Firing Line with Margaret Hoover — Season 9
About this season
Join author, activist and commentator Margaret Hoover for a public affairs talk show that delivers a civil and engaging contest of ideas among the brightest minds and voices from across the ideological spectrum.
Episodes (17)
1. Elliott Abrams
Aired 9 January 2026 • 27 min
After Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s capture, Elliott Abrams–who served in the State Dept. under Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump–discusses Venezuela’s future and prospects for democracy. He questions Trump’s “might makes right” foreign policy.
2. James Clyburn
Aired 16 January 2026 • 27 min
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) discusses the role of race in politics in America’s past and present, his warning for younger generations, and his new book about South Carolina’s first eight Black members of Congress.
3. Brandon Johnson
Aired 23 January 2026 • 27 min
Mayor Brandon Johnson discusses leading Chicago amid ICE raids and clashes with Trump—while facing a budget and pension crisis that threatens the city’s financial future. He addresses setbacks to his progressive agenda and the hard choices ahead.
4. Noa Tishby
Aired 30 January 2026 • 27 min
Actress, activist and author Noa Tishby discusses rising hatred and violence against Jews worldwide. The former Israeli antisemitism envoy explores the evolution of antisemitism and anti-Zionism and how they manifest on the right and left in the U.S.
5. Brian O’Hara
Aired 6 February 2026 • 27 min
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara responds to the latest in Trump’s ICE and Border Patrol surge, cautioning that prolonged federal enforcement risks eroding police reforms and fragile community trust rebuilt since George Floyd’s murder.
6. Natalie Winters and Adam Mockler
Aired 13 February 2026 • 27 min
Natalie Winters, co-host of Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, and Adam Mockler, Gen Z YouTube host, discuss politics, media, and Trump’s immigration policy in a forum at Hofstra University.
7. Jon Meacham
Aired 20 February 2026 • 27 min
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham reflects on 250 years of American triumphs and tragedies, the legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the challenges to democracy in the Trump era, through his new book, "American Struggle."
8. Mark Cuban
Aired 27 February 2026 • 27 min
Mark Cuban discusses the cost of healthcare and his battle to lower the price of prescription drugs.
9. Iran: The Road to War
Aired 13 March 2026 • 27 min
As the war in Iran continues, Firing Line looks back at interviews with policymakers and experts—including Sen. Tom Cotton, retired Gen. David Petraeus, and former Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice—about America’s long-simmering conflict with Iran.
10. Jim Mattis and Ryan Holiday
Aired 20 March 2026 • 27 min
Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and bestselling author Ryan Holiday discuss the war in Iran, its potential impact, and how Stoic virtues can inform military leadership in a conversation recorded at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
11. Philip Wallach, Oona Hathaway
Aired 10 April 2026 • 27 min
As presidential power grows, where is Congress? Philip Wallach (American Enterprise Institute) and Oona Hathaway (Yale Law School) confront Congress' diminished power and how to fix it in a forum at Hofstra University.
12. Lanhee Chen
Aired 17 April 2026 • 27 min
Lanhee Chen, a health care policy expert, breaks down what’s driving America’s health care dysfunction—and lays out market-based ideas to fix it. He takes on the failure of GOP politicians to offer solutions and the roadblocks that keep reform stuck.
13. Ben McKenzie
Aired 24 April 2026 • 27 min
Actor and filmmaker Ben McKenzie unpacks his new documentary “Everyone Is Lying To You For Money” and why he argues the crypto boom is built on hype, risk, and deception. He takes on regulators, investors, and even President Trump’s crypto ventures.
14. Yuval Levin and Jeffrey Rosen
Aired 1 May 2026 • 27 min
Constitutional scholars Jeffrey Rosen and Yuval Levin discuss America’s founding documents, why the ideas behind the Declaration of Independence and Constitution matter 250 years later, and the challenges that lie ahead for the American experiment.
15. Danielle Crittenden
Aired 8 May 2026 • 27 min
After the sudden death of her daughter—Miranda Frum, who once worked at Firing Line—author Danielle Crittenden reports from the front lines of grief, offering insight on how loss reshapes life and how to support those living through the unthinkable.
16. Jim Mattis and Ryan Holiday Part Two - 250th Anniversary
Aired 15 May 2026 • 27 min
Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and bestselling author Ryan Holiday examine the ancient philosophy that inspired America’s founders — and why its lessons on courage, duty, and leadership matter more than ever 250 years later.
17. Tamir Hayman
Aired 29 May 2026 • 25 min
Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman, former chief of Israeli military intelligence, examines successes and shortcomings of the Iran war, why key objectives remain unmet, and why American public opinion is a national security concern for Israel.