Hoover InstitutionStanford University
The Right Side Of History With Tyler Cowen

Donald Trump’s drop-in at the World Economic Forum and the ensuing kerfuffle between the American president and the attending globalist elites raises the question: Who is winning on the world stage, Trump or his foes—or do they have more in common than is commonly recognized? Tyler Cowen, an economist, blogger, and Free Press columnist, joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster to discuss Trump’s third presidential visit to the Davos, Switzerland, lion’s den, plus the rise of “democratic socialism” and “affordability politics” embodied in the ethos of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. After that: the three fellows discuss lessons from Minneapolis in the aftermath of two protestors shot to death by federal immigration agents; the odds of American military strikes against Iran; the significance of China’s latest military purge; plus whether the show’s resident historians are comfortable with the (over)use of the phrase “the right side of history.”

Recorded on January 29, 2026.

Cast

John H. Cochrane

John H. Cochrane

Sir Niall Ferguson

Sir Niall Ferguson

H.R. McMaster

H.R. McMaster

Bill Whalen

Bill Whalen

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