The Smerconish Podcast

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Should the IRS audit taxpayers of all income levels with equal frequency to ensure fairness and transparency in the tax system? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday.

Michael dissects what we learned when Bill Maher talked about his meeting with President Trump nearly two weeks ago, he just spoke about it this past Friday on HBO/Max's "Real Time with Bill Maher." Michael references Sunday's daily smerconish.com poll question which asked, "Agree or disagree with Bill Maher: "A crazy person doesn't live in the White House. A person who plays a crazy person on TV a lot lives there."" Listen in for an interesting perspective on this dinner between Maher and Trump. How it all played out is not how many likely thought it would have. Original air date 14 April 2025.

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Answer the question recently raised by RFK Jr.: “If you're smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, should you expect society to pay when you get sick?” Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday.

Lots of talk about trade and tariffs lately - but this conversation has a different focus than all the rest. Allysia Finley's op-ed in hte Wall Stret Journal caught Michael's eye this week: "A Good Man for U.S. Manufacturing Is Hard to Find." It circles back to the conversation about how young men's behaviors are changing due to a variety of social factors - and they are not taking these good paying jobs in factories that are open. Michael talks with Finley about the changing workforce. Original air date 11 April 2025.

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Should humans pursue the de-extinction of species like the dire wolf? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday.

Michael welcomes Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito on an Op-Ed she penned for The Washington Post, after being on the ground with U.S. Steel workers in PA. Original air date 10 April 2025.

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Setting aside criticism of Trump’s approach and style, do you believe his tariff policies will ultimately benefit the United States? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday.

You will feel a heck of a lot smarter in 30 minutes after listening to this - Michael sure did! A great tutorial on what's happening with all these tariffs - including the most basic layers of how tariffs work, all the way to the possible deep effects on world economies and U.S. relations with other countries - from William Reinsch, senior adviser and Scholl Chair emeritus with the Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Original air date 8 April 2025.

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Which poses a greater challenge for America's future: young men's decreasing workforce participation or the decline in manufacturing jobs? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday.

Michael talks trade and tariffs with former Louisiana Lt. Governor and former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who also served as President Biden's senior advisor for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act implementation. He compares trade relationships with other countries under Biden versus today, and the impact of U.S. jobs and the economy. And, they discuss today's Smerconish.com poll question on whether what President Trump is doing with tariffs now is a permanent part of his trade policy, or, a negotiating tactic. Original air date 8 April 2025.