Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

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 in the justice system. Gonzales, who also served as White House counsel under President George W. Bush, also addresses Trump’s use of the same emergency powers Bush exercised after 9/11 to confront issues like immigration and questions the legality of recent strikes against alleged drug boats in international waters.He comments on declining trust in the Supreme Court, the implications of its presidential immunity ruling for Trump’s second term, and the failure of Congress to act as a check on the executive branch.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 humanitarian workers face in conflict zones and urges governments to stop targeting them.McCain talks about the challenges WFP faces in Sudan, Afghanistan, and Gaza as hunger mounts and conditions limit access. She comments on the effectiveness of the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and explains why she believes WFP is better suited to deliver aid in Gaza.As President Trump questions the purpose of the UN at this week’s General Assembly, McCain also defends its mission and outlines steps WFP has taken to make its own operations more efficient.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 explains why young men have proven particularly susceptible to extremist influences amid a crisis of masculinity in society.As conservatives cast blame on the left and demand vengeance for Kirk’s death, Miller-Idriss warns of vigilanteism and suppression of free speech. She says there is “unquestionably” a danger of further violence if rhetoric is not toned down.Miller-Idriss, the founding director of the Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab at American University, also talks about potential solutions to radicalization and what she has learned from talking to students about these issues.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 necessary for Big Tech today. Still, he also defends the CEOs of major tech companies like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk as “heroes of a capitalistic society.”Malone–the chairman emeritus of CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery–reflects on the state of the news media today, the need for objective reporting, and the consequences of a fractured media landscape.He also discusses the dysfunction of Congress and expansion of executive power and comments on President Trump’s second term, saying “I like his policies, but his style is so disruptive and divisive that I'm not sure at the end of the day the country can survive it.”Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 parade this week. He explains why he fears Trump is undermining alliances and placing the world order at risk.Coons also addresses Trump’s handling of the war in Ukraine, the plight of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia, and where he feels the Biden administration’s response to Putin’s aggression went wrong.Coons comments on Democratic Party’s divisions over Israel and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He also addresses Trump’s National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C. and the limits of the judiciary’s ability to rein in the president’s use of executive power—and explains why he wants HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 Buckley chose him to tell this story and responds to some of the book’s conservative critics.Tanenhaus defends his handling of Buckley’s Catholicism and his evolution on racial issues throughout his life, as well as his assertion that Buckley was more of an arguer than a thinker. He also pushes back against those who question his decision to address suspicions about Buckley’s sexuality in the book.Tanenhaus discusses Buckley’s lasting impact on journalism and politics, including the extent to which he might have laid the groundwork for President Trump’s MAGA movement. After spending nearly three decades writing the book, he also reflects on his own relationship with Buckley.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 highlights instances where he has stood up to the Trump administration. He also explains how he has succeeded in advancing his district’s priorities, like raising the cap on the state and local tax deduction in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.Lawler, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East and Africa Subcommittee, responds to Trump’s criticism of Israel over starvation in Gaza and lays out his view of the conflict. He also comments on declining support for Israel in the U.S., particularly among younger Americans.Lawler defends the OBBBA’s Medicaid provisions and disputes projections of the bill’s costs. He also reacts to controversy over Texas Republicans trying to redraw congressional maps mid-decade–which has led Democrats in his state to threaten to do the same–and makes the case for banning partisan redistricting nationwide.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 argues it is unlikely to produce the rapid economic growth the White House has predicted. She discusses a potential debt crisis and the reforms to Medicare and Social Security that could help avert it, as well as the political obstacles standing in the way.Riedl has spent more than 20 years in Republican economic policy circles–including advising Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio’s presidential campaigns–and she reflects on how the party’s embrace of populism under Trump has left traditional conservatives like her politically “homeless.”Riedl emphasizes the importance of the Federal Reserve’s independence, envisions how GOP economic policy may evolve after Trump leaves office, and expresses some hope for the country’s fiscal future.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 confronting the national debt. She also comments on Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the use of the phrase “globalize the intifada” by anti-Israel protesters.The former CIA analyst talks about the impact of the rescission package Republicans passed this week and explains why she believes some GOP lawmakers are afraid to defy the president. She also discusses Trump’s agreement to provide weapons to Ukraine through NATO and the possibility of restoring deterrence against America’s adversaries. Slotkin reacts to the rift among Republicans over the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and defends her bill that would require immigration officers to clearly identify themselves when making arrests.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.

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 Ukraine. He also praises Trump’s support for Israel and suggests the debate over striking Iran’s nuclear facilities dampened the influence of GOP isolationists on the president.But Pence raises concerns about Trump’s tariffs–which he says the president has no authority to impose–and his refusal to enforce the ban on TikTok that was passed by Congress. He defends Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill for extending the Trump-Pence tax cuts and reforming Medicaid, but he calls for more leadership from Republicans on reducing deficits going forward.Pence also explains why he sent a letter to a January 6th rioter who refused a pardon from President Trump, and he offers his take on whether Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, whether Afghans who aided the U.S. should face deportation, and whether the Trump family should be profiting off the presidency.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.