Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

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 reflect on th...

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. 

Crittenden and her husband, ...

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 philosophical clashes have echoed ...

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 learned from talking to fraudsters like Sam Bankman-F...

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 expensive and confusing. He lays out ...

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 changed in ...

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 Pentagon for two years in President Trump’s ...

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 industry middlemen he blame...

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 live up to them. 

Meacham refl...

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 addresses rifts within the Republican Party rev...

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 Minneapolis Police Department...

Noa Tishby, Israel’s former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, discusses the global rise in hatred and violence against Jews and explains why she believes anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic.

The actress and best-selling author reflects on the recovery of the body of the last October 7th hostage, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the state of the peace process in Gaza, and the U.S. response to protests in Iran.

Tishb...

Margaret Hoover sits down with Mayor Brandon Johnson in Chicago to talk about his clash with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement and the political and fiscal challenges that cities are facing today.

Johnson discusses the role of mayors in challenging the president’s policies and the limitations of a local government taking on the federal government.

He offers advice for fellow progressive New York Mayor Zohran Mamda...

Rep. James Clyburn joins Margaret Hoover to talk about “The First Eight,” his recent book about the eight Black South Carolinians who served in Congress before him and why their stories still matter.

During reconstruction after the Civil War, South Carolina sent eight Black men to Congress. After the last of them left office in 1897, it would be 95 years before the ninth–Clyburn–was elected in 1992. Clyburn explains why there was su...

Elliott Abrams, who was U.S. special representative for Venezuela in President Trump’s first term, responds to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and discusses what it means for U.S. foreign policy.

Abrams, who also worked in the State Department under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, explains why he supported Trump taking action against Maduro and why he is alarmed by decisions the administration has made s...

In a 2020 interview, journalist Bari Weiss discusses the rise of antisemitism on the right and left and her book, “How to Fight Anti-Semitism.” Weiss details several factors driving antisemitism, including President Trump “dismantling the moral guardrails that keep bigotry down.”

Weiss, a proud Zionist, describes her views on Israel and its government and reflects on the historic claim that both Israelis and Palestinians have to the...

Rob Reiner talked to Margaret Hoover in 2019 about politics, activism, and his concerns for America’s future. Following the death of Reiner and his wife Michelle–and the arrest of their son for their murders–we look back at that interview, including material that did not previously air.

The legendary filmmaker discussed working with conservatives to advance the cause of marriage equality and forging friendships with Republicans who ...

Ret. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling joins Margaret Hoover to talk about President Trump’s new National Security Strategy and how his second term foreign policy differs from his first.

Having spent nearly four decades in the U.S. Army, Hertling provides insight into the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the ethical and legal questions they raise for the military.

Hertling, who served as commanding gener...