Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Democratic socialist Melat Kiros sits down with Margaret Hoover in Denver to discuss her House race, what democratic socialism means to her, and explains her criticism of Israel.

Kiros, who defeated a 15-term incumbent in a Democratic primary, reflects on why democratic socialism is resonating with voters across the country and responds to “red scare tactics” from Republicans heading into the midterms.

She explains where ...

Justice Neil Gorsuch sits down with Margaret Hoover at the Supreme Court to talk about the ideas that shaped America, why they have endured for 250 years, and how to preserve them for the future.

Gorsuch breaks down his new children’s book, “Heroes of 1776,” which tells the stories of the men and women who fought for America’s freedom. He explains why he believes exploring the humanity of the nation’s f...

Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal joins Margaret Hoover to discuss America’s founding ideals and the role of the military and citizens in ensuring that they endure. 

He explains why the current politicization of the military concerns him and why military leaders have strived to remain nonpartisan in the past.

McChrystal, who has written several books on leadership since leaving the military, reflects on the importance o...

Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy–the top-performing charter school network in New York City–joins Margaret Hoover to talk about what’s wrong with public education in America and what failing schools can learn from her approach.

Success Academy runs 59 public charter schools in New York City, and it is preparing to open five more in Florida. Moskowitz explains why her schools score better on standardized tests ...

As America marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Margaret Hoover speaks to a Supreme Court justice, a swing state governor, and a retired four-star general about the state of American democracy and the nation’s progress toward fulfilling its founding ideals.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, co-author of the new children’s book “Heroes of 1776,” reflects on America’s founder...

Margaret Hoover talks to Melissa Murray, legal scholar and best-selling author of tThe U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader, a book she wrote in the hope that the Constitution would be read and understood by all Americans—just as the founders had intended.

Murray, who also co-hosts the Strict Scrutiny podcast, examines the history of each amendment, and how the Reconstruction Era transfo...

Margaret Hoover talks to General Tamir Hayman, former head of the IDF’s military intelligence unit, about the state of the war in Iran, the status of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, and what he believes the U.S. and Israel have gotten right and wrong so far.

Hayman is now executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies, an independent think tank affiliated with Tel Aviv University and remains ...

Bestselling author and podcaster Ryan Holiday and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis discuss America’s founding ideals and why they still matter 250 years later in the second part of a conversation recorded at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Holiday and Mattis explain why adherence to Stoic virtues is valuable in the military and how falling back on one’s first principles can help navigate a crisis.

They r...

Danielle Crittenden joins Margaret Hoover to discuss her new book, “Dispatches from Grief: A Mother's Journey Through the Unthinkable,” which details the aftermath of her daughter’s unexpected death.

Miranda Frum, who once worked for “Firing Line,” died suddenly in 2024 at age 32 as she was preparing to celebrate the five-year anniversary of a successful surgery to remove a rare nonmalignant brain tumor...

Margaret Hoover sits down with American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Yuval Levin and National Constitution Center CEO Emeritus Jeffrey Rosen to discuss the enduring ideals of America’s founding documents.

Levin and Rosen, who both contributed to the NCC’s new book “The Promise of America,” reflect on the shared principles and ideological differences between the nation’s founders and how those phil...

Ben McKenzie joins Margaret Hoover to break down his new documentary about cryptocurrency, “Everyone Is Lying to You for Money,” and the dangers he believes crypto poses to investors and the economy itself.

McKenzie–best known for his performances on “The O.C.,” “Southland,” and “Gotham”--explains why he grew skeptical of crypto while other men embraced it and reflects on what he...

Health care policy expert Lanhee Chen joins Margaret Hoover to unpack the paradox at the heart of American medicine: the best care in the world—and some of the highest costs. What’s broken, and why hasn’t Washington been able to fix it?

Chen—a Hoover Institution fellow who has advised Republican leaders from George W. Bush to Mitt Romney—traces how a patchwork system evolved into one that’s both e...

As presidents increasingly rely on executive action to advance their agenda, Philip Wallach and Oona Hathaway join Margaret Hoover to discuss why Congress has abdicated its constitutional power and how to fix it in a forum at Hofstra University.

Wallach, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of “Why Congress,” talks about the role the founders envisioned for the legislative branch and how it has...

Former Four Star Marine General Jim Mattis and best selling author and popular podcaster Ryan Holiday join Margaret Hoover to talk about the war in Iran, the Trump administration’s “murky” endgame, and the role of Stoic philosophy in military leadership.

This interview was recorded as part of the Hoover Institution’s “Ideas That Made U.S.” series at Stanford University.

Mattis– who led the Pe...

Over the last eight seasons, Margaret Hoover has spoken to many guests about the threat posed by Iran and what the U.S. can do about it. As the war in Iran enters a third week, we look back at how key policymakers and experts have addressed the prospect of military action against the regime.

This episode includes excerpts from interviews with Sen. Tom Cotton, retired Gen. David Petraeus, former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, forme...

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban talks to Margaret Hoover about what is wrong with the healthcare system in America and how he hopes to fix it.

Since selling his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks and quitting ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Cuban has focused his energy on disrupting the healthcare industry. He explains how his company, Cost Plus Drugs, works and why he is taking on pharmacy benefit managers–the insurance ind...

Historian Jon Meacham sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about America’s pursuit of democracy, the dangers posed by the Trump administration, and his new book, “American Struggle.”

The book collects speeches and documents by prominent figures beginning with the First Assembly of Virginia in 1619 to the present, tracking the development of America’s founding ideals and the nation’s imperfect quest to...

Natalie Winters, co-host of Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, and Adam Mockler, host of “The Adam Mockler Show” on YouTube, join Margaret Hoover for a discussion at Hofstra University about how their generation views politics and media.

Winters, 24, defends her approach to reporting and denounces the “anti-disinformation industry” that she believes silences alternative views. She also addre...

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara returns to “Firing Line” to talk about the impact of the federal immigration enforcement surge in his city and the protests against it.

He addresses the Trump administration’s announcement that 700 federal officers will be leaving Minnesota and responds to comments President Trump made this week about the surge and about crime in Minneapolis.

O’Hara, who reformed the...