On with Kara Swisher

Latest Episodes:

From ‘Trump Curious’ to ‘Trump Furious’: Inside the Midterm Odds Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

With just under two weeks until the midterms, Democrats have reason for cautious optimism. Analysts at the Cook Political Report project the party could flip the House. The Senate, meanwhile, has swung from Republican confidence earlier this year to a jump ball, and the Democratic party is also poised to regain a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. But voters have been burned by polls before.

Kara sits down with a panel of experts to talk about whether a “blue wave” is coming, or if a lack of enthusiasm from GOP voters will result in a “red undertow.” They also discuss the impact of prediction markets and the affordability crisis on voters’ decision making, how Gen Z is thinking about all political parties and what the midterms could signal for 2028.

Kristen Soltis Anderson is a Republican pollster, founding partner of Echelon Insights and focus group moderator for The New York Times Opinion section’s America in Focus series. She’s also the author of "The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America (and How Republicans Can Keep Up)." David Wasserman is a senior editor and elections analyst for the non-partisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. Terrance Woodbury is a Democratic pollster and president and founding partner of HIT Strategies, a research firm specializing in young voters and voters of color.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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High Stakes with HRC: The Accountability Episode Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to High Stakes, a limited series from Kara Swisher and cohost Hillary Clinton. Ten years after Hillary called Trump Putin’s “puppet” on the debate stage, the label is back, and so is the fight over Russia.

Corruption is now one of voters’ top concerns. If Dems take the midterms, Kara and the Secretary break down what a Democratic Congress should investigate first. Plus: Hillary looks back on her time as a young lawyer during the Nixon impeachment inquiry, and the two weigh in on Trump’s push to rename New Mexico. Everything you need to prep for midterms, right here.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Patchett, Kingsolver & Lee on the Art—and Uncertainty—of Being a Modern Novelist Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

For literary fiction fans, 2026 has been a banner year, with new novels from award-winning American authors Barbara Kingsolver (“Partitia”), Min Jin Lee (“American Hagwon”), and Ann Patchett (“Whistler”). But amid shortening attention spans and fears that the ‘end of reading’ is fast approaching, what role do novels still play in modern life, and what does it take to find success as a writer today?

Kara speaks with Barbara, Min and Ann about the unifying themes across their latest novels, how they’ve adapted to changes in the publishing industry over the last few decades, and how they continue to reach new, younger audiences. The authors also bring their own burning questions for each other.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Keri Russell on ‘The Diplomat,’ Powerful Women, and Loving the Mess Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Keri Russell never dreamed of becoming an actor. But she’s built an impressive career playing nuanced and complex women in critically acclaimed series like “Felicity,” “The Americans” and most recently “The Diplomat,” which has earned her three Emmy nominations in as many years.

Kara sits down with Keri to discuss the new season of the hit Netflix series, created by “The West Wing” and “Homeland” veteran Debora Cahn. They talk about bringing Ambassador Kate Wyler to life, working alongside greats like Allison Janney and Rufus Sewell, and what it means to play a skilled, serious, yet imperfect woman in Hollywood. They also dig into some real-life diplomatic drama, and Keri fields an expert question from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Season 4 of “The Diplomat” premieres October 15th on Netflix.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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High Stakes with HRC: The Affordability Episode Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

The midterms are approaching, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Welcome to High Stakes, a limited series from Kara Swisher and the former Secretary of State herself: Hillary Clinton. For the next six weeks, the two are here to break down this year’s most consequential races, highlight the biggest issues on the ballot, and prepare you for the midterms elections… and what comes next.

First up, it’s the affordability episode. From Elon Musk’s massive political spending to rising costs for gas, groceries, and health care, Kara and Hillary weigh in on whether money can sway voters—and how Democrats can focus on making everyday life more affordable. They also break down key Senate races in Michigan and Maine, the one message Democrats need to hammer home into November, and the dangers of turning government into a spectacle.

Plus, Hillary reflects on her own experience with political attacks, and the lessons Pete Hegseth could learn from Osama Bin Laden’s death.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. New HIGH STAKES episodes drop Wednesdays.

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Aaron Sorkin and Jeremy Strong on Zuckerberg’s Power and Facebook’s “Reckoning” Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

Sixteen years after “The Social Network,” Aaron Sorkin is back with “The Social Reckoning,” a new film he wrote and directed. It focuses on whistleblower Frances Haugen, a data scientist and former Facebook product manager who leaked troves of damning internal documents to Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, leading to a 17-part investigation in the fall of 2021.

Kara sits down with Sorkin and lead actor Jeremy Strong, who plays Mark Zuckerberg. Sorkin talks about what made him return to Facebook and why the January 6th insurrection is pivotal to the story. And Strong explains why he approached Zuckerberg with a "radical amount" of empathy, and why he sees him as idealistic but "misguided and myopic."

“The Social Reckoning” is in theaters now.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Inside 'Musk': Power, Family and the Making of a Tech Demagogue Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

In his new documentary, "Musk," filmmaker Alex Gibney set out to answer two big questions about the world’s first trillionaire: How has Elon Musk assumed so much power, and why have we given it to him so willingly? Over nearly four hours, the film connects the dots between Musk’s various ventures — SpaceX, Tesla, Starlink, X, xAI, and Neurolink — to tell a bigger story of the unique threat he poses to democracy. The film also includes revealing interviews from people who know Musk personally, including his first wife, the writer Justine Musk, who hasn’t spoken publicly in years.

Kara sits down with Alex and Justine to talk about making the film, Musk’s obsession with being seen as an “engineer,” and Alex’s use of a computer-generated Elon as a stand-in for an interview with him (Musk declined to participate in Gibney’s film and declined to comment on this interview). They also talk about Musk’s hard shift toward right-wing politics and what it means for the midterms and future U.S. elections.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Ari Emanuel on his New Memoir, ‘Ragent’ Reputation, and Changing Hollywood Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Ari Emanuel built a name for himself in Hollywood as a firebrand agent filled with rage. In his new memoir, “Roll the Calls,” he reflects on how that rage shaped his career and argues it helped him transform the entertainment industry. He’s now the executive chair and CEO of TKO and executive chairman of the WME Group.

In a live conversation hosted by Live Talks Los Angeles, Kara and Ari talk about the ways growing up in the shadow of two talented older brothers shaped his perception of himself, and why Kara believes the book reveals a softer side of the notoriously fiery “ragent.” They also talk about David Ellison and the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the arrival of AI in Hollywood, and why Ari continues to talk to Elon Musk and President Trump.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Andy Cohen Built the Bravoverse. He Still Thinks Like a Producer. Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Kara sits down with Bravo network icon Andy Cohen, the host and executive producer of Watch What Happens Live and executive producer of the Real Housewives franchise. He takes Kara on a tour of the business behind the reality TV juggernaut and why he sees himself as less of a “Bravolebrity” and more of a producer and a broadcaster. They also get into Andy’s longtime friendship with Anderson Cooper, how fatherhood has changed him and why he remains outspoken even when his opinions are controversial.

Plus: Kara and Andy talk about his soon to be released book Andy’s Bravo Scrapbook, a coffee table collection of his own behind-the-scenes photos from 20 years of Bravo reunions.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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Sir Michael Moritz on ‘Auslander,’ Identity and Life as an Outsider Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

As a longtime partner and former chairman of the legendary Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia, Sir Michael Moritz had a direct hand in building the modern internet. His early investments in companies like PayPal, Google, and YouTube earned him a reputation as a kingmaker in tech and made him a billionaire a few times over.

But after retiring in 2023, Moritz leaned on his early background as a journalist to investigate his own family’s story for his latest book, “Auslander.” He retraces his parents’ escape from Nazi Germany as children during the lead up to World War II and pieces together the stories of other close family members who were killed in the Holocaust.

Kara and Michael talk about why his parents never identified as “survivors” of the Nazis, and the ways tragedy and grief are passed down through generations. They also reflect on the modern rise of authoritarian leaders around the world, and the parallels Micahel sees to the past.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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