Smerconish on CNN

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

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...

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 ste...

CNN's Michael Smerconish gives his take after social media users criticized the healthcare industry amid the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. A retired FBI special agent joins Smerconish to discuss the latest on the manhunt for the gunman who killed a healthcare CEO in midtown Manhattan. A former CIA officer joins Smerconish to discuss the background check process that Pete Hegseth...

The Captain for the University of Nevada Reno Women's Volleyball team joins CNN's Michael Smerconish to explain why her team chose to forfeit their game against San Jose State after hearing about an alleged trans athlete on the opposing team. Physician and Republican Ohio Congressman Brad Wenstrup shares his view on Biden's proposal to expand healthcare coverage for weight-loss drugs. Annie Jacobs...

House Representative Nancy Mace announced plans to introduce legislation that would bar transgender women from using women's restrooms and changing rooms in the Captial. Zoey Tur, a transgender journalist, joins CNN's Michael Smerconish to discuss the latest and how it is affecting the larger conversation on transgender rights. Then, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, Peggy Noonan, joins to discuss...

Jessica Levinson, a constitutional law professor, joins CNN's Michael Smerconish to discuss what it will mean for the other branches of government if Trump's cabinet appointees are confirmed through recess appointments. Then, a senior adviser for Trump's campaign explains what Trump's mass deportation plan will look like once he's sworn into office. Finally, Thomas Frank, the author of "What's The...

CNN's Michael Smerconish takes a close look at the 2024 presidential campaigns and explains what he thinks was the biggest surprise for President-elect Donald Trump. A senior campaign adviser for Trump explains how the president-elect secured votes from the Latino community and the "massive disconnect" voters have with the Democratic Party. NYU professor of marketing Scott Galloway speaks about "a...

The polls in 2016 and 2020 underestimated Trump's popularity among voters... So what will that mean for the outcome of 2024? James Carville, David Axelrod, and Florida Congressman Byron Donalds review the divisive rhetoric echoed in the final week before Election Day and whether it'll make a difference to voters. Finally, a Princeton University lecturer argues democracy is not a winning message th...

CNN's Michael Smerconish interviews the U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on whether the postal service will deliver all mail-in ballots on time for the 2024 election. David Axelrod and Mark McKinnon discuss the impact of Trump's interview with Joe Rogan while Harris rallies in Houston, TX with Beyonce. Later, Marty Baron, a former executive editor for the Washington Post, chats with Michael abo...

The betting markets, stock market, cultural trends, pundits, and conventional polls are all predicting the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Many polls in 2016 and 2020 underestimated Trump's appeal to voters. So, have pollsters adjusted their metrics for the upcoming election? CNN Political Commentator Bakari Sellers tells Michael Smerconish the narrative has completely flipped with Harr...

Are we a nation of hope or fear? Michael Smerconish asks which emotion is more potent in this election and how both candidates are trying to connect with voters. Former Pennsylvania Congressmen Conor Lamb and Charlie Dent predict which counties will tip the keystone state and determine the winner of the 2024 presidential election. Early analysis shows homeowners will lose billions of dollars in pr...

CNN’s Michael Smerconish asked presidential historian Allan Lichtman about the October surprise and if it ever impacts his prediction for who will win the race for the White House. Democratic strategist James Carville and senior political commentator David Urban debate on whether Vice-President Harris is playing it safe in this election. Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell joins Michael to discus...

Michael Smerconish begins with the breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon where Hezbollah confirms their leader was killed from an Israeli strike on Friday. Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East negotiator, tells Smerconish that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may see this regional conflict as an "opportunity" to stay in power. Tim Ryan and Dr. Scott Jensen share their...

Michael Smerconish and Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterrorism coordinator, discuss the looming global threats facing the U.S. while the presidential race is saturated with salacious headlines. Corey Lewandowski, a senior Trump campaign official, addresses the latest scandal involving North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. A Purdue University Political Science professor and AI expert...

Michael Smerconish gives his take on the ABC News Presidential debate and discusses the latest on the 2024 race with Bakari Sellers and Salena Zito. Nearly three dozen election officials are warning the U.S. Postal Service may delay the mail-in ballot count. Former President Trump will also have access to $2 billion if he decides to sell his shares from Trump Media. Max Boot, a Washington Post Col...

Too close to call? New polling show Vice President Harris and former President Trump are neck and neck in critical swing states. The stakes of the upcoming debate are even higher as both campaigns prepare to face each other for the first time. Smerconish speaks with Republican Congressman Byron Donalds to get his reaction on Dick and Liz Cheney’s recent statements. Former Senior Advisor to the Oba...

Michael Smerconish and Scott Galloway dissect the widening gender divide within Gen Z voters.  Smerconish breaks down Trump's latest controversy following his recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Smerconish sits down with a military family member who lost her Daughter-in-Law during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Later, co-author of "The Canceling of the American Mind," Greg Lukianof...

Third-Party candidates played a critical role in the 2016 presidential election. Now that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump... who will benefit more from his exit, Harris or Trump? Plus: Michael Smerconish speaks with Washington Post Columnist Perry Bacon, Jr. about why Harris needs to take questions from journalists across local news outlets. And patriotism takes cen...

Former President Trump is reverting back to personal attacks now that Vice-President Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket. Michael Smerconish questions whether Harris' success derives from Trump's inability to stay on message or is the media giving her a free ride? Also on today's show: ** Is Kamala Harris getting a free pass from the media? ** Pollster predicts a wide gender gap among...

VP possibility Josh Shapiro’s popularity “is really off the charts, extraordinary in a polarized era.” Harris' mispronounced name controversy. With possibility of nuclear arms being used in Ukraine and Iran, an expert warns, “nuclear war is as dangerous to civilization…. as the incoming asteroid was to the dinosaurs, 66 million years ago.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

Plus: Nearly a dozen potential VP candidates are said to be in the midst of getting vetted. Two options are making waves across social media and opinions. Who will be the last standing at the Democratic Convention? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would the obstacles be to Harris now becoming the candidate? Assassination expert: attempt on Trump's life a “Dereliction of Duty” by security forces. And Richard Clarke on the summer 2024 Friday the world's computers went kerflooey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plus: Costas: ‘Nobody should be president when they’re 85.’ How to convince biden to step down. How GOP platform has changed since Reagan. And are 2024 gambling odds more accurate than polling? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calls for Biden to step aside are growing but not everyone thinks the President should go. Some argue his record says far more about his fitness to serve than what is depicted in the media. Others say it’s time to ‘roll the dice." Can Biden’s record prevail over his latest stumbles? And later, Smerconish sits down with a CEO determined to stop the decline of trade skills. They dive into why a voca...