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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 1h

Sen. Thom Tillis’s new book warns about the dangers of “partisan groupthink.” So why does he hold President Trump to a different standard than President Biden? “Maybe because he’s a Democrat,” Tillis says of Biden.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 8h

"It was poor healthcare policy. It was well-intentioned endpoint, poor timing, poor execution." Sen. Thom Tillis details his objections to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and how a clash with #PresidentTrump over it led him to announce his retirement. bit.ly/3UjzAyr

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 19h

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis says allegations of the Trump family profiting off the presidency are "legitimate questions" for Democrats to investigate. "If I were to excuse that, then what moral standing would I have when the next Democrat president does... the same thing?" On Apple: bit.ly/3UjzAyr

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

"Does anybody really believe that the Congress is going to write a $1.5 trillion check to DOD at Hegseth's request? Really?" Sen. Thom Tillis--who voted to confirm Pete Hegseth--explains why he is now working to get Hegseth out of the Pentagon before he retires in January. Spotify: bit.ly/4dvX6i8

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

"I wanted to find a way to build a relationship with the president and some of the people in his Cabinet that was a productive relationship," says Thom Tillis. "But was always mindful of the fact that if I'm not constantly watching how I operate, I could... be easily disposed of." bit.ly/3UjzAyr

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Has MAGA abandoned the principles of the Republican Party? “We have to overcome this period of populism that has really unmoored us from most of the principles of the Republican Party,” says Sen. Thom Tillis, who still supports President Trump. FULL EPISODE: bit.ly/4ynYYkM

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

"I still think we’ve got a shot at keeping the Senate, but I do believe the House is lost." Sen. Thom Tillis assesses the GOP's midterm prospects--and what the results could mean for the party and the president. Follow on Spotify: bit.ly/4dvX6i8

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

As Republicans brace for the midterms, Sen. Thom Tillis takes aim at what he calls the “MAGATS”—Make America Great Again Trump Sycophants who surround #Trump, including officials he voted to confirm. “They're just not up to this task.” TONIGHT at 8:30 p.m. ET Watch on YouTube: bit.ly/4gKe6lw

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Sen. Thom Tillis says confirming Pete Hegseth is the biggest regret of his career. He admits his instincts about Hegseth were right. So why didn’t he vote no? "This wasn't about just Pete Hegseth... The Democrats were dying to come up with a narrative that the wheels were falling off the bus."

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Sen. Thom Tillis tells Margaret Hoover that President Trump’s legacy and the Republican Party are “inextricably linked." So he defends Trump to “save the Republican Party” from a populism that has “unmoored” it from its principles.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Once upon a time, loyalty meant saying “no” to the president. At a 1987 #FiringLine presidential forum, retired Gen. Alexander Haig defined loyalty as having the courage to tell a president “what your conscience tells you he must hear, not what you think he wants to hear.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Why did Sen. Thom Tillis vote to confirm Pete Hegseth against his instincts? Tillis takes aim at “sycophants” surrounding President Trump, explains why he still stands by the president, and confronts the biggest regret of his Senate career. FRIDAY on @pbs.org Local listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Trump is the world’s second most powerful person—behind Xi Jinping, says Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. “That probably bothers the president.” When asked about Trump’s comments that Iran could attack American cities, Tillis said the president needs to understand "the weight of his words."

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Sen. Thom Tillis says there’s a “risk” President Trump could challenge the seating of members of Congress after the midterms if Republicans lose close races. “If we go beyond what the norms are in the state and then try to say you can’t swear these people in, I think that’s a risk,” Tillis says.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Sen. Thom Tillis says he is working to get Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth out of the Pentagon “in the next 89 or 88 days” before leaving the Senate. “Look at all the reasons why Hegseth needs to go,” Tillis tells Firing Line, saying “an increasing number of people” have lost confidence in him.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Danny Meyer says “no tax on tips” increases pay inequality at restaurants. The Shake Shack founder calls the idea—supported by both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in 2024—a “bipartisan political ploy” to win Nevada.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Danny Meyer tried to eliminate tipping. He learned Americans don’t want to give it up. Meyer ended tipping at his restaurants to close the pay gap between servers and kitchen staff. Five years later, he abandoned the experiment. “I learned that Americans like their tips.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

"It was bringing art to Madison Square Park while trying to restore and revive that park that actually led to Shake Shack." Danny Meyer reflects on the lessons learned from following his passion and opening a small burger shack that grew into a global brand. Follow on Apple: bit.ly/4djVfNh

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

"I think what's challenging is that when you get into the Instagram-friendly pictures that are all over the place, you don't really know what it tastes like," says Danny Meyer of food influencer culture. "It just became a viral appearance of something. I love when food is real." bit.ly/3U5DUkL

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

"Restaurants are people too, and the people who work in restaurants are deeply feeling people because they go to work every day trying to make other people happy." Danny Meyer explains why a bad review can be devastating for a restaurant--even if it doesn't hurt business. bit.ly/4djVfNh

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer explains his theory of “Enlightened Hospitality”: Treat your team well, and they’ll take better care of your customers. “We do a better job for our customers…if first the people who work in the restaurant love working with one another.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

"I just felt like a complete failure for everything I had always worked at and believed in." Restaurateur Danny Meyer recalls the first time he had to close down one of his restaurants--and what he learned from it. Follow on Spotify: bit.ly/3U5DUkL

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"We have more connectivity than ever, and yet there seems to be less human connection happening than ever," says Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer. "Restaurants are an antithesis to that, and I feel really, really happy about that." FULL EPISODE: bit.ly/4dkf8E5

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"You think when you come to one of our restaurants, we're selling food. That's almost beside the point. We're selling how did we make you feel?" Danny Meyer explains why he sees hospitality--not food and wine--as the primary product his restaurants sell. Follow on Apple: bit.ly/4djVfNh

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Restaurateur Danny Meyer has a message for restaurants embracing AI: Keep the robots out of the dining room. “I’ll come real close [to saying never] when it comes to putting robots in our dining rooms.” Why? Hospitality depends on something AI can’t replicate: human connection.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Can being nice make food taste better? Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer explains how that idea shaped his approach to hospitality—and weighs in on tipping and AI in restaurants. TONIGHT at 8:30 p.m. ET Watch on YouTube: bit.ly/4gKe6lw

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Even Danny Meyer dreads the tipping screen. The restaurateur who tried to eliminate tipping says he now tips everywhere—even for a bottle of water—and doesn’t always like it. "It's a real conundrum for people. I tip, I don't enjoy it, and I feel even worse when I don't tip."

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

On a 1976 #FiringLine, economic theorist Jeremy Rifkin denounced corporations for profiting at the expense of consumers and workers. This week’s guest, restaurateur Danny Meyer, argues a successful capitalist can put people before profits.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Danny Meyer reveals the Anthony Bourdain feud that helped inspire his 2006 book “Setting the Table.” Bourdain boycotted Meyer’s restaurants after he banned smoking: “He told everybody, ‘Who is that guy to be telling me what I can do and what I can’t do?’” Years later, they buried the hatchet.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"What I knew was that good food might taste even better if you were just nice to people." Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer details his approach to hospitality and business--and shares thoughts on tipping, AI in restaurants, Anthony Bourdain, and more. FRIDAY @pbs.org Listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

One year into his tenure, how does Danny Meyer view @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social? “I'm definitely rooting for him to succeed,” he says. “I'm happier when he's not delving into international politics because I don't really see where that helps fill potholes and make me feel safe here in the city.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

@anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu says Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner believe that if they offer “big enough carrots,” everyone will conclude, “We’re all going to make so much money, the war will end.” But Russia, she argues, “wants to dominate Ukraine for different reasons.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Trump says Cuba’s government “will fall.” Then what? @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu fears Cuba could follow Venezuela’s path: authoritarian rule survives while those in power cut deals with U.S. business. “That would be, I think, really tragic.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

@anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu has described the Trump administration as a "predatory" regime. "The international goal of the predatory clan is to increase their own power and influence to make money, and above all, to make sure that they are not regulated." Follow on Apple: shorturl.at/nQU2k

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Does Trump want to be more like Xi? @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu says Trump “frequently talks about Xi as someone whose power he admires” and worries he may be the first U.S. president who “aspires to be like Xi.” What could that mean for Taiwan—and America’s approach to China?

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"Architecture is not incidental or accidental. It reflects who we are." @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu argues President Trump's White House renovations are damaging the ideas behind America. "It's changing what it means to be an American president." Follow on Apple: shorturl.at/nQU2k

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian @anneapplebaum reflects on the "sobering lesson" of January 6th. "When Trump won office again, he forgave everybody, he pardoned all of the perpetrators, and he himself never suffered from it." Follow on Apple: shorturl.at/nQU2k

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

What should the next president do with Trump’s White House ballroom? “Knock it down” says @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu. She argues the ballroom is about more than architecture: “It’s Trump seeking to remake the institution itself.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

What happens to the MAGA revolution post-Trump? If JD Vance succeeds President Trump, he would “push the revolution farther,” @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu argues. She calls Vance an “ideologue” committed to “changing and transforming and maybe undermining liberal democracy in America."

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

"Everything that's happened over the last year and a half is a reflection of the fact that our political system... isn't functioning," says @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu as the midterms approach. "Having a different kind of Congress will help, but it doesn't end or solve the problem." bit.ly/3TTNy9Y

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

“American foreign policy should be about benefiting all Americans,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning historian @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu. “When it’s designed to enrich a few people who have some kind of contact to the administration... it’s not good for America.” FULL EPISODE: bit.ly/4dYciVj

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

"The ideas that are powering this revolution and the companies who are taking advantage of it... are not going away," says @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu. "So assuming that all this stuff will somehow disappear and we go back to some previous world, I think, would be a mistake." bit.ly/3TTNy9Y

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Is the Trump administration full of “revolutionaries?" @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu argues that members of the administration want to remake not only America, but the international order. “They want to smash and destroy America’s relations.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Is U.S. foreign policy for sale? Pulitzer Prize-winning historian @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu argues an alliance of ideologues and grifters is remaking American foreign policy—and reshaping conflicts from Iran and Ukraine to Venezuela and Cuba. TONIGHT 8:30 pm ET Watch on YouTube: bit.ly/4gKe6lw

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

@anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu argues Trump's threat to "annihilate" Iran helps the regime because "it makes people inside Iran feel they need protection." And while she defines “real victory” as a change of government or a more humane regime, the U.S. “doesn't have a strategy to achieve that.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

In 1990, Ronald Reagan told William F. Buckley Jr. how the U.S. and Soviet Union negotiated limits on nuclear weapons. @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu says the framework could apply to adversaries like the U.S. and China today—but worries President Trump “wants to dismiss the dangers of AI and move on.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

As President Trump addresses the UN and hosts Chinese leader Xi Jinping, @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu explains how an alliance of ideologues and grifters is remaking American foreign policy—from Iran and Ukraine to Venezuela and Cuba. FRIDAY @pbs.org Local listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

How strong is the American economy, really? “There’s massive debt. There’s a huge deficit. There’s a lot of social friction in society,” says economist Dambisa Moyo. But with the U.S. still growing and an AI-fueled wave of innovation ahead: “You don’t want to bet against the United States.”

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Is the world losing faith in America? “Absolutely,” says economist Dambisa Moyo, as America’s debt tops $40 trillion and concerns about de-dollarization grow. But from AI to America’s culture of innovation, Moyo remains “fundamentally optimistic” about the country’s economic future.

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Firing Line with Margaret Hoover @firinglineshow.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"Where's the good in the United States running hard to slow it down if in China, they're speeding up?" Amid dire warnings from American AI execs, Dambisa Moyo explains why the technology needs some sort of global governance framework to ensure safety. Follow on Apple: bit.ly/3TaLz0O

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