The P.A.S. Report

The Culper Spy Ring: How Benjamin Tallmadge Became Washington’s Spymaster

September 24, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

Episode Description

How did George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring outsmart the British Empire for five years without exposing its principal agents? Discover how Benjamin Tallmadge built an extraordinary Revolutionary War spy network and became Washington’s spymaster.

In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano reveals the true story of Major Benjamin Tallmadge, Nathan Hale’s close friend and the architect of the Culper network. After British forces executed Hale, Tallmadge helped create a disciplined system of trusted agents, numerical ciphers, invisible ink, dead drops, and covert routes across British-held New York. Culper reports alerted Washington to the threat against French forces at Newport, while Tallmadge later stood at the center of the Benedict Arnold crisis.

More importantly, Benjamin Tallmadge’s example reveals why secret power demands character, restraint, and accountability. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, his story offers a timely lesson: institutions are only as trustworthy as the people who operate them.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Nathan Hale’s Legacy: How Hale’s fatal mission revealed the need for a secure American intelligence network.
The Chain of Trust: How personal relationships and shared purpose helped the Culper Spy Ring survive inside British-occupied New York.
Revolutionary War Tradecraft: How Tallmadge used aliases, James Jay’s invisible ink, numerical ciphers, couriers, and whaleboat routes to protect Washington’s spies.
Newport and West Point: How Culper reports helped Washington respond to the British threat against French forces and how Tallmadge’s judgment kept Major John André in American custody.
The Lesson for Today: Why institutional trust depends upon character, accountability, sound judgment, and loyalty to the Constitution.

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Confessions of a Democratic Operative: Evan Barker

September 23, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

The Democratic Party once claimed to champion blue-collar America. But behind closed doors, did elite donors and an ideological staffer class push ordinary workers aside?

In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano sits down with former progressive campaign fundraiser Evan Barker, author of Nothing Left: Confessions of a Democratic Operative. Barker shares an insider’s account of modern political campaigns, from helping raise millions of dollars for insurgent candidates to watching the Democratic Party lose touch with union households and working-class families.

Together, they break down why blue-collar voters shifted toward Donald Trump, the truth behind “trust fund socialism,” how the border crisis affects union wages, and why the 2024 Democratic National Convention became Barker’s breaking point. Barker also exposes the hidden mechanics of “Progress Inc.,” the parallel network of consulting firms, movement schools, and billionaire donors reshaping the Democratic Party.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The Blue-Collar Betrayal: Why union workers view illegal immigration and an open border as a massive scab operation that drives down wages and creates unfair competition.
Inside the Staffer Class: How affluent, ideological operatives pressure moderate politicians and suppress internal dissent.
The 2024 DNC Breaking Point: Why Kamala Harris’s nomination and elite contempt for middle America convinced Barker that the Democratic Party had lost its way.
Exposing Progress Inc.: How insurgent candidates built parallel fundraising networks with support from movement schools, political consultants, and billionaire donors.
The Cost of Speaking Out: Why Barker published her story, the backlash she faced, and the case for two healthy political parties.

⭐ Support the Show: If you value principled constitutional analysis, follow The P.A.S. Report on Apple Podcasts, leave a five-star rating wherever your platform allows it, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

AI Data Centers: Who Pays for America’s Race With China?

September 21, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

AI data centers are expanding across America, but who pays the bill? While Washington frames artificial intelligence as a critical race with China, Big Tech companies push for new AI regulations as local communities confront rising electricity demand, grid expansion, water use, and massive infrastructure costs.

In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano pulls back the digital curtain on the physical AI boom. Beyond consumer tools like ChatGPT, artificial intelligence is reshaping military power, intelligence, medicine, cybersecurity, and global competition. But the AI race also raises serious questions about regulatory capture, government surveillance, Fourth Amendment protections, and whether taxpayers and ratepayers will subsidize the infrastructure required by trillion-dollar technology companies.

Discover why China’s Communist Party fears AI-driven “cognitive warfare,” why major AI companies are calling for greater federal regulation, and what a free-market framework could look like if hyperscale data centers had to finance their own energy needs while protecting local ratepayers and communities.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The U.S.-China AI Race: Why artificial intelligence now shapes military, economic, technological, and geopolitical power.
The AI Regulation Battle: How regulatory capture could protect established Big Tech companies while making it harder for startups to compete.
Government Surveillance and AI: How machine-speed analysis could expand government profiling and raise serious Fourth Amendment and due-process questions.
AI Data Centers and Electricity Costs: Why hyperscale data centers could consume a major share of U.S. electricity and place new demands on local grids.
A Free-Market Data Center Framework: How dedicated energy generation, SMRs, natural gas, water transparency, ratepayer protections, and enforceable community benefits could change the economics of the AI boom.

⭐ Support The P.A.S. Report: Hit the follow button, leave a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and share this episode with a parent, student, teacher, or citizen who cares about the future of the country.

Henry Knox: The Bookseller Who Broke the Siege of Boston

September 19, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

How did Henry Knox, a 25-year-old Boston bookseller, move nearly 60 tons of artillery across 300 winter miles and help break the Siege of Boston without a costly ground battle?

In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano reveals the incredible true story of Henry Knox and the Noble Train of Artillery. As America marks its 250th anniversary, discover how this largely self-taught Patriot transported 59 cannons, mortars, and howitzers from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston and gave George Washington the firepower to force a British evacuation.

Knox’s journey demonstrates how self-education, competence, perseverance, and civic responsibility helped transform a former bookseller into Washington’s chief of artillery and one of the American Revolution’s most consequential leaders. Most Americans know Fort Knox as a military installation associated with America’s gold reserves. Few know the Revolutionary War hero whose name it bears.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

The Bookseller Who Mastered Artillery: How Henry Knox educated himself and earned George Washington’s trust
The Noble Train of Artillery: How Knox moved nearly 60 tons of weapons across 300 miles of winter terrain
The Hudson River Crisis: What happened when a cannon crashed through the ice
The Victory at Dorchester Heights: Why the American position made British control of Boston untenable
The Lesson for America Today: What Knox teaches us about preparation, initiative, competence, and civic duty

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The Moral Case for Capitalism

September 16, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

Capitalism vs. socialism may define America’s economic and political future. Which system best protects prosperity, individual liberty, and moral justice?

Richard Salsman, author of Where Have All the Capitalists Gone?, joins Professor Nick Giordano on The P.A.S. Report Podcast to present the moral case for capitalism that too many Republicans refuse to make. Beyond standard economic debates, they expose socialism’s emotional appeal, the conservative retreat from limited government, and the economic forces behind the $40 trillion national debt, inflation, and America’s departure from the gold standard.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The Moral Case for Capitalism: Why private property, voluntary exchange, individual rights, and rational self-interest form the foundation of a free and just society
The Socialist Illusion: How socialist advocates use emotional appeals to expand state power despite socialism’s record of economic failure
The Causes of Inflation: How Federal Reserve policy and chronic federal deficits reduce the value of the dollar and raise everyday costs
The Republican Retreat: Why Republicans abandoned fiscal restraint and accepted larger government programs, federal entitlements, and common good capitalism
The Path Forward: What free-market advocates must do to reclaim the moral argument and defeat socialism without apology

Can capitalism survive if its own defenders refuse to make the moral case for it? Listen now and discover why America’s economic future depends on more than facts, figures, and promises of prosperity.

Do Americans Actually Want Freedom?

September 14, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

Flock cameras promise public safety, but their vast data networks can expose far more than a license plate. From federal childcare subsidies to President Trump’s proposed $5,000 dividend checks, this episode asks whether Americans now trade liberty for the illusion of security.

In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano challenges Republicans and Democrats alike. He explains how the modern nanny state uses surveillance systems and government checks to expand its power, weaken self-reliance, and make temporary benefits permanent. True constitutional freedom requires risk, personal sacrifice, fiscal restraint, and strict limits on government power.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The Mosaic Threat: How Flock Safety cameras combine location records over time and reveal detailed travel patterns without a warrant.
The Post-9/11 Lesson: What Americans surrendered after 9/11 and why emergency powers rarely disappear after each crisis ends.
The Subsidized Living Room: How federal CCDF aid for stay-at-home parents could give bureaucrats greater power over family eligibility and household rules.
The $21 Trillion Illusion: Why Trump’s $5,000 check proposal conflicts with fiscal conservatism, and why true surplus revenue should reduce the national debt rather than fund election-year checks.
The Price of Self-Government: Why freedom demands risk, sacrifice, self-reliance, and firm constitutional limits on state power.

Listen now and decide whether safety and government benefits justify the price Americans pay in freedom.

Daniel Morgan: The Forgotten General Who Outsmarted the British

September 10, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

How did Daniel Morgan, an uneducated frontier wagoner, survive 499 British lashes, take a bullet through the neck, and outsmart the British at the Battle of Cowpens?

In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano uncovers the extraordinary story of Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and the leadership lessons behind one of the American Revolution’s greatest tactical victories. Discover how a rough Virginia frontiersman used his deep understanding of human nature to design the brilliant double-envelopment trap that crushed Banastre Tarleton’s British Legion on January 17, 1781, and helped shift momentum in the Southern Campaign.

As the nation marks the America 250 milestone, Morgan’s journey from French and Indian War teamster to Continental Army hero delivers an urgent lesson for modern America: true leadership means understanding people as they actually are, and true citizenship requires putting duty to the republic above personal grievance.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

The Old Wagoner’s Crucible: How Daniel Morgan survived 499 lashes from the British army, frontier combat, and captivity at Quebec to forge unmatched battlefield grit.
The Saratoga Turning Point: How Morgan’s elite rifle corps played a critical role in the American victory that forced Burgoyne’s surrender.
Walking Away: Why Morgan resigned from the Continental Army after being passed over for promotion, and why personal resentment gave him every reason to stay home.
The Masterpiece at Cowpens: How Morgan used militia weaknesses, terrain, and Banastre Tarleton’s predictable aggression to execute one of the Revolution’s greatest tactical traps.
Country Over Ego: Why a free republic cannot survive if citizens allow personal grievances to override the common cause.

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Charlie Kirk: The Man Behind the Movement

September 9, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

Charlie Kirk in His Own Words reveals what Charlie was really like before the national fame, viral debates, and movement that changed American politics.

In this deeply personal episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano sits down with Christy Edwards, Charlie’s close friend, confidant, and author of the new memorial book Charlie Kirk in His Own Words. Christy knew Charlie before he became a household name. She shares rare stories about the young activist who often forgot clean socks, needed help with his clothes, and devoted every moment to his mission.

As the one-year anniversary of Charlie’s assassination approaches, Christy reflects on their friendship, their reconciliation, and the final messages they exchanged. She also examines the division and opportunism that now threaten the conservative movement, forcefully rejects attacks against Erika Kirk, and explains why Charlie’s faith would have led him toward forgiveness.

The conversation also explores Carry the Torch, Christy’s nonprofit grant fund for young patriotic leaders who have courage and ideas but lack money, connections, or a public platform. Her mission offers a path forward for those who want to preserve Charlie’s legacy and inspire the next generation.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

The Man Behind the Movement: Discover who Charlie Kirk was when the cameras turned off and the crowds went home.
His Unshakable Principles: Learn what more than a decade of Charlie’s own words reveals about his faith, values, and political convictions.
The Lost Art of Debate: Understand why Charlie chose calm dialogue even when hostile activists confronted him on college campuses.
A Defense of His Family: Hear Christy’s direct response to attacks against Erika Kirk and those who exploit Charlie’s death for personal gain.
The Next Generation: See how Carry the Torch helps young leaders transform patriotic ideas into meaningful action.

89% Say Government Is Corrupt

September 7, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

A record 89% of Americans say our government is corrupt, while congressional approval drops to an abysmal 10%. Yet when crisis strikes, voters demand more federal intervention, more spending, and more executive power.

In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano exposes the greatest contradiction in modern American politics: Americans distrust the administrative state yet continually expand its authority. When citizens fail to understand the Constitution, separation of powers, federalism, and limited government, every constitutional restraint starts to look like an obstacle. Is Washington truly failing the American people, or does dysfunctional government simply reflect the public’s unlimited appetite for federal action?

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

The Corruption Paradox: Why 89% of Americans say government corruption is widespread while voters still demand more federal control.
Partisan Constitutionalism: How outrage over executive overreach changes depending on which party controls the White House.
The Purpose of Gridlock: Why a 10% congressional approval rating does not necessarily mean the system failed and why the Framers designed Congress to move slowly.
The Abdication of Power: How Congress delegates broad authority to unelected agencies while lawmakers avoid difficult votes.
Civic Illiteracy and Self-Government: Why constitutional literacy, federalism, self-restraint, and personal responsibility matter to limited government.

Take the basic U.S. citizenship quiz mentioned in this episode at PASReport.com.

⭐ Support the Show: Hit the follow button, follow The P.A.S. Report on Apple Podcasts, and share this episode with a parent, student, teacher, or citizen who cares about the future of the country.

Ted Cruz on Clarence Thomas, Socialism, & the Midterms

September 3, 2026 by Nicholas Giordano

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Episode Description

Ted Cruz joins The P.A.S. Report to reveal the untold story of Clarence Thomas and confront a provocative constitutional question: Can an elected official swear to support the Constitution while campaigning to dismantle its core institutions?

Professor Nick Giordano sits down with Senator Ted Cruz to discuss his new book, Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas, based on more than nine hours of exclusive interviews with Justice Thomas. Cruz traces Thomas’s extraordinary rise from poverty in segregated Georgia to the Supreme Court and explains why his commitment to originalism, judicial restraint, and constitutional government has reshaped American law.

Cruz also sounds the alarm over Supreme Court expansion, the rise of Democratic Socialism, proposals to dismantle America’s checks and balances, and the meaning of the constitutional oath of office. Plus, Cruz delivers a stark warning about the 2026 midterms, why Republicans could lose both the House and Senate, and why opposing socialism alone will not give voters enough reason to turn out.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

The Clarence Thomas Story: What Cruz’s extensive private interviews reveal about Thomas’s rise from poverty, political transformation, and constitutional philosophy.
Originalism and the Supreme Court: Why Thomas places the Constitution above flawed precedent and why Cruz argues Supreme Court expansion threatens judicial independence.
The Constitutional Oath Question: Whether candidates who advocate dismantling constitutional institutions can take the oath of office in good faith and whether that oath carries substantive meaning.
The Democratic Socialist Agenda: What proposals to abolish the Senate and subordinate the executive and judiciary could mean for checks and balances, separation of powers, and constitutional government.
The 2026 Midterm Warning: Why Cruz believes Republicans face a serious risk of losing Congress and why the GOP needs an affirmative agenda that gives voters something to vote for.