The Josh Hammer Report

Josh Hammer

Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large And Host,
"The Josh Hammer Show"

It's time for every politico's favorite game: veepstakes! There is no shortage of contenders for who Donald Trump should select as his running mate; some of the more-discussed possibilities include Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), former rival Vivek Ramaswamy, former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.). But if Trump really wants to hit a home run, and if he wants to pick the running mate most in touch with our present zeitgeist of mass discontent with the American ruling class, then his pick for veep has to be the precocious first-term U.S. senator from Ohio, J.D. Vance. For the definitive case for why Trump should pick Vance to join him at the top of the Republican ticket, check out my most recent column.

On "The Josh Hammer Show," my most recent episode for our radio affiliates and podcast audience unpacked New York Attorney General Tish James's ongoing Stalinist persecution of Donald Trump and the Trump Organization on bogus "fraud" charges, analyzed the state of Texas's ongoing legal battle to protect its sovereignty and deter illegal immigration at our beleaguered southern border, excoriated President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats for their inexcusable and increasingly brazen war on Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and much more. As a reminder, you can listen to all episodes of "The Josh Hammer Show" at the Newsweek website, on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Some other highlights of my past week include my op-ed for the Daily Mail on Tish James' un-American persecution of former President Trump; my hit with Lou Dobbs to discuss last week's Ohio Senate GOP primary; my hit with Jenna Ellis to discuss my forthcoming book, tentatively titled Sinai and Civilization; my hit with Dinesh D'Souza to discuss the ongoing war in Gaza; my appearance on One America News Network to discuss my forthcoming book; my discussion on the Anchoring Truths podcast to discuss my jurisprudential work developing common good originalism; my hit with Jesse Kelly to analyze the latest from Trump's various legal proceedings; and much more. To keep up with everything, make sure to follow me on Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook. As a reminder, I also recently launched a second legal-themed show, "America on Trial with Josh Hammer," with The First; you can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I have two final updates for you. First, I will be filling in on radio the rest of this week for regular host Manny Munoz on NewsRadio 610 WIOD, South Florida's local iHeartRadio affiliate! Make sure to tune in here to hear my show live all week (I actually started last Friday) from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM EDT. Second, I'm delighted to share that I will be participating in what should be a spirited two-on-two debate, sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, in Cambridge, Mass., on April 11 on the topic of the proper moral and legal limitations of campus speech—especially in light of the Hamas pogrom of Oct. 7, 2023. You can read more about the debate and register for it right here!

Our additional highlighted Newsweek op-eds from the past week include selections from Erin Hawley, Sarah Stern, Yaakov Katz, Kevin Sabet, and Kenneth Rapoza.

Thanks, as always, for reading and subscribing to this newsletter! We'll see you next week.

Spotlight

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Vice President J.D. Vance

Donald Trump has locked up the necessary delegates for the Republican presidential nomination, which means it's time for every political junkie's favorite quadrennial game: Veepstakes!

Every four years, commentators, political consultants, and elected officials all chime in with their takes on who a presidential candidate's running mate should be. Perhaps the candidate ought to select a veep from a swing state. Perhaps the candidate ought to select someone who fits a certain demographic box. Maybe the candidate ought to pick someone with a very similar political philosophy—or perhaps someone whose ideological bona fides assuage any lingering concerns that party loyalists might harbor about the man at the top of the ticket. Or maybe it's really as easy as picking someone who the presidential nominee simply likes and vibes with on a personal level.

There is no shortage of factors to consider. In 2024, the conversation really only pertains to former (and perhaps future) President Donald Trump; Democrats and their doddering Delawarean dolt at the top of the ticket, President Joe Biden, are stuck with cackler-in-chief Kamala Harris. Democrats are hemorrhaging minority voter support at breakneck pace, and they cannot afford to risk a greater exodus of black voters by unceremoniously dumping a black woman from their ticket.

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