Shows / The Smerconish Podcast
The Smerconish Podcast
Spirited discussions of government, politics, and current events without predictable left/right bias. The Smerconish Podcast is for Independent Minds. The Michael Smerconish Program airs live on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 9AM-12PM ET and replays 9PM-12AM East, Monday-Friday.
Episodes
- The Smerconish Podcast
Has President Trump just triggered a recession?
The stock market has taken a massive hit since President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs against foreign trading partners on "Liberation Day". Michael…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Connecting with others: How social connections improve the happiness of young adults
Learn more about the World Happiness Report here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Liberation Day: Michael Smerconish Gets The Objective. He Just Doesn’t Agree With The Approach.
Michael offers an insightful commentary on yesterday's reciprocal tariffs announcement at the White House, focusing on Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Mr. Halperin Goes To Washington
2WAY Editor-in-Chief Mark Halperin appeared in the "New Media" seat in the White House Briefing Room, and asked the first question of Press Secretary Karoline…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Arguably The Most Fun Poll Question That We've Ever Had: Trump v. Obama in 2028...Who Wins?
If you were to match up sports all stars - in their prime - against each other, who would win? Lebron James vs Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson vs Mohammed Ali…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Yes! It is fair to lay substantial blame on the law firms who settled with Trump to get off of his blacklist
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Is it fair to lay substantial blame on the law firms who settled with President Trump to get off of his blacklist?…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Michael Smerconish Wants Waymo' Waymo
Michael rode in a Waymo this weekend, and loved it! Listen to his experience using the self-driving car service in Phoenix, Arizona. Original air date 31 March…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Too Little, Too Much, or Just Right: US Involvement In Ukraine
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Looking back at the last 3 years, would you say the U.S. support for Ukraine was too little, too much or just right?…
- The Smerconish Podcast
The Neighborhood Is Gentrifying. You Can Tell By The House Colors.
Dr. Brandi Summers, Columbia University Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies joins Michael to talk about her research on gentrification…
- The Smerconish Podcast
The Signal Chat Scandal: Why Smerconish Thinks Hegseth’s Actions Were Worse Than Waltz's!
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Which was worse: Mike Waltz creating the Signal chat and including an outsider, or Pete Hegseth's revelations in the…
- The Smerconish Podcast
When A Journalist Gets Added To A Classified Group Chat, They Should Consider This
Should Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, have announced his presence when he was inadvertently added to a classified group chat among Trump…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Ethical Quandary SIGNAL: Jeffrey Goldberg's Presence In The Houthi Chat Group
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Ethically speaking, when should journalist Jeffrey Goldberg have revealed his presence in the Houthi group chat on…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Ambiguity Abound on Signalgate Day 2: Mark Halperin has many questions
2WAY Editor-in-Chief Mark Halperin poses several important questions about the use of the Signal App in government, and offers expertise on government…
- The Smerconish Podcast
The Signal Group Chat Won't Have Much Political Affect On The Trump Administration
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: On a scale of 1 (least) to 10 (most) damaging, how do you rate the political impact of the Houthi group chat on the…
- The Smerconish Podcast
War Plan Chat Leak: An Amateur Hour Bombshell
Richard A. Clarke served for thirty years in US government national security agencies, including the Pentagon, the State Department, and the White House…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Either Way, This Is A Signal Of Poor Judgment
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Which was more indicative of poor judgment regarding the Houthi group chat, that they used Signal, or the content of…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Senator Angus King (I-ME): Social Security is being compromised, and President Trump needs to do something about it
Michael talks to Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, about President Trump's promise to not touch Social Security, while people in his administration seem…
- The Smerconish Podcast
If the Democratic Party is 'too woke', then maybe AOC isn't the best face for it
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Is AOC becoming the new face of the Democratic Party? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Mingle and Eat: Sharing meals with others supports happiness and social connections
The World Happiness Report for 2025 is out. Today, Michael's eye was drawn toward Chapter 3, because of its connection to mingling: "Sharing Meals With Others…
- The Smerconish Podcast
State or Federal Education Policy Direction: Michael Smerconish Is Stuck In The Middle!
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Should education policy be directed more from the federal or state/local level? Listen here to Michael's take, then…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Gerald Posner is 42,000 pages in to the new JFK document dump, and so far it is all unimportant
Listen to Michael's 2013 interview with Gerald Posner about his book "Case Closed" here on the Book Club with Michael Smerconish Podcast. Hosted by Simplecast…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Michael Smerconish Debates: Is Vandalizing A Tesla Vehicle a Hate Crime?
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Should acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles be prosecuted as hate crimes? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Mark Halperin is Bullish on How Long First Friend Elon Musk Stays Around
Mark Halperin, 2Way Editor-in-Chief and political analyst, offers his take on today's headlines, including Elon Musk's influence in the Trump administration…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Admiral Stavridis' Hard Truth: Russia May Keep 20% of Ukraine's Land
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Admiral James Stavridis says that while he “hates” Russia keeping land it seized from Ukraine, such is the “military…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Halfway Through His First 100 Days In Office, A Mixed Bag For President Trump: Doug Sosnik's Analysis
President Trump has a net-negative approval rating, but for him, the numbers aren't bad. That said, there are some real danger signs for him ahead, in…
- The Smerconish Podcast
El Salvador Deportation Controversy: Why Trump Comes Out on Top
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Which side benefits politically from the El Salvador deportation controversy: Trump or his opponents? Listen here to…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Spilled Hot Drinks At The Drive-Thru Continue To Pay Out Millions
It all started with the McDonald's hot coffee case in 1994, and it still happens today. Customers who have sued and won over injuries resulting from spilled…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Collaborate with Republicans, or Block Them: What’s the Best Move For Democrats?
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Which should be the Democratic priority: collaboration with Republicans so as to influence legislation or blocking the…
- The Smerconish Podcast
'Black Hawk Down' author Mark Bowden on new Netflix Docuseries
Michael goes back to 1993 in Somalia, in this conversation with Mark Bowden, author of 'Black Hawk Down', the book which was made into a hit movie. The subject…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Newsom's Controversial Podcast Guests: Will Talking To Bannon and Kirk Help or Hurt His Political Future? Michael Smerconish says...
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Is Gavin Newsom helping, hurting, or neither, his presidential ambitions by hosting Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on…
- The Smerconish Podcast
A View Of America From North Of The 49th Parallel
Dr. Duane Bratt is professor and chair in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University. Dr. Bratt's research interests…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Should Support for Hamas Cost You Your Green Card?
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Should public support for Hamas be grounds for revoking the green card of a legal resident? Listen here to Michael's…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Witnessing 10 Executions and Then, A Different 11th: Journalist's Harrowing Account of A Death By Firing Squad
Jeffrey Collins has covered South Carolina for the Associated Press for 25 years. He has witnessed 11 executions of convicted prisoners sentenced to the death…
- The Smerconish Podcast
If Ukraine and Russia Make Peace—Is Trump the Real Hero?
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: If Ukraine and Russia make peace, does President Trump deserve credit? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Donald Trump's approval ratings are good for him, but not good by the standards of the past few decades
Philip Bump is a columnist for The Washington Post based in New York. He writes the weekly newsletter How To Read This Chart, to which you should subscribe…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Y Michael Smerconish Would Buy Another Tesla
Michael is an owner of the Tesla Model Y. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of…
- The Smerconish Podcast
If you have teenage sons, this conversation needs to make it to your family dinner table
The FBI is warning that sexual extorsion schemes, or "sextortion", targeting underage boys are leading to an alarming increase in suicides of teenage boys…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Trump’s Opposition: Who’s Got the Chops to Take Him Down?
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Pick the person best suited to be the face of opposition to Donald Trump right now, of the following choices: Pete…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Bob Costas: President Trump can't get Pete Rose into the MLB Hall of Fame
Michael welcomes legendary sportscaster Bob Costas back for a conversation on the late baseball player Pete Rose's legacy and chances of getting into the Major…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Let's be for Inclusion, but not at the expense of Fairness: Smerconish on Gavin Newsom's take on trans athletes
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Do you agree with Gavin Newsom that the participation of trans athletes in women’s sports is “deeply unfair”? Listen…
- The Smerconish Podcast
There is a connection between 70,000 people losing their jobs at the VA, and violent extremism
As the news of President Trump's plan to fire 70,000 employees from the Department of Veterans Affairs lands, Michael talks to Robert Pape, political science…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Let's Get Ready For The End of NATO!
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Are we witnessing the final days of NATO? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Mark Halperin's 10 things that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton have in common
Mark Halperin says "the sources of strength and power of the 'Maven of Mar-a-Lago', for all he is discussed, have been insufficiently examined or understood…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Why most who watched President Trump's speech agreed with it
Michael offers an in-depth analysis of President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress last night. He also touches on today's Daily Poll Question at…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Admiral James Stavridis on why we should oppose Vladimir Putin
Who should we support: Russia, Ukraine, or Neither? Michael discusses the question with Admiral James Stavridis, a retired four-star Navy officer who once…
- The Smerconish Podcast
The text from a transgender military pilot read: "I'll be discharged in 30 days."
Jo has served 15 years in the Virginia Army National Guard. Her current rank and job title is Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2) – UH60 Black Hawk Pilot. She has…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Exploring the Russia vs. Ukraine Conflict: Which Side Do You Support
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Who Do You Support: Russia, Ukraine, or Neither? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Criticism For Trump and Vance...But Maybe, Trump Will Put a Deal Together Between Ukraine & Russia
Tom Nichols is a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years, and an instructor at the Harvard…
- The Smerconish Podcast
JD Vance vs. Zelensky: Staged Showdown or Spontaneous Clash?
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Was JD Vance’s confrontation of Zelensky premeditated or spontaneous? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Real Stories: Illegal Immigrants Living, Working, and Paying Taxes In The U.S.
Randall Teague is the Mayor of Haddon Township, New Jersey, the current epicenter of the immigration and deportation debate, where the town is rallying around…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Jersey Kabab Owners Spark Deportation Debate: Smerconish on Long-Time Law-Abiding Migrants Who Came Here Illegally
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Should migrants who entered the U.S. illegally years ago but have since lived law-abiding lives and paid taxes face…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Competition in U.S. Elections Is Dead. But 'The Stone Pony' Is The Greatest Rock Club Ever. So There's That.
Nick Corasaniti is the author of "I Don't Want to Go Home: The Oral History of the Stone Pony." This is what Michael really wanted to talk to the New York…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Editorial Policy at the Washington Post: Yes, The Owner Can Be In Charge
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Is it the prerogative of a newspaper owner to set editorial policy? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at…
- The Smerconish Podcast
White House Now Picking The Press Pool: Different Perspectives From Mark Halperin and Steve Scully
Mark Halperin is Editor-in-Chief of 2WAY and Publisher of the Wide World of News Newsletter. Steve Scully hosts "The Briefing" on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Democrats at a Crossroads: Is James Carville’s ‘Roll Over and Play Dead’ Strategy the Answer?
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Is James Carville correct: “it’s time for Democrats to embark on the most daring political maneuver in the history of…
- The Smerconish Podcast
The U.S. Will Spend $15 Trillion in Interest Over The Next 10 Years
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Michael Peterson tells us about his foundation and breaks down what the DOGE Dividend…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Trump’s Momentum: Can Anything Hold Him Back? Possibilities Explored!
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: What will slow Trump down? Listen here to Michael's take, then vote at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Buffett Whisperer Robert Hagstrom on Buffett's Annual Letter to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders
Robert Hagstrom, Chief Investment Officer of EquityCompass Investment Management and the author of seven investment books including The New York Times Best…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Is It Time for the U.S. to Reap the Rewards of Supporting Ukraine?
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Should the U.S. have a stake in Ukraine’s natural resources as reimbursement for wartime support? Listen here to…
- The Smerconish Podcast
Meet the guy behind the "DOGE Dividend" idea that would give you $5,000
James Fishback, CEO of the investment firm Azoria, has gone viral for his idea of what DOGE should do with money it is looking to save by trimming federal…