Pope Francis' Final Act Might Be To Spare Pete Hegseth His Termination As Secretary of Defense
Michael opens this episode remembering Pope Francis, who passed today at the age of 88. In an insightful commentary, he weaves into today's poll question at Smerconish.com, which asks: Will Pete Hegseth's tenure as SecDef survive reports of a second Signal breach?Listen to Michael lay it out, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
21 Apr 26min
30th Anniversary: Remembering The Oklahoma City Bombing
The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on April 19th, 1995 remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Michael reads from an email he received this morning from his friend Sara Sweet, who's father, W. Stephen Williams, was killed in the bombing. She hopes no one ever forgets this horrific day thirty years ago. Original air date 18 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
18 Apr 8min
Admiral Stavridis ALARM: 5 Signs That The U.S. and China Will Go To War
Tensions between the United States and China are escalating. Michael learns from Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis that while the two countries are duking it out over trade and tariffs, less-noticed concerns are taking place in cyberspace, near Taiwan, and at Chinese shipyards. Original air date 17 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
18 Apr 27min
"19 Years Ago, I’d Have Said No" — Michael Smerconish Now Hopes Aliens Have Faith
Religion can be a tricky subject...while it can bring a lot of good, it can also lead to conflict, and even war. Today being Good Friday, this brings us to today's poll question at Smerconish.com, which asks: Should we hope possible life forms on exoplanet K2-18b have religious beliefs? Listen to Michael lay it out, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
18 Apr 20min
A Spontaneous Town Hall on the Ground-Level Realities of Labor, Immigration, and American Contradiction
Michael hosts a compelling conversation centered around immigration, undocumented workers, and the everyday realities of hiring day laborers—sparked by a memorable and candid call from "Tom in Texas." This came after a conversation with Philip Bump at the Washington Post about how the story of Kilmar Abrego García - the Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador after being arrested trying to get day labor work outside a Home Depot - tells us far more than the narrative on immigration and deportation we are hearing from the Trump White House. Original air date 17 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
17 Apr 25min
Politically Speaking, Trump Has A Big Winning Hand Right Now...Until He Doesn't
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Does Trump benefit politically from ALL of the following: 1) fighting Harvard, 2) not facilitating return of Abrego Garcia, and 3) reducing the IRS workforce? Yes or No - Listen to Michael lay it out, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
17 Apr 19min
Mark Halperin Divides Every Element Of The Trump Agenda Into "Big Casino" or "Not Big Casino"
2WAY Editor-in-Chief and Wide World of News Publisher Mark Halperin says we are at an odd moment in the three-side relationship between the Trump agenda, the establishment reaction to the Trump agenda, and the dominant media coverage of the Trump agenda. It is through that lens that he and Michael run through President Trump's recent policy moves, speeches, and more. Original air date 16 April 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
16 Apr 26min
Think Twice Before Defunding Harvard Over Antisemitism
Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com asks: Should federal funding be cut from universities like Harvard in response to perceived failures in addressing campus antisemitism? Michael's vote is No: Listen here to his explanation, then cast YOUR ballot at Smerconish.com, and please leave a rating and review of this podcast! The Daily Poll Question is a thought-provoking query each day at Smerconish.com on a political, social, or other human interest issue. Entirely non-scientific, it always begins a great conversation. Michael talks about it in this podcast each weekday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
16 Apr 22min
