The David Frum Show

4.6 (2.2K)
NEWS COMMENTARY
UPDATED WEEKLY

To defend democracy, one has to believe in it. To believe in democracy, one has to understand it. Where it came from. How it works. What’s true. What’s not. What others did before you. How it could be better. How to make a difference. Each week, The David Frum Show digs deep into the big questions people have about our society, explains the progress Americans have made together, and reminds us that the American idea is worth defending.

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TRAILER

Introducing: The David Frum Show

To defend democracy, one has to believe in it. To believe in democracy, one has to understand it. Where it came from. How it works. What’s true. What’s not. What others did before you. How it could be better. How to make a difference. Each week, The David Frum Show digs deep into the big questions people have about our society, explains the progress Americans have made together, and reminds us that the American idea is worth defending. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer Prize–winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 2

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1 min

The Atlantic has long been known as an ideas-driven magazine. Now we’re bringing that same ethos to audio. Like the magazine, the show will “road test” the big ideas that both drive the news and shape our culture. Through conversations—and sometimes sharp debates—with the most insightful thinkers and writers on topics of the day, Radio Atlantic will complicate overly simplistic views. It will cut through the noise with clarifying, personal narratives. It will, hopefully, help listeners make up their own mind about certain ideas. The national conversation right now can be chaotic, reckless, and stuck. Radio Atlantic aims to bring some order to our thinking—and encourage listeners to be purposeful about how they unstick their mind.

4.3 (2102)

POLITICS
Some call it Hurricane Katrina. Some call it the Federal Flood. Others call it the day the levees broke. On August 29, 2005, the city of New Orleans was submerged. That story of hubris, incompetence, and nature's wrath is now etched into the national consciousness. But the people who lived through the flood and its aftermath have a different story to tell. A story of rumors, betrayal, and one of the most misunderstood events in American history. Hosted by Vann R. Newkirk II. Floodlines has been named an Apple Podcasts Series Essential.

4.8 (3391)

HISTORY
Professionally narrated articles from The Atlantic—just for subscribers. For more audio articles, visit theatlantic.com/audio or download The Atlantic app.

3.8 (28)

NEWS
The story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968, is often recounted as a conclusion to a powerful era of civil rights in America, but how did this hero’s murder come to be the stitching used to tie together a narrative of victory? The week that followed his killing was one of the most fiery, disruptive, and revolutionary, and is nearly forgotten. Over the course of eight episodes, Holy Week brings forward the stories of the activists who turned heartbreak into action, families scorched by chaos, and politicians who worked to contain the grief. Seven days diverted the course of a social revolution and set the stage for modern clashes over voting rights, redlining, critical race theory, and the role of racial unrest in today’s post–George Floyd reckoning.

4.7 (297)

HISTORY

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David Frum

Host
Will Thomas

Guest
Michael Waldman

Guest
Tom Nichols

Guest
Ken Burns

Guest

4.6

out of 5

2,202 Ratings

Thank you!

4d ago

SarahJeanMusic

I have to admit that I was intrigued by, and started reading David Frum in the Atlantic because of our high school connection, but I’ve stayed for years now because I so very much appreciate his clarity of thought, his perspective, and now with this podcast, the guests and the illuminating conversations he has with them. Thank you so much David for your sanity, thoughtfulness, and depth in all you do!
Crypto Securities

Dec 17

Che Block

Please explain what has changed at the SEC from the Biden administration to second Trump administration
Erudite and deeply insightful

Dec 8

BugMan™️

David Frum’s writings is one of the reasons I decided to subscribe to The Atlantic, and doing so opened to me also his podcasts, which I’ve enjoyed even more so. His opening commentary in each podcast is grounded and well articulated—he doesn’t just tell you the “what”, but also the “why.” This is followed by intelligent conversation with various thought leaders on current politics, drawing connections between things that, on the surface, do not seem immediately connected. I have not only listened to every week’s podcast since I first subscribed, but have been working my way back through his prior podcasts. Bravo!
Sound, thoughtful & engaging

Dec 4

AJColeman

I have come to look forward to this podcast every week. I am a proud Atlantic subscriber, and have come to appreciate Frum’s writings, but I’ve come to “know” him much better through this pod. I lean left, but strive for moderation. So I deeply value strong, sensible, and highly informed voices from the center / center-right (like David’s). I love the format of his shows: a few minute rant on the current shenanigans, an interview with a gifted guest, and then a book review.

To defend democracy, one has to believe in it. To believe in democracy, one has to understand it. Where it came from. How it works. What’s true. What’s not. What others did before you. How it could be better. How to make a difference. Each week, The David Frum Show digs deep into the big questions people have about our society, explains the progress Americans have made together, and reminds us that the American idea is worth defending.