Journalist and author Juan Williams joins Margaret Hoover to talk about civil rights in America as the nation prepares to inaugurate Donald Trump as president on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Williams, who wrote the companion book to the 1987 PBS documentary series Eyes on the Prize, discusses his latest book, New Prize for These Eyes, which charts the progress of what he calls the second civil rights movement in the 21st century.

Williams details how civil rights activism has changed in the Black Lives Matter era, explains why he considers Barack Obama one of the country’s most misunderstood presidents, and reflects on the challenges faced by a decentralized movement that lacks prominent leaders like Dr. King.

The Fox News senior political analyst assesses his role in right-wing media and comments on Trump’s selection of Fox colleagues like Pete Hegseth to serve in his Cabinet. He also addresses the rollback of diversity efforts in corporate America and the prospects for a third civil rights movement in the future.

Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Peter and Mark Kalikow, The Asness Family Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Phillip I. Kent, and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. 

Margaret Hoover sits down with three Belarusian dissidents–exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, athlete-turned-activist Katya Snytsina, and theater director Natalia Kaliada–to discuss their fight against Aleksandr Lukashenko’s dictatorship.

Kaliada is co-founder of the Belarus Free Theatre, which recently debuted the play KS6: Small Forward in New York, starring Snytsina and telling the story of her journey from Belarusian Olympic basketball player to political activist.

In 2020, Tsikhanouskaya’s husband Sergei Tikhanovsky was arrested shortly after announcing he would run against Lukashenko. He remains in custody today, but Tsikhanouskaya ran in his place, failing to unseat Lukashenko in an election widely seen as a sham.

Snytsina recalls how the mass protests that followed that election inspired her to speak out and leave the national women’s basketball team. Kaliada discusses the genesis of the play and explains why art can be a uniquely effective weapon against dictators.

Tsikhanouskaya reflects on life in Belarus today, offers a warning for Americans about the urgency of defending democracy abroad, and looks ahead to the country’s January 2025 presidential election, which she expects will be a “farce.”

This interview was recorded in September after a performance of KS6: Small Forward at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, Cliff and Laurel Asness, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Phillip I. Kent Foundation and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.

Best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Peggy Noonan sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the presidential election, Donald Trump’s second term, and her new book, A Certain Idea of America.

Noonan, a former speechwriter for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, details the Republican Party’s evolution since the 1980s and the party’s political and cultural missteps that provided a launching pad for Trump.

The Wall Street Journal columnist assesses controversial Trump Cabinet nominees like Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth and talks about the need for Republican senators to take their constitutional responsibility to advise and consent seriously.

Noonan reflects on her 50-year career in media and politics, what she learned from working in radio, and her advice for reporters covering Trump today. The devout Catholic also comments on Pope John Paul II’s role in the fight against communism and why Pope Francis confuses her.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.

Three journalists on the frontlines of the global fight for press freedom sit down with Margaret Hoover at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York to discuss threats to the media around the world and how free countries in the West can help protect the press abroad.

Alsu Kurmasheva, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist wrongfully detained in Russia for more than six months, reflects on her captivity, the global campaign for her release, and the dangers her colleagues still face.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, who faced prosecution for standing up to autocracy in the Philippines, assesses the role of social media and advanced technology in spreading misinformation and undermining democracy.

BBC News Global Director Jonathan Munro, who oversees reporters working in conflict zones in Ukraine and the Middle East, explains what governments can do to defend the truth across the globe and hold tech platforms accountable.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.

Sebastien Lai, whose father publisher Jimmy Lai is on trial in Hong Kong, and Jonathan Price, a member of Jimmy Lai’s international legal team, talk to Margaret Hoover about their effort to build global support for his release.

Jimmy Lai had been a leading voice in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement before his arrest in 2020 under a controversial national security law. Now 77 and in ailing health, he took the witness stand at his trial this week as he faces a possible sentence of life in prison.

Sebastien explains what led his father to launch Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper that was often critical of Beijing, and why he stayed to fight even when he knew he was risking arrest. Price talks about how the national security law implemented in 2020 changed Hong Kong and how difficult it is to defend someone charged under it.

Sebastien responds to the British government’s advocacy for his father’s release, as well as President-elect Donald Trump’s commitment to help. He also addresses the Vatican’s silence on the case despite his father’s devout Catholicism.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.

Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute joins Margaret Hoover to discuss Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy in his second term and how it may impact the U.S. and the world.

Schake, a defense policy expert who served in Republican and Democratic administrations, makes the case for conservative internationalism and details the flaws she sees in Trump’s “America First” worldview.

Although she has opposed Trump since 2016 and sees him as a genuine threat to constitutional order, Schake recognizes some areas–like defense spending and Middle East policy–where he might improve on existing policies and advance America’s interests.

Schake assesses Trump’s Cabinet choices for foreign policy roles, including the selection of Fox News host Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense, and she warns against politicizing the military. She defends America’s alliances and raises concerns about the influence of Elon Musk.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.

After Donald Trump’s historic reelection, presidential biographer Jon Meacham joins Margaret Hoover to discuss what the outcome means for the soul of the nation and what comes next.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian had warned Americans against the “genuine risk” of returning Trump to power, but he explains why he accepts the results. He also reflects on how history can offer inspiration in this moment.

Meacham, who has advised President Biden and helped him draft speeches, assesses the institutional guardrails that could constrain Trump in a second term–and tells Hoover why he fears they will not.

Meacham responds to calls from conservatives for Biden to pardon Trump and reflects on whether Trump’s norm-shattering behavior and election denial will prove to be an aberration in American history or a new status quo.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.

H.R. McMaster, Donald Trump’s second national security advisor, joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his tumultuous experience in the Trump White House, what he characterizes as Trump’s “disruptive” leadership, and what a second term could look like.

McMaster, who recently published At War With Ourselves about his nearly 14 months in the administration, assesses the global threats facing the next president and offers insight into challenges posed by Iran, China, and Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

McMaster reflects on how Trump’s approach benefited American interests in some instances but undermined them in others. The retired Army lieutenant general also explains why he holds both Trump and President Biden responsible for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

While he says Trump’s threats and promises about his second-term agenda should be taken seriously, McMaster has confidence there would be effective checks on abuses of presidential power like deploying the military against Americans. However, he also tells Hoover Trump’s preemptive efforts to cast doubt on the election results “should give us all pause” and cautions against demagoguery on both sides.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.

Margaret Hoover sits down with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer (R), Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), and veteran GOP election attorney Benjamin Ginsberg for a bipartisan discussion of the facts about elections and voting in America.

After a screening of “Counting the Vote” at the 92nd Street Y in New York, the experts talk about preparations for the 2024 election and legal and logistical challenges that may emerge in the weeks ahead. They also comment on litigation already underway over noncitizens voting, overseas voters, and voter roll maintenance.

Benson and Richer address their efforts to correct misinformation spread by Elon Musk and the threats they have faced for defending election integrity. Ginsberg also assesses the legality of Musk’s PAC giving away $1 million a day to swing state voters.

The guests lay out their concerns about potential chaos and violence surrounding the vote count and whether they see reasons for hope. They also answer questions from the audience and explain how to effectively engage with election skeptics.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss the state’s pivotal role in the race for the White House and what Kamala Harris needs to do to win it.

At the Abington Arts Center in Shapiro’s hometown, the Democratic governor assesses Harris’ strategy and contrasts her agenda with Donald Trump’s. He also defends Harris’ efforts to distinguish herself from President Biden and to explain her shifting positions on energy.

Shapiro, who was on the short list to be the vice presidential nominee, highlights support for Harris from prominent Republicans–like former Rep. Charlie Dent–and denounces Trump’s false attacks on immigrants in Charleroi, Pennsylvania.

After a slow vote count sowed confusion in 2020, Shapiro addresses the state’s failure to approve preprocessing of absentee ballots, explains why votes will still be counted faster this year, and assures voters that he and Republican Secretary of State Al Schmidt are prepared to defend the integrity and accuracy of the results.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.