Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Dave Wiskus, founder and CEO of the streaming service Nebula, sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about the rise of the creator economy, the decline of traditional media, and what comes next. Wiskus explains how creator-driven content has become a global industry that could be worth $500 billion by 2027 and how a new generation of creators like Mr. Beast interact with the gatekeepers of traditi...

Filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein sit down with Margaret Hoover to discuss their latest project, “The American Revolution,” ahead of its premiere on PBS. The 12-hour documentary series revisits America’s founding, aiming to tell the complete story rather than the "sanitized" version many have come to know. Burns and Botstein explain why the revolution was also a bloody civil war–an...

Financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about his new book, “1929,” and what the lessons of the Great Depression mean for the economy today. Sorkin, a CNBC anchor and New York Times columnist, discusses the bankers and policymakers at the center of the crash and the recovery, including Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  He explains how...

Former Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins Margaret Hoover to discuss President Trump’s trip to Asia, the state of the war in Ukraine, and the new era of great power competition with Russia and China. McFaul, author of the new book “Autocrats vs. Democrats,” assesses Trump’s handling of foreign policy so far in his second term, acknowledging the president has not been the isolationist many e...

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo discusses the New York City mayoral race, his policy proposals, and the danger he sees in electing his opponent, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. With Election Day approaching, Cuomo lays out his potential path to victory and challenges Mamdani’s plans to address affordability concerns. He also comments on broader divisions in the Democratic Party. Running...

Justice Anthony Kennedy talks to Margaret Hoover about his three decades on the Supreme Court and the threats he sees to American democracy today. As the court begins a new term, Kennedy, who took senior status in 2018, discusses the relationship between the Supreme Court and the executive branch and the prospect of a president defying the court’s orders. Kennedy, author of the new memoir Life, La...

Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s cyber ambassador, sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about technology, democracy, and the fate of Taiwan amid new threats from China. Tang, who served as Taiwan’s first minister of digital affairs, reflects on her work integrating technology into the government and the lessons learned from its successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains why she believes tec...

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lays out his concerns about the indictment of James Comey and the Trump administration defying the norms of Justice Department independence. Gonzales–a Republican who supported Kamala Harris in 2024 due to concerns about Trump and the rule of law–says Trump’s effort to direct the department to prosecute his enemies threatens to undermine public confidence i...

World Food Programme Director Cindy McCain joins Margaret Hoover to discuss the global food crisis and the need for more resources to fight it. In a conversation on the sidelines of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, McCain details the impact of humanitarian aid cuts by the U.S. and other countries, which she believes have already cost lives around the world. She also addresses the danger...

Political violence expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss joins Margaret Hoover to discuss the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the rising threat of political violence in America. Miller-Idriss, author of the new book “Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism,” details some of the factors fueling radicalization, including online gaming and social media. She also expl...

Cable TV titan John Malone joins Margaret Hoover to talk about his new memoir, “Born to Be Wired,” and current challenges in media and politics. Malone, who played a key role in the development of the cable industry at Tele-Communications Inc. and Liberty Media Corp., explains why he opposed efforts to regulate his industry like net neutrality–and why he now believes more aggressive regulation is...

As China asserts itself as a global power, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) sits down with Margaret Hoover in D.C. to discuss the threat posed by Beijing and its authoritarian allies and the Trump administration’s response. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee member recounts his recent visit to the Indo-Pacific with a bipartisan congressional delegation and reacts to China’s massive military parad...

Sam Tanenhaus, author of a long-awaited biography of William F. Buckley Jr., sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the original “Firing Line” host’s life and legacy a century after his birth. In “Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America,” Tanenhaus details Buckley’s childhood, his rise to lead the American conservative movement, and his later years. He explains why he believes...

New York Congressman Mike Lawler sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss his approach to legislating as one of only three Republicans in the House representing a district Kamala Harris won in 2024 and why he believes his Democratic-leaning constituents should reelect him next year. Lawler, who recently ruled out a run for governor, talks about defending his record at often rowdy town halls and h...

Conservative economist Jessica Riedl joins Margaret Hoover to talk about tariffs, tax cuts, and the threat of the growing national debt. She explains why President Trump’s tariffs have not yet upended the economy and why she believes American consumers will ultimately bear the costs of Trump’s policies. Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, assesses the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and...

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss her economic “war plan” for Democrats and her approach to bridging the ideological divisions within the party. Slotkin–who won her seat even as Donald Trump won her state–calls for Democrats to stop being so sensitive, responds to the rise of progressive populists like Zohran Mamdani, and addresses the challenges of confrontin...

Former Vice President Mike Pence sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the first six months of Donald Trump’s second term and his advocacy for adhering to the conservative principles that he feels led to success in the first Trump administration. Pence assesses President Trump’s apparent shift toward a more aggressive posture against Vladimir Putin and makes the case for continued U.S. aid to...

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski joins Margaret Hoover to discuss her new memoir “Far from Home,” in which she reflects on her rise in Washington, D.C. and her role as a moderate Republican in the time of Donald Trump. “My place in the middle is often uncomfortable, sometimes lonely,” Murkowski tells Margaret. “But it's where I feel I belong.” While she maintains only Congress can declare war, Mu...

Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his new book, “The Affirmative Action Myth,” in which he argues that Black people were progressing at a faster rate before racial preferences became widespread in the 1970s. The prominent conservative also discusses racial disparities in education, saying that universities that pursue diversity just want “window dressing,”...

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his new book, “Marketcrafters,” in which he examines how American policymakers have shaped markets for social and political goals over the last century. Hughes, who is now pursuing a PhD in economics at the University of Pennsylvania, sees growing support on the left and the right for using the levers of government to cultivate mark...

Dr. Fei-Fei Li, known as the godmother of AI, talks to Margaret Hoover about the ethical development of artificial intelligence and the challenge of regulating the rapidly advancing technology. Li, who recently received a lifetime achievement award at the Webbys for her AI research, explains why she focuses her work on “human-centered AI” and how she believes human dignity can be protected as AI p...

Historian Niall Ferguson sits down with Margaret Hoover to assess the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term and the challenges that lie ahead for the White House. Ferguson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, contrasts Trump with FDR and considers whether his early actions will have lasting impact. He also explains why he sees Trump 2.0 as “Richard Nixon’s revenge.” Ferguson criti...

Actor Kelsey Grammer joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his new book, his decadeslong journey of healing after tragedy, and his politics. When most people think of Grammer, they think of his charming character Dr. Frasier Crane on “Cheers” and “Frasier,” but there is a darker side to his story. In “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” Grammer reflects on the vicious murder of his sister Karen, who was raped...

Robert Lighthizer, who served as U.S. trade representative in Donald Trump’s first term, sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the president’s trade agenda, his use of tariffs, and their impact on the economy. Lighthizer, author of No Trade Is Free , explains why he favors “balanced trade” over free trade and makes his case that tariffs can revive American manufacturing. He tells Hoover why he...

As wars continue to rage in Ukraine and Gaza, chef and World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his approach to humanitarian aid in disasters, his reaction to losing aid workers in Gaza, and his new book, “Change the Recipe.”  Andrés, whose organization has served millions of meals in Ukraine, urges the Trump administration to change course amid threats to walk aw...