The John Stossel Interviews
John Stossel, a libertarian journalist and former Fox Business host, presents extended interviews with newsmakers and interesting people. The podcast focuses on topics of limited government and personal freedom, drawing on Stossel's 40+ years of reporting experience. He has won 19 Emmy Awards and multiple honors for consumer reporting.
Episodes
Ep 49. You Don’t Understand the Environment: Lies about Greenhouse Gases, Polar Bears, Recycling, and More
I hear bees are dying, polar bears are going extinct, and weather is getting more extreme every day!All lies.Media tell me the Great Barrier Reef is dying.But “the Great Barrier Reef is doing fine,” says climate researcher Linnea Lueken. "Corals thrive in tropical conditions.”Environmental groups says recycling will save the planet.That’s another myth.Author John Tierney says “recycling is ga
Ep. 48 The Case for Economic Freedom: Why Governments Often Make Prosperity Harder
Politicians always want to “improve” our economy.But again and again, they make things worse. “The more we move away from free markets, the worse things become” says economist Don Boudreaux, author of “The Triumph of Economic Freedom."Boudreaux explains how government intervention made the Great Depression last longer, caused the Great Recession, and more.He also debunks myths like the "
Ep. 47 Buffaloed: How a Climate Scientist Was Attacked by the White House, Congress & His Own University
Fearmongering media say climate change is “our greatest threat in thousands of years.” Climate change is real, but is it the apocalypse? Climate researcher Roger Pielke Jr. doesn’t think so. But just expressing skepticism got him attacked by our government.Al Gore blamed extreme weather on climate change. “Every storm is different now because it takes place in a warmer and wetter world.” But tha
Ep. 46 You Don’t Own Me: Freedom, Responsibility, and the Lies of Collectivism
Who owns you?Government often acts like they own us.But lawyer Tim Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute reminds us, we own ourselves.“People should not have power over other people’s lives,” says Sandefur.His book, You Don’t Own Me, talks about that, and how popular culture often reflects this message.“Ours is a nation where the individual’s right to pursue happiness is written into it’s foundation
Ep. 45 Hayek’s Warning We Ignored: Government Planning Doesn’t Fix Economies
Politicians say they can “fix” the economy.But economists Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises pointed out how government “fixes" lead to bigger problems.Hayek and Mises predicted the fall of the Soviet Union. They warned that centrally planned economies fail.But today, socialism is popular again. New York and Seattle have elected socialist mayors.Many politicians still believe that governmen
Ep. 44 Uncomfortable Topics with Heather Mac Donald: Race, Skills Gap, Disparate Impact & the Role of Women
“I'm going to speak the truth here, and this is not pleasant for people to hear.” In my podcast with author Heather Mac Donald, she says uncomfortable things about race, crime, feminism and more.For example, she says, “The reality of our world today is not white privilege. It's black privilege.” She says many jobs and colleges today unfairly favor black candidates with fewer skills. “Harva
Ep. 43 Jo Jorgensen: What if We Had a Libertarian President?
During the last 5 years our government has imposed lockdowns, caused inflation, increased the deficit, started trade wars, and now a real war.It makes me wonder; how would things have been different if we had a libertarian President?Well, here’s my discussion with 2020’s libertarian Presidential candidate, Jo Jorgensen.We originally spoke 5 years ago, but our conversation covers issues that are st
Ep 42. Andrew Yang: On UBI, Defunding Police, Cancel Culture, Entrepreneurship
I don’t bother interviewing most politicians. But former presidential candidate Andrew Yang is interesting.Unlike most politicians, he has experience as an entrepreneur, he criticizes politicians for their "magical thinking," and he even left his party (the Democrats) to start the "Forward Party."I spoke to him in 2021, soon after its launch. We discuss if a third party could e
Ep. 41 Johan Norberg: Lessons From Ancient Athens, Rome, the Renaissance & Other Golden Ages
Are we witnessing the fall of the American empire? Are we doomed to fall, like Ancient Athens, Ancient Rome and others?No. But if we don’t learn the lessons of history, we could be. To avoid collapse, historian Johan Norberg argues we especially need to learn from the rise and fall of past golden ages—like Ancient Athens, Ancient Rome, China’s Song Dynasty, the Italian Renaissance, and more.“What
Ep 40. Wikipedia Bias
I once reported how great Wikipedia is. But now, it’s manipulated by leftists.That’s a big problem because its bad information corrupts AI and search results.In this podcast, Ashley Rindsberg of NPOV Media explains how, “Wikipedia's information spreads into everything online.”That means when your ask ChatGPT, Google, or your phone a question, it’ll likely to take leftist spin straight from Wik
Ep. 39 Putting a Price on Life: From 9/11 to the BP Oil Spill and Boston Marathon
“You can’t put a price on life!” say politicians, pretending to be compassionate, spending other people’s money.But Kenneth Feinberg, Special Master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, says you CAN put a price on life. He's distributed funds to the victims of 9/11, the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Boston Marathon, the Deepwater Horizon spill, the Virginia Tech shooting, the Aurora movie the
Ep 38 Jonathan Haidt: on The Anxious Generation: Childhood in Social Media Age & Fragile College Students
"If your kids went through puberty on a smartphone with social media, they came out different than human beings before” says Jonathan Haidt, author of the bestseller “The Anxious Generation.”He argues that childhood is now phone-based instead of play-based, resulting in anxious and depressed kids. "They know that life would be better if they didn't spend five or six hours a day on so
Ep. 37 Socialism and Capitalism Myths
Young people today hate capitalism. They often say socialism would be better.It's absurd. Why would they argue that?Because much of what they're told about socialism and capitalism is just nonsense.So in this podcast, we'll debunk 5 of the biggest myths about socialism, and even more myths about capitalism.
Ep. 36 James Lindsay: Academic Hoaxes, Woke Mind Virus, and the Right’s Flirtation with Karl Marx
James Lindsay once exposed the woke left’s insanity with a hoax. Now he’s exposed part of the right for bashing liberty and even embracing Marxist ideas.To prove it, he sent a conservative magazine a revised version of "The Communist Manifesto." They published it! He calls them the “woke right" because they "behave like the tyrants of the woke left." In this podcast, Linds
Ep. 35 Robby Starbuck: The Fight Against DEI, Woke Corporate America, the HRC and Trans Ideology
Activist Robby Starbuck got companies like Target, Walmart, and Toyota to drop their woke DEI policies. It sounds hard to believe one man could do that, but he did. From DEI trainings to mandatory "ally" pledges, Starbuck posts videos about absurd woke things that big companies do behind closed doors to please activists. In this podcast, he explains how this fight against corporate Ameri
Ep 34. Inside North Korea: A Survivor’s Story of Socialism, Starvation, Torture, and Escape
Charles Ryu escaped from North Korea not once, but twice!He experienced starvation, torture, and years of propaganda. North Koreans, even those who escape, fear talking about socialist tyranny because the regime might kill their families. “Not just you, but your entire three generations will be wiped out,” explains Ryu. He is only willing to talk because he has no immediate family left in the coun
Ep 33. Yaron Brook: On Selfishness, Immigration, War, Love, Liberty and of Course Ayn Rand
People who run businesses are often smeared. But they shouldn't be.“Making our lives better is what entrepreneurs do. We take it all for granted,” says Yaron Brook, Chair of the Ayn Rand Institute.In this hour-long conversation, Brook defends the marketplace and the self-interest that drives it.He also carves out the path of self-interest through mountains of big issues: war, poverty, immigration,
Ep 32. John McWhorter: On Anti-racism, Victimhood, Testing, and Woke Language
Professor John McWhorter, author of "Woke Racism," argues that condescending leftist ideology hurts black people.We spoke a few years ago when few others were pushing back on those ideas. But I learned a lot from my half-hour interview with him, so here's our full discussion.For one, the Columbia linguist points out "Woke Racism" hurts black people in many ways: from treating them as incapable of
Ep 31. Michael Malice: Communism, Anarchy, North Korea, Trump and Hope
Michael Malice, the popular podcaster and author, reminds us that tyranny can be defeated. It’s been done before.In this podcast, Malice shares stories of life under totalitarian regimes, and explains how the media was often complicit in totalitarianism.Malice’s distrust in government is why he’s calls himself an anarchist.He makes the case that things like food, education, and even security, are
Ep. 30 The Edward Snowden Interview
Here's my full interview with NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden--it’s the longest interview I've ever posted.I once was unsure if Edward Snowden--who leaked documents showing that the NSA spied on Americans--was a hero, or a traitor who made us all less safe.Now I've done my research, and I think he's a hero. What do you think? Our full interview, above, will help you decide.
Ep 29. Maj Toure: Gun Control’s Racist Roots, Importance of 2nd Amendment & Responsible Gun Ownership
Media and politicians constantly warn about the dangers of firearms. They say too many people have guns.
But Black Guns Matters founder Maj Toure says there should be more guns!
“Everybody should be walking around and like, oh man, I left my gun in the house. Let me go back and get it,” says Toure.
“Everybody?” I ask.
“Everybody.”
He says that would make America freer and safer, especiall
Ep. 28 Rand Paul: on The Case Against Socialism
I usually don't like to interview politicians but Senator Rand Paul is different.
He actually has interesting and important things to say.
In this podcast, we discuss his book,The Case Against Socialism.
We cover socialism's failure in Venezuela, the myth of "Scandinavian socialism," and more.
Ep. 27 Lenore Skenazy: on Free Range Parenting and Raising Independent Kids
Parents are more scared than ever. The media warn of “Stranger Danger.”
Lenore Skenazy says this is foolish. Parents should let their kids be MORE independent.
She calls it “Free Range” parenting. She says kids are healthier when given unsupervised freedom. Parents are happier too.
But what about the kidnappings?
Skenazy points out those are extremely rare. It’s MUCH safer for kids to walk outsid
Ep. 26 Tim Pool: on Independent Reporting, Media Bias, Joe Rogan, Covington & Protests
Tim Pool is a very successful journalist. He has millions of subscribers on multiple channels.
But Pool never went to journalism school. In fact, he didn’t even finish high school.
Unlike most reporters, Pool became respected just by doing it--going to the news, and covering things the mainstream media often miss.
He’s reported from global hotspots, gone into the middle of riots, and exposed medi
Ep. 25 Tulsi Gabbard: on Endless Wars, Healthcare, Justice and More
Trump recently picked Tulsi Gabbard to be his Director of National Intelligence. What are her views?
Well 5 years ago—when Gabbard was still a Democrat—I interviewed her.
She was running for President at the time and was clearly different from her competition.
For one, unlike most Democrats, she agreed to talk with me.
So here’s our full conversation.
Ep. 24 Aella: On Sex Work, “Camming," OnlyFans, Liberty & Gathering Research
This podcast is with…. GASP!…. a sex worker.
Her name is Aella, and her career path is surprising.
She’s made a lot of money performing for men online, and being an escort.
But she's also an outspoken libertarian.
“I just knew that freedom was really important,” she tells me.
Now she’s paid to do research. Her surveys are unconventional, including something she calls a “rape spectrum."
Her
Ep. 23 Ezra Levant: Defending Free Speech in a Polarized World
Open speech is under attack around the world.
Canada’s Rebel News founder Ezra Levant warns what might happen if we lose free speech in America.
He points out that politicians in Canada plan to punish "hate speech" with life in prison.
In England and Scotland, you can already get arrested for “hateful” posts. There, J.K. Rowling fights back – breaking Scotland’s law on purpose, daring police
Ep. 22 Jordan Peterson: On Free Speech, Responsibility, and the Radical Left
This is my full interview with controversial psychologist Jordan Peterson.
Protesters tried to shout him down, but they failed. Now millions buy his books about finding meaning in responsibility.
Why do people -- especially young people -- eagerly buy books about responsibility?
"There's just an absolute starvation for the other side of the story," Peterson says. "There are no rights, technic
Ep. 21 Viral Influencer Gloria Alvarez Fights Socialism
Socialism always fails! But for some reason people still want it.
They should listen to Gloria Alvarez.
She’s a viral influencer from Guatemala who watched parts of Latin America get wrecked by socialism.
Now she says the “moochers and looters” are gaining ground in the USA.
I’m encouraged people like Gloria get it.
I interviewed her last year when she was running for President of Guatemala.
Ep. 20 RFK Jr: On Deficits, War, Green Energy, Chronic Disease and Vaccines
Robert Kennedy Jr recently suspended his presidential campaign.
He was a unique candidate, with some controversial ideas. While he was running, I talked with him for an hour.
RFK Jr told me that he wants to cut government spending, and that he supports freer markets.
I was skeptical. What about his previous proposal to ban fracking? His opposition to nuclear energy? To even wind energy?
Wh
Ep. 19 Chase Oliver: On Immigration, War, Taxes, Welfare, School Choice and Star Trek
Donald Trump or Kamala Harris?
Well, what about Chase Oliver?
He’s the Libertarian presidential candidate with some pretty interesting ideas. Thoughts you won’t hear from either major-party candidate.
Oliver believes in “the most local governance, which is self-governance.”
He wants government to stay out of our lives.
He plans to privatize welfare, end social security, cut federal spending,
Ep. 18 Chris Rufo: On Wokeism in Schools, Critical Race Theory, & DEI
Chris Rufo is known as an anti-woke crusader.
Why?
Because as a reporter, Rufo discovered that critical race theory is being taught in schools and that some teachers are forced to take white privilege training.
For covering that, his critics say he’s a villain. The New Yorker even argues he "invented the conflict over critical race theory.”
But Rufo seems to enjoy the criticism, and now he ha
Ep. 17 Johan Norberg: On Sweden’s “Socialism,” the Loneliness "Epidemic,” Degrowth and other Myths
Many people today want socialism.
They hate capitalism. They say it hurts the poor.
But that's just not true.
In this podcast, author and historian Johan Norberg explains how capitalism saves lives and why socialism always fails.
Norberg also busts other trending myths like the idea that loneliness is an "epidemic," economic growth is bad, and the widely repeated claim that his hom
Ep. 16 Dave Rubin: On Free Speech, Leaving the Left and Identity Politics
Dave Rubin, host of “The Rubin Report,” used to be a leftist, but now he says progressives are “totalitarian.”
He’s been shouted down when he speaks on college campuses.
“They think I am a right-wing extremist,” Rubin tells me.
He’s even lost friends for his political views.
But Rubin’s show is hugely popular. He rightly recognized that people have an appetite for longer, in-depth interviews.
“I
Ep. 15 Bjorn Lomborg: On Climate Change, Poverty, and How Governments WASTE Your Money
Governments spends trillions to fight climate change, but
Environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg says many of these policies are a waste of money.
For saying this, Lomborg has been called "the devil." The Danish government even targeted him for his views on climate change.
"I'm not trying to do something that's immoral," he tells me, "I'm simply trying to make sure th
Ep. 14 Mike Rowe on Lockdowns, Safety Third, Dignity of Work and College Loans
You’ve heard the mantra “safety first.”
Politicians used it as a justification for Covid lockdowns.
But Mike Rowe, former host of "Dirty Jobs”, has his own slogan: “safety third.”
Why “safety third?” It’s easy to save lives, says Rowe, but LIVING life is more important.
I made a couple of short videos with Rowe.
But he has a lot of other interesting things to say on lockdowns, why co
Ep. 13 Jared Polis: On Legal Discrimination, Colorado Crime, Equity & School Choice
Colorado Governor Jared Polis is more pro-freedom than many politicians.
He's a rare democrate who talks about economic freedom and individual liberty.
But I have problems with some things Polis believes.
He wants to force businesses to provide services for gay weddings. He signed universal pre-k, and Colorado lags in school choice.
Polis is also unusual because most Democrats won’t debate id
Ep. 12 Charles Murray: On Race and IQ, Government Welfare, and Crimes
Many people hate Charles Murray.
They call him “dangerous” because he wrote about racial IQ differences.
But angry protestors fail to recognize that Murray is not a white supremacist.
He’s a thoughtful researcher who has published more than a dozen scholarly books about things like the impact of welfare, the pursuit of happiness, and the meaning of libertarianism.
Some of his work influen
Ep. 11 Alex Epstein: On the Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, Renewable Energy, and Green Deceptions
Green activists want to BAN fossil fuels. I wish they’d listen to energy author Alex Epstein.
He explains how fossil fuels make the world better, and how banning them ruins lives.
How can fossil fuels be “moral" when activists tell us, “keep it in the ground?"
Because:
“3 billion people …. still use less electricity than a typical American refrigerator” says Epstein.
To allow them to hav
Ep. 10 The Babylon Bee Interview: On Censorship, Cancel Culture & Anti-Woke Comedy
The conservative Christian satire group, the Babylon Bee, is part of a growing movement of new, anti-establishment comedy and anti-woke comedy.
“Leftists have become so…religiously zealous about their beliefs,” says Editor-in-chief Kyle Mann.
That preachy establishment comedy created a market for something new.
“We have to create our own platform,” says Bee actor Chandler Juliet.
It’s good tha
Ep. 9 Ron Paul: On Ukraine, Runaway Inflation, Running for President, and End the Fed
I don’t like talking to politicians. But Ron Paul is different.
Paul talked about free markets and limited government long before I had a clue how important they were.
When I interviewed Paul in 2007 for ABC News, ABC wouldn't put the interview on Broadcast TV; they only played it online.
Now everything we do is online— I like it better this way, we were able to have a long conversation and
Ep. 8 Erec Smith: A Diversity Trainer Speaks Out Against DEI
You’ve been hearing about DEI training.
It’s supposed to make us aware of our unconscious prejudice.
But Rhetoric Professor and former diversity trainer Erec Smith tells me today's DEI training does more harm than good.
"If you can keep this race thing going," he explains, "then you will always have a business in getting rid of racism.”
Ep. 7 Enes Kanter Freedom: On China, NBA Hypocrisy, LeBron & Cena
Basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom is outspoken about brutality in Turkey, China and elsewhere.
I’d think Freedom’s activism would be applauded by the NBA. Afterall, the league is a big supporter of activism from the Black Lives Matter movement.
But that wasn't the case.
When Freedom spoke out against China, he says it cost him his job.
Who is this principled player?
I wanted to learn more
Ep. 6 Climate Scientist Judith Curry Says World Won't End
Many politicians, and most climate scientists in the media, portray climate change as a crisis.
"People are dying!" shouts Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
Bill Nye "the Science Guy" says "The planet's on ****ing fire! ... This is an actual crisis!"
But climate scientist Judith Curry bravely tells me: There is NO "crisis."
Global warming is a problem, yes, bu
Ep. 5 Megyn Kelly: On NBC, Fox, Trump and Her Life in Media
If you follow the news, you know Megyn Kelly. But how much do you know about her?
I got to know Megyn Kelly when we worked together at Fox.
We, and our families, became friends.
Then I watched, sometimes in shock, as strange and nasty things happened to her.
We finally sat down to talk about that.
It’s easier to speak freely now that we’re both our own bosses.
Ep. 4 Ron DeSantis: On 2024, Donald Trump, COVID, the Border Crisis, Education and More
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is running for President. I want to know what he'll do if he wins.
The Governor is both popular and controversial.
I like some of what he has done. But I also worry he may be an authoritarian.
We talk about the good he’s done, and I confront him on what troubles me.
Ep. 3 Vivek Ramaswamy: On Wokeness, Free Speech, Destructive ESG & the Climate Cult
Vivek Ramaswamy is a successful entrepreneur who created a biotech company. Now he’s running for president.
“As a businessperson, you're saving lives…why politics?” I ask.
"I think there is an opportunity to drive a national revival in our country,” he tells me. "I couldn't think of a better way to do it than to...get elected U.S. president.”
Ramaswamy is obviously a long sh
Ep. 2 Adam Carolla: On Covid Fear-Mongering, AOC & Cancel Culture
Adam Carolla is one of the most successful comedians around. Millions of people listen to his podcasts, attend his live shows, and read his books.
In our full conversation, he goes much deeper into why he never apologizes for anything he says.
He rails against the media’s Covid hysteria.
He reacts to friends like Howard Stern and Jimmy Kimmel hammering his Covid opinions.
And he tells me why
Ep. 1 Rand Paul: On Covid, the Lab Leak, and Anthony Fauci
Remember how government officials handled the pandemic?
The so-called experts and media made lots of mistakes. Experts told us there was no way it could have leaked from a lab.
Senator Rand Paul didn’t believe the experts.
Now, his new book, “Deception: The Great Covid Cover-Up,” reveals details about the origins of Covid and the government's deceit.
“So, evil Chinese scientists in a
Ep. 0 - A New Podcast!
I have a new podcast, “The John Stossel Interviews.”
I built my entire career shrinking news stories down to 5 or 10 minute segments because that’s usually my attention span.
But since I’ve started my online network, Stossel TV, I’ve learned something...many of you want longer conversations.
That's what I'll be posting here.
Subscribe to this show, and you’ll get extended interviews with
Recommended
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Collection
Take Back Your Health®
CBS Radio Mystery Theater | Old Time Radio
Solved Murders - True Crime Stories
紐約鳥｜New York Aperture
The Swerve Podcast: Obscure Topics | Conspiracy Theories
The Bread and Banter Podcast
The Church of What's Happening Now: The New Testament
Busted Open
Deadline: White House
Panda Show - Picante
Crickets Corner
