Don't Believe the Ross Douthat Hype

TL;DR

The Nation critiques New York Times columnist Ross Douthat's podcast Interesting Times as overhyped for liberal audiences.
Over 50 interviews since April feature 83% right-wing male guests like Steve Bannon, J.D. Vance, and Christopher Rufo.
Douthat platforms conservatives without tough challenges, manufacturing consent for right-wing views instead of bridging divides.

The story at a glance

Will Meyer argues in The Nation that Ross Douthat's Interesting Times podcast, touted by outlets like Slate as a conservative liberals can stomach, mostly elevates right-wing figures without real pushback. Douthat, a socially conservative Catholic anti-abortion columnist, hosts guests such as Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Jeremy Carl amid funding from dark-money groups. The piece comes now after a Slate profile praised the show, which premiered in April and has drawn liberal fans despite its skew.

Key points

Douthat's conservatism differs from predecessors like Bret Stephens or David Brooks by focusing on religious and social issues; he hedged between Trump and Harris in 2024 rather than endorsing.
Podcast guests are 83% male and 83% right-leaning, including post-fraud-guilty-plea Bannon, anti-DEI activist Rufo, Thiel-backed Claremont Institute figures, and Carl, who pushes anti-white-discrimination claims.
Douthat conducts "good-faith" talks but skips probing scandals or financial ties, like Andreessen's defense-tech shift or Bannon's fraud case.
A February interview with anti-imperialist journalist Seth Harp was canceled after Harp challenged Douthat's defense of U.S. hegemony as bringing "global peace."
Ties guests to conservative funding: Claremont from Scaife, Bradley, DeVos families; Rufo and Andreessen to anti-woke dark money.
Meyer compares Douthat's style to Manufacturing Consent by Chomsky and Herman, where media self-censorship aids capitalism and imperialism.

Details and context

Douthat rose at the Times via anti-abortion Catholic writings and books like Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, which critiques liberal institutions, Silicon Valley, and MAGA excesses. His podcast aims to "map out the new political order," but left-leaning guests like Hasan Piker or Chris Hayes are rare.

The canceled Harp episode highlighted rifts: Harp called Douthat's hegemony view "preposterous" given U.S.-backed violence in the Third World; Douthat seemed unfamiliar with strong anti-imperialist arguments.

Unlike neocons, Douthat avoids firm stances, platforming extremists while claiming skepticism—yet rarely disrupts their narratives.

Key quotes

Douthat on the podcast: “a set of conversations that attempt to map out the new political order with people at the forefront.”[[1]](https://www.thenation.com/article/society/ross-douthat-podcast-new-york-times/tnamp/)[[2]](https://www.thenation.com/?p=594442&post_type=article)
Slate profile: creates “a communication line between us embattled liberals and the barbarians at the gates”; “the one conservative liberals will actually listen to.”[[1]](https://www.thenation.com/article/society/ross-douthat-podcast-new-york-times/tnamp/)
Harp on Douthat: “had never met an informed anti-imperialist in his life, and he was only used to [engaging with] the most milquetoast liberal critiques of American foreign policy.”[[1]](https://www.thenation.com/article/society/ross-douthat-podcast-new-york-times/tnamp/)

Why it matters

Mainstream outlets risk normalizing right-wing ideas by praising polite conservatives who platform hardliners without accountability. Readers and liberals chasing "both sides" content may absorb unchallenged narratives on culture wars, imperialism, and dark money. Watch Douthat's guest choices and any left-wing episodes for signs of balance—or deeper skew—in the post-2024 landscape.