Mailbag: The Lindsay Clancy Trial, Tariffs, and Evangelicalism in Politics

Mailbag: The Lindsay Clancy Trial, Tariffs, and Evangelicalism in Politics

Author: Sarah & Beth September 4, 2026 Duration: 1:11:58
It's a mailbag day, and Sarah and Beth work through everything the Substack Premium community sent in — starting with the Lindsay Clancy jury deadlock and whether the legal system is built to answer a question like this one, then into a new round of tariffs and how this administration keeps finding new legal doors no matter what the Supreme Court says. They spend real time on a listener question about whether the evangelical church can repent from Trumpism, working through what happens when politics and religion try to answer the same question about human freedom on two completely different timelines — and where they land differently along the way. They set the record straight on what Project 2025 actually says about the FDA, talk about who benefits from a weakened food and drug regulatory system, and take on the bigger question of how to keep functioning when people can't agree on the same reality anymore. Then it's the midterms: Sarah's optimistic, Beth's braced for anything, and both explain why. Outside of Politics, they get into what's worth correcting in kids and what's worth letting go of as they get older, the particular chaos of the first weeks back at school, and a rapid-fire round covering summer highs and lows, on-camera style, Sarah Bareilles's new album, early holiday traditions, and who they'd most like to interview under truth serum. If you missed our live show in Minneapolis, the full recording is available in our shop for $15 — a substantial discount, and well worth your time. That virtual option exists because of the generosity of Fearless Finance and Substack. And if you haven't already, check out this week's bonus live conversation with Jen Hatmaker on Substack. One quick heads up: next week is Labor Day, so we're recording Tuesday instead of Monday, which means the next episode lands in your feeds on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe so you never miss one. Support the show and get access to News Briefs, Spicy Live bonus episodes, and community: https://pantsuitpolitics.substack.com Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pantsuit-politics/id1055348656 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/37qY4LmXijGefBvzR0lWKt Follow us on Instagram: @pantsuitpolitics — Pantsuit Politics is hosted by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. Produced by Studio D Podcast Production. Our theme music was composed by Xander Singh with inspiration from original work by Dante Lima. This podcast and every episode of it are wholly owned by Pantsuit Politics LLC and are protected by US and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a media landscape often defined by shouting matches and partisan trenches, Pantsuit Politics offers a different kind of conversation. Hosts Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, two friends from Kentucky, built this independent podcast on a simple but radical premise: you can discuss the news and culture of the day with both conviction and genuine curiosity. What you’ll hear here isn’t debate for its own sake, but a sustained effort to understand the complexities behind the headlines. Sarah and Beth approach each topic with a blend of thorough research and personal reflection, modeling how to engage with difficult subjects without surrendering to outrage or anxiety. Their dialogue proves that thoughtful disagreement and common ground aren't mutually exclusive. This podcast provides a consistent, calming space for listeners who feel exhausted by the usual political noise but still want to stay meaningfully informed. New episodes arrive every Tuesday and Friday, offering regular check-ins that prioritize nuance over kneejerk reactions. It’s the kind of compelling listening that doesn’t just analyze the world, but quietly suggests a better way to talk about it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Pantsuit Politics
Podcast Episodes
What Food Can Teach Us About Power, Land, and Belonging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Sarah's on summer break this week, so Beth sits down with chef, culinary historian, and seventh-grade history teacher Mica Chavez to trace how food actually built the world we live in — from the Columbian Exchange and th…
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We're celebrating America 250 with three-time Pulitzer winner Rick Atkinson, whose Revolution Trilogy strips the reverence off the founding to show what was actually there: the first American civil war, a continent of hu…
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Duration: 59:46
After a wave of June primaries, the question isn't just whether democratic socialism is winning — it's what it's actually offering. Beth and Sarah pull apart the electoral story (charisma, anti-establishment energy, and…
Tulsi Gabbard, JD Vance, and Faith in Politics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:24
From a $14.5 million paint job peeling off the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to a sitting vice president's conversion memoir, this episode is about the distance between what leaders perform and what they…
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Duration: 48:10
The President announced a "deal" with Iran on his birthday, between a UFC fight and a crypto promotion — except it isn't a deal, it's a memorandum of understanding, which is a fancy way of saying nobody agreed to much of…
Why America 250 Is Worth Celebrating [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:57
The country got an invitation to its own 250th birthday and hesitated — do we even feel like celebrating right now? Sarah and Beth make the case that the answer is yes, and not in spite of how hard things are but because…
AI Goes Public: Should America Own a Piece? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:34
SpaceX's IPO begins trading today, with OpenAI and Anthropic close behind. The rules of going public seem to be changing by the day. We talk about why this IPO matters to all of us and the Bernie Sanders proposal for the…
Negotiation, Networking, and the New Job Search [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:50
The headlines about this job market are frightening, and the advice often feels contradictory, particularly for young people. Sarah sits down with professor Kim Miller — who taught both of us at Transylvania — to talk ho…
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Duration: 49:49
This week's primary results gave Democrats and independents a few reasons to pay attention — and behind closed doors, the Republican caucus is finally showing some friction. Beth and Sarah go deep on Delaney Hall, a Newa…