To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

How the Democrats Can Win a Super Majority

#21 trending · News Commentary

Author of Kill Switch and Supermajority, Adam Jentleson joins Charlie for a deep dive into what it will take for Democrats to win and keep power, the weird machinations o

Sep 12
50 min

Avlon: I Was There...Trump Wasn't

John Avlon — journalist, author, and political commentator — joins Charlie to reflect on the lessons of 9/11 as its 25th anniversary approaches, break down the emerging 2

Sep 10
52 min

O’Brien: Trump is Making America Weak Again

Professor of Strategic Studies and host of The Phillips's Newsletter Podcast, Phillips O'Brien joins Charlie to talk about Trump's strange love for Russia, the decline of

Sep 5
41 min

An Independent Miracle in Montana?

Former University of Montana President and Green Beret Seth Bodnar is running for Senate as an Independent. He joins Charlie to talk about Hegseth's military purge, Canad

Sep 3
40 min

Wolfers: Stupid Trade Wars and Gangster Government

Economist Justin Wolfers joins Charlie to break down Trump's trade war with Canada, the controversial oil deal with Venezuela, and concerns over politicizing the U.S. Cen

Sep 1
46 min

Auchincloss: Impeach Hegseth First

Congressman Jake Auchincloss joins Charlie to discuss a wide array of topics, including the future of the Democratic Party, how they can become the party of ideas again,

Aug 29
35 min

The AI Backlash is Real...and Trump Isn't Happy About It

Author of Doomsday Scenario blog and former editor of Politico Magazine, Garrett Graff joins Charlie to talk about the emerging battle against AI data centers, the curren

Aug 27
46 min

Generalissimo Trump’s New Endless War

Charlie talks about yet another war Trump has started that no Americans wanted and author, historian and elections expert, Brian Rosenwald joins him to break down where a

Aug 25
1 h 01 min

Tom Nichols: The Trump Tribe Thinks This Will Go On Forever

The Atlantic's Tom Nichols joins Charlie to talk about the frightening delusions of the Trump team, his human binky Natalie Harp, and Congress shirking its most basic res

Aug 22
47 min

Don't Normalize This

Charlie goes solo today to discuss Trump cozying up to another despot, pumping the brakes on data centers and who the hell is Natalie Harp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com

Aug 20
53 min

Blanche Proves He Is Trump's Toady. As If There Was Any Doubt.

Harry Litman, host of the Talking Feds podcast, joins Charlie to talk about Trump's continued warping of reality, Blanche showing the era of DOJ impartiality is over, and

Aug 18
46 min

Ed Luce: We Are at Peak Denial

Ed Luce from the Financial Times joins Charlie to talk about today's political climate, the undeniable reality of global warming and the existential threat of AI. Hosted

Aug 15
43 min

It's Electability Stupid

The co-founder of Third Way, Matt Bennett joins Charlie to talk about the DSA's stunning defeat in Wisconsin, their agenda to destroy the Democratic Party and why electab

Aug 13
42 min

Peter Wehner: Trump Prefers Infamy to Irrelevance

The Atlantic's Peter Wehner joins Charlie to talk about Trump's desperate attempts to remain relevant, his miscalculations about Iran, and MAGA's obsession with Anthony F

Aug 11
50 min

Anne Applebaum: “I Can’t Think of Anything More Corrupt”

The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum joins Charlie to discuss Trump's sale of early access to Truth Social posts, his doubling down on the reflecting pool vandalism lie, and the

Aug 8
45 min

Trump's Banana Republic

New York Times Opinion writer David French joins Charlie to discuss Trump's unprecedented corruption, the Todd Blanche Attorney General nomination now in limbo, and Antho

Aug 1
51 min

Trump Attacks a Female Journalist. The Press Looks Away.

Tara Palmeri, host of The Tara Palmeri Show and author of the newsletter "The Red Letter," joins Charlie to unpack Trump's attack on Kaitlan Collins at the White House Co

Jul 30
43 min

Does Trump Think AI Slop Makes Him Look Tough?

Nicholas Grossman, editor of Arc Digital and professor of international relations at the University of Illinois, joins Charlie to discuss Trump's frenzied posting of AI s

Jul 28
50 min

Trump Tried to Rewire Society. Trump Failed.

Jonathan Rauch is a Brookings Institution Senior Fellow and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. In this episode, he joins Charlie to explain how the "postmodern right"

Jul 25
51 min

An Administration Without Grown-Ups

In this special solo episode, Charlie answers your questions about the latest crisis in US-Canada relations, Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing, and the US-Saudi nuclear

Jul 23
57 min

Chart trend

Position in the News Commentary chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#53#104JunJulAugSep

all-time peak

days in the top 10 since Feb 2025

Chart positions

Where To The Contrary with Charlie Sykes ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 14, 2026).

#128 ▲ 38 News US

#21 ▲ 7 News Commentary US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I genuinely enjoy Charlie’s show and usually find both the conversations and the guests insightful. David Frum is the exception. I stopped listening to Frum’s own podcast—one I initially liked—after repeated comments that minimized the genocide in Gaza. People can hold different views, but repeatedly glossing over mass civilian suffering crossed a line for me & I chose to walk away. Frum appears on several podcasts I otherwise enjoy, and while I already find his smug, know-it-all tone grating, today’s appearance was particularly egregious. “As you know, I’m Canadian…”—followed by patronizing remarks about Canada—was absurd. Living in the US while occasionally dipping back into Canada does not make you an authority on Canadian public sentiment. When Charlie incredulously asked whether Canadians are genuinely fearing a US “invasion” (we’re not), Frum missed the point entirely. The anxiety here is driven by punitive economic measures and political volatility—not fantasies of tanks rolling north. Yes, this has prompted a long-overdue reckoning about defence and sovereignty (as we’re seeing across Europe as well), but to flatly answer “No” to whether Canada could stand a chance if invaded was both offensive and profoundly unpatriotic. The episode then deteriorated further, with Frum making reckless assumptions—casting Lutnick as an innocent caught in the emails, implying only “poor” girls are victims of child sexual abuse/trafficking, and posturing as an Epstein expert despite massive unknowns. It was speculative, and frankly disturbing. Why this man is treated as a serious moral authority—let alone hero-worshipped—baffles me.

Nav Saint · Feb 2026

Adore Charlie and love the podcast, but can you please fix the audio. Too often it sounds like Charlie is whispering and his guest is screaming or vice versa. Having to keep adjusting the volume to hear one speaker and avoid your ear drums getting blown out by the other gets old. Levels need to be equalized in post.

Waybackward · Oct 2025

Charlie is one of the reasons I starting listening to podcasts. I was so sad to see him leave the daily Bulwark podcast and now I’m over the moon to have him bad in my podcast feed. Interviews are top notch and his ability to discuss day to day (or minute to minute at this point) topics with his guests are worth the listen! I subscribe to the substack, but I’m so happy to have him back in my ear. 5 Stars all the way!!! Thank you, Charlie!

JStephanCole · Mar 2025

Fantastic insight and nuance delivered with a dry wit and a delicate sprinkling of profanity. Perfection.

McCainJarhead · Feb 2025

I am always interested in Charlie Sykes’ commentary on current political events but the sound quality of this podcast is horrible- too loud, then too soft, unpredictably. Sounds just like it would if you were relying on your low quality laptop mic and moving a little when you speak. I’m unsubscribing because it’s just too annoying to try to listen to.

Huldena · Feb 2025

I have stopped watching Charlie because of his negativity towards a person he gives no credit to for the amazing career he has had and the lives he has saved …. Covid was a terrible time-a pandemic that was unknown and every new bit of knowledge was updated as were the recommendations. Science isnt politics….and he didn’t have the power to make the restrictions-it was the president. He was working with a pathological president and he became the scapegoat. Feeding into that scapegoating is beneath Charlie. Pleading the 5th as his lawyers wanted was to save him from the republicans who were out to get him. Go after them-they are despicable! Peter was stellar in his talk about Dr Fauci. My husband is an ID specialist and we lived the pandemic by the minute, the lack of supplies, the horrendous deaths. People died and more would have died if you put kids together in schools and people in the workplace. Yes it was a difficult time but it was a killer disease-if you weren’t affected by it, lucky you. But real People We’re Lost, parents, siblings, children and friends. Do better Charlie.

Fatigued citizen · Aug 2026

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