Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy–the top-performing charter school network in New York City–joins Margaret Hoover to talk about what’s wrong with public education in America and what failing schools can learn from her approach. Success Academy runs 59 public charter schools in New York City, and it is preparing to open five more in Florida. Moskowitz explains why her schools score better on s...

As America marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Margaret Hoover speaks to a Supreme Court justice, a swing state governor, and a retired four-star general about the state of American democracy and the nation’s progress toward fulfilling its founding ideals. Justice Neil Gorsuch, co-author of the new children’s book “Heroes of 1776,” reflects on America’s f...

Margaret Hoover talks to Melissa Murray, legal scholar and best-selling author of t The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader , a book she wrote in the hope that the Constitution would be read and understood by all Americans—just as the founders had intended. Murray, who also co-hosts the Strict Scrutiny podcast, examines the history of each amendment, and ho...

Margaret Hoover talks to General Tamir Hayman, former head of the IDF’s military intelligence unit, about the state of the war in Iran, the status of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, and what he believes the U.S. and Israel have gotten right and wrong so far. Hayman is now executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies, an independent think tank affiliated with Tel Aviv...

Bestselling author and podcaster Ryan Holiday and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis discuss America’s founding ideals and why they still matter 250 years later in the second part of a conversation recorded at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Holiday and Mattis explain why adherence to Stoic virtues is valuable in the military and how falling back on one’s first principles can help...

Danielle Crittenden joins Margaret Hoover to discuss her new book, “Dispatches from Grief: A Mother's Journey Through the Unthinkable,” which details the aftermath of her daughter’s unexpected death. Miranda Frum, who once worked for “Firing Line,” died suddenly in 2024 at age 32 as she was preparing to celebrate the five-year anniversary of a successful surgery to remove a rare nonmalignant brain...

Margaret Hoover sits down with American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Yuval Levin and National Constitution Center CEO Emeritus Jeffrey Rosen to discuss the enduring ideals of America’s founding documents. Levin and Rosen, who both contributed to the NCC’s new book “The Promise of America,” reflect on the shared principles and ideological differences between the nation’s founders and how thos...

Ben McKenzie joins Margaret Hoover to break down his new documentary about cryptocurrency, “Everyone Is Lying to You for Money,” and the dangers he believes crypto poses to investors and the economy itself. McKenzie–best known for his performances on “The O.C.,” “Southland,” and “Gotham”--explains why he grew skeptical of crypto while other men embraced it and reflects on what he learned from talk...

Health care policy expert Lanhee Chen joins Margaret Hoover to unpack the paradox at the heart of American medicine: the best care in the world—and some of the highest costs. What’s broken, and why hasn’t Washington been able to fix it? Chen—a Hoover Institution fellow who has advised Republican leaders from George W. Bush to Mitt Romney—traces how a patchwork system evolved into one that’s both e...

As presidents increasingly rely on executive action to advance their agenda, Philip Wallach and Oona Hathaway join Margaret Hoover to discuss why Congress has abdicated its constitutional power and how to fix it in a forum at Hofstra University. Wallach, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of “Why Congress,” talks about the role the founders envisioned for the legislati...

Former Four Star Marine General Jim Mattis and best selling author and popular podcaster Ryan Holiday join Margaret Hoover to talk about the war in Iran, the Trump administration’s “murky” endgame, and the role of Stoic philosophy in military leadership. This interview was recorded as part of the Hoover Institution’s “Ideas That Made U.S.” series at Stanford University. Mattis– who led the Pentago...

Over the last eight seasons, Margaret Hoover has spoken to many guests about the threat posed by Iran and what the U.S. can do about it. As the war in Iran enters a third week, we look back at how key policymakers and experts have addressed the prospect of military action against the regime. This episode includes excerpts from interviews with Sen. Tom Cotton, retired Gen. David Petraeus, former Se...

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban talks to Margaret Hoover about what is wrong with the healthcare system in America and how he hopes to fix it. Since selling his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks and quitting ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Cuban has focused his energy on disrupting the healthcare industry. He explains how his company, Cost Plus Drugs, works and why he is taking on pharmacy benefit managers–the i...

Historian Jon Meacham sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about America’s pursuit of democracy, the dangers posed by the Trump administration, and his new book, “American Struggle.” The book collects speeches and documents by prominent figures beginning with the First Assembly of Virginia in 1619 to the present, tracking the development of America’s founding ideals and the nation’s imperfect qu...

Natalie Winters, co-host of Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, and Adam Mockler, host of “The Adam Mockler Show” on YouTube, join Margaret Hoover for a discussion at Hofstra University about how their generation views politics and media. Winters, 24, defends her approach to reporting and denounces the “anti-disinformation industry” that she believes silences alternative views. She also addresses r...

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara returns to “Firing Line” to talk about the impact of the federal immigration enforcement surge in his city and the protests against it. He addresses the Trump administration’s announcement that 700 federal officers will be leaving Minnesota and responds to comments President Trump made this week about the surge and about crime in Minneapolis. O’Hara, who refor...

Noa Tishby, Israel’s former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, discusses the global rise in hatred and violence against Jews and explains why she believes anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic. The actress and best-selling author reflects on the recovery of the body of the last October 7th hostage, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the state of the peace process in Gaza, and the U.S...

Margaret Hoover sits down with Mayor Brandon Johnson in Chicago to talk about his clash with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement and the political and fiscal challenges that cities are facing today. Johnson discusses the role of mayors in challenging the president’s policies and the limitations of a local government taking on the federal government. He offers advice for fellow pr...

Rep. James Clyburn joins Margaret Hoover to talk about “The First Eight,” his recent book about the eight Black South Carolinians who served in Congress before him and why their stories still matter. During reconstruction after the Civil War, South Carolina sent eight Black men to Congress. After the last of them left office in 1897, it would be 95 years before the ninth–Clyburn–was elected in 199...

Elliott Abrams, who was U.S. special representative for Venezuela in President Trump’s first term, responds to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and discusses what it means for U.S. foreign policy. Abrams, who also worked in the State Department under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, explains why he supported Trump taking action against Maduro and why he is alarmed by dec...

In a 2020 interview, journalist Bari Weiss discusses the rise of antisemitism on the right and left and her book, “How to Fight Anti-Semitism.” Weiss details several factors driving antisemitism, including President Trump “dismantling the moral guardrails that keep bigotry down.” Weiss, a proud Zionist, describes her views on Israel and its government and reflects on the historic claim that both I...

Rob Reiner talked to Margaret Hoover in 2019 about politics, activism, and his concerns for America’s future. Following the death of Reiner and his wife Michelle–and the arrest of their son for their murders–we look back at that interview, including material that did not previously air. The legendary filmmaker discussed working with conservatives to advance the cause of marriage equality and forgi...

Ret. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling joins Margaret Hoover to talk about President Trump’s new National Security Strategy and how his second term foreign policy differs from his first. Having spent nearly four decades in the U.S. Army, Hertling provides insight into the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the ethical and legal questions they raise for the military. Her...

One hundred years after William F. Buckley Jr.’s birth, Margaret Hoover sits down with biographer Sam Tanenhaus to reflect on the original “Firing Line” host’s life and legacy. In his long-awaited book, “Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America,” Tanenhaus details Buckley’s childhood, his leadership of the American conservative movement, and his later years. This is an abridged ve...

Conservative Robert George and progressive Cornel West talk to Margaret Hoover about their long-standing friendship that bridges their ideological differences in an interview recorded in 2020. George–who recently resigned from the board of the Heritage Foundation over its defense of Tucker Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes–explains what he learned from West about race in Amer...