The Glenn Show

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comLast week we tried something new at TGS. I had a conversation with my lovely wife, LaJuan Loury, and my creative director, Nikita Petrov, live on three platforms at the same time: the TGS Youtube channel, the TGS Substack, and on Nikita’s Substack, Psychopolitica. We went for two hours and covered a lot of ground: LaJuan and I reported on our visit to Tucker Carlson’s “barn” in Maine, and I speculated about why LaJuan and Tucker, contrary to my expectations, really hit it off. LaJuan spoke a bit about her religious upbringing, we reminisced about where The Glenn Show was four years ago, when Nikita and I started working together, and we tried to assess how we fit into the very different political and media landscape of 2025, which required us to first discuss how we see this said landscape. We capped it off with a short Q&A at the end, where we responded to questions asked during the stream.I should also mention the conversation includes some very raw and emotional moments, especially when we discuss the dire situation in Gaza.The experiment continues! I’ll be livestreaming again this Thursday, June 12, at 6:00 PM Eastern on YouTube and Substack. This time I’ll be joined by my editor, Mark Sussman. Planned topics include my forthcoming book Self-Censorship, the future of elite universities, how to get proactive on racial disparities in the wake of affirmative action and DEI rollbacks, faith and reason, and the recent death of Stanley Fischer, an economist I got to know back in MIT days. But it’s a live conversation—you never know what’s going to happen or what we’ll end up talking about.The button below allow you to add the Substack version to you calendar:And if you navigate to the YouTube page of the stream, you can add a notification to alert you when the stream starts:

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comThe Glenn Show will be taking a pause in the month of June. In this brief episode, Glenn explains why. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:00 Intro 1:25 The response to Glenn’s appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show 4:03 Are institutions like the University of Austin the future of higher ed? 11:31 Ground News ad 13:14 When social justice musicology came for John’s syllabus 17:42 What role should social justice play in academic study? 28:40 John’s trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture 35:50 Will the museum survive Trump’s assault on DEI? 44:47 Are Glenn and John complicit in anti-DEI overreach? 55:30 The racial animus question in anti-DEI reformRecorded on May 21, 2025Links and ReadingsGlenn’s recent appearance on Tucker Carlson’s showThe Chronicle of Higher Education’s interview with GlennGlenn’s forthcoming book, Self-CensorshipGlenn’s memoir, Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black ConservativeJohn’s conversation with actor Clifton DuncanThe BBC’s 1973 production of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, starring Lynn Redgrave and James VilliersKhalil Gibran Muhammad’s book, The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban AmericaVictor Herbert’s operetta, Babes in ToylandJohn’s NYT piece on the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and CultureGlenn’s conversation with Brown University student Alex Shieh This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:00 Intro 0:50 Glenn takes a shot at defining “cryptocurrency” 5:28 Yaya fills in the gaps 10:15 Solving the double-spending problem 15:58 The partisan divide on crypto 21:27 North Korea’s crypto hackers 26:29 How crypto protocols create value 33:23 The case of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX 35:13 How stablecoins can open up global financial markets to nations with weak or unstable currency 36:32 Memecoins: Buyer beware 41:07 China’s use of digital currency to expand its surveillance apparatus 47:35 Should a non-expert invest in crypto?Recorded May 15, 2025Links and ReadingsYaya and Emily Jin’s report, “China’s Digital Currency: Adding Financial Data to Digital Authoritarianism”Yaya podcast’s, DesignatedYaya’s audio thriller, The Jabbari Lincoln Files This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:00 Intro1:00 What is the “affirmative action myth”?8:02 Black progress before and after affirmative action11:41 Ground News ad13:29 How far does Jason’s critique of affirmative action extend?17:03 Contesting The Shape of the River26:37 Respectability, responsibility, and upward mobility32:40 Is Jason blaming the victims?35:54 Jason: No one’s buying the reparations argument43:26 How do figures like Ibram X. Kendi and Nikole Hannah-Jones end up at the center of progressive discourse?Recorded May 7, 2025Links and ReadingsJason’s new book, The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don’t Need Racial Preferences to SucceedJason’s book, Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to SucceedJason’s book, False Black PowerJason’s book, Maverick: A Biography of Thomas SowellDerek Bok and William G. Bowen’s book, The Shape of the River: Long Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University AdmissionsMelissa Kearney’s book, The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling BehindAn Amos & Andy YouTube playlistJulia pilot episodeTa-Nehisi Coates’s Atlantic essay, “The Case for Reparations”Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How to Be an AntiracistThe NYT’s 1619 ProjectThe Woodson Center’s 1776 Unites Project This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comSupport The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comIn this installment of my monthly Q&A with John McWhorter, we tackle questions about elite universities and wealth, the value of DEI, Trump's expansion of executive power, The Great Gatsby, and ethics in higher education.

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.com. Pre-order Glenn's forthcoming book, SELF-CENSORSHIP: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Censorship-Glenn-C-Loury/dp/1509567402/ref=sr_1_1?crid=223KUFY8BN0X&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ar6rmRPzp7pEiJss0o1eUeLbLwOgX_qrXHtWjMS3_m_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.goECGgv0OxAPgLR8kNnsISu5AK6OSVoa5qWVmqRNqwY&dib_tag=se&keywords=self-censorship+glenn+c.+loury&qid=1746808862&sprefix=self-censor%2Caps%2C237&sr=8-1Video Links0:43 Ross: Trump's economic policies are the worst I've seen in my life 7:36 Glenn's new book, SELF-CENSORSHIP 12:00 Trump’s bid to become the most powerful person in the history of the world 21:17 The disruptive effects of tariffs, financial regulatory manipulation, and extraordinary debt levels 27:58 Ross: Alienating our allies is only going to strengthen China 33:41 Glenn: Those who lost out to globalization are getting their way 41:04 Will Trump heed economic warning signs? 48:10 Can Congress constrain Trump?Recorded April 19, 2025Links and ReadingsEdward Luce’s Financial Times piece, “Trump, Truss, and the ‘Moron Premium’”Larry Kotlikoff’s SubstackLarry Kotlikoff’s post, “30-Year TIPS Are Looking Mighty Attractive”Glenn’s most recent conversation with Larry KotlikoffMichael Sandel’s book, The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:00 Intro 00:31 Prefatory remarks 4:15 Glenn: The Trump administration’s defunding of the universities is mischievous in the extreme 9:06 Ground News ad 11:01 Doesn’t maintaining the preeminence of American universities require diversity of thought? 18:47 John McWhorter has entered the building 20:25 How did higher ed lose the general public’s support? 23:05 The university’s role in public discourse 26:26 Was affirmative action a success or a failure? 31:36 The partisan balance in education funding 42:21 The costs and benefits of tenure 50:09 Can education preserve democracy if students aren’t doing the reading? 1:01:59 Are we irrevocably polarized as a nation? 1:07:28 Q&A: You don’t seem as excited by Trump as you once were. What is disappointing you? 1:11:40 Q&A: If higher ed serves society, why do so many elite grads use their degrees to get rich? 1:16:01 Q&A: How do you teach diversity to students who’ve never spent time around people different from them? 1:19:15 Q&A: What’s the difference between contrarianism and provocation? 1:21:23 Q&A: Should fewer people go to college?Recorded April 22, 2025Links and ReadingsMichael Sandel’s book, The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?John Stuart Mill’s book, On LibertyJohn Milton’a AreopagiticaAlan Bloom’s book, The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s StudentsJohn’s new book, Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little WordsGlenn’s memoir, Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black ConservativeThe Great CoursesFyodor Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and PunishmentDostoevsky’s novel, The Brothers KaramazovLeo Tolsty’s novel, War and PeaceTolstoy’s novel, Anna KareninaPlato’s dialogue, The Republic This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comSupport The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comIn this bonus episode, I talk with my grandson Will Kelly about his weight-loss journey, which he is documenting on social media. We talk about his desire to live out loud, our family history of addiction issues, and his strategies for healthy, sustainable weight loss. Check out this episode on Substack to see clips from Will's TikTok and instagramFollow Will on Instagram and TikTok

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comPre-order Glenn's forthcoming book, SELF-CENSORSHIP. Available here or wherever you get your books: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=self-censorship--9781509567409Video Links0:00 Intro 1:10 Glenn meets the young Marx 2:32 The new wokeness of the political right 8:30 What is the democratic counterpart of foreign policy and national security run by experts? 17:04 Russia’s motivations: Fear of NATO or imperial ambitions 21:41 Danny: Zelenskyy made a huge misstep in the Oval Office 26:12 Does China have global security ambitions? 35:09 Ending the Middle East’s post-Ottoman redefinition 39:42 Danny: It’s gotta be rough to be Peter Beinart 43:46 Why we don’t need Hitler to explain Trump’s authoritarianism 56:29 Danny: We’ve been in the midst of a constitutional crisis since the 1940s 57:58 Can the nuclear taboo hold?Recorded April 19, 2025Links and ReadingsDanny’s podcast, American PrestigeKarl Marx’s Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page’s paper, “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens”Walter Lippmann’s book, Public OpinionDanny’s book, Democracy in Exile: Hans Speier and the Rise of the Defense IntellectualTranscript of Matt Lauer’s 1998 interview with Madeline AlbrightPaul Thomas Chamberlain’s book, The Cold War Killing Fields: Rethinking the Long PeaceLindsey O’Rourke’s book, Covert Regime Change: America’s Secret Cold WarPeter Beinart’s book, Being Jewish after the Destruction of Gaza: A ReckoningGlenn’s conversation with Peter BeinartGlenn’s memoir, Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black ConservativeDanny’s Jacobin piece, “This Is America”James Whitman’s book, Hitler’s American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race LawCarl Schmitt’s book, The Concept of the Political This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comSupport The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comIn this bonus episode of The Glenn Show, I talk with Brown University sophomore Alex Shieh about Bloat@Brown, his website calling out Brown administrators whose roles, he says, may violate federal discrimination laws. We talk about why he started Bloat@Brown, diversity of thought on campus, class-based affirmative action, and the role of diversity on campus.This bonus episode is available in its entirety to full subscribers, without whom The Glenn Show would not be possible. If you want to listen to the full version of this episode and our other bonus content—including monthly Q&As with John McWhorter—go to https://glennloury.substack.com and sign up.

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comPre-order Glenn's forthcoming book, Self-Censorship. Available here or wherever you get your books: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetai...Video Links0:00 Intro 1:12 Attacks on the university from within and without 9:50 Ground News ad 11:43 Reshaping institutions by force and by argument 20:56 Critiquing the Gaza War without antisemitism 22:30 Reforming para-academic institutions 32:07 Is there a potential conflict between commitments to truth and commitments to diversity of thought? 39:19 Caught between “casual relativism” and “fierce absolutism” 52:18 Cornel: There is no “mic drop” argument on Gaza or anything else 55:19 The straight-jacket of emotional over-investment 1:00:36 The role of faith in the search for truth 1:10:19 Finding faith beyond reason in Stephen SondheimRecorded April 12, 2025Links and ReadingsRobbie and Cornel’s new book, Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of DivisionPlato’s RepublicThomas Kuhn’s book, The Structure of Scientific RevolutionsEugene Genovese’s book, Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves MadeAntonio Gramsci’s book, The Prison NotebooksWilliam Blake’s poem, “London”Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Fides et RatioGenesis 22, King James VersionShakespeare’s HamletGlenn’s memoir, Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black ConservativeMandy Patinkin sings “Finishing the Hat” from Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Support The Glenn Show at http://glennloury.substack.comVIdeo Links0:00 Intro 0:45 Why Trump’s tariffs alarm economists 8:18 Are the tariffs designed to offset Trump’s tax cuts? 11:30 Larry’s break with Senator Ron Johnson 14:16 Larry: We’re not in a trade war with other countries, we’re in a trade war with other people 22:44 Is Trump under the sway of a foreign power? 28:45 What measures should investors take to protect themselves from tariff-generated market volatility? 35:46 The possible silver lining in the economy under tariffs 41:32 The hypothetical third-party billionaire who could defeat Trump 44:46 The social security Ponzi scheme 54:50 Larry’s plan for fixing social security 57:29 Are other aging nations facing the same social security crisis as the US? 1:02:23 The failure of checks and balancesRecorded April 4, 2025Links and ReadingsLarry’s SubstackLarry’s company, Economic Security PlanningThe MaxiFi PlannerTIPs LadderRajiv Sethi’s Substack, Imperfect InformationLarry’s book, You’re Hired: A Trump Playbook for Fixing America’s Economy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comFor the March 2025 Q&A, John and I take questions on getting outside our bubbles, the first hundred days of the second Trump administration, the Department of Education, contemporary black writers, race and advertising, the assumption of good faith, and undocumented immigration.The Glenn Show is supported almost entirely by listeners, viewers, and readers. If you're not year a full subscriber, please consider becoming one at https://glennloury.substack.com. You'll get access to monthly Q&As, commenting privileges at the newsletter, and lots of bonus content. And if you're already a full subscriber, thank you for all you do.

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:00 Intro 1:03 How Rick feels being a “liberal maverick,” according to the NYT 4:18 Rick’s advocacy for class-based affirmative action 6:39 Rick: “The Trump administration has gone too far” by trying to eliminate racial diversity 13:02 Opening up the elite university’s old boys club 21:21 Will economic diversity in admissions come with test score disparities? 23:55 Ground News ad 25:56 What’s Edward Blum’s deal? 29:36 Rick: The Democratic Party needs to ask itself why it lost to Trump 34:48 The black allies of class-based affirmative action 40:53 Is vocational training a viable alternative to four years of college? 44:48 Addressing the development problem among black students 52:52 Rick’s hopes for a new Democratic PartyLinks and ReadingsRick’s new book, Class Matters: The Fight to Get Beyond Race Preferences, Reduce Inequality, and Build Real Diversity at America’s CollegesPew poll on race and ethnicity in college admissionsGlenn and John’s 2023 conversation with Peter ArcidiaconoThe 1966 Coleman report, Equality of Educational OpportunityRick’s book, Excluded: How Snob Zoning, NIMBYism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don't SeeRick’s Atlantic piece, “Liberal Suburbs Have Their Own Border Wall”Progressive Policy Institute This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:36 How Rajiv saw Trump’s assault on elite higher ed coming 4:26 The Trump administration’s legitimate complaints against higher ed 9:41 Rajiv: The crackdown on campus protest would have happened even without the October 7 protest 17:10 How test scores can marry merit and diversity on college campuses 21:06 Glenn: Doesn’t SFFA v. Harvard justify JD Vance’s criticisms of higher ed? 25:30 Columbia’s capitulation to the Trump administration 33:06 Columbia’s new measures against antisemitism 38:09 The opportunistic adoption of contested phrases 43:27 How bad is the antisemitism problem at Barnard and Columbia? 50:44 Who has the authority to police Columbia’s MESAAS scholars? 1:00:55 Facing the prospect of Trump-generated American brain drainRecorded March 23, 2025Links and ReadingsRajiv’s Substack, Imperfect InformationRajiv’s post April 2024 post, “Minority Report”FIRE’s 2024 Faculty SurveyRajiv’s post, “The Lion Hath Roared”The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s “Working Definition of Antisemitism”Eli Lake’s X post questioning the attempt to deport Mahmoud KhalilPreorder Glenn’s book, Self-CensorshipNoam Dworman moderates a debate between Eli Lake and Norman FinkelsteinLex Friedman hosts a debate between Norman Finkelstein, Mouin Rabbani, Benny Morris, and DestinyDworman interviews Rashid KhalidiHenry Louis Gates Jr. on Mari Matsuda’s Words That Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech, and the First AmendmentKiller Mike’s 2024 FIRE keynote This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comI spent part of last week visiting Stanford University, and John is off taking care of business in Australia. The time difference, travel, and speaking obligations made scheduling a recording impossible. So this week, I’ve got something a little different for you. Instead of recording a conversation on the day’s news with John, I decided to record one on my own. In this episode, I talk through some opinion pieces that grabbed my attention and give my take on the topics. I address Trump and the economy, Trump’s predictability and unpredictability, DOGE and MAGA’s slashing of the federal government, Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest, antisemitism, and attacks on Tesla cars, dealerships, and charging stations. This is a bit of an experiment—my team and I wanted to see what would happen if I gave it a shot. Let me know how it’s working for you in the comments.These pieces are all quite relevant as of this posting, on Monday afternoon. But by Friday? Who knows. So I decided to release this episode simultaneously to both free and full subscribers. If you like getting The Glenn Show a few days early, consider becoming a full subscriber. You’ll get new episodes early, plus access to monthly Q&As with John McWhorter, bonus episodes, and other exclusive content. Become a full subscriber at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links2:31 The opportunities and risks of Trump's economic plans6:50 Is Trump as unpredictable as he seems?16:00 DOGE and MAGA take a chainsaw to the federal government22:30 An argument against Mahmoud Khalil's detention ...32:49 ... and one in favor of Khalil's detention41:38 Is it time for an official ban on antisemitism?49:14 Teslas are burningRecorded March 14, 2025Links and ReadingsSteve Cortes’s RCP piece, “Trump and the Economy: Opportunities and Risks”Susan Glasser’s New Yorker piece, “Uncertainty Is Trump’s Brand. But What if He Already Told Us What He’s Going to Do?”Tim Murtaugh’s Washington Times piece, “Why the Democrat Brand Is in the Toilet”Jeff Mayhugh’s Hill piece, “The MAGA Revolution Is Playing with Fire”Ross Barkan’s NYMag piece, “Mahmoud Khalil’s Arrest Will Backfire on Trump”Josh Hammer’s Daily Signal piece, “Mahmoud Khalil and the Red-Green Assault on American Sovereignty”Mackenzie France’s RCP piece, “Congress Should Pass Antisemitism Awareness Act”Rich Lowry’s New York Post piece, “Tesla Terrorism Only Reveals the Left’s Impotence” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:00 Intro 1:33 The relationships Peter has lost and gained 4:14 Why Peter thinks this is a “watershed” moment in Jewish history 6:50 Who can criticize Israel? 9:44 The challenge of October 7’s aftermath to Jewish self-understanding 15:54 Peter: Jews should support non-violent Palestinian protest, not criminalize it 20:12 Shouldn’t the Palestinians have taken the deals they were offered? 25:48 Peter’s argument for a one-state solution 34:34 The “dirty little secret” of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Jewish critics 37:12 The idolatry of the Jewish state 39:45 The mutual liberation of Jews and Palestinians 41:37 Why aren’t the critics of snowflakes and trigger warnings defending pro-Palestinian campus protesters? 46:01 Peter: Antisemitism is on the rise, and ethno-nationalism is the reason 50:20 Peter: If Gaza is unlivable, then Gazans should be allowed to live where they wantRecorded February 21, 2025Links and ReadingsPeter’s Substack, The Beinart NotebookJewish Currents magazinePeter’s new book, Being Jewish after the Destruction of Gaza: A ReckoningTa-Nehisi Coates’s book, The MessageEitan Hersh and Laura Loyden’s article, “Antisemitic Attitudes across the Ideological Spectrum” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comSupport The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comIn this episode, Nikita, Mark, and I talk about steelmanning, what people want me to say about Gaza, what I want to say about Gaza, and why I offer disclaimers when I talk foreign policy.

Support The Glenn Show at https://glennloury.substack.comVideo Links0:00 Intro 1:55 Did Trump and Vance bully Zelenskyy or give him a dose of reality? 5:16 Glenn: Trump is trying to wind down an unnecessary war 13:49 - Ground News ad 28:58 The “deep game” of European security 32:06 Glenn: America First appeals to me, World War III doesn’t 36:40 Teaching the reparations debate in a post-October 7 world 43:06 MSNBC axes Joy Reid’s showRecorded March 1, 2025Links and ReadingsTrump and Zelensky’s Oval Office meetingTucker Carlson’s onstage interview with Hungarian president Victor OrbánThe latest episode of Walter Kirn and Matt Taibbi’s podcast, America This WeekTa-Nehisi Coates’s Atlantic essay, “The Case for Reparations” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe