The Barbarians

Tablet Studios
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

The Barbarians is a new weekly news podcast from Tablet Magazine, featuring columnist Lee Smith, news editor Tony Badran, Scroll writer Park MacDougald, and editor at large Liel Leibovitz, as well as other voices from Tablet. Each week, the Barbarians will do what Barbarians do best: tell the blunt truth, have a bunch of fun, and set fire to the very dumb ideas you hear everywhere else you turn. 

  1. 2d ago

    The Barbarians live from Charleston, with Jacob Siegel

    Liel Leibovitz, Lee Smith, Tony Badran, and Park MacDougald were joined by Tablet’s Jacob Siegel to discuss his latest book, The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control, along with the usual assortment of politics, culture, and general civilizational mayhem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Oct 2

    Israelis on a Plane, With Special Guest Elliot Kaufman

    Tablet editor-at-large Liel Leibovitz is joined by columnist Lee Smith, news editor Tony Badran, and Scroll senior writer Park MacDougald to discuss how a bunch of kick-ass Israelis stormed the cockpit of a FlyDubai flight and prevented another 9/11-style attack. How did this airborne drama go down? And what can we do to prevent similar attacks? The Barbarians will discuss all this and will welcome very special guest Elliot Kaufman, a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board and the coauthor of the recently released terrific book In the War Room: The Inside Story of Israel's Fight Against Hamas and the Iranian Axis, which was released in September. Also: Our Barbarians are hitting the road! On Oct. 8 at noon local time, Liel, Lee, Park, and Tablet digital editorial director Tony Badran will assemble in person at the Harbour Club in Charleston, South Carolina, for a live taping and light lunch with Tablet subscribers. They’ll be joined by Tablet’s Jacob Siegel to discuss his latest book, The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control, as well as whatever other political, cultural, and civilizational mayhem is on their minds.If you want to join us in Charleston and be on the guest list before invitations go out, let us know at info@tabletmag.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Sep 24

    UN-Freakin'-Believable

    Tablet editor-at-large Liel Leibovitz is joined by columnist Lee Smith, news editor Tony Badran, and Scroll senior writer Park MacDougald to Trump's UN speech, and whether it was courageous leadership or just more empty bluster. Does talk about destroying Iran really move anyone anymore? And why take the time to travel uptown and pal around with NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani? The Barbarians discuss all this, plus Ed Sheeran's disastrous dip into politics, Robert Kraft's capitulation to the "Palestine" bullies, and other pressing matters, speaking inconvenient truths to smug power and taking questions from subscribers who join us live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Sep 17

    Laura Loomer Joins The Barbarians

    Tablet editor-at-large Liel Leibovitz was joined by columnist Lee Smith and Scroll senior writer Park MacDougald, along with special guest Laura Loomer. The political activist talked to the Barbarians about why she changed her mind about the war in Ukraine, and how she went from sharing Russian propaganda to visiting Kyiv and supporting the Ukrainian cause. What must we do now to help Ukraine win? And is President Trump on the right track? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Sep 10

    Too Late to Never Forget

    Join us this Thursday, September 10th, at 10 a.m. Eastern, when the Barbarians are live on Zoom for our subscribers.Tablet editor-at-large Liel Leibovitz is joined by columnist Lee Smith, news editor Tony Badran, and Scroll senior writer Park MacDougald to commemorate a quarter of a century since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Have we learned any lessons? Are we ready for a Mamdani speech at Ground Zero? And can we avoid making the same dumb policy mistakes of the last 25 years? ALSO: Our Barbarians are hitting the road! On October 8th at noon, Liel, Lee, Tony, and Park will assemble in person at the Harbour Club in Charleston, South Carolina, for a live taping and light lunch with Tablet subscribers. They’ll be joined by Tablet’s Jacob Siegel to discuss his latest book, The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control, as well as whatever other political, cultural, and civilizational mayhem is on their minds.If you’d like to join us in Charleston and want to be on the guest list before invitations go out, let us know at info@tabletmag.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Sep 3

    JD Vance's Blood Meridian

    past tense this Tablet editor-at-large Liel Leibovitz is joined by columnist Lee Smith, news editor Tony Badran, and Scroll senior writer Park MacDougald to make sense of the Vice President's talk to the Republican Jewish Coalition and parse his strange statement about blood libels and antisemitism. Did the Veep just make a silly mistake? Or was there something deeper and more sinister behind his statement? As always, the Barbarians will riff on the stories everyone is talking about—including attacks on Iran, clueless Democrats in Michigan, and other pressing items—speaking inconvenient truths to smug power and taking questions from subscribers who join us live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Aug 20

    Blizarinas, Socialists, and Syrians, Oh My!

    This week, Tablet editor-at-large Liel Leibovitz is joined by columnist Lee Smith and news editor Tony Badran to make sense of another week of political freak shows, Middle Eastern maneuvering, and institutional cowardice. What does Dan Bilzerian’s failed congressional run tell us about the online audience for antisemitic politics? Why is Israel bombing Syria again—and what do Turkey and America’s diplomatic clowns have to do with it? And when Jews are attacked in their own synagogues, what happens when “security” becomes a substitute for actually defending yourself? Plus: Jared Kushner meets Hamas, Mike Huckabee falls for the settler-violence op, and the Barbarians announce plans to take the show on the road to Charleston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Aug 13

    Take Me Down to Habibi City

    This week, Tablet editor-at-large Liel Leibovitz was joined by columnist Lee Smith, news editor Tony Badran, and Scroll senior writer Park MacDougald to discuss the third-world-ification of the United States. Is New York really “Habibi City,” as a now-viral magazine cover claims? Is a hit-and-run homicide in Queens the harbinger of the new American Intifada? And can we finally talk about those Very Violent Settlers™ everyone blames for everything? As always, the Barbarians riffed on these and other topics, speaking inconvenient truths to smug power and taking questions from our subscribers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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5
out of 5
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About

The Barbarians is a new weekly news podcast from Tablet Magazine, featuring columnist Lee Smith, news editor Tony Badran, Scroll writer Park MacDougald, and editor at large Liel Leibovitz, as well as other voices from Tablet. Each week, the Barbarians will do what Barbarians do best: tell the blunt truth, have a bunch of fun, and set fire to the very dumb ideas you hear everywhere else you turn. 

Information

  • Creator
    Tablet Studios
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tablet Magazine
  • Show Website
    The Barbarians

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