Christine examines how the media covered COVID under Presidents Trump and Biden—and whether both administrations received the same scrutiny.

Did Trump call COVID a hoax or tell Americans to inject bleach? Did Biden inherit no vaccine-distribution plan? Did vaccination guarantee that people wouldn’t catch COVID, be hospitalized, or die?

This episode also revisits Operation Warp Speed, changing mask guidance, the “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” the lab-leak theory, COVID death-toll coverage, and the labeling of legitimate debate as misinformation.

Sources:

• Trump’s April 2020 COVID briefing
• China entry restrictions
• GAO: Operation Warp Speed
• Biden’s July 2021 town hall
• CDC: Vaccine effectiveness and waning protection
• CDC: Mask and respirator effectiveness
• ODNI: COVID-19 origins assessment

This episode analyzes media coverage and public policy. It is not medical advice.

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Liberty & Reason — Faith. Freedom. The Constitution.

In this week’s Liberty & Reason Weekly Wrap-Up, Christine breaks down the five biggest stories from August 9–15, 2026—and explains how they could affect your freedom, finances, and the direction of the country.

In This Episode:

• The Economy
• Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz
• Midterm elections
• Change in childhood vaccination recommendations
• Todd Blanche sworn in as new US Attorney General
• Week's top winners and losers
• Stories to watch for the upcoming week

Who were your biggest winners and losers of the week? Which story will matter most by Election Day? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Sources:

• Reuters: Iran, gasoline prices and the Strait of Hormuz

• Reuters: Tanker attacks and disrupted Hormuz traffic

• Associated Press: USS Abraham Lincoln deployment

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: July Producer Price Index

• Reuters: July inflation and interest-rate expectations

• Reuters: Wisconsin and Minnesota primary results

• Reuters: Major lessons from the August 11 primaries

• White House: Childhood-vaccine executive order

• Reuters: Todd Blanche and the proposed compensation fund

• Federal Reserve: August 2026 calendar

Support our Sponsor:

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Your support of our sponsors helps make this show possible.

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Liberty & Reason — Faith. Freedom. The Constitution.

=In this special Faith & Reason episode of Liberty & Reason, we're counting down the Top 10 Gospel Songs as voted on by listeners. From timeless hymns like “Amazing Grace” and “The Old Rugged Cross” to country-gospel favorites, we look at the stories, faith, and artists behind songs that have inspired generations.

We'll also reveal six personal honorable mentions that didn't make the Top 10 but are songs that hit me in the feels—including music from Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood, MercyMe, Elvis Presley & Lisa Marie Presley, Brad Paisley & Dolly Parton, and more.

Did your favorite make the list? Let me know your favorite gospel song in the comments!

🎵 Listen to the songs:

NOTE: Due to limits on description length, I wasn't able to link to all the performances mention in the episode.

"Just As I Am" - Alan Jackson: https://youtu.be/yFB-mxSt9Cc?si=WWD2d1dGq2cNfc1w

"Because He Lives" - Alan Jackson: https://youtu.be/pv-ibJHsgy8?si=ALWQ0eoa-SDZp6J6

"Farther Along" - Elvis Presley: https://youtu.be/rTldftwp9XI?si=wXmT5QZUzF7RmVOc

"Peace in the Valley" - Elvis Presley: https://youtu.be/EKHVtJcG3Is?si=PA9Xh_lpUv0_dmZR

"Why Me Lord?" - Elvis Presley (1974): https://youtu.be/SV6ICc7YXAA?si=6CB6U4GpnP8kW7E9

"Take My Hand Precious Lord" - Elvis Presley: https://youtu.be/d58bZ4kSPDs?si=txGxd_cJrtXvPa23

"In the Garden" - Alan Jackson (Live): https://youtu.be/hhIGIfsLxVk?si=zrLEOq7uu7Gp8pmz

"Old Rugged Cross" - Alan Jackson (Live): https://youtu.be/-JS9P8d2iOc?si=whGRTPHBKBjXXJ2q

Amazing Grace - Alan Jackson: Alan Jackson - Amazing Grace (Official Music Video)

How Great Thou Art - Carrie Under & Vince Gill: https://youtu.be/MHusNDxUHNA?si=jXA4ij-6cAbi3YEM

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Choose Liberty. Think for Yourself.

Can Donald Trump run for president again in 2028? And even if there were a legal path, should he?

In this episode of Liberty & Reason’s Government 101, we break down the constitutional debate surrounding a possible third Trump term.

The 22nd Amendment says that no person may be elected president more than twice. Since Trump was elected in 2016 and again in 2024, a conventional third election would conflict with the amendment’s clear two-election limit.

But the wording creates some interesting constitutional questions. The amendment says “elected” rather than declaring that a twice-elected president can never serve again. Congress’s Constitution Annotated notes unresolved questions involving a former two-term president potentially returning through the vice presidency or presidential succession.

In This Episode:

• Why the original Constitution didn't impose presidential term limits

• George Washington's two-term tradition

• Franklin D. Roosevelt's four presidential victories

• Why the 22nd Amendment was adopted

• What the word “elected” actually means

• The proposed vice-president and Speaker succession theories

• How the 12th Amendment complicates those theories

• The case for and against allowing Trump to run again

• Whether voters should ultimately decide

• What would be required to change or repeal the 22nd Amendment

We also look beyond the legal arguments and discuss whether Republicans should move toward a new generation of leadership in 2028.

I share my own position: although I don't regret voting for Trump three times, I don't believe he should run again. His age, the constitutional two-term limit, electability concerns, and the need for new leadership all factor into my reasoning.

The Constitution can be changed, but Article V intentionally sets a high bar: amendments require broad national agreement, including ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Question for listeners: Should America keep the two-term presidential limit, expand it to three terms, or let voters elect a president as many times as they want?

Sources:

• U.S. Constitution — 22nd Amendment

• Constitution Annotated — 22nd Amendment & Presidential Term Limits

• U.S. Constitution — 12th Amendment

• Constitution Annotated — Article V Amendment Process

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Liberty & Reason — Faith. Freedom. The Constitution.

In Part 2 of this two-part Deep Dive, we continue examining the documented history of race and racism within the Democratic Party from the early 1900s through modern American politics. We explore Woodrow Wilson's administration, the Dixiecrat movement, the Civil Rights era, political realignment, and how both major parties evolved over the second half of the twentieth century.

This episode also examines several modern political debates, including changing voter coalitions, the concept of the "soft bigotry of low expectations," and the role of the Southern Poverty Law Center in discussions about extremism.

In This Episode:

• Woodrow Wilson and segregation in the federal government
• The Birth of a Nation and the revival of the Ku Klux Klan
• The Dixiecrat movement and the 1948 election
• The Civil Rights Movement
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964
• The Voting Rights Act of 1965
• The debate over political realignment
• Modern political coalitions
• The "soft bigotry of low expectations"
• The Southern Poverty Law Center

Sources & Further Reading:

Primary Sources

• Executive Order 9981 (1948)
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Voting Rights Act of 1965
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
• Southern Manifesto (1956)

Government & Educational Resources

• Library of Congress
• National Archives and Records Administration
• U.S. Senate Historical Office
• U.S. House Office of the Historian
• National Park Service
• Miller Center, University of Virginia

Recommended Books

• Eric Foner — The Second Founding
• Taylor Branch — Parting the Waters
• David Levering Lewis — W. E. B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race
• Robert A. Caro — The Years of Lyndon Johnson
• Michael J. Klarman — From Jim Crow to Civil Rights

Additional Reading

• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Smithsonian Institution
• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Support Our Sponsor:

A special thank you to Cozy Earth for supporting Liberty & Reason. If you're looking for premium bamboo bed sheets and pajamas, use promo code FREEMIND to receive 21% OFF your order.

Your support of our sponsors helps make this show possible.

Donate or Become a Member on Patreon:

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Disclaimer:

This episode is intended as a historical discussion based on primary sources and historical scholarship. Where historians disagree, we encourage listeners to examine the evidence, explore multiple perspectives, and draw their own informed conclusions.

If you enjoyed this series, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who enjoys American history and thoughtful discussion.

Liberty & Reason — Episode 12

Few Supreme Court decisions have shaped American politics and constitutional debate as profoundly as Roe v. Wade.

In This Episode:

• Abortion law before Roe

• Who were Roe and Wade?

• The Fourteenth Amendment and privacy

• What Roe actually decided

• Arguments for and against Roe

• Planned Parenthood v. Casey

• Judicial activism and Supreme Court power

• The road to Dobbs

• Why Roe was overturned

• What Dobbs actually changed

• Should abortion policy be left to the states?

• Roe's lasting constitutional and political legacy

Sources and Further Reading:

Roe v. Wade (1973) — Oyez case summary, opinions and oral arguments Read Roe v. Wade at Oyez

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) — Oyez Read Griswold v. Connecticut

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) — Oyez Read Planned Parenthood v. Casey

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022) — Full Supreme Court opinion, concurrences and dissent Read the Dobbs decision

Join the Conversation:

Do you believe Roe v. Wade was correctly decided?

Was the Supreme Court right to overturn Roe in Dobbs?

And should abortion policy be determined by individual states or through a nationwide standard?

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Liberty & Reason — looking beyond the headlines to understand the facts, principles, and arguments shaping America.

This week on Liberty & Reason, Christine breaks down five of the biggest stories from August 2–8, 2026 — from escalating tensions in the Middle East to surprising economic numbers, elections in Tennessee, and the latest government funding battle in Washington.

In This Episode:

• Iran & the Strait of Hormuz
• July Jobs Report
• Stock Market Rallies
• Tennessee Primaries
• Senate Moves to Fund the Government

SOURCES:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Employment Situation, July 2026

• Reuters — Iran/Strait of Hormuz coverage, Aug. 3 & 8

• Associated Press — July jobs report & stock market, Aug. 7

• WPLN — Tennessee 2026 Primary Election coverage

• CBS News — Tennessee governor Republican primary

• Associated Press — Senate government funding bill, Aug. 8

• Reuters — Senate government funding bill, Aug. 8

Support Our Sponsor:

A special thank you to Cozy Earth for supporting Liberty & Reason. If you're looking for premium bamboo bed sheets and pajamas, use promo code FREEMIND to receive 21% OFF your order.

Your support of our sponsors helps make this show possible.

Donate or Become a Member on Patreon:

Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/libertyreasonpodcast

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Liberty & Reason — looking beyond the headlines to understand the facts, principles, and arguments shaping America.

From growing up in poverty in segregated Georgia to serving more than three decades on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Clarence Thomas has one of the most remarkable—and controversial—stories in modern American government.

In this episode of Liberty & Reason's Profiles in Leadership, we take a deeper look at the life, career, judicial philosophy, and lasting influence of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Born in Pin Point, Georgia, Thomas was raised largely by his grandparents, including his grandfather Myers Anderson, whose emphasis on discipline, hard work, education, and personal responsibility profoundly shaped his life.

The episode doesn't ignore controversy. We discuss criticism surrounding gifts, travel and financial disclosures, questions involving judicial ethics, and scrutiny related to the political activities of his wife, Ginni Thomas.

In This Episode:

• Thomas's childhood in Pin Point, Georgia

• The influence of his grandfather Myers Anderson

• Catholic seminary and the Civil Rights era

• Holy Cross and Yale Law School

• His road to Washington and the Supreme Court

• The 1991 confirmation hearings

• Originalism and constitutional interpretation

• Landmark Supreme Court cases

• Judicial ethics controversies

• Leadership lessons from his life and career

Sources & Further Reading:

• Supreme Court of the United States — Justice Clarence Thomas biography

• My Grandfather's Son — Clarence Thomas

• Oyez — Supreme Court cases and opinions

• Congressional records of the 1991 Thomas confirmation hearings

• Supreme Court opinions in McDonald v. Chicago, NYSRPA v. Bruen, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, and Students for Fair Admissions

• Supreme Court Code of Conduct and financial disclosure materials

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Disclaimer

This episode is presented for educational, historical, and commentary purposes. Liberty & Reason is not affiliated with or endorsed by Justice Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court of the United States, or any other government institution. The episode discusses publicly available information, judicial opinions, historical events, allegations, criticisms, and differing perspectives surrounding Justice Thomas's life and career. References to allegations or controversies should not be interpreted as statements that disputed claims have been proven. Commentary and analysis represent the views and interpretations presented for discussion and should not be considered legal advice. Listeners are encouraged to review primary sources, court opinions, and additional perspectives and reach their own conclusions.

Subscribe to Liberty & Reason for more episodes of Profiles in Leadership, constitutional history, politics, government, and American history.