Episodes

  • Trans Army Pilot: "I Was Not Surprised by the Hate. This is My Reality."

    Trans Army Pilot: "I Was Not Surprised by the Hate. This is My Reality."
    Feb 1 2025
    Jo Ellis, a transgender Black Hawk pilot with 15 years of U.S. military service, addresses the hate and threats she received online after she was wrongfully accused of flying the helicopter in the fatal DC plane crash. This comes after President Trump blamed Democrats and DEI policies for the crash that killed 67 people on board a commercial flight and Black Hawk helicopter. Then, Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donalds joins Smerconish to discuss the latest DOJ firings and trade wars with America's largest trading partners. Finally, Derrick Darby, a Rutgers University professor who studies the intersection of hip-hop and political philosophy, explains how money, power, and influence led to Trump's comeback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Will Trump's January 6th Pardons Backfire?

    Will Trump's January 6th Pardons Backfire?
    Jan 25 2025
    CNN's Michael Smerconish examines the potential political risk behind President Trump's pardon for all defendants in the January 6th insurrection. Then, David Urban and Paul Begala join Smerconish to breakdown President Trump's first week back in office and his response to the nation's recent natural disasters. After that, Brad Meltzer, co-author of the New York Times Best Seller "The JFK Conspiracy," details in his new book a lesser-known 1960 assassination plot against John F. Kennedy before he started his presidential term. Lastly, Michael Oren, a former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., applauds the release of additional Israeli hostages but warns that freeing convicted terrorists through negotiations with Hamas will only incentivize kidnapping more hostages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Smerconish: Biden's Low Approval Rating May Bounce Back

    Smerconish: Biden's Low Approval Rating May Bounce Back
    Jan 18 2025
    CNN's Michael Smerconish makes the case on why President Joe Biden's approval ratings may rise after he leaves office. Then, New York Times Congressional Correspondent Annie Karni reports on how Obama, Schumer, and Jeffries worked behind closed doors to urge President Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. After that, Richard Clarke, a former White House Counterterrorism Coordinator, explains the hypocrisy behind the Tik Tok ban. Finally, New York Times Foreign Affairs Columnist and 3-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas L. Friedman explains the roadblocks President-elect Trump will face in order to resolve conflict in the Middle East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Sen. Whitehouse: Effects of Climate Change Could Plummet the U.S. Economy

    Sen. Whitehouse: Effects of Climate Change Could Plummet the U.S. Economy
    Jan 11 2025
    As the California wildfires continue to rage, CNN's Michael Smerconish breaks down how the climate crisis affects the insurance industry. Rhode Island Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins the program to warn about how the effects of climate change could potentially lead to another U.S. economic downfall. Kate Klonick, an associate professor at St. John's University School of Law gives her take on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg removing fact-checkers from moderating content across Meta's platforms. And finally, the editor of Cleveland.com joins Michael to discuss how U.S. newspapers are giving previously convicted or wrongfully accused Americans the "right to be forgotten." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Tragedies Demand Transparency, Not a Troupe

    Tragedies Demand Transparency, Not a Troupe
    Jan 4 2025
    CNN Michael Smerconish shares his take on why the press conferences that followed the New Orleans terrorist attack were in poor taste and counterproductive. Bruce Hoffman, a senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations, explains the indirect connection between the New Orleans terrorist attack and the Tesla Cyber truck explosion in Las Vegas. Legendary Democratic strategist James Carville breaks down why the economy will always be the central issue in any presidential election and what Democrats need to do to win. Richard Reeves, author of "Of Boys and Men," explains how economic, social, and cultural issues are driving a wedge between young men and women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Book Club With Michael Smerconish

    Book Club With Michael Smerconish
    Dec 28 2024
    2024 was a banner year for CNN's Michael Smerconish's personal reading. We revisit interviews he did here on CNN with 11 authors of books that he found impactful in 2024. Just for a day, welcome back to Book Club. Featuring Scott Galloway, Hillary Clinton, Jonathan Haidt, Admiral James Stavridis & Charlamagne tha God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Trump agree on this issue

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Trump agree on this issue
    Dec 21 2024
    CNN's Michael Smerconish shares his take on how Congress averted a shutdown and where Democrats align with President-elect Trump. Then, White House Wall Street Journal Reporter Annie Linskey says President Biden did not speak regularly with key cabinet members and high-ranking officials, a claim the White House denies. Followed by University of Chicago Political Science professor Robert Pape says American political violence has crossed a new, dangerous threshold into corporations. Finally, Hilary Sheinbaum, author of "Going Dry," explains why the rising popularity of non-alcoholic beverages is shifting the way Americans drink, live, and socialize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Smerconish: A Sad, New Normalcy

    Smerconish: A Sad, New Normalcy
    Dec 21 2024
    CNN Michael Smerconish looks back at other memorials from tragic deaths and asks if others will memorialize the UnitedHealth CEO. NYU Stern Business School Professor Scott Galloway shares his take on the public condemnation towards the healthcare industry after a suspect shot and killed UnitedHealth's CEO Brian Thompson. Two New Jersey state representatives are asking the federal government to step in and take down these drones to understand their origin. ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt addresses the legal and ethical challenges of whether undocumented migrants could be arrested at schools, places of worship, and domestic violence centers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins