Voices of Liberty

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Is America's education system failing the next generation? And what can parents do to ensure their children grow up understanding liberty, personal responsibility, and the principles that made America great?

Sean sits down with Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, at FreedomFest in Las Vegas to explore the battle over American education and why she believes the future of the country depends on what children are learning today.

Drawing on her experience as a teacher, school administrator, and mother of three, Marissa explains how PragerU has grown into an educational media powerhouse reaching more than a billion views annually. She shares why combining education with entertainment has proven so effective and how PragerU is bringing American history, civics, capitalism, and financial literacy to students and families.

The conversation explores what Marissa calls the "education industrial complex," the influence of teachers unions and textbook publishers, the importance of America's founding principles, and why she believes parents must take a more active role in their children's education.

Marissa also discusses PragerU's work with schools, the challenges facing teachers, and why teaching gratitude, self-reliance, and personal responsibility is essential to preserving the American Dream.

Her message is clear: The next generation will not automatically inherit an understanding of liberty. We have to teach it.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

What happens when speaking your mind costs you the career you've spent your entire life building?

At FreedomFest in Las Vegas, Sean sits down with Clifton Duncan, a Broadway actor who says his refusal to conform to the entertainment industry's political expectations and COVID-era mandates effectively ended his rising career.

After years of performing on Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional theaters, and on television, Duncan found himself increasingly isolated for questioning prevailing political narratives. He shares how his opposition to COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates led to professional consequences, lost representation, and casting opportunities that seemingly disappeared overnight.

But Duncan's story doesn't end with being blacklisted.

Instead of abandoning his passion for acting, he's taking an entirely different path by creating Radical, an ambitious one-man theatrical production about legendary economist and intellectual Thomas Sowell.

Duncan explains how Sowell's transformation from a young Marxist into one of America's most influential free-market thinkers inspired him to rethink his own beliefs, embrace intellectual independence, and create a theatrical experience unlike anything audiences have seen before.

The conversation explores political conformity in Hollywood and Broadway, identity politics, freedom of expression, the lasting cultural consequences of the pandemic, and why Duncan believes artists must have the courage to challenge prevailing ideas.

From losing his livelihood to raising approximately $150,000 through crowdfunding for his new production, Duncan's journey demonstrates how adversity can become an opportunity to create something entirely new.

Can an artist rejected by the establishment build a new path to success while bringing Thomas Sowell's ideas to a whole new audience?

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Is America's financial future at risk? With a growing national debt, a retirement crisis, rising housing costs, and artificial intelligence transforming the workforce, can free-market capitalism still deliver prosperity for the next generation?

Sean sits down with Matt Cole, Chairman and CEO of Strive Asset Management, to explore the future of American capitalism, the rise of Bitcoin, and the economic policies shaping America's financial future.

Cole shares how growing up in California and witnessing the financial challenges facing public pension systems led him to become a passionate defender of free markets. From managing investments at CalPERS to joining Strive, the company founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, Cole explains why he believes shareholder value, innovation, and financial responsibility are essential to America's long-term prosperity.

The conversation explores the growing divide between shareholder capitalism and stakeholder capitalism, the impact of ESG investing, and why Cole believes government intervention has contributed to America's housing affordability crisis. He also examines how artificial intelligence could reshape the economy, why protecting existing jobs at the expense of innovation could backfire, and what lawmakers can do to keep America competitive.

Cole also takes a deep dive into Bitcoin and America's national debt, explaining why Strive has adopted a Bitcoin-focused treasury strategy, how the company manages cryptocurrency volatility, and why he believes decentralized money could become increasingly important as governments continue borrowing and spending.

Beyond economics, Cole offers advice for young investors, shares the career risks he took to pursue his convictions, and explains why following a meaningful professional mission can create opportunities that might otherwise seem impossible.

Can America preserve its economic freedom, embrace the next generation of innovation, and secure prosperity for future generations?

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Are Americans losing sight of the principles that made the country prosperous and free? And can Milton Friedman's ideas about capitalism, individual responsibility, and limited government still change minds today?

Sean sits down with Rob Chatfield, President and CEO of Free to Choose Network, at FreedomFest in Las Vegas to explore the future of economic freedom, the power of storytelling, and the challenge of introducing liberty to a new generation.

Chatfield shares his unconventional journey from corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and teaching investment banking to leading the organization responsible for preserving and advancing Milton and Rose Friedman's legacy. He explains how a chance LinkedIn connection with Free to Choose founder Bob Chitester changed his career and why the original Free to Choose television series became such a powerful vehicle for communicating free-market economics.

The conversation explores the growing appeal of government intervention on both the political left and right, the lessons behind Free to Choose documentaries about Sweden, Thomas Sowell, and America's defense spending, and why capitalism continues to face a public relations problem.

Chatfield also discusses the Happy Hour Econ podcast, the importance of using humor and entertainment to make economics accessible, and the unique student seminars held at Milton and Rose Friedman's former summer home in Vermont.

Beyond economics, Rob shares valuable lessons about leadership, fundraising, and building organizations that create lasting change. He explains why effective CEOs focus on helping their teams succeed, why ideas can take decades to produce results, and why reaching people outside the liberty movement is essential.

Looking ahead to America's 300th anniversary, Chatfield offers a candid prediction about the future of American freedom—and where new opportunities for liberty might emerge around the world.

Can the next generation rediscover the power of free markets before government becomes even more powerful?

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

For more than four decades, John Hood has been a leading voice for limited government, free markets, and individual liberty. As president of the John William Pope Foundation, co-founder of the John Locke Foundation, and a Duke University faculty member, Hood has spent his career building institutions and advancing the ideas of freedom.

Now, he's raising concerns about the future of American conservatism—and whether parts of the political right are abandoning the very principles that once defined the movement.

Hood shares how he helped launch the John Locke Foundation at just 25 years old, why state-level leadership can accomplish what Washington often cannot, and how North Carolina became a testing ground for tax reform, school choice, and economic freedom.

The conversation takes a deeper turn as Hood challenges the rise of national conservatism, post-liberalism, political conspiracy theories, and the growing temptation to use government power to achieve political goals. He explains why skepticism is healthy but cynicism can be dangerous, and why he believes the freedom movement must maintain its commitment to constitutional government, free enterprise, religious liberty, and equal opportunity.

Hood also discusses the Freedom Conservatism Project, the importance of building relationships and developing intellectual curiosity, and an unexpected connection between government taxation and the decline of tap dancing in America.

Can the conservative movement remain committed to limited government while navigating growing divisions within its own ranks? And what will it take for the next generation to carry the principles of liberty forward?

Learn more about the Freedom Conservatism Project at freedomconservatism.org.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more about Young Americans for Liberty at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Chris Rufer went from hauling tomatoes in a rented truck while in college to building the largest tomato processing operation in the world. Along the way, he developed an unconventional approach to business built around self-management, individual responsibility, and putting decision-making power in the hands of the people actually doing the work.

In this conversation, Sean and Chris explore the Philosophy of Human Respect and Chris’s argument that people should be free to live as they choose as long as they do not use violence against others or take their property. They discuss why voluntary cooperation works in business and everyday life, how government coercion changes incentives, and why persuasion is ultimately more powerful than force.

Chris also explains why liberty is about more than limiting government. At its core, he believes liberty creates the environment where people are free to make their own choices, pursue their own values, and build lives that lead to greater happiness and human flourishing.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute and author of Reimagining Social Security, has taken on one of Washington's most politically dangerous issues: America's growing national debt. Her interest in economic freedom began long before arriving in Washington. Growing up in Germany, visiting family in southern Italy, and learning about life in communist East Germany led her to ask why some societies create prosperity and opportunity while others struggle.

Romina explains why she believes Social Security and Medicare are at the center of America's long-term fiscal challenge, what could happen as their trust funds face depletion, and why younger Americans will increasingly bear the cost if Washington refuses to act. She also breaks down how government borrowing affects mortgage rates, business investment, wages, inflation, and the ability of the next generation to build families and businesses.

The conversation also tackles America's distorted health care system, defense spending, the dangers of putting federal spending on autopilot, and Romina's proposal for an independent fiscal commission capable of confronting entitlement reform that politicians are often reluctant to touch. She also offers practical advice for young Americans—from health savings accounts and entrepreneurship to becoming lifelong learners and building solutions in their own communities.

The national debt may be measured in trillions, but its consequences are deeply personal. Romina's warning is that failing to confront it could weaken economic growth, national security, the stability of the dollar, and the opportunities available to generations of Americans who have yet to inherit the bill.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Hannah Henriksen, president of Respect America, believes one of the biggest problems facing the country isn't a traditional political issue at all—it's the loss of genuine human connection. As politics becomes more tribal and technology makes it easier to avoid people who think differently, Hannah argues that liberty begins with something much simpler: seeing the individual before seeing the political label.

Hannah shares her unexpected path into the liberty movement and explains why having friends across the political spectrum has strengthened rather than weakened her beliefs. She also takes Sean inside the work of Respect America, which tells the stories of real people harmed by government coercion—from families separated after false accusations of child abuse to an attorney jailed after simply asking a question. The goal is to move liberty beyond abstract policy debates and show the human consequences when institutions forget the dignity of the individual.

At the center of Hannah's philosophy is a lesson simple enough to learn on the playground: don't hurt people, don't take their stuff, and don't force people to do things against their will. She explains why those principles should apply regardless of someone's politics, how Respect America is using films and storytelling to reach new audiences, and why each of us can make the world a little better by examining how we treat the people around us.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Thanks to a convenient break in the time-space continuum, General George Washington has traveled from July 1776 to FreedomFest in 2026—and he has some thoughts about what America has become 250 years later.

Sean sits down with the founding father to talk about taxation without representation, the fight for independence, political division, the responsibilities that come with self-government, and why winning liberty is only the beginning. Washington also explains why he would reject the opportunity to become king and why the willingness to voluntarily relinquish power may be one of the most important characteristics of a good leader.

But it isn't all constitutional philosophy. Washington confronts the wooden-teeth rumors, learns what a podcast is, considers America's modern tax rates, and faces perhaps the most difficult military question of his career: one giant gorilla or 100 tiny ones?

Funny, unexpected, and surprisingly relevant 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, this conversation asks a question every generation of Americans must answer: once you've won your freedom, what are you willing to do to preserve it?

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

For more than four decades, Grover Norquist has been one of America's most influential advocates for lower taxes and smaller government. As founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, he created the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and has spent his career pushing elected officials to commit to never raising taxes. For Norquist, the issue goes far beyond economics—taxation defines how much of an individual's life and income government is allowed to control.

In this conversation, Sean Themea and Grover discuss why government spending—not lower taxes—is at the heart of America's fiscal problem, which taxes do the most economic damage, and why competition among the 50 states is one of America's greatest defenses against bad policy. Grover also breaks down the growing push to phase state income taxes toward zero and how Americans for Tax Reform holds politicians accountable when they break their promises to taxpayers.

They also look at Grover's long-term vision for dramatically reducing the size and scope of the federal government, expanding school choice, returning power to the states—and, in a change of pace, what more than a decade of attending Burning Man has taught him about spontaneous communities and liberty.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Naomi Brockwell believes privacy is the foundation of a free society—and that Americans are rapidly losing it in the digital age. As founder of the Ludlow Institute, creator of NBTV, co-founder of the Soho Forum Debates, and a former producer for John Stossel, Naomi has dedicated her work to helping people understand digital surveillance and reclaim control over their personal information.

In this conversation, Sean and Naomi examine how government surveillance has expanded beyond the protections envisioned by the Fourth Amendment, why giving information to technology companies can weaken expectations of privacy, and how constant surveillance causes people to self-censor. Naomi also explains practical ways individuals can better protect their data, why privacy technology matters, and her work on the Surveillance Accountability Act to restore warrant requirements for government searches.

Her warning is simple: Americans should stop debating how much surveillance government should be allowed to conduct and start asking a more fundamental question—does government work for the people, or do the people exist to be controlled by government?

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Topher Field knows firsthand what it means to stand against government overreach. During Australia’s COVID-era lockdowns, he became a leading public voice against restrictions, joined protests despite government prohibitions, faced arrest, and spent years fighting criminal charges.

In this conversation, Sean Themea and Topher discuss what Americans can learn from Australia, why civil disobedience can be necessary to preserve liberty, and how to determine when a law crosses the line from something you disagree with to something your conscience demands you resist. Topher also explains why standing for liberty can carry a real personal cost—and why ordinary people must sometimes be willing to become the “spark” that challenges government power.

At America’s 250th anniversary, Topher’s message is simple: America needs less 1984 and more 1776.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

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Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Peter Lipsett has spent his career helping build the people, organizations, and resources that power the liberty movement. As vice president of DonorsTrust, chair of America’s Future, and chair of the Jefferson Forum, he has seen firsthand what it takes to turn principles into lasting impact.

In this conversation, Sean Themea and Peter discuss the mentors who shaped Peter’s career, lessons he learned working alongside some of the liberty movement’s most influential leaders, and why young professionals should never underestimate the value of doing the unglamorous work well. They also explore strategic philanthropy, developing the next generation of liberty leaders, strengthening free-market institutions, and why optimism remains essential to creating meaningful change.

For Peter, liberty is ultimately about more than individual freedom. It is about giving people the freedom to pursue their talents, strengthen their families and communities, and work together to build a better society.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

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Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

David Nott, president and chief executive officer of Reason Foundation, has spent decades advancing the ideas of free minds and free markets. In this conversation from FreedomFest, Nott explains how Reason takes bold libertarian principles and turns them into policy victories, cultural influence, and ideas capable of changing minds.

Sean and David explore Reason’s work on drug policy, public pensions, artificial intelligence, criminal justice, government debt, and transportation, along with the importance of meeting people where they are when making the case for liberty. They also discuss the mixed record of the Trump era, the enduring political power of an anti-war message, and why major national events can suddenly create opportunities for liberty that once seemed impossible.

For young people looking to make a difference, Nott offers a simple challenge: experiment, find the community where your talents and values can thrive, and don’t be afraid to fail while figuring out where you can make the greatest impact.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Liberty advocate Jim Babka has spent decades finding new ways to persuade people that freedom works. In this wide-ranging conversation from FreedomFest, Jim explains his philosophy of “human respect,” why coercion reduces happiness and prosperity, and why voluntary cooperation remains one of the most powerful forces for improving people's lives.

Sean and Jim explore why government intervention has made challenges like housing and healthcare worse, rebuilding family and community in an increasingly political culture, congressional accountability, immigration, foreign intervention, Second Amendment rights, and Jim’s work developing the Read the Bills Act and expanding the reach of the World’s Smallest Political Quiz. Jim also offers young Americans a powerful challenge: experiment, take risks, discover what you are uniquely good at, and build a life around work that gives you meaning.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

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Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Pennsylvania State Representative Robert Leadbeter went from a successful corporate career to public office after the COVID era showed him how quickly government can strip away individual liberty. Now chairman of the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus, he is working to limit government, strengthen local control, and push Pennsylvania toward a freer future.

In this conversation, Sean Themea talks with Representative Leadbeter about why citizens cannot afford to sit on the political sidelines, the fight for liberty inside the Pennsylvania legislature, and his push for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. They also explore inflation, sound money, healthcare price transparency, and why the next generation must get involved before government makes decisions for them.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

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Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Reason editor-at-large Nick Gillespie has spent decades making the case for liberty through journalism, culture, and debate. In this conversation, Sean Themea talks with Nick about what it actually means to be libertarian, why the movement should focus on expanding freedom rather than policing ideological purity, and how liberty can reach people far beyond traditional politics.

They explore free speech, culture, government surveillance, immigration, economic nationalism, foreign policy, and the importance of making principled arguments without sacrificing persuasion. Nick also looks toward the future, explaining why he believes young Americans should reject pessimism, embrace technologies like AI, learn from the past, and adopt what he calls a more “Promethean” approach to building the world they want to inherit.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

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Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Matt Kibbe has spent decades advancing a simple but powerful vision of liberty: don't hurt people and don't take their stuff. Today, as president of Free the People, he is taking that message beyond traditional politics and using documentaries, comedy, filmmaking, and storytelling to reach new audiences.

Sean Themea and Matt discuss why culture matters in the fight for freedom, how storytelling can make the principles of liberty accessible, the opportunities available to young creatives, and why today's political setbacks could create the foundation for a new liberty movement.

From Cuba and Venezuela to independent filmmaking, Thomas Massie, Rand Paul, and even the Grateful Dead, Matt explains why freedom ultimately depends on building a culture where people value liberty enough to defend it.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

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Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Wyoming State Representative Daniel Singh was just 25 when he won his first election, driven by a belief that protecting liberty requires people willing to step forward and fight for it.

Sean Themea and Representative Singh discuss how his family’s immigrant story shaped his appreciation for American freedom, his work defending Second Amendment and free speech rights, the fight for hospital price transparency, concerns over government surveillance and biometric data, and why young people shouldn’t wait for permission to become leaders.

Representative Singh also shares what he has learned from serving in the Wyoming Legislature and why he believes courage, preparation, and a willingness to take risks can make a real difference.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

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Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.

Author Mark Monoscalco joins Sean Themea at FreedomFest to explore the ideas behind his book The Forbidden Idea, which features a foreword by Dr. Ron Paul. Mark spent years studying the philosophy and history of liberty, from natural rights and the non-aggression principle to the thinkers and movements that have challenged government power throughout history.

Sean and Mark discuss why liberty means the absence of coercion, the importance of private property and voluntary cooperation, what Ludwig von Mises understood about the failures of socialism, and how ordinary Americans can begin rebuilding a culture of freedom through their families, communities, and local institutions.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Powered by Young Americans for Liberty, help support our work here: https://bit.ly/4vnedJK