Episodes

Live from Temple University in Philadelphia, host Sam Bushman and producer Zak Gillies kick off their coverage of the Braver Angels conference, an event dedicated to bridging America's political divide. They tour historic Philadelphia, explain the meaning behind the conference's colored lanyard system (red, blue, yellow, and white), and share personal stories of stepping outside their comfort zones to hold respectful conversations with people who hold opposing views on hot-button issues like abo...

In this episode of the Liberty RoundTable Radio Talk Show, host Sam Bushman sits down with producer Zak Gillies to unpack their experience at the Braver Angels conference in Philadelphia. They dive into groundbreaking research showing the divide between Americans is far worse in the media and politics than it is in real life, share powerful personal stories (including a Greatest Showman-inspired anthem and a moving GoFundMe story of forgiveness), and explore how storytelling, music, and simple h...

Are we a democracy? Absolutely not. In this first episode of a special Liberty Roundtable series, Sam Bushman breaks down exactly why America was founded as a constitutional republic and why the Founders deliberately rejected democracy as a form of government. Sparked by a conversation at the Braver Angels conference, Sam walks through the history, the founding documents, and 25 reasons the word "democracy" misrepresents everything the Founders built. Words matter, and getting this right is esse...

Most Americans have been taught we live in a democracy. The Founders explicitly rejected that. In this episode of Liberty Roundtable, Sam Bushman walks through 25 constitutional realities proving that America was designed as a constitutional republic, not a democracy, and why that distinction is critical to preserving your God-given rights and freedom. Topics covered include separation of powers, federalism, the Electoral College, the Senate's original design, supermajority requirements, the Bil...

Congress let FISA Section 702 lapse, but is that enough? Sam Bushman and Lowell Nelson break down Ron Paul's warning about the surveillance state, the new Section 622 that would share American citizens' private data with a foreign government, and what it all means for liberty. Then they turn to Judge Andrew Napolitano's urgent question on the 250th anniversary of America's founding: are we still a republic, or have we become the empire our founders fled? Plus, Sam shares what he witnessed firsth...

World Cup visitors are filming grocery stores, gas stations, Waffle Houses, and Buc-ee's, and they can't believe what they're seeing. After being told America was dangerous, hateful, and broken, international visitors are discovering the real America: kind, generous, abundant, and free. On this Fourth of July week episode of Liberty Roundtable, we break down why the 2026 World Cup has become the greatest accidental advertisement for America in history, what de Tocqueville got right centuries ago...

Sam Bushman broadcasts live from the Braver Angels Conference in Philadelphia as the Supreme Court wraps its term with a string of landmark decisions. Sam Dorman of The Epoch Times joins to break down the ruling on Haitian and Syrian deportation protections, what to expect on birthright citizenship, the controversial Monsanto glyphosate decision, and whether Trump can fire federal officials. Then Dr. Scott Bradley weighs in on Fauci accountability, Rand Paul's war powers fight, James Carville's ...

Ron "Sugar Bear" McFarlane joins host Sam Bushman and Sheriff Richard Mack for Part 1 of a powerful conversation about America's political divide. Sugar Bear shares his remarkable journey from a tough childhood in Cincinnati to an All-American football player at Iowa State, to a coach, teacher, and now Braver Angels ambassador. They tackle whether America is more divided than ever, why trust is the real crisis, what gives Sugar Bear hope, and how ordinary citizens can lower the temperature in th...

Ron "Sugar Bear" McFarlane, former college football star turned Braver Angels ambassador, joins Sheriff Richard Mack and host Sam Bushman for Part 2 of this powerful conversation. They cover the NIL college sports debate, World Cup visitors falling in love with America, how to have real conversations across the political divide, abortion, and what George Washington would say about today's politics. Sugar Bear shares a moving hospice story that will stay with you. Braver Angels National Conventio...

Sam Bushman and Dr. Scott Bradley dig into Trump's memo of understanding with Iran: is it a real peace deal or just hopeium? They break down why Israel refused to sign, what Iran winning actually looks like, who is paying the $300 billion in reparations, and why the Strait of Hormuz remains the unresolved checkmate piece. Then the conversation turns to George Washington's farewell address and his eerily specific warnings about foreign influence, favorite nations, and the corruption of American p...

Sam Bushman and Dr. Scott Bradley break down the real constitutional questions dominating the political landscape: Could Trump face impeachment again if Democrats take the House in the midterms? Can senators actually be impeached? And what does the Constitution say about removing members of Congress? Plus, the guys dig into the USMCA, the FBI's pre-midterm "terror plot," Trump's Iran memo of understanding vs. the Obama-era JCPOA, and what the timeless principles of the Declaration of Independenc...

Sam Bushman sits down with Heath Perkins of Free Water Coin Co. for the Honest Money Report, digging into the economic forces quietly reshaping America's place in the world. Gold is at $4,258, silver is at $67, oil is sliding, and the Fed just held rates steady while inflation still smolders. What does it all mean? Sam and Heath break down why the dollar is gaining strength right now, whether that strength is real or temporary, how Trump's moves in the Strait of Hormuz and at the G7 are shifting...

Sam Bushman sits down with Elizabeth Doll, Director of the Braver Angels Politics Program, to dig into one of the most urgent questions facing America: how do we stop letting politics destroy our relationships, our communities, and our republic? Elizabeth brings a rare perspective, having spent years as a conservative political consultant in deep-blue Western Washington before joining Braver Angels to help Americans across the aisle actually listen to each other. They tackle George Washington's ...

Sam Bushman and James Edwards kick off with McDonald's bringing back the iconic fried apple pie for America's 250th anniversary, which leads into a deeper conversation about what the country's birthday actually means — and why enthusiasm feels so low. They break down the real reason: the economy. From the Big Mac Index to tariffs, income taxes, and a Congress that has consistently failed to deliver on Trump's America First agenda, Sam and James assess what it would actually take to turn things a...

Sam Bushman and James Edwards break down the explosive DOJ indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, including bombshell allegations that a top SPLC official funneled $1.2 million in donor money to a white supremacist informant she was allegedly having a romantic relationship with. They trace the SPLC's history of scandal, from its founding by Morris Dees to its near-billion-dollar fundraising machine built on fear, and ask why there has been zero accountability despite decades of expo...

Sam Bushman opens with a question few are asking: Was a boxing match on the White House lawn the right way to celebrate America's 250th anniversary? Then, co-founder of Braver Angels, David Lapp, joins to dig into what real disagreement looks like in a healthy Constitutional Republic. They cover Sam's Justice and Mercy Immigration Plan, what happens when 7 conservatives and 7 liberals spend 5 hours together in a room, E-Verify, DACA, a path to citizenship, and why civil discourse is not about gi...

Sam Bushman sits down with David Lapp, co-founder of Braver Angels, one of the fastest-growing bipartisan grassroots organizations in America. They dig into immigration, civility, and what it really means to be an American in 2026. From a DACA recipient and a border hawk becoming convention co-chairs, to a Trump supporter and a Muslim immigrant attending each other's places of worship, this episode is full of stories that prove we are not enemies. Braver Angels is hosting their national conventi...

Sam Bushman and Lowell Nelson of campaignforliberty.org sound the alarm on one of the most underreported stories in Washington: Section 224 of the 2027 NDAA, which passed the House on June 4th with almost no mainstream coverage. It would integrate the US and Israeli militaries across AI, cyber, quantum, autonomous systems, biotech, and intelligence data, effectively handing the Pentagon's keys to a foreign government. They cover the Iran peace deal announcement and why Israel is already contradi...

Sam Bushman is back from a week away, and he's not holding back. He sounds the alarm on martial arts fights at the White House and what they signal about America's drift toward Rome-style blood sport. He covers the murder case dividing the country, the Fox acquisition of Roku and what it means for media control, China's record graduating class hitting a shrinking job market, AI data centers and the water and memory concerns nobody's talking about, Delhi's streets baking at 140 degrees, and the n...

Sam Bushman and Dr. Scott Bradley don't hold back. On the 59th anniversary of Israel's attack on the USS Liberty, they demand the truth finally come out. They break down why Rubio's claim that the Iran war is over is a lie designed to dodge the 60-day War Powers clock, why Dr. Bradley no longer believes anything the administration says about the war, and why Republicans are heading into the midterms in serious trouble. They also dig into the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act's Section 224,...

Sam Bushman and Dr. Scott Bradley cover a packed hour: remembering the USS Liberty attack on its anniversary, the Bible's warnings about war and why prophecy is not predestination, the absurdity of a $250 Trump bill and what it says about inflation, Trump renaming everything like the Roman emperor Commodus, the case for honest money and abolishing the IRS, questions about Trump's hidden health, the transgender military fight headed to the Supreme Court, John Bolton's classified information plea ...

Sam Bushman, Curt Crosby, and Lew Moore cover the Honest Money Report with gold near $4,500 and silver at $75, dig into why everybody is frustrated over prices, debate whether Trump will ever take on the Federal Reserve, and make the case for abolishing the IRS before the midterms. They also break down Samsung relocating its US headquarters from New Jersey to Texas, the founders' design for state competition, new evidence continuing to surface on the 2020 election, Tina Peters finally free after...

Sam Bushman, Curt Crosby, and Lew Moore sit down with Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson to expose a coordinated out-of-state money campaign backed by left-wing PAC money trying to remove him from office before the June 23rd primary. They dig into the Resolute Republic PAC, the same playbook used to take out Thomas Massie, mail-in ballot security, non-citizen voting, the SAVE Act, cast vote records, the Tina Peters case, and what real election transparency looks like at the county level. Timestamp...

Sam Bushman and James Edwards of thepoliticalcesspool.org dig into the stories the networks won't touch. Two Republican candidates named Dan Sullivan on the same Alaska Senate ballot, the $1.5 million Outback Steakhouse mashed potato lawsuit and what it says about America's lawsuit culture, Trump's $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund shot down by his own party, and a sobering midterm outlook with the House genuinely up for grabs. Sam lays the blame squarely where he believes it belongs: Congres...