Rephonic
Artwork for The Fifth Column
Donald Trump
Ukraine
Iran
Tariffs
Jeffrey Epstein
Venezuela
Israel
New York City
Trump Administration
Supreme Court
United States
Epstein Case
Cuba
Covid-19
American Revolution
Political Violence
Trump
Charlie Kirk
MAGA Movement
Russia

Your weekly rhetorical assault on the on the news cycle, the people who make it, and occasionally ourselves. Kmele Foster (Freethink), Michael Moynihan (Vice), and Matt Welch (Reason) talk and laugh and drink their way to at least quasi-sanity in a world gone mad, often with the aid of clean and articulate guests. Weekly Members Only subscription edition often comes with listener mail and professi... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes711Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsComedy

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Fifth Column

Latest Episodes

-we found someone from the DSA brave enough to come on this show

-The Cajun French of Indians

-If you’re pro-abundance, why are you a socialist?

-DSA and the midterms

-Biden’s heart was in the right place, but his body was...not

-AOC, DAC, and Z... more

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wethefifth.com

Ed Luce joins the guys to discuss Trump’s corruption, the persistence of populism, and the uncertain future of Western democracy.

-DC is beautiful and beige and on the... more

-Fairfield, CT. Nov 12th. Get tickets while you can

-We will have an Election Night livestream. Booze, guests, and probable disaster

-Our mystery guest didn’t couldn’t make it today. We won’t name names, but we’ll give you some subtle clues.

-Stev... more

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.wethefifth.com

We are doing a live show in Fairfield, CT on November 12th. You should come. Details below.

-Jacob Siegel on raising his kids in Israel

-Who benefits from a fractured... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Moynihan Report
The Moynihan ReportOsprey Studios
The Reason Roundtable
The Reason RoundtableThe Reason Roundtable
The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
The Reason Interview With Nick GillespieThe Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
Blocked and Reported
Blocked and ReportedKatie Herzog and Jesse Singal

Recent Guests

Edward Luce
Financial Times columnist and editorial writer who has covered Washington for 20 years
Financial Times
Episode: The President Is No Longer Taking Calls (w/ Edward Luce) MO #352
Jacob Siegel
Writer who moved to Israel and writes about the U.S.-Israel relationship
Episode: The End of the Special Relationship? (w/ Jacob Siegel) Members Only #351
Nate Silver
Political forecaster and publisher of Silver Bulletin
Silver Bulletin
Episode: Why the Midterms Are Turning Against Trump (w/ Nate Silver) Members Only #350
Yemisi Agbawale
Democratic consultant and senior fellow at Third Way; former Biden administration staffer
Third Way
Episode: Can the Democratic Center Hold? (#579)
Sam Roberts
Obituary editor at The New York Times
The New York Times
Episode: People Who Lie and People Who Die (w/ Sam Roberts) Members Only #349
Theo Von
Comedian and podcaster
Episode: Europe Is Melting, Meritocracy Is Racist, and Everyone Gets Dignity (Episode #578)
Marshall Adkins
Former head of energy investments at Raymond James with 25 years in oil and gas research
Raymond James
Episode: One Hitter: Why Oil Prices Could Get Much Worse (w/ Marshall Adkins) Members Only #348
Sarah Hepola
Author and journalist, memoir writer
Self-employed/Reporter
Episode: Sarah Hepola and the Life You Didn’t Choose (Members Only #347)
Josh Szeps
Australian broadcaster and comedian
Episode: The UN, Wokeness, and Other Failed Institutions (Members Only #346)

Hosts

Kmele Foster
Host with libertarian-leaning conservative viewpoints; frequent interlocutor on media, policy, and culture.
Michael Moynihan
Co-host with background in journalism and media critique; engages in political analysis and media literacy.
Matt Welch
Co-host known for cultural commentary and libertarianish perspectives; contributes to policy and media discourse.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 4.4k ratings
  • Scott Jennings

    How much personal space does Mr. Jennings believes he’s entitled to? Bc Adam Mockler was not in his personal space.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    J.R. Hunt
    United Statesa month ago
  • These hosts have it all figured out-just ask ‘em

    Some of the least likable podcast hosts imaginable, together at last! If these boys’ intellects only matched their egos, they might be on to something.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    JoeMac86
    United States2 months ago
  • I’m shocked they don’t like Memdhani

    Truly shocked. Bill Maheresque clowns.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Brudd3788
    United States2 months ago
  • Love these guys!

    Intelligent, irreverent and independent thinkers. Love the format and topics. And all this with a strong moral core. Really refreshing.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    designgirl555
    United States2 months ago
  • I love this podcast

    Normal people with informative and entertaining takes on politics. The best!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Isaac’s Storm
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many appreciate the guest variety, especially journalists and authors.
A common critique is the snark and interruptions can bury solid points.
Some listeners feel political alignment is clear, while others crave more balanced coverage.
Listeners praise the show's sharp analysis and guests, but call out frequent banter as distracting.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#182
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#201
Canada/News
Apple Podcasts
#157
Argentina/News
Apple Podcasts
#215
South Africa/News
Apple Podcasts
#222
Chile/News
Apple Podcasts
#236
Ireland/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The End of the Special Relationship? (w/ Jacob Siegel) Members Only #351
Q: Why did you leave your homeland? Why did you just turn your back on America?
Siegel says his fundamental loyalty is to the Jewish people and that he wanted to live in Israel, raise his children there, and give them the experience of growing up as Israelis amid pressure on American Jews to defend their connection to Israel.
The End of the Special Relationship? (w/ Jacob Siegel) Members Only #351
Q: Is there any irony in the fact that you are among the most vociferous, influential writers in America urging for Israel and America to break up a little bit?
Siegel says he is not advocating an ideological break or denying the alliance's strategic value. He argues Israel should adapt to political estrangement that may be difficult to reverse by diversifying its defense and strategic relationships.
The President Is No Longer Taking Calls (w/ Edward Luce) MO #352
Q: Can you sort of explain how that went out?
Luce recounts visiting Serbia before Hungary's election and meeting the Belgrade University rector, who saw Hungary's result as a demonstration that could strengthen Serbia's student-led anti-corruption movement.
The President Is No Longer Taking Calls (w/ Edward Luce) MO #352
Q: What's the general premise of this piece now before the midterms?
Luce says corruption has become a top voter concern, including for many Republicans. He links that attention to stagnating incomes and the visible nature of political grift, while arguing that repeated scandals can also leave voters numb.
One Hitter: Why Oil Prices Could Get Much Worse (w/ Marshall Adkins) Members Only #348
Q: Can you walk us through the math of what either the strategic petroleum reserve or just sort of global inventories and how they've dwindled and what that effect is on prices going forward?
Marshall says 1.6 billion barrels of production have been lost, but prior oversupply and reserve releases have limited the drawdown in commercial crude inventories, which he says are most relevant to prices.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Fifth Column

What is The Fifth Column about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Sharp, often irreverent political commentary that blends analysis with humor, examining media, culture, and policy through a libertarian-leaning conservative lens. Episodes frequently feature high-profile journalists, authors, and scholars who dissect journalism practices, political strategies, and the evolving conservative movement, with a heavy emphasis on media literacy, polarization, and current events. Unique by design is a frequent mix of witty banter, provocative hypotheticals, and candid critiques of institutions, making it appealing to listeners who enjoy fearless, critique-forward conversations with guests across journalism, academia, and public policy.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Fifth Column?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Fifth Column. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Fifth Column and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Fifth Column get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Fifth Column, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Fifth Column?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Fifth Column, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Fifth Column have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Fifth Column has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Fifth Column?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Fifth Column:

1. The Moynihan Report
2. The Reason Roundtable
3. Conversations with Coleman
4. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
5. Blocked and Reported

How many episodes of The Fifth Column are there?

The Fifth Column launched 11 years ago and published 711 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Fifth Column?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Fifth Column?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Fifth Column from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Fifth Column?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Fifth Column. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Fifth Column?

Recent guests on The Fifth Column include:

1. Edward Luce
2. Jacob Siegel
3. Nate Silver
4. Yemisi Agbawale
5. Sam Roberts
6. Theo Von
7. Marshall Adkins
8. Sarah Hepola

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days