I made a sketch of the friends I’d like to do podcasts with, and it quickly flowed to several pages. But I knew right away that I wanted to talk to Lee, who is one of the most perceptive writers covering foreign policy, information warfare and the press. We chatted about all of that, of course, and wrapped up on an optimistic note, talking about what Americans should be focused on in their lives rather than watching the day-to-day nonsense in DC.
Lee and I would see one another often when we both lived in Washington, especially at the wonderful weekly Thursday night dinners we’d have with a special group of friends who also work in politics. We’ve since both left DC—and, during our chat, we talked a lot about how great it’s been to be out of there, in Real America. That said, there’s really no substitute for the regular and frequent IRL experience when it comes to friendship and camaraderie. I hope these phone chats preserve something of that.
Episode 2: Lee Smith
Lee Smith is the author of The Plot Against the President: The True Story of How Congressman Devin Nunes Uncovered the Biggest Political Scandal in U.S. History and The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President. His work appears regularly at Tablet and the Epoch Times. We met in Washington in 2008 or 2009.
Lee Smith: Politics is Nothing