Episodes
Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute joins Margaret Hoover to discuss Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy in his second term and how it may impact the U.S. and the world. Schake, a defense policy expert who served in Republican and Democratic administrations, makes the case for conservative internationalism and details the flaws she sees in Trump’s “America First” worldview. Although she has opposed Trump since 2016 and sees him as a genuine threat to constitutional order,...
Published 11/16/24
After Donald Trump’s historic reelection, presidential biographer Jon Meacham joins Margaret Hoover to discuss what the outcome means for the soul of the nation and what comes next. The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian had warned Americans against the “genuine risk” of returning Trump to power, but he explains why he accepts the results. He also reflects on how history can offer inspiration in this moment. Meacham, who has advised President Biden and helped him draft speeches,...
Published 11/09/24
H.R. McMaster, Donald Trump’s second national security advisor, joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his tumultuous experience in the Trump White House, what he characterizes as Trump’s “disruptive” leadership, and what a second term could look like. McMaster, who recently published At War With Ourselves about his nearly 14 months in the administration, assesses the global threats facing the next president and offers insight into challenges posed by Iran, China, and Vladimir Putin’s...
Published 11/02/24
Margaret Hoover sits down with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer (R), Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), and veteran GOP election attorney Benjamin Ginsberg for a bipartisan discussion of the facts about elections and voting in America. After a screening of “Counting the Vote” at the 92nd Street Y in New York, the experts talk about preparations for the 2024 election and legal and logistical challenges that may emerge in the weeks ahead. They also comment on litigation...
Published 10/26/24
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the state’s pivotal role in the race for the White House and what Kamala Harris needs to do to win it. At the Abington Arts Center in Shapiro’s hometown, the Democratic governor assesses Harris’ strategy and contrasts her agenda with Donald Trump’s. He also defends Harris’ efforts to distinguish herself from President Biden and to explain her shifting positions on energy. Shapiro, who was on the short list to be the...
Published 10/19/24
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joins Margaret Hoover to discuss America’s role in the world amid multiple crises and the dangers of retreating from global leadership. In a recent Foreign Affairs essay, Rice warned about the “perils of isolationism.” She explains why these sentiments concern her and how leaders should reframe arguments in favor of globalization and international engagement to counter them. Rice assesses the current state of the conflict in the Middle East as...
Published 10/12/24
Former Maryland Governor and current Republican Senate nominee Larry Hogan sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss why he’s running to flip a seat long held by Democrats and what he will do if he wins. Hogan, who was popular even among Democrats when he left office in 2023, makes the case for Maryland voters to support him over Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, vowing to be an independent voice in the Senate and a check on the extremes of both parties. Hogan assesses the vice presidential...
Published 10/05/24
Hillary Clinton sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about threats to press freedom around the world, crises in the Middle East, and the stakes of the 2024 election. In a discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York City, the former secretary of state assesses the dangers faced by journalists abroad and in the U.S. Clinton–who is out with a new book, “Something Lost, Something Gained”--reflects on her efforts to evacuate women and their families during the...
Published 09/28/24
Bill O’Reilly sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss his latest book, the presidential race, and the sexual harassment allegations that led to his firing from Fox News. In Confronting the Presidents, O’Reilly and co-author Martin Dugard present essays on each of the nation’s presidents. O’Reilly defends their depiction of Herbert Hoover and his approach to history. He addresses the presidential debate and the potential impact of the assassination attempts on Donald Trump, as well as how...
Published 09/21/24
Economist Kevin Hassett joins Margaret Hoover to talk about economic policies laid out by former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in their debate this week. Hassett, who chaired the White House Council of Economic Advisers in the first Trump administration, defends Trump’s handling of the economy both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and blames the Biden administration for the spike in inflation since then. He assesses Harris’ “opportunity economy” agenda and...
Published 09/14/24
California Sen. Alex Padilla sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss Vice President Kamala Harris, his longtime friend and colleague.  The son of Mexican immigrants, Padilla was appointed to Harris’ seat after she won the vice presidency in 2020. An MIT graduate, he initially hoped to become an aerospace engineer. But he was instead drawn to politics when, in 1994, California voters passed a proposition banning undocumented immigrants from public services, including education and...
Published 08/24/24
Justice Neil Gorsuch sits down with Margaret Hoover at the Supreme Court to talk about his new book, Over Ruled, and his concern that America has “too much law.” In its recent term, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine, a precedent established in 1984 that required judges to defer to federal agencies when interpreting unclear statutes. Gorsuch explains why that longstanding approach had imposed unfair costs on many, including fishermen, immigrants, and the descendants of Ernest...
Published 08/17/24
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst sits down with Margaret Hoover in Iowa to talk about her life and her views on trade and foreign policy. Ernst, a combat veteran, explains why she advocates for confronting threats abroad and providing strong support to Israel and Ukraine. She also reflects on how a visit to Soviet-controlled Ukraine in 1989 helped shape her position. She details her response to antisemitic protests on college campuses after October 7th, and she assesses what Kamala Harris’...
Published 08/10/24
Margaret Hoover discusses what it will take to ensure a secure and accurate vote count in 2024 with three experts: Democratic Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsberg, and David Becker of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research. Ahead of Firing Line’s “Counting the Vote” documentary–premiering on PBS on Aug. 27–the experts address how election administration has changed since the contested election of 2020 and the challenges that...
Published 08/03/24
Legendary Democratic strategist James Carville talks to Margaret Hoover about the state of the 2024 presidential race after the withdrawal of President Joe Biden and the ascension of Vice President Kamala Harris. Carville explains why he had long urged Democrats to replace the aging Biden and why he is satisfied with supporting Harris without a competitive primary process. He also pushes back against Republican claims that the candidate swap undermines democracy. With just over 100 days...
Published 07/27/24
Veteran Republican strategist Mike Murphy, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, assesses the state of the presidential race in the wake of Trump’s attempted assassination and the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Murphy tells Margaret Hoover why he believes Joe Biden needs to withdraw from the race and how he thinks Democrats should approach replacing him as their nominee. He also lays out the potential advantages and risks of running Vice President Kamala Harris against...
Published 07/20/24
Matt Pottinger, who served as deputy national security advisor under former President Trump, talks to Margaret Hoover about the geopolitical and economic stakes of defending Taiwan and the challenge of deterring China. Pottinger, editor and co-author of “The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan,” assesses Xi Jinping’s ambitions and timeline for a potential invasion, and he details what the U.S. and Taiwan need to do to prevent it. He explains how the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza are...
Published 07/13/24
Edward O’Keefe, author of “The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt,” joins Margaret Hoover to discuss the “extraordinary and unsung” women who shaped the life and legend of the 26th president–and why his legacy still resonates today. O’Keefe, a former journalist and North Dakota native who is now CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, details Roosevelt’s relationships with his mother, his sisters, and his wives and how they contributed to his successes. He comments on...
Published 06/29/24
Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about Israel, immigration, and other issues that impact voters of color as polls suggest support for Donald Trump is rising among traditionally Democratic voting blocs that will play a pivotal role in the 2024 election. Torres, the first openly gay Afro-Latino member of Congress, discusses how growing up in public housing with a single mother influences his perspective and his policy positions. After Trump’s...
Published 06/22/24
Following a U.N. report accusing Israel of war crimes, Margaret Hoover sits down with Dan Senor, a former foreign policy aide to Mitt Romney and the host of the podcast “Call Me Back,” to the daring rescue of four Israeli hostages in Gaza, prospects for a cease-fire, and the new U.N. report accusing both Hamas and Israel of war crimes. Senor defends how Israel has conducted the war, arguing that while civilian deaths are inevitable in any conflict, the Israel Defense Forces have done all...
Published 06/15/24
As the end of Donald Trump’s first trial nears, Margaret Hoover sits down with conservative attorney and former Trump supporter George Conway to discuss the case and the prospect of another Trump presidency. Conway defends the Manhattan prosecution, talks about watching Trump in the courtroom, and explains why he disagrees with those who say the case is driven by politics. He also argues Trump has received preferential treatment from the courts, including in the classified documents case...
Published 05/25/24
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss “An Unfinished Love Story,” her new book recounting the 1960s from her perspective and that of her late husband, presidential speechwriter Dick Goodwin. The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer recalls the genesis of the project and reflects on the difference between writing about her husband and long-dead presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. She details Dick Goodwin’s work for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon...
Published 05/18/24
Author and journalist Fareed Zakaria joins Margaret Hoover to talk about his recent book, “Age of Revolutions,” and how past periods of progress and backlash inform our present revolutionary moment. Zakaria, host of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” reflects on a full-blown cultural backlash against decades of social and political change that has fueled the rise of Donald Trump. He also discusses the next industrial revolution driven by artificial intelligence and the progress and disruption it...
Published 05/11/24
New York Times columnist Frank Bruni sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about college protests, grievance politics, and how to restore humility in a fractured country. Bruni, author of “The Age of Grievance” and a professor at Duke University, discusses the roots of anti-Israel sentiment on campuses and the double standards behind progressive speech codes. He also addresses the rise of a culture of victimhood on the right and explains how grievances manifest differently across the...
Published 05/04/24