Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Piers Morgan, host of Piers Morgan Uncensored on YouTube. He's been on and off friends with Trump since 2008, and while he previously thought Jan. 6 disqualifying for the former president, he's since changed his mind. The hysteria over Trump from his critics, Morgan said, fuels his appeal. He also speaks about the success of his YouTube, leaving linear television behind to go fully digital, and what he makes of criticism that his show platforms trolls...
Nov 02, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum about Trump's recent spike in rhetoric used by Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin. Anne is out with a new book, Autocracy Inc., which goes deep into the complex financial system 21st-century autocrats employ to stay in power. She makes comparisons here to Trump's relationship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and warns Trump has no real understanding of history– he's using this dehumanizing language because he believes it'll help him ...
Oct 26, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Ali Abbasi, the critically acclaimed director of the new film The Apprentice, which depicts the origin story of Donald Trump. Ali discusses Trump's relationship with ruthless prosecutor and political fixer Roy Cohn, why he decided to get involved with the project in the first place– as a lot of Hollywood was fearful to get involved in a Trump biopic– and why he thought of the film as a humanist project. Aidan also speaks with Steve Hayes, the founder,...
Oct 19, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Andrew Ross Sorkin, founder of the New York Times' DealBook and co-anchor on CNBC's SquawkBox. They talk about Andrew's take on whether Silicon Valley has really gone MAGA, Fortune 500 CEOs' fear of former President Trump, and DealBox's infamous Elon Musk interview. Andrew also talks about his optimism for the future of the media industry and the difficulties of being an apolitical reporter in the Trump era. In the second part of the episode, Aidan sp...
Oct 12, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with veteran news anchor Chris Wallace– now the host of two shows at CNN– about what ultimately sparked his departure from Fox News, Fox's $787 million Dominion settlement, and his take on presidential debates as someone who's moderated quite a few. Wallace is also out with a new book, Countdown 1960, on the parallels between that consequential election and 2024. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.
Oct 05, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN international correspondent Nada Bashir. They discuss her coverage of the occupied West Bank and Gaza, since Hamas' October 7th attacks and Israel's bombing campaign that followed, the unimaginable conditions Palestinian journalists are working under, and reporting in the Middle East amid a mistrust of Western media. Aidan also speaks with Jeff Coltin, a POLITICO reporter and co-author of the NYC Playbook newsletter, about the recent indictment ag...
Sep 28, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner, New York Times reporters and authors of "Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune and Created The Illusion of Success". They discuss their in-depth reporting on Trump's finances, breaking the story of his financial losses and tax evasion methods in 2016, and the former president's attachment to his identity as "self-made". Aidan also speaks with Dominic Ponsford, editor in chief at the Press Gazett...
Sep 21, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Ari Melber, host of "The Beat" on MSNBC and the network's chief legal correspondent. They discuss this week's presidential debate on ABC, between Vice President Harris and former President Trump, Trump's bogus election fraud claims, and the future of cable news. McLaughlin also speaks with Andrew Tobias, chief political correspondent for cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer, about the Trump-promoted conspiracy theories roiling Ohio. This episode was pro...
Sep 14, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Dana Bash, CNN anchor and chief political correspondent. They discuss her major interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, the extraordinarily consequential debate that led to President Joe Biden's exit from the 2024 race, and the upcoming debate between Harris and Trump on ABC News. They also discuss her new book "America’s Deadliest Election: The Cautionary Tale of the Most Violent Election in American History" and th...
Sep 08, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Dave Smith, libertarian and host of the Part of the Problem podcast. They discuss Smith's thoughts on the death of the corporate news model, why he's not supporting Donald Trump in the upcoming election, and his relationships with Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson.
Aug 31, 2024•45 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Robert Costa, CBS News' chief election and campaign correspondent. They discuss Costa's eventful week covering the DNC, his sit-down interview with President Biden a few weeks back, and the lingering pain over Biden's exit. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.
Aug 24, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin sits down with veteran media reporter Oliver Darcy to discuss his sudden exit from CNN and his new venture "Status." Darcy, who helmed the wildly popular "Reliable Sources" newsletter for years at CNN, often clashed with leadership at the network thanks to his strident criticism of the industry that didn't spare his own employer. Darcy spoke about tensions inside CNN, his refusal to call Fox News a “news network,” the future of cable television, his own career in...
Aug 19, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with entrepreneur, presidential candidate and aspiring media mogul Vivek Ramaswamy. They discuss his acquisition of a stake in BuzzFeed, the 2024 race, his evolving views on Trump, stolen election lies, and why he thinks it's "problematic" for Democrats to call Trump and his movement weird. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.
Aug 06, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Politico White House correspondent and Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels about the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris. He reveals how her 2024 run got off the ground and what's next as she prepares to take on former President Donald Trump. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke and Kathryn Wilkens.
Jul 28, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin sits down with CNN's chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju to talk about a raucous Republican National Convention. Raju, who also anchors "Inside Politics" on Sundays, spent the week in Milwaukee reporting on the ground of the convention, which came just days after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. He discusses Trump's big speech, the mood on the ground, and what's next in a presidential race where Trump's opponent, Preside...
Jul 21, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with James Carville, the veteran Democratic strategist, about his calls for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. Carville, who joined Press Club from a cruise ship in Alaska, speaks out about why he thinks Biden is done, what should happen next, and why he thinks a second Trump term would be "the end of the Constitution."
Jul 13, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Nicholas Kristof, the veteran foreign correspondent and New York Times columnist, about his call for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. Kristof has been supportive of the Biden administration, but argued in a piece published the night of the president's disastrous debate against Donald Trump that he should bow out and let another (younger) candidate take his place. Kristof discusses how that would all play out and more. He also...
Jul 08, 2024•49 min
Mediaite editor in chief Aidan McLaughlin speaks with veteran media reporter Brian Stelter about the crisis at the Washington Post. Stelter breaks down his sprawling 9,000 word investigation of the Post just published in The Atlantic. He reveals what he found about the paper, and whether it can survive the turmoil. Plus: Stelter talks the 2024 election, the future of cable news, and McLaughlin does post-debate analysis with Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall, who argued in a new piece that Pres...
Jun 29, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi, out now with a new book "Small Acts of Courage." They discuss the book, the stakes of the 2024 election, what a second Trump term means for journalists, the future of the news industry, and media coverage of Oct. 7 and the war in Gaza. Mediaite's Press Club has expanded into a show on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124. The new show features not just a flagship interview with top figures in the media, but also conversation and debat...
Jun 24, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Alyssa Farah Griffin, former communications director in the Trump White House turned co-host of The View and CNN contributor. In a wide-ranging and at times personal conversation, they discuss her career, what she saw in the White House, why the GOP can't move on from Trump, and how a second Trump term would be defined by "rage and retribution" Mediaite's Press Club has expanded into a show on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124. The new show features not ju...
Jun 15, 2024•50 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with George Stephanopoulos about covering Trump and Biden, the upcoming debates, the media industry, and his new book "The Situation Room". Stephanopoulos is the host of Good Morning America and This Week on ABC News. Mediaite's Press Club has expanded into a show on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124. The new show features not just a flagship interview with top figures in the media, but also conversation and debate with reporters and editors about the biggest s...
Jun 09, 2024•45 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with veteran foreign correspondent Arwa Damon about her recent mission inside Gaza. Damon started her career covering the Iraq War. She joined CNN, where she served as senior international correspondent and reported on war zones in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Libya and elsewhere. She won a Peabody Award and three Emmys, including one for her coverage of the Battle of Mosul in Iraq, where she came under fire from ISIS militants. On Press Club, Da...
May 09, 2024•33 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with New York magazine Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi, who takes us inside Donald Trump's hush money trial, which she's been covering in Manhattan's criminal court for the last few weeks as a jury was selected, opening arguments were presented, witnesses testified, and the former president was gagged. This week, Trump was fined for violating his gag order, and threatened by the judge with jail time. Nuzzi discusses those developments, what it's like...
May 02, 2024•35 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with CNN anchor Jim Acosta. They discuss his new show, his time as a White House correspondent under Trump, facing death threats, covering Trump's new election campaign, what he fears most about a second Trump term, Biden's handling of Israel, CNN's new boss and the uncertain future of cable news. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke.
Apr 05, 2024•41 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher. They discuss her career as a reporter covering the rise of Silicon Valley and then as a media entrepreneur, the future of the media industry, how to start a media company in today’s climate, whether cable news can survive in a post-linear world, her relationship with titans from Rupert Murdoch to Elon Musk, and her new book, “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.” Swisher is the host of On With Kara Swisher, the Pivot Pod...
Mar 28, 2024•34 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Don Lemon, the former CNN host who just launched his new independent venture, The Don Lemon Show, with a dramatic splash. The first episode of his show featured a lengthy interview with billionaire Elon Musk — who was so upset by the tough questions he abruptly canceled his multi-million dollar deal with Lemon to host the show on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter. Lemon discusses how the deal came to be and how it fell apart, what he think...
Mar 20, 2024•32 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin speaks with Mehdi Hasan, the former MSNBC host who just announced the launch of a new digital media company, Zeteo. Hasan left MSNBC after the network canceled his show in the wake of Oct. 7 and Israel's war in Gaza. The cancelation sparked an outcry, and Hasan capitalized on that outrage to leave the network and launch his new outlet, one he promises will speak more truthfully about issues like war and U.S. politics than the traditional media. McLaughlin and Has...
Mar 14, 2024•35 min
Mediaite editor Aidan McLaughlin sits down for an in-depth chat with Bill Maher, the host of Real Time on HBO, the podcast Club Random, and author of the upcoming book "What This Comedian Said Will Shock You.” McLaughlin and Maher talk, at Maher's Club Random studios in Los Angeles, about the media, the state of the cable news industry, the 2024 race, whether Biden should drop out, the continued appeal of Trump, and the Israel-Hamas war. This episode was produced by Brandon Reschke....
Mar 07, 2024•36 min
Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with Barak Ravid, an Israeli journalist who covers politics and foreign policy for Axios and serves as a contributor to CNN. They discuss the Israel-Hamas war, the media landscape in Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's crackdown on the press.
Dec 28, 2023•40 min
Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone speak with Janice Min, the veteran news editor and executive who now runs The Ankler. They discuss a turbulent year for Hollywood, her career turning around the Hollywood Reporter, the uncertain future of the big trades, and what she's doing with The Ankler.
Dec 25, 2023•38 min
