Shows / The Best People with Nicolle Wallace
The Best People with Nicolle Wallace
Who are The Best People? They’re the most magnetic and engaging people in the room; the ones who know how to get that extra something out of every collaboration, connection, and endeavor. These people are the best at what they do and know how to bring out the best in others. Now, in an era of social and political upheaval, The Best People share lessons that we can all use. Listen as Nicolle Wallace seeks varied perspectives on how to keep reaching for truth, decency, and connection.
Episodes
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceTim Miller on How the MAGA Coalition Fell Apart
Tim Miller is still trying to process what he just witnessed on election night. The last time the host of “The Bulwark Daily” podcast was on “The Best People,”…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceHeather Cox Richardson on Trump’s Historic Collapse
Heather Cox Richardson finds clarity in retrospection. “What we learn in the future will change the way we think about the past,” says the author and Boston…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceEugene Daniels and Symone Sanders Townsend Are Hardened but Hopeful
Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels earned their stripes in different worlds before joining forces: Sanders Townsend as a former campaign communications…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceDana Bash: Trump Can’t Will His Way Out of His Problems
Dana Bash has covered enough elections to know how consequential this one could be. Coming off the release of her new book, “The Elections That Changed the…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceDoc Rivers Coaches Us Through This Moment
Doc Rivers knows ball. The former NBA player and title-winning coach (Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks) believes that America is overdue…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceAaron Sorkin Thinks You Can Handle the Truth
Aaron Sorkin is acutely aware of the criticism that his work is too optimistic — and with “The Social Reckoning,” he’s doubling down. “I just like when an…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceMichael Lewis Has a Warning About the State of Our Soul
If Michael Lewis has a superpower, it’s the ability to make anything — even the most esoteric subject — interesting. Now, one of the country’s biggest…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceJudge Esther Salas: This Country Has Given Us Too Much for Us to Abandon It
Judge Esther Salas knows what it’s like to overcome a dark moment. On July 19th, 2020, the U.S. district judge suffered a devastating loss: a man who had been…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceAnthony Scaramucci Says Trump Made All the Wrong Moves
Anthony Scaramucci has stories to tell. He joins Nicolle for this special episode as part of the new “Nicolle Wallace Presents: 92NY on MS NOW” series to…
The Best People with Nicolle WallacePete Buttigieg: We're in a "Make or Break" Moment
Pete Buttigieg thinks this is a “make-or-break” moment in American politics. As Americans continue to struggle economically and President Trump’s focus seems…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceTed Boutrous Jr.: “Today was a Feel-Good Moment for the First Amendment”
Meet the man who just won the first round in one of the biggest First Amendment fights in years. Ted Boutrous Jr. has been the lawyer behind some of the cases…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceJohn Heilemann: Trump will Pay at the Ballot Box
John Heilemann thinks it’s time for America to change the channel on President Trump. The “Impolitic” podcast host and chief political columnist at Puck sees…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceDan Harris Wants Us to Stop Worrying Alone
Dan Harris knows that the most important fight is the one happening within. Reflecting on his journey of self-regulation, the former ABC anchor recalls a news…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceJulia Curlee: “This is my Country, Too.”
Julia Curlee brings stories of a remarkable career, recounting her time as a CIA analyst and as an intelligence briefer for Vice President Mike Pence. She…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceBest of The Best: Chris Hayes Makes His Curiosity the Antidote to Anxiety
This week, we’re revisiting an episode we recorded back in May with MSNOW’s own Chris Hayes. Please enjoy! We’ll be back with a new episode next week. Chris…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceTim Miller Thinks Trump is Losing His Grip
Tim Miller has some ideas about how Democrats can seize this moment as President Trump’s poll numbers continue to decline. A GOP strategist turned…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceTim Snyder on the “Tiny Infinitesimal Amount of Courage” We Need
Tim Snyder sees through the myth of President Trump’s strength. “He’s not actually strong,” the “On Tyranny” author and historian tells Nicolle, likening the…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceMarc Elias: We’re Not Heading Towards the Precipice — “We’re There”
Marc Elias is adamant: what’s dangerous in this era is that many people think President Trump’s second term is just business as usual. As the administration…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceBrian Driscoll on the Hollowing Out of the FBI: "It's Devastating”
Brian Driscoll doesn’t have to be a “hopeful guy” — and yet, he is. A year ago, he was fired as acting director of the FBI after resisting demands to hand over…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceSue Gordon: Trump’s Approach to Intel is “Breathtakingly Reckless"
Sue Gordon is indefatigable. Nicolle calls her a “unicorn”: a rare case of somebody who served with honor and integrity as the Principal Deputy Director of…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceHeather Cox Richardson on America’s Vibe Shift
If historian Heather Cox Richardson ever had an agenda, it’d be protecting democracy. The history professor and author of the “Letters from an American”…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceRachel Maddow: Donald Trump is ‘Emotionally Incontinent’
Nicolle sits down with her dear friend and colleague Rachel Maddow for a revealing conversation about the state of the nation and Rachel's coverage of the…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceJim Acosta Is Still Asking the Tough Questions
Jim Acosta is pretty sure that when 60 Minutes is in trouble, we're all in trouble. A year and a half after stepping down from a storied career as a White…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceSen. Raphael Warnock: "The Power is in the People. It's Not the People in Power”
Senator and Pastor Raphael Warnock recognizes that “Democracy is the house we live in. It's the context in which we get to fight.” Coming off the release of…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceExclusive: Jack Smith Will Not Be Intimidated
Jack Smith is speaking out. In his first news interview since criminally charging Donald Trump and finding himself on the President’s enemies list, the former…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceEddie Glaude Wants You to “Tell the Truth With Love, Lit by Rage”
Eddie Glaude believes that, “if we're not angry about our current moment, something's wrong.” Bonded by their experiences covering some of the nation’s most…
The Best People with Nicolle WallacePablo Torre: America’s Story is the Story of the Knicks
Pablo Torre thinks sports are the “skeleton key.” The journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning host of the podcast of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” joins Nicolle to…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceDon Lemon Lives Rent Free in Donald Trump’s Head
Don Lemon was one of the first journalists that “pissed Trump off,” Nicolle charges out of the gate. A year and a half into the president’s second term, the…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceLiz Oyer Won’t Be Bullied by Anyone — Even Trump
Liz Oyer understands the transactional nature of the current Justice Department more than most. In March of 2025, she was fired from her position as the US…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceBob Costas Steps Up to the Plate
Bob Costas believes democracy is worth going to bat for. The legendary sportscaster and 12-time host of NBC’s Olympics coverage is no stranger to speaking up…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceBen Rhodes: “The Best Speakers Build Movements”
Ben Rhodes believes “we’ve lost the art of speaking to one another.” Amid the megaphone of social media sound bites and the ever-increasing coarseness of our…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceKen Burns Knows We’ve Been Here Before
Ken Burns thinks we’re going to make it. An award-winning documentarian, Ken’s celebrated career seeks to find humanity in our country’s imperfect story. He…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceChris Hayes Makes His Curiosity the Antidote to Anxiety
Chris Hayes’ antidote to anxiety is always curiosity. Whether on TV with "All In," on his podcast (aptly named “Why Is This Happening?”), or writing about our…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceIntroducing WITHpod: The AI End Game
AI – and coverage of it – is everywhere. But what is artificial intelligence, really, beyond the buzzword? Each week, in a special new miniseries - ‘The AI End…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceSarah Longwell Knows the Cheat Code to Politics
Sarah Longwell listens to voters. As a GOP strategist and pollster who felt herself languishing in the wilderness as Trump 1.0 took root, she founded “The…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceGov. Mikie Sherrill Runs New Jersey Like a Busy Mom
Governor Mikie Sherill's best leadership lessons came from the Navy—and her kids. As a mom of four, the retired Navy helicopter pilot and former Congresswoman…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceSherrilyn Ifill on Rebuilding Post-Trump: " It's Gotta Come Down to the Studs”
Sherrilyn Ifill maintains that we need a cultural reset from the ground up. The renowned former head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Howard University law…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceKara Swisher on Death and Doritos
Kara Swisher is always one of the smartest people in the room. A long-revered voice in tech and media, her trademark, B.S. free ability to pinpoint coming…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceBest of the Best: Yes, Robert De Niro is Talking to You
Last weekend the legendary actor spoke at a protest in New York City. “The concept of No Kings is a great rallying cry, and hugely successful, as millions of…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceAlex Wagner: Trump’s MAGA Base is "Mad at Daddy"
Alex Wagner is journalist to her core, forever on the hunt for the next story “bubbling up on the ground.” From her 2020 reporting for Showtime’s “The Circus”…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceJulie K. Brown Continues to Break Open the Epstein Story
When Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown first started digging into the story behind Jeffrey Epstein’s sweetheart plea deal back in 2018, she…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceLt. Gen. Mark Hertling Knows Leadership… And When It’s Lacking
“ We anticipate your unit taking about fifty percent casualties.” This is what Retired Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling heard in an intelligence briefing…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceHow Tig Notaro's "Laugh Hang" Got Her to the Oscars
Tig Notaro is spectacularly funny. She’s also a fiercely dedicated friend. The Emmy and Grammy nominated comedian now adds “Oscar Nominee" to her impressive…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceA Mayor, a Military Pro and a Professor on Affluence, Grievance and Greed
After Nicolle's fiery conversation with Princeton Professor Dr. Eddie Glaude, former NOLA Mayor Mitch Landrieu, and The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols on "Deadline…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceYes, Robert De Niro is Talking to You
Robert De Niro commands every room he enters. His decades-long career and Academy Award winning performances have gifted the world some of its most beloved…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceScott Galloway Wants You to Resist and Unsubscribe
Like many Americans, Scott Galloway was feeling powerless against the Trump administration's worst policy impulses. And then it hit him: knowing Trump responds…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceCheck Out a Preview for “Clock It”
“MS NOW Presents: Clock It” is an invitation to the liveliest and most informed groupchat in your feed. Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels are…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceRosie Perez is Still Doing the Right Thing
Rosie Perez was a self-professed “college nerd” studying biochemistry when she landed her breakout role as Tina in Spike Lee’s iconic 1989 film “Do the Right…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceMS NOW Presents: Clock It with Symone and Eugene
Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels were once at odds as White House staffer and White House reporter. Now they’re friends and colleagues—each…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceEric Holder: Institutions Have Failed Us, the American People Have Not
Eric Holder exemplifies a Justice Department guided by principle and integrity— rather than by the whims of a White House occupant. Holder’s unique perspective…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceAmb. Susan Rice on Trump’s “Grand Theft Larceny"
Susan Rice’s exemplary career in government and international relations has earned her a distinctive reputation as a resolute advocate for American interests…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceOliver Darcy on the Effects of a Steady Fox News Diet
In a media market saturated with content, Oliver Darcy breaks the fourth wall—turning the lens back on the content makers shaping today’s news. The veteran…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceHeather Cox Richardson: "This is Americans vs. Dictators"
Against the backdrop of the shocking U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, renowned historian and Substack superstar Heather Cox Richardson is…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceGet Insider Access to MS NOW Podcasts
Listen to this special invitation from Rachel Maddow and sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to take advantage of a 3-month free trial! With MS NOW…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceBest of The Best: Joan Baez is Calculating How Much She’s Willing to Risk
Happy New Year! This week, we’re revisiting an episode we recorded back in September with the iconic folk singer, songwriter, and activist, Joan Baez. Please…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceBest of The Best: Rosie O'Donnell Did Not Become an Artist to be Liked
As we reflect on 2025 and prepare for the new year, we thought it would be a good time to share an episode we recorded back in September that blends themes of…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceMarc Elias Urges Dems to Replace Nostalgia with Forward Progress
Marc Elias is a formidable elections attorney and a fierce defender of voting rights. As Republicans hone a strategy of subtracting voters from the rolls in…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceLeslie Jones Asks MAGA: Why Do You Want America to Suck?
It takes a rare kind of brilliance to be universally funny, and Leslie Jones is Exhibit A. With the release of her new comedy special "Life: Part Two”, the…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceRachel Maddow Has Some Advice for Those Who Capitulate
With the backdrop of intensifying scrutiny over the Trump administration's boat strikes, Nicolle’s friend and colleague Rachel Maddow returns — this time with…
The Best People with Nicolle WallaceClaire Danes is “Tough and Nervous"
Claire Danes knew she was destined to act at five years old, and audiences have felt that certainty ever since – from her turn as Angela Chase in the cult…