The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Want to know what comes next in politics, culture, and libertarian ideas? Reason’s Nick Gillespie hosts relentlessly interesting interviews with the activists, artists, authors, entrepreneurs, newsmakers, and politicians who are defining the 21st century.

Episodes

Can We Save American History From Partisan Politics?

January 14, 2026 • 60 mins

Former U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan discusses the importance of preserving presidential records and the challenge of maintaining public trust in an era of partisan conflict.

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CNN's Scott Jennings: The Conservative Movement's Identity Crisis

January 7, 2026 • 73 mins

Scott Jennings discusses life as a conservative at CNN, Trump’s record a year into his second term, and how figures like Candace Owens damage the right.

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The Politics of Permanent Outrage

December 30, 2025 • 58 mins

Lauren Hall looks at the roots of political tribalism, why voters feel trapped between false choices, and how radical moderation offers a way out of constant polarization.

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Andor Creator Tony Gilroy on Bureaucracy and the Surveillance State

December 23, 2025 • 61 mins

Tony Gilroy examines how Andor portrays authoritarian power as a bureaucratic system, the moral compromises of life under surveillance, and the role ordinary people play in enforcing oppressive systems.

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He's Serving 5 Years in Prison for Bitcoin Privacy Software

December 19, 2025 • 58 mins

Keonne Rodriguez explains why he built a bitcoin privacy tool, discusses the federal charges that sent him to prison this week, and warns that his case could redefine the legal boundaries of financial privacy.

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Did the Internet Break Our Sense of Reality?

December 17, 2025 • 64 mins

Katherine Dee examines how living online reshapes attention and behavior and makes the case for a more grounded, realistic way of using digital tools.

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How Foreign Governments Police U.S. Speech

December 10, 2025 • 64 mins

Sarah McLaughlin reveals how foreign governments pressure American universities through speech codes and satellite campuses, and examines the broader threat international authoritarianism poses to free expression.

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Why Science Lost Its Way

December 3, 2025 • 49 mins

Author Matt Ridley examines how science became centralized and dogmatic, why public trust collapsed during COVID, and how open dissent is essential to restoring credibility.

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What We Get Wrong About the American Revolution

November 26, 2025 • 63 mins

Filmmaker Ken Burns breaks down the myths surrounding America’s founding, explains how the Declaration’s own contradictions ultimately expanded American freedom, and argues for the continued funding of public broadcasting.

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Rand Paul: Congress Is 'Afraid of the President'

November 20, 2025 • 27 mins

Sen. Rand Paul explains why he wants the Epstein files released, lays out his case against Trump’s tariffs and military strikes in Venezuela, and argues that he and Rep. Thomas Massie are the last voices in Congress still committed to libertarian ideals.

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Is The Washington Post Becoming Libertarian?

November 19, 2025 • 63 mins

The Washington Post opinion editor Adam O’Neal outlines his vision for a more classically liberal editorial voice, examines how both parties turned against free speech and free markets, and explains why the paper is ending political endorsements.

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There's More Than One Way To Get Sober

November 12, 2025 • 71 mins

Author Katie Herzog examines new approaches to treating addiction, the cultural obsession with moralizing sobriety, and why she believes freedom means choosing how to heal.

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Campus Activism in the Wake of Charlie Kirk's Murder

November 6, 2025 • 59 mins

Dr. Wolf von Laer and Sean Themea join Nick Gillespie to discuss how Kirk’s murder is reshaping student activism and where libertarian ideas fit in today’s campus climate.

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Veterans Are Suffering Because of Government Red Tape

November 5, 2025 • 70 mins

Filmmaker Jon Shenk and former Navy SEAL Marcus Capone discuss how psychedelics are helping veterans recover from war trauma.

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Jake Tapper on Censorship, Media Failings, and Presidential Power

October 29, 2025 • 68 mins

Jake Tapper examines the growing pressure on the news media to serve political interests, Donald Trump’s attacks on the press and peaceful protesters, as well as the lasting damage Joe Biden may have done to the Democratic Party.

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What Happened to the Republican Party?

October 22, 2025 • 61 mins

Former Sen. Jeff Flake discusses how Trump reshaped the GOP, why populism betrayed conservative values, and why he believes the system can still be reformed.

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Can the ACLU Serve Progressives, Libertarians, and Conservatives?

October 15, 2025 • 67 mins

ACLU legal director Ben Wizner warns that Donald Trump’s war on dissent endangers the First Amendment, urges Americans to protect speech they dislike, and reflects on Edward Snowden’s enduring legacy.

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Are Americans Addicted to Conflict?

October 8, 2025 • 50 mins

Novelist Lionel Shriver explains why Americans overinterpret tragedies, compares today’s partisan divisions to the conflicts she witnessed in Northern Ireland, and argues that political manias are driving the country toward destructive extremes.

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Defend Speech Even When Your Side Hates It

October 1, 2025 • 60 mins

Civil liberties attorney Jenin Younes recounts her role in Murthy v. Missouri, her opposition to pandemic mandates, and why she believes Trump poses an even greater threat to free speech than Biden.

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How the U.S. Sold Its Longest War with a Bodyguard of Lies

September 24, 2025 • 64 mins

Filmmaker Dan Krauss explains how U.S. leaders misled the public about Afghanistan, why the media failed to push back, and how money and power kept America’s longest war alive long after it was lost.

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The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Can We Save American History From Partisan Politics?

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}CNN's Scott Jennings: The Conservative Movement's Identity Crisis

The Politics of Permanent Outrage

Andor Creator Tony Gilroy on Bureaucracy and the Surveillance State

He's Serving 5 Years in Prison for Bitcoin Privacy Software

Did the Internet Break Our Sense of Reality?

How Foreign Governments Police U.S. Speech

Why Science Lost Its Way

What We Get Wrong About the American Revolution

Rand Paul: Congress Is 'Afraid of the President'

Is The Washington Post Becoming Libertarian?

There's More Than One Way To Get Sober

Campus Activism in the Wake of Charlie Kirk's Murder

Veterans Are Suffering Because of Government Red Tape

Jake Tapper on Censorship, Media Failings, and Presidential Power

What Happened to the Republican Party?

Can the ACLU Serve Progressives, Libertarians, and Conservatives?

Are Americans Addicted to Conflict?

Defend Speech Even When Your Side Hates It

How the U.S. Sold Its Longest War with a Bodyguard of Lies

Popular Podcasts

Can We Save American History From Partisan Politics?

CNN's Scott Jennings: The Conservative Movement's Identity Crisis