for more than a decade. She is the author of “The Power Worship...
On today’s show, we discuss how the American economy performs significantly better under Democratic presidents than Republican presidents. We take you to a Hawaiian island owned by a Republican mega-donor, to see how extreme right-wing policies have negatively impacted the lives of locals. Then we interview star Chicago labor organizer Bill LePinske. We talk about what unions are doing to prepare for the midterm elections.
On today’s show, we discuss the Supreme Court’s attack on the Environmental Protection Agency and how it’s sabotaging efforts to fight climate change.
We have Part Two of our interview with constitutional legal scholar Bryan Wildenthal. We’ll talk about the overreach of the right-wing Supreme Court, and the impact it’s having on our lives. We end with my thoughts on America’s deadly gun epidemic.
On today's episode of War of the Words, Wayne discusses how Republican dominance of talk radio is a threat to democracy. Liberals have foolishly ceded the airwaves, creating a dangerous vacuum that promotes demagoguery instead of debate.
Wayne interviews constitutional legal scholar Bryan Wildenthal. We discuss the radicalization of the Supreme Court, and what it means for your future. It’s the first half a two-part interview you w...
We begin the show with me reflecting on my childhood in Texas and discussing the many ways fundamentalist Christians dominated every aspect of our lives. The right-wing coup of the Supreme Court has now elevated these backward elements of my youth, as they seek to violently reclaim America and enforce their narrow worldview. Then, we discuss Cassidy Hutchinson damning January 6 testimony that shed more light Trump’s criminality. We...
On today’s War of the Words: We examine what life in America would be like if Trump’s ongoing coup succeeds. We interview James Kirchick, author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington. We talk about the Jan 6 committee and how Donald Trump must be arrested for America to move on. He did the crime, so he must do the time.
On today’s show, Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker has a secret. Well, three of them, actually. Find out what they are. We’ll discuss the latest Jan 6 hearing – which was truly shocking.
We talk about Joe Biden’s Executive Order protecting LGBTQ people from “ex-gay” conversion therapy. We interview Alvin McEwen, an expert who monitors the Religious Right. And, you won’t believe this, we end with the Russians trashing Fren...
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