A New York Times podcast interview with former Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) sparked widespread praise Friday after host Ross Douthat was moved to tears by the ex-lawmaker’s composed reflections on faith and dying.

One emotional moment came at the close of the Interesting Times episode, released Thursday, as Sasse spoke with striking calm about his terminal stage IV pancreatic cancer diagnosis and the “clarity” it has brought him.

Douthat asked Sasse if he felt “ready to die” only for him to reply that although he didn’t feel ready, he had hope, due to his Christian faith, that he would be with God – who he called “Father.”

“I know that that’s what I need,” he said, a statement which prompted an emotional Douthat to choke up before closing the interview.

Sasse, who left the Senate in 2023 and later stepped down as president of the University of Florida, revealed his cancer had already spread extensively when diagnosed. Doctors told him it was “pancreatic cancer, Stage IV, already metastasized” and “not operable,” with only months to live.

Sasse has since entered a clinical trial at M.D. Anderson in Houston, where he is receiving what he described as “super poison” designed to attack the tumors. The treatment, he added, comes with severe side effects.

Despite that prognosis, Sasse framed his experience repeatedly in the interview through the lens of his religious beliefs.

“To live as Christ, to die is gain,” he said, recalling the moment he first processed the diagnosis. “Death is terrible. We should never sugarcoat it… But it’s an enemy, but it’s a final enemy, and there will then be no more tears.”

He added: “I believe in the Resurrection, and I believe in a restoration of this world. So, I did not feel great fear about my death.”

At another point, Sasse reflected on how the illness reshaped his priorities.

“We’re all on the clock, and I wanted to have prioritized better,” he said. “Whether I really only have three or four months left, or if I get nine to 12 months left, I want to prioritize better from then.”

“I hate pancreatic cancer. I would never wish it on anyone, but I would never want to go back to a time in my life where I didn’t know the prayer of pancreatic cancer,” Sasse said, reflecting on human frailty. “I can’t keep the planets in orbit. I can’t even grow skin on my face.”

Douthat’s visceral reaction quickly spread online, with clips of the exchange circulating widely and prompting a wave of responses across the political and media spectrum.

New York Times columnist David French called the interview “marvelous” and “heartbreaking” as he urged “everyone” to listen:

Rod Dreher, senior editor at The Free Press, called Sasse’s hope and faith “staggering”:

Interviewing Douthat for his own Substack, Dreher revealed that the journalist found the former lawmaker’s Christian faith “extraordinary” and added that he’d been “moved immensely.”

Maria Shriver, niece of former President John F Kennedy and former First Lady of California, as ex-wife of then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, praised Sasse’s “courage” as “inspiring”:

Others, such as CNN political contributor Kristen Soltis Anderson and The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles, encouraged followers to listen:

Megan Basham, journalist at The Daily Wire, moved by the sitdown, offered a follow-up interview with Sasse:

And the praise kept coming:

Watch above via YouTube.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!