In The Tank

The Heartland Institute
In The Tank

The weekly flagship podcast from The Heartland Institute features in-depth policy discussions connected to current news. Host Donald Kendal leads the discussion with the usual crew of Heartland Institute Vice President Jim Lakely, Socialism Research Center “Commissar” Justin Haskins, Editorial Director Chris Talgo, and others at this national free-market think tank. The entertaining and informative discussions often hit topics such as the environment, energy policy, Big Tech censorship, the troubling rise of socialism, globalism, health care, education, that state of freedom in America and around the world, and much more. This podcast is also available as part of the Heartland Daily Podcast, the “firehose” of all the organization’s podcasts that take deep and entertaining dives into public policy.

  1. Fake Rubio, Real Insurrection, and Elon Throws a Party? - In The Tank #501

    4D AGO

    Fake Rubio, Real Insurrection, and Elon Throws a Party? - In The Tank #501

    After losing the presidential election and seeing the administrative state’s efforts steamrolled by Trump’s agenda, the left is ramping up its calls to violence—and even acting on them. Just in the last week, there were two attempts on the lives of ICE agents, resulting in injuries and deaths. Likewise, real "color revolution" insurrection plots are being staged by ex-USAID employees who believe they are the rightful government of the United States—not the president. Also, an AI impostor mimicked Marco Rubio in an effort to gain access to other high-level government officials, and Elon Musk has expressed interest in starting his own political party.The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and Sam Karnick will discuss all of this and more on Episode #501 of the In the Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and participate in the live chat!

    1h 14m
  2. The Cultural Shift is Leaving Hollywood Behind -- In the Tank Podcast #500

    JUL 3

    The Cultural Shift is Leaving Hollywood Behind -- In the Tank Podcast #500

    On this special 500th episode of the In The Tank Podcast, the team takes a look at Culture -- from pop culture like movies, to broader American cultural trends like national pride. Is the dominant left-wing culture finally on its way out? Or are recent flops just a a hiccup in some eternal progressive march? Should conservatives even participate to try to influence it, or is it a lost cause? The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, Sam Karnick, as well as our special guest--the ever-popular Donald Kendal, will discuss all of this and more, on Episode #500 of the In the Tank Podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and participate in the show in the live chat!

    1h 34m
  3. Fiery But Mostly Astroturfed - In The Tank #498

    JUN 12

    Fiery But Mostly Astroturfed - In The Tank #498

    Riots are once again breaking out in California, all the way to Chicago and East coast cities. The National Guard is on the streets of LA to handle violent protests against ICE, and it seems there is evidence that these multi-day protests are anything but organic. Similar protests are planned around the country this weekend, attempting to counter a military showcase parade President Trump has planned for the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army. The media can't be trusted to cover it fairly, which leads to our next question: is the "knowledge" economy falling apart? The mainstream news media, academia, and scientific establishment are rapidly losing credibility in the eyes of the average person, and it may be well deserved. Turning our eyes abroad, Trump says he struck a deal with China on trade, we'll look at the good, the bad, and the ugly -- and the UK's Labour Party recently levied taxes that resulted very quickly in a nice demonstration of the Laffer Curve, ending in less government income rather than more.The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick will cover all of this and more on episode Episode #498 of the In the Tank Podcast. SHOW NOTES: Topic #1 Combining the main topic and Unhinged, we have the Riots!  https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/california-pumped-tens-of-millions https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-defends-national-guard-la-deployments-says-ice-agents-must-be-protected https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5341670-fetterman-condemns-violent-protests-la/ https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/massive-no-king-protest-planned-in-more-than-1500-us-cities-to-counter-trumps-june-14-parade-10-points/articleshow/121730782.cms?from=mdr  Topic #2 "The Knowledge System Collapses" https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-ten-warning-signs Topic #3 US-China Trade Deal https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-china-trade-talks-resume-second-day-2025-06-10/ Topic #4 Labour Taxes Backfire https://removepaywalls.com/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/labour-ideological-attack-private-schools-backfiring/

    1h 19m
  4. The Big Beautiful Bill - In The Tank #497

    MAY 29

    The Big Beautiful Bill - In The Tank #497

    Join The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, and Jim Lakely as they dive into Episode 497 of the In The Tank Podcast. This episode explores timely and provocative topics, including the Democrats' ongoing quest to find their own version of podcast superstar Joe Rogan—can they cultivate a voice that resonates widely in the digital age? The team also discusses President Joe Biden's reliance on the autopen presidency. With Biden increasingly using automation and pre-scripted methods to fulfill presidential duties, what does this mean for transparency, authenticity, and public perception of leadership? Finally, they break down former President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill." The hosts analyze its economic promises, potential impact on climate and energy policies, and how it stacks up against the Biden administration's previous legislation. Tune in for insightful discussion, sharp analysis, and engaging debate on today's critical issues.

    1h 17m
  5. LIARS! How the Legacy Media is Destroying America - In The Tank #496

    MAY 22

    LIARS! How the Legacy Media is Destroying America - In The Tank #496

    The legacy media that half this country relies on to inform them about the world is irrevocably broken. For the past five years, they’ve lied constantly to cover up the biggest political scandal of the century: that Joe Biden has been in accelerating cognitive decline since before he was sworn in as president. Of course, it's worse than that. The media attacked anyone who merely stated that obvious fact, calling what you saw with your own eyes and heard with your own ears “misinformation,” “disinformation,” or even “Russian propaganda.”CNN's Jake Tapper is now promoting his new book Original Sin and pretending that he and the rest of the legacy media innocently missed Biden’s decline until his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last summer. This, like everything else the media peddles these days, is a lie. Tapper—now serving as an avatar for the entire corrupt media—says he looks back on his coverage of Biden with “humility.” That simply won’t do. The word he must use is “regret,” or “embarrassment,” or even “horror.” And that must be coupled with a pledge to stop lying and a promise to be held accountable every single day. This, of course, will not happen. The media has brainwashed half the country into believing things that aren’t true and told them to ignore truths staring them in the face. Their corrupt complicity in the cover-up of the century is more dangerous and societally destabilizing than any of the hundreds of fake scares the media peddles about Donald Trump being a “threat to our democracy.” The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, and Sam Karnick will discuss this important topic—and more—on Episode #496 of the In the Tank podcast. Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET and participate in the show via the chat.

    1h 13m
  6. "Grok is this true?" - In The Tank #495

    MAY 15

    "Grok is this true?" - In The Tank #495

    The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen just completed another polling study—this one asking people how worried they are about AI and what should be done about it legislatively. To no one's surprise, people are worried and think the government has a responsibility to get ahead of it. We’ll also cover the way people can fool even themselves with AI, how some are totally outsourcing their thinking to it, what effect that has (or seems to have), and what the mass expansion of AI is going to do to the economy—especially in terms of energy demand and white-collar jobs. The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, S.T. Karnick, and Donald Kendal will discuss all this and more on Episode #495 of the In the Tank Podcast.

    1h 30m
  7. 71% of Dems Want Elon Imprisoned - In The Tank #474

    MAY 14

    71% of Dems Want Elon Imprisoned - In The Tank #474

    The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports released a new poll showing that 71% of Democrats support Elon Musk being IMPRISONED for his DOGE work. This insane position is held by 80% of self-reported "liberals" from the polling. The poll results were released the same day as this episode. This is sadly not very shocking, as we take a look at what leftist-dominated Reddit says about Elon in our Unhinged segment. We also discuss DOGE's work so far, including issues at the U.S. Treasury Department, and whether or not the pork uncovered by DOGE is actually being cut. It seems many representatives want the spending to keep on rolling along. The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick will discuss all of this and more on Episode 494 of the In the Tank Podcast.

    1h 2m
  8. War on Normies - In The Tank #493

    MAY 1

    War on Normies - In The Tank #493

    Spend any time at all watching or reading the news, and you may notice an odd trend in the Democrat party-- they seem to be embracing policies more and more that totally alienate the "normies," people who hold generally average views on social and political issues. Democrats increasingly favor extreme positions, like defending gang members and embracing ideologies that would have been universally rejected just a few years ago. Where it may end is anyone's guess, we try to parse it out here. We also cover anti-gun activist David Hogg's potential expulsion from the DNC, how Trump Derangement Syndrome apparently was the deciding factor for many baby boomers in Canada,  and a look back on Trump's first hundred days as President, part deux. The Heartland Institute’s Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, and S.T. Karnick will discuss all of this and more on Episode #492 of the In the Tank Podcast.

    1h 17m
See All (148)

4.8
out of 5
49 Ratings

About

The weekly flagship podcast from The Heartland Institute features in-depth policy discussions connected to current news. Host Donald Kendal leads the discussion with the usual crew of Heartland Institute Vice President Jim Lakely, Socialism Research Center “Commissar” Justin Haskins, Editorial Director Chris Talgo, and others at this national free-market think tank. The entertaining and informative discussions often hit topics such as the environment, energy policy, Big Tech censorship, the troubling rise of socialism, globalism, health care, education, that state of freedom in America and around the world, and much more. This podcast is also available as part of the Heartland Daily Podcast, the “firehose” of all the organization’s podcasts that take deep and entertaining dives into public policy.

Information

  • Creator
    The Heartland Institute
  • Years Active
    2010 - 2025
  • Episodes
    148
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Heartland Institute
  • Show Website
    In The Tank

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