The Smerconish Podcast

Michael asks a deceptively simple question: Should parents have the final say on their child’s vaccines? Dr. Brian McDonough joins to examine the Trump administration’s changes to childhood vaccine recommendations, the...

Should grades still matter? As the University of Michigan prepares to replace traditional grades with pass/no-credit marks for first-semester students, Michael examines why we started grading students in the first...

Should parents have the final say on their child’s vaccines? Michael examines how the debate over parental choice has shifted following President Trump’s changes to childhood vaccine recommendations. Dr. Brian...

President Trump’s move to reduce the number of universally recommended childhood vaccines has put parental choice back at the center of the vaccine debate. Michael Smerconish asks where parental rights end when a...

Michael is joined by Mark Halperin to unpack two big political stories: what the latest primary results really say about the rise of democratic socialism inside the Democratic Party, and the unanswered questions...

President Trump says the Secret Service ordered the Air Force One decoy operation. But a revealing Clinton-era precedent raises a bigger question: could the White House have said no?

President Trump boarded Air Force One in full view of the cameras—but he wasn’t on it when it took off. Facing a reported Iranian assassination threat, Trump was secretly moved by catering truck to another aircraft...

A credible Iranian threat forced Trump into a secret Air Force One switch. But reporters and staff were left aboard the original plane. Smart security—or were they used as decoys? Michael puts the question to you.

A viral WNBA foul sends Michael down a rabbit hole: Are race and politics really driving the controversy surrounding Caitlin Clark and the league—or are fans being fed a misleading narrative? Howard Megdal, author of...

Can Iran outlast Trump? Michael examines whether Tehran can keep the Strait of Hormuz closed through the midterms—and what it could mean for oil prices and American politics.

Six months after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson-area home, investigators appear no closer to solving the case. Michael speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter Valerie Bauerlein about the ransom notes...

Does Donald Trump actually believe the 2020 election was stolen—or does he know he lost? Michael examines the evidence, the psychology, and a question that may never have a definitive answer.

Michael sits down with OnBalance founder and former college quarterback Walt Norley for a candid conversation about bipolar disorder, the pressures facing student-athletes and the mental-health crisis unfolding on...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Are Democrats having their own Maga moment? Abdul El-Sayed’s narrow Michigan Democratic Senate primary victory may reveal something larger than an ideological shift. Michael...

Mark Halperin unveils his latest rankings of the potential 2028 Democratic presidential field—and there is a new name at No. 1. Michael presses the political analyst and "Wide World of News" publisher on why...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Is the AI-driven economy a house of cards? Stocks are reaching historic highs as America’s largest technology companies pour hundreds of billions of dollars into AI chips, data...

Doug Sosnik joins Michael to break down the latest data on the 2026 midterms, explaining why history points toward a Democratic wave—even as polarization, redistricting, and campaign cash could limit the gains. Plus...

Today's poll tackles a question that could reshape the Democratic Party: Can a Sanders-style progressive win in a battleground state? Michael explores Michigan's high-stakes Senate primary, the rise of young progressive...

Should Dr. Anthony Fauci testify before Congress with immunity? Michael examines why nearly 50,000 poll voters overwhelmingly said yes, then unpacks the controversial Todd Blanche DOJ agreement, Trump's IRS audit...

What keeps you up at night: nuclear war, AI, climate change—or a biological attack? What should we fear most? Michael previews his conversation with bestselling author Annie Jacobsen and explores today's poll on the...

Mark Zuckerberg argues that superintelligence should be widely available, while former White House cyber czar Richard Clarke warns AI may need safeguards more like a dangerous pathogen than a consumer product. Michael...

Was Anthony Fauci right to plead the Fifth? Michael breaks down the explosive Senate hearing, the politics of "lawfare," and why he believes the biggest takeaway has nothing to do with Fauci—and everything to do with...

America needs data centers to power AI, but few communities want one nearby. Michael talks with The Free Press senior editor and writer Joe Nocera about the growing battle over data centers—who benefits, who pays and...

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Should your state pause construction of new data centers? Michael examines the growing backlash against the massive facilities powering AI and the modern internet. With New York...

Dr. Anthony Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment before a Senate committee as Michael examines his newly released diaries, the lingering questions surrounding COVID’s origins and the bitter debate over masks and pandemic...