Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
    • Reason TV
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • Free Media
    • The Reason Interview
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • Freed Up
    • The Soho Forum Debates
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Print Subscription
    • Subscriber Support

Login Form

Create new account
Forgot password

Ukraine

Trump vs. Zelenskyy: Democracy Dies in Drama?

Plus: A listener asks the editors how to best determine whether Trump’s second term is good or bad for individual freedom.

Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Matt Welch, and Nick Gillespie | 3.3.2025 5:24 PM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests
https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/d2h6a3ly6ooodw.cloudfront.net/reasontv_audio_8319622.mp3
:15 :15
Download

Trump vs. Zelenskyy: Democracy Dies in Drama?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch react to last week's dramatic exchange in the White House over the war in Ukraine between President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

 

04:08—Trump and Zelenskyy clash in the Oval Office

27:30—House Republicans agree to increase federal budget deficit

40:32—Weekly listener question

47:18—Lightning round: National Security Agency sex chats, measles in Texas, and the Epstein files

55:29—This week's cultural recommendations

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

"Say Thank You," by Liz Wolfe

"NATO Could Effectively Die This June," by Matt Welch

"Ukraine Minerals Deal Won't Fix America's Mineral Problem," by Jeff Luse

"U.K. Pledges To Support Ukraine After Trump Snubs Zelenskyy," by Joe Lancaster

"Ukraine Will Fight On, With or Without the West," by Paul Schwennesen

"After the War," by Matt Welch

"The House GOP Budget Blueprint Promises More Borrowing, More Debt, and Not Enough Spending Cuts," by Eric Boehm

"The New Republican Budget Plan Is Unserious," by Veronique de Rugy

"How GOP Fiscal Sanity Died, in 7 Easy Steps," by Matt Welch

"Unvaccinated Kid Dies of Measles in Texas," by Ronald Bailey

"So Much For RFK, Jr.'s Promise of 'Radical Transparency' at HHS," by Ronald Bailey

"The Sad Quest for a Secret 'Epstein Client List,'" by Matthew Petti

 

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

 

Today's sponsors:

  • Do you know a student looking for a transformative opportunity that supports the foundations of a free society? Reliance College invites students aged 16 to 24 to the 2025 Great Connections Seminar in Chicago, from July 26th to August 2nd. This year's theme, "Reason and Free Will," dives into timeless ideas from writers such as Thomas Jefferson, Ayn Rand, and Aristotle. Students sharpen critical thinking in small, dynamic groups, developing the intellectual tools needed to thrive in a free society. Outside the classroom, they'll explore Chicago's vibrant culture—touring museums, trying improv comedy, and building lifelong connections. Parents, this program equips students to think, reason, and act independently. Go to reliancecollege.org/reason to learn more and apply. Registration is just $800, including room and board for the full week, with scholarships available. Don't miss out! Visit www.reliancecollege.org/reason to learn more and apply.

 

  • Are you being lied to? They tell you to max out your 401(k) and IRA, and then make you beg for permission to use your own money! It's time to get the truth and discover a better way to grow and protect your money! Bank On Yourself is the proven retirement plan alternative banks and Wall Street desperately hope you never hear about. You're in control. You get access to your money for emergencies and opportunities with no questions asked! There are no government penalties or restrictions on how much or when you can take it. And when you use your money, it keeps growing like you never touched it! Try doing that with a 401(k) or IRA…you can't! You can get a free report that reveals how you can Bank On Yourself and enjoy tax-free retirement income, guaranteed growth, and control of your money. Just go to https://www.bankonyourself.com/roundtable.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

  • Video Editor: Ian Keyser
  • Producer: Hunt Beaty

What are we consuming this week?

Matt Welch

  • The Quick and the Dead

Katherine Mangu-Ward

  • Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1 Lunar Landing

Nick Gillespie

  • The Return

Peter Suderman

  • The 97th Academy Awards

NEXT: Matt Taibbi: The Collapse of the Censorship Regime

Peter Suderman is features editor at Reason.

Katherine Mangu-Ward is editor in chief of Reason.

Matt Welch is an editor at large at Reason.

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

UkraineTrump AdministrationVolodymyr ZelenskyyJ.D. VanceDonald TrumpRussiaVladimir PutinNATOForeign PolicyThe Reason RoundtableReason Podcast
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Show Comments (82)

Listen & Subscribe

Podcast:
The Reason Roundtable

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS Add Reason to Google

© 2026 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

r

I WANT FREE MINDS AND FREE MARKETS!

Help Reason push back with more of the fact-based reporting we do best. Your support means more reporters, more investigations, and more coverage.

Make a donation today! No thanks
r

I WANT TO FUND FREE MINDS AND FREE MARKETS

Every dollar I give helps to fund more journalists, more videos, and more amazing stories that celebrate liberty.

Yes! I want to put my money where your mouth is! Not interested
r

SUPPORT HONEST JOURNALISM

So much of the media tries telling you what to think. Support journalism that helps you to think for yourself.

I’ll donate to Reason right now! No thanks
r

PUSH BACK

Push back against misleading media lies and bad ideas. Support Reason’s journalism today.

My donation today will help Reason push back! Not today
r

HELP KEEP MEDIA FREE & FEARLESS

Back journalism committed to transparency, independence, and intellectual honesty.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

STAND FOR FREE MINDS

Support journalism that challenges central planning, big government overreach, and creeping socialism.

Yes, I’ll support Reason today! No thanks
r

PUSH BACK AGAINST SOCIALIST IDEAS

Support journalism that exposes bad economics, failed policies, and threats to open markets.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

FIGHT BAD IDEAS WITH FACTS

Back independent media that examines the real-world consequences of socialist policies.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

BAD ECONOMIC IDEAS ARE EVERYWHERE. LET’S FIGHT BACK.

Support journalism that challenges government overreach with rational analysis and clear reasoning.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

JOIN THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

Support journalism that challenges centralized power and defends individual liberty.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

BACK JOURNALISM THAT PUSHES BACK AGAINST SOCIALISM

Your support helps expose the real-world costs of socialist policy proposals—and highlight better alternatives.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

FIGHT BACK AGAINST BAD ECONOMICS.

Donate today to fuel reporting that exposes the real costs of heavy-handed government.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks