Firing Line with Margaret Hoover Firing Line With Margaret Hoover

As the end of Donald Trump’s first trial nears, Margaret Hoover sits down with conservative attorney and former Trump supporter George Conway to discuss the case and the prospect of another Trump presidency.

Conway defends the Manhattan prosecution, talks about watching Trump in the courtroom, and explains why he disagrees with those who say the case is driven by politics. He also argues Trump has received preferential treatment from the courts, including in the classified documents case overseen by Judge Aileen Cannon, who he says is “corrupt” and “not competent.”

Conway, whose ex-wife Kellyanne managed Trump’s 2016 campaign, explains why he sees a second Trump term as a threat to American democracy and why he now believes Trump is a narcissistic sociopath who is unfit for public office.

Conway, a longtime member of the Federalist Society, assesses whether Trump’s Supreme Court nominations were worth the damage he has done and why conservative institutions have failed to respond to his abuses of power. He also addresses reports of an upside-down American flag seen at Justice Samuel Alito’s home in January 2021.

Conway reflects on his own political evolution from a key player in Bill Clinton’s impeachment to big-dollar donor to Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. He contrasts Clinton and Trump, and he explains why he teared up when he cast a vote for Biden in 2020.

Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, The Asness Family Foundation, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Kathleen and Andrew McKenna through The McKenna Family Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Marc Haas Foundation, Roger and Susan Hertog, Cheryl Cohen Effron and Blair Effron, and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss “An Unfinished Love Story,” her new book recounting the 1960s from her perspective and that of her late husband, presidential speechwriter Dick Goodwin.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer recalls the genesis of the project and reflects on the difference between writing about her husband and long-dead presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. She details Dick Goodwin’s work for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, including writing Johnson’s address to Congress after the Bloody Sunday march in Selma.

Goodwin also addresses declining trust in government since Johnson’s presidency, which she traces to his handling of the Vietnam War. She discusses her husband’s later work on Al Gore’s 2000 concession speech and how presidential candidates recognized the importance of putting patriotism before partisanship after close elections prior to 2020. 

Goodwin considers parallels between the 1850s and today and the prospect that current divisions will lead to another civil war. She also explains why she sees her own love story with America as unfinished and why she believes the country has a long way to go to live up to its ideals.

Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, The Asness Family Foundation, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Kathleen and Andrew McKenna through The McKenna Family Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Marc Haas Foundation, Roger and Susan Hertog, Cheryl Cohen Effron and Blair Effron, and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

Author and journalist Fareed Zakaria joins Margaret Hoover to talk about his recent book, “Age of Revolutions,” and how past periods of progress and backlash inform our present revolutionary moment.

Zakaria, host of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” reflects on a full-blown cultural backlash against decades of social and political change that has fueled the rise of Donald Trump. He also discusses the next industrial revolution driven by artificial intelligence and the progress and disruption it may cause.

Zakaria comments on the challenge President Biden faces addressing the crisis at the southern border. He also addresses campus protests over Israel’s actions in Gaza and what he sees as the failure of Biden’s efforts to influence Israeli policy.

Assessing America’s place in a changing world, Zakaria makes an argument for aggressive U.S. support for Ukraine and voices concern about the impact of emerging Republican isolationism in a second Trump presidency. He discusses the race between Trump and Biden, the prospect of a historic political realignment, and the parallels between 1968 and 2024.

(NOTE: This interview was recorded on May 1, prior to the announcement that the U.S. has put arms shipments to Israel on hold out of concern that American weapons would be used in an assault on the city of Rafah.)

Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, The Asness Family Foundation, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Kathleen and Andrew McKenna through The McKenna Family Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Marc Haas Foundation, Roger and Susan Hertog, Cheryl Cohen Effron and Blair Effron, and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about college protests, grievance politics, and how to restore humility in a fractured country.

Bruni, author of “The Age of Grievance” and a professor at Duke University, discusses the roots of anti-Israel sentiment on campuses and the double standards behind progressive speech codes. He also addresses the rise of a culture of victimhood on the right and explains how grievances manifest differently across the political spectrum.

Bruni touches on activists’ response to the arrest of NBA player Brittney Griner in Russia, the “revenge tour” of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and what Gen Z social justice warriors should learn from the success of the campaign for marriage equality. 

He also looks ahead to a pivotal presidential election and assesses how the dueling grievances of the left and right could impact the campaign.

Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, The Asness Family Foundation, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Kathleen and Andrew McKenna through The McKenna Family Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Marc Haas Foundation, Roger and Susan Hertog, Cheryl Cohen Effron and Blair Effron, and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

Margaret Hoover sits down with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer – a Republican election official in Arizona’s most populous county – to discuss the new indictment of allies of Donald Trump for their fake elector scheme in 2020 and how he’s preparing for the 2024 election.

Richer recalls the “unrelenting” pressure that Arizona officials faced to overturn the 2020 election results and praises figures like former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bower for resisting the president’s demands. He addresses how Republicans have responded to the indictment and whether Trump should also be held accountable for his actions in Arizona.

Richer, who is suing Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake for defamation, talks about the harassment, threats, and conspiracy theories he has confronted and how defending the integrity of Arizona’s elections has alienated him from many in his party. He also explains why he will blame Lake and Trump if anyone in his office is harmed by election deniers.

Richer tells Hoover how he is working to bolster confidence in this November’s election as he faces a far-right primary challenge himself, and he reflects on his place in the Republican Party and his future in public service.

Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, The Asness Family Foundation, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Kathleen and Andrew McKenna through The McKenna Family Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Roger and Susan Hertog, Cheryl Cohen Effron and Blair Effron, and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

As Donald Trump’s first criminal trial begins, Margaret Hoover sits down with NYU law professor Melissa Murray to discuss the historic proceedings and what prosecuting a former president means for America.

Murray, co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, breaks down the charges filed by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, addresses the challenges of selecting an impartial jury, and responds to Trump’s complaints that he has been mistreated by the justice system.

Murray, who co-wrote a book about the Trump indictments with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, comments on the latest developments in the former presidents’ three other criminal cases and explains why they might not go to trial before the election.

She also previews Supreme Court oral arguments related to January 6th and Trump’s claim of absolute immunity, and she reacts to calls from the left for the retirement of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, for whom she once clerked.

Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, The Asness Family Foundation, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Kathleen and Andrew McKenna through The McKenna Family Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Roger and Susan Hertog, Cheryl Cohen Effron and Blair Effron, and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. and Pfizer Inc.