On today’s show, the Respect for Marriage Act passed Congress, giving new protections for same-sex marriage. During the debate, Republican Congresswoman, Vicky Hartzler, gave a weepy, histrionic speech opposing the bill. Fortunately, Andrew Hartzler, her gay nephew, took her to task on TikTok. You must see this, it’s amazing. In the next segment, w…

On today’s show, we begin with the horrific massacre at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado. The mass shooting highlights the impact of hate speech and violence in America, as well as the nation’s deadly obsession with guns. Next, we discuss the superb Nancy Pelosi stepping aside as House Speaker, to likely be replaced by the supine Kevin McCarthy – a w…

The Red Wave turned into a Red Ripple, with Democrats holding the Senate and the House still in play. We begin our post-election coverage with 10 key lessons learned in the midterms. One bright spot for Republicans is a 20-point victory for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Wayne explains why DeSantis is highly overrated and will turn out to a bust. DeSan…

This week’s election is one of the most important in American history. Republicans are running more than 300 election deniers who traffic in the Big Lie. Our show begins with Wayne offering the Top 10 reasons why people should vote for Democrats. Next, we talk about how it’s time for the NBA to put the kybosh on Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who…

On The Wayne Besen Show, we talk about the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi’s house in San Francisco and attacked her husband Paul Pelosi. We also talk about the abortion mill known as Herschel Walker. It seems like he’s facilitated more abortions than touchdowns. Pennsylvania Republican Senate Dr. Oz makes a historic campaign gaffe, saying that sta…

A new poll shows that voters are leaning Republican as the midterms rapidly approach. Despite offering no tangible economic plans, voters seem willing to hand over our country to election-denying “Big Lie” conspiracy peddlers. On Wayne Besen’s War of the Words, we discuss how such recklessness places democracy at grave risk and could lead to the en…

On today's show, I argue that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made the right move in visiting Taiwan. At a time of rising authoritarianism across the globe, including America, she made a strong stand in support of freedom and democracy. Then I interview Nancy Thompson, founder of the organization Mothers Against Greg Abbott. She discusses her campaign t…

On today's show, we talk about an alarming sex panic in Nebraska that has shaken up the state's politics. What started as an attack by Christian nationalists on liberals and LGBTQ people has morphed into a hostile takeover of the Republican Party. Then we interview Mimi Swartz, an executive editor with Texas Monthly. We're going to discuss Texas po…

On today's show, we discuss how Republicans use historical revisionism to whitewash history and sanitize their unsavory behavior. Then we interview Paul Street, who's on the editorial board of the organization Refuse Fascism. Street is the author of many books, including his latest, This Happened Here: Amerikaners, Neoliberals, and the Trumping of …

On today’s show, we examine why Trump and the Republican Party jeopardize Israel’s national security and sovereignty. Then we address the burning question on everyone’s mind. Is this week’s scorching weather the result of climate change? Find out in our conversation with Julie McNamara, an expert with the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Co…

On today’s show, we respond to right wing Republicans who smear progressives as communists, simply because they want a fairer economy and a strong middle class. We also address how conservatives deliberately conflate Venezuela’s authoritarian socialism with Democratic Socialism in Scandinavia. Apparently, they think American voters are too dumb to …

On today’s show, we discus right wing Republican efforts to take away life-saving HIV prevention drugs, commonly known as PrEP. Yes, it’s as crazy and dangerous as it sounds. We talk about how perverse attempts by Republicans to portray a 10-year-old rape victim’s abortion as a hoax backfired. Then we interview Katherine Stewart. She has reported o…

On today’s show, we discuss how the American economy performs significantly better under Democratic presidents than Republican presidents. We take you to a Hawaiian island owned by a Republican mega-donor, to see how extreme right-wing policies have negatively impacted the lives of locals. Then we interview star Chicago labor organizer Bill LePinsk…

On today’s show, we discuss the Supreme Court’s attack on the Environmental Protection Agency and how it’s sabotaging efforts to fight climate change. We have Part Two of our interview with constitutional legal scholar Bryan Wildenthal. We’ll talk about the overreach of the right-wing Supreme Court, and the impact it’s having on our lives. We end w…

On today's episode of War of the Words, Wayne discusses how Republican dominance of talk radio is a threat to democracy. Liberals have foolishly ceded the airwaves, creating a dangerous vacuum that promotes demagoguery instead of debate. Wayne interviews constitutional legal scholar Bryan Wildenthal. We discuss the radicalization of the Supreme Cou…

On today’s show, we discuss the renegade Supreme Court. We pose the question, are they working for America or a radical movement to end democracy? Then we interview Sean Faircloth, former mayor of Bangor, Maine and author of, Attack of the Theocrats: How the Religious Right Harms us All—and What We Can Do About It. In our interview, we discuss the …

We begin the show with me reflecting on my childhood in Texas and discussing the many ways fundamentalist Christians dominated every aspect of our lives. The right-wing coup of the Supreme Court has now elevated these backward elements of my youth, as they seek to violently reclaim America and enforce their narrow worldview. Then, we discuss Cassid…

On today’s War of the Words: We examine what life in America would be like if Trump’s ongoing coup succeeds. We interview James Kirchick, author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington. We talk about the Jan 6 committee and how Donald Trump must be arrested for America to move on. He did the crime, so he must do the time.…

On today’s show, Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker has a secret. Well, three of them, actually. Find out what they are. We’ll discuss the latest Jan 6 hearing – which was truly shocking. We talk about Joe Biden’s Executive Order protecting LGBTQ people from “ex-gay” conversion therapy. We interview Alvin McEwen, an expert who monitors the…

In this episode, Wayne discusses the urgent need for LGBTQ self-defense to beat back Nazis invading Pride events. He also interviews Terry Cosgrove of Chicago’s PersonalPac. He talks about life in a post Roe v Wade America.

In this episode, Wayne talks about how in the weeks following the Uvalde, Texas school massacre there have been 34 mass shootings and 700 people killed. Wayne also breaks down a FOX News segment from host Tucker Carlson, to show how he insidiously stokes racial divisions and promotes white supremacy. We also spotlight Tucker Carlson’s “manly” cackl…

On today’s War of the Words with Wayne Besen, we take issue with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ outrageous attack on the Special Olympics. We call out five baseball players on the Tampa Bay Rays who refuse to wear a rainbow logo for the team’s Pride Night. The players condemned the so-called “gay lifestyle”, in the name of Jesus, and told LGBTQ people …

On this episode of War of the Words, host Wayne Besen interviews Scott Hamilton, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. They discuss Scott’s plans to win in a ruby red state that is staunchly anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion. Wayne also talks about attacks on the LGBTQ community during Pride month. In one such assault this week, Donald Tr…

Only days after a gun massacre at a Texas elementary school, the NRA opened its convention in Houston. In a supreme act of hypocrisy, the NRA is banning guns while twice impeached, ex-president Donald Trump speaks. The NRA doesn’t even believe its own extreme rhetoric that the answer to gun violence is more guns! Too bad they care more about protec…

The Wayne Besen Show offers hard-hitting progressive talk and opinion by Activist Wayne Besen, an independent-minded host.