111 episodes

It’s On. Get to the heart of what makes powerful people tick — in interviews that have them sit back, relax and get grilled. Twice a week, Kara Swisher and her executive producer Nayeema Raza invite a guest to be “On with Kara Swisher.” 
So why do newsmakers show up? “Smart people,” says Kara, “like difficult questions.” They may even find it fun. 
Mondays and Thursdays from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. 

On with Kara Swisher New York Magazine

    • News
    • 4.2 • 1.5K Ratings

It’s On. Get to the heart of what makes powerful people tick — in interviews that have them sit back, relax and get grilled. Twice a week, Kara Swisher and her executive producer Nayeema Raza invite a guest to be “On with Kara Swisher.” 
So why do newsmakers show up? “Smart people,” says Kara, “like difficult questions.” They may even find it fun. 
Mondays and Thursdays from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. 

    Do Never Trumpers Matter? We Asked Adam Kinzinger

    Do Never Trumpers Matter? We Asked Adam Kinzinger

    After Kara and Nayeema discuss Dianne Feinstein’s death and her legacy as a leader, we turn to Kara's interview with Adam Kinzinger. The former Republican congressman has said he would only vote for Trump in one scenario: if his opponent were Satan.
    Once a rising star in the Tea Party, Kinzinger is now a leading voice inside the GOP’s anti-Trump cohort. He was one of only ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after January 6, 2021 — and, like many of his peers, he paid a high price: his seat in Congress.
    We discuss whether his political sacrifice was worth it, what happens in the “Trump Resistance” text chain and why so many Republicans won’t come out against Trump — even when they see him as a threat to democracy. 
    This conversation was taped live at the Texas Tribune Festival on September 22, 2023. 
    Questions or comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza
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    • 1 hr
    The Yoel Roth-Linda Yaccarino Showdown

    The Yoel Roth-Linda Yaccarino Showdown

    On Wednesday, two Twitter-related interviews rocked the stage at the 2023 Code Conference. Kara interviewed the former head of trust and safety at Twitter/X, Yoel Roth, and Julia Boorstin, CNBC's Senior Media & Tech Correspondent, interviewed X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino. 
    The late booking of Roth rattled Yaccarino, and her interview led to a media storm. Today, we bring you both interviews. We start off with Kara and Nayeema, as they set the stage early on Wednesday morning, play the interviews in chronological order and then rejoin Kara and Nayeema for a debrief to address accusations that the schedule change amounted to “sandbagging” Yaccarino. (Kara’s response: it does not).
    Questions or comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza
    To join the waitlist for the 2024 Code Conference, visit https://voxmediaevents.com/code2024.


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    • 1 hr 38 min
    Sheila Johnson Talks BET, Entrepreneurship and Why She Doesn’t Love Being Called “America’s First Black Female Billionaire”

    Sheila Johnson Talks BET, Entrepreneurship and Why She Doesn’t Love Being Called “America’s First Black Female Billionaire”

    Sheila Johnson is best known for co-founding BET, a network she launched with her ex-husband, Bob Johnson, and which they eventually sold to Viacom for billions. She’s since built a hospitality brand, been an active philanthropist and is an owner or partner in three professional sports teams. But many of those achievements came at great cost, as Sheila writes in her new memoir, “Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph.” We discuss how she navigated her success and independence in a time where “women were defined by their husbands.” We also talk about the future of BET and the role of identity-driven programming in American media. 

    Questions or comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza.
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    • 56 min
    Is Biden the Best Democrats Can Do?

    Is Biden the Best Democrats Can Do?

    Biden’s poll numbers are atrocious, and in recent columns from The Washington Post to The New York Times and The National Journal, the punditocracy has started to sour on the president’s 2024 ambitions. Columnists have weighed in on why Biden could lose to Trump — and whether it’d be better for him to step aside. Is this a phase, a pipe dream or an actual crisis?
    We convene an all-star panel to discuss. Our guests: Franklin Foer, staff writer for The Atlantic and author of the recently released The Last Politician, a look a Biden’s first two years in office; Astead Herndon, national political reporter for The New York Times and host of The Run-Up; Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary for the Biden administration and host of Inside with Jen Psaki on MSNBC; and Alex Thompson, national political correspondent for Axios. 
    Questions or comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza. 

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    • 1 hr 2 min
    The Walter Isaacson-Kara Swisher Showdown

    The Walter Isaacson-Kara Swisher Showdown

    Walter Isaacson and Kara are friends — but that doesn’t mean she’s going to go easy on him as they discuss Isaacson’s new hit biography: Elon Musk, which is causing much consternation among readers and reviewers. Kara pushes Walter on whether the book equivocates or excuses too much of Elon’s bad behavior. And Walter, well, he pushes back.

    Questions or comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza 
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    • 1 hr 26 min
    How Twitter Took Alex Edelman to IRL White Supremacists

    How Twitter Took Alex Edelman to IRL White Supremacists

    A Jewish comedian walks into an apartment in Queens to meet a group of white supremacists … This isn’t the setup to a bad joke — it’s the inciting incident in Alex Edelman’s hit one-man show, “Just For Us,” which recently wrapped a nine-week run on Broadway. 
    We talk to Edelman about the value of entering rooms with people you vehemently disagree with, Elon Musk’s threat to sue the ADL, and whether there should be any uncrossable lines in comedy.
    Questions or comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza 


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    • 51 min

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5
1.5K Ratings

1.5K Ratings

AmandaMHD ,

Yaccarino

That interview was embarrassing, Linda clearly got the memo on victimhood from the toddler billionaire she works for, I am so sick of Musk I would be really happy to never hear from him again. These whining man-babies are pitiful.

Hankstnch ,

PTL

First I listened to the L. Yaccarino interview on the podcast, and I was like, “Wow, this women is awful, rude, condescending, etc.” So then I watched it on Youtube and it was even worse. Kara, thank you for calling like it is about the interview and how L. Yaccarino acted. Julia Boorstin was a calm professional, she is a pro.

trump-is-a-disgrace ,

Linda Yacarino

OMG - that interview with Linda Yacarino was painful - her bloviating and non-answers were terrible. Trying to defend that dumpster fire X was obnoxious! She’s a liar just like her boss.

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