The John Stossel Interviews
After 40+ years of reporting, I now understand the importance of limited government and personal freedom. Subscribe to this show, and you’ll get extended interviews with newsmakers and people who I think are interesting or have something important to say. You can watch my video reports on JohnStossel.com --------- John Stossel is a libertarian journalist who hosted a show on Fox Business and co-anchored ABC’s primetime newsmagazine show, 20/20. He has received 19 Emmy Awards and has been honored five times for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club.
Mon, April 07, 2025
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 better left in private hands. “Maybe we don't need government at all,” he says. “When you have something as important as security or anything, food, education, to have it at the purview of a monopoly, let alone a government monopoly, makes no sense." I’m skeptical that the private sector would do all those things better. So we debate those issues and more.
Mon, March 03, 2025
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.
Mon, February 03, 2025
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, especially in black communities, which he says, have been disproportionately hurt by gun control laws. “All gun control is racist,” says Toure. “It was literally started to stop black people from having the means to defend themselves.” That’s why he started his group, Black Guns Matter. He wants to empower his community through firearms education and training. In our full interview, Toure explains more about his organization, why gun control is racist, and how self-defense is essential for freedom.
Mon, January 06, 2025
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.
Mon, December 16, 2024
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 outside than ride in a car, yet parents rarely worry about driving. Today in America, some parents have even be arrested for letting their kids walk outside alone. We asked her about that and much more, in our full interview.
Mon, December 02, 2024
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 media bias. In 2019, I did a short video on citizen journalists like Pool. But the story of his career deserves more time. So here's our full conversation.
Mon, November 18, 2024
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.
Mon, November 04, 2024
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." Here's our wide-ranging conversation.
Mon, October 21, 2024
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 to arrest her. In Australia and Brazil, politicians tried to censor Twitter accounts. But Elon Musk refused. It’s good that both defend free speech.
Mon, October 07, 2024
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, technically speaking, without responsibilities. And all we've had for 60 years is a dialogue about rights. Well, that leaves a hole ... in people's hearts," he says. More of Peterson's philosophy -- and some tough questions from me.
Mon, September 16, 2024
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.
Mon, September 02, 2024
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? What about the environmental regulations he pushes regarding chemicals in food, and his fear of vaccines? When it comes to foreign policy, he says he supports fewer wars, but what about his support for US funding of Israel? I asked RFK Jr questions about all those things, and fact-checked a few claims at the end. While we often disagree, I am glad he was willing to debate. That’s too rare these days.
Mon, August 19, 2024
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, and much more! In this podcast, originally recorded on June 12th, he tells me his vision for America.
Mon, August 05, 2024
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 has real power in Florida because Gov. Ron DeSantis made him a trustee of a public university. In this podcast, I ask Rufo about that, and whether he and DeSantis are “authoritarians.”
Mon, July 15, 2024
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 home country, Sweden, is a socialist success.
Mon, July 01, 2024
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. “If there were more people having honest conversation,” Rubin tells me, "we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in.” Rubin is on to something. We talk about free speech, idenity politics, his change in politics, and more.
Mon, June 17, 2024
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 that we get it right." Lomborg says there are better things society should spend money on like maternal and newborn health and improving education. In this podcast he explains why.
Mon, June 03, 2024
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 college is a waste of money, the dignity of work, and more. So here is our full interview.
Mon, May 20, 2024
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 ideas with me. He will.
Mon, May 06, 2024
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 influenced presidents. One of his books influenced my way of thinking. Here is my full discussion with Murray.
Mon, April 15, 2024
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 have a modern life, “that's going to depend on fossil fuels.” But what about pollution and climate change? I push back throughout this podcast.
Mon, April 01, 2024
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 that comedy like this exists.
Mon, March 18, 2024
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 cover many more topics. *Interview originally recorded February 14, 2022*
Mon, March 04, 2024
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.”
Mon, February 19, 2024
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 about what happened to him.
Mon, February 05, 2024
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, but it's manageable. She explains how IPCC scientists recently admitted that their most extreme models won't become reality, and she notes that climate-related deaths are actually falling. She also explains how the scientific community became corrupted by "fame and fortune."
Wed, January 17, 2024
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.
Mon, January 01, 2024
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.
Mon, December 18, 2023
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 shot, but his arguments--that America has become a nation of victims, and that some on Wall Street now collude with government to cripple capitalism--made me want to learn more about him.
Mon, December 04, 2023
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 overregulation in California is “insane."
Mon, November 20, 2023
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 lab funded by America?” I ask. “It looks like it came from the lab,” Senator Rand Paul tells me. “America funded it. It was maybe not done with evil intentions. It was done with the misguided notion that gain of function research was safe.” In our interview with Senator Rand Paul, we discuss the evidence that Covid came from a lab, Fauci, vaccines, and more.
Fri, November 17, 2023
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 newsmakers and people who I think have something important to say. New episodes will release on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, and if you want to watch my weekly videos, you can find those at JohnStossel.com.
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