Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu sits down with Margaret Hoover in Concord to make his case for Nikki Haley ahead of next week’s pivotal Republican presidential primary. Sununu explains why he believes the former South Carolina governor is well-positioned to take on Donald Trump despite Trump’s decisive victory in Iowa and how his state’s independent streak and history of supporting underdogs c...

Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about the record influx of migrants at the southern border and what it will take for Washington to confront the crisis. Gonzales, whose district includes nearly half the U.S.-Mexico border, explains why the surge of migration is happening now, how it is different from previous upticks, and how its economic and social impact...

Journalist Tim Alberta joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his reporting on the corruption of the evangelical movement by partisan politics and the role of the church in the ascendance of Donald Trump. Alberta, the son of an evangelical preacher and author of “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,” explains why the church has aligned behind Trump, providing one of his most loyal bases of support des...

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the explosion of antisemitism around the world and on college campuses since the October 7th Hamas attack. Greenblatt responds to recent testimony by college presidents on Capitol Hill, accusing schools of hypocrisy in their handling of antisemitic incidents, and he reflects on w...

Margaret Hoover sits down with exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez to discuss his efforts to advance democracy in his home country and around the world. Lopez, who spent nearly four years in solitary confinement under Nicolas Maduro’s regime before fleeing the country in 2020, reflects on how life has changed in Venezuela under a repressive government that operates what he calls a “...

Margaret Hoover sits down with Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, in Atlanta to talk about his defense of the state’s 2020 election and preparations for 2024. Raffensperger, who Donald Trump asked to “find” enough votes to overturn the election, discusses the Republican Party’s embrace of voter fraud conspiracy theories, as well as Democrats stoking fears about voter supp...

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides joins Margaret Hoover to discuss Israel’s response to the October 7th Hamas attack and why he believes the next 30 days may be the most important in the country’s history. As Israel draws international scrutiny for its tactics, Nides addresses the challenges Israel faces in Gaza as it attempts to limit civilian casualties while fighting an enemy that h...

Kimberly Kagan, founder and president of the Institute for the Study of War, talks to Margaret Hoover about the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, why they matter, and how they are connected. The military historian who advised U.S. commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan assesses Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza and the potential challenges of waging urban warfare against Hamas. She also addresses th...

Republican Mitch Daniels, the former governor of Indiana and president of Purdue University, sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the dangers of rising federal debt, education reform, and fixing America’s broken politics. Daniels, who worked for Ronald Reagan and served as director of President George W. Bush’s Office of Management and Budget, reflects on the nation’s failure under both Democ...

Terrorism expert Jonathan Schanzer joins Margaret Hoover to discuss the latest developments in Gaza and the next phase of Israel’s war against Hamas. Schanzer, a senior vice president at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, explains why Israel has delayed its expected ground invasion of Gaza, how the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas complicate any military action, and why the notion of H...

New York Times columnist Bret Stephens joins Margaret Hoover to talk about the recent Hamas attack in Israel, the global response, and what it means for the future of the region. Stephens, a former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, discusses how Israelis are processing the horror and why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be held accountable for pursuing policies that divided the countr...

Political scientist Yascha Mounk joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his latest book, “The Identity Trap,” and rising threats to democracy on the right and left. Mounk–a professor at Johns Hopkins University and contributing writer for The Atlantic–explains how the identity-focused politics of the left have become a “trap” that he fears is likely to produce more prejudice and division, and he traces...

Biographer Walter Isaacson joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his new bestselling biography of Elon Musk and what he learned from two years of observing the world’s richest man. Isaacson explains how Musk’s turbulent childhood in South Africa left him with a love of science fiction and adventure that drives his innovations and aspirations, as well as a dark side that still haunts him today. He detai...

Actor Liev Schreiber joins Margaret Hoover to talk about the war in Ukraine and his efforts to provide humanitarian aid through the organization he co-founded, BlueCheck Ukraine. Schreiber discusses his Ukrainian roots and why he was inspired to help Ukraine after Russia’s invasion began. He explains how BlueCheck identifies and vets frontline relief groups to partner with and details some of the...

Writer, activist and comedian Baratunde Thurston sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the second season of “America Outdoors” on PBS and how the show attempts to “tell a better story of us” through nature. Thurston reflects on moments in the new season that confront America’s history of racial violence, differing attitudes toward guns, and the impact of climate change, as well as how the outd...

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum joins Margaret Hoover from Iowa, where he is campaigning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, to discuss his strategy and his agenda.  Burgum, a successful CEO who entered politics in 2016, explains why he is now running for president and why he thinks he can win despite frontrunner Donald Trump’s massive lead over the field. He criticizes the Biden ad...

Roya Mahboob, who became Afghanistan’s first female tech CEO at 23, reflects on the U.S. withdrawal and how life has changed in the country since the Taliban returned to power. Mahboob discusses her childhood in Afghanistan and Iran and how she became interested in technology, as well as what it was like to be a female CEO in a country where men were used to being in charge. She explains why she f...

GOP presidential candidate Will Hurd sits down with Margaret Hoover in Iowa to discuss his blunt criticism of Donald Trump, his policy agenda, and what he believes it means to be a modern Republican. Hurd, a former congressman whose district included over 800 miles of the southern border, lays out his immigration reform plan, as well as his approach to gun violence and artificial intelligence. The...

Entrepreneur and GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his vision for America as he rises in the Republican primary polls, earning a spot on the August 23 debate stage.  Ramaswamy said he thought Trump was “actually a very good president” but explained why he thinks Trump “fell short” and how he plans to go even further with an agenda that would radically reshape the U.S....

Sixth Circuit Judge Amul Thapar sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss his new book, “The People’s Justice,” and why he believes Justice Clarence Thomas is misunderstood. Thapar explains the judicial philosophy of originalism and how he applies it in his own rulings, as well as addressing some common criticisms of the approach. The federal judge also reflects on the Supreme Court’s recent decis...

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joins Margaret Hoover to discuss her state’s election reforms, how nonpartisan open primaries and ranked choice voting helped her stave off a Trump-backed challenge in 2022, and why she hopes the system can be a model for other states. Murkowski, who voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial, says it would be “unfortunate” if the party renomina...

Singer Jewel Kilcher sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss her musical career, her mental health journey, and how she hopes to help others find happiness. The Grammy-nominated performer reflects on her escape from an abusive childhood in Alaska, confronting her pain through her music, and why her honesty has resonated with audiences for nearly three decades.  As a co-founder of the virtual men...

Historian Jill Lepore talks to Margaret Hoover about her new audiobook, Who Killed Truth?: A History of Evidence , and why she set out to uncover the truth about truth by examining times of uncertainty from the 19th century to the present. Lepore, a professor at Harvard University and staff writer for The New Yorker, explains how advances in technology over the last century have led to instability...

Former federal and state prosecutor Elie Honig joins Margaret Hoover to break down Donald Trump’s federal indictment over his handling of classified documents and lay out how the prosecution of a former president and current presidential candidate may proceed into 2024. The CNN senior legal analyst discusses Trump’s potential defenses, explains why the Espionage Act was the appropriate statute to...

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about his strategy for taking on Donald Trump and why he believes he will succeed where he failed in 2016. Hours before Trump’s federal indictment was announced, Christie, a former federal prosecutor, explains why the special counsel has no choice but to charge Trump if there is evidence he committed a crime, a...