The Smerconish Podcast

On the 25th anniversary of September 11, Michael Smerconish presents an expanded companion podcast episode to his three-hour SiriusXM POTUS tribute — featuring the remarkable archival interviews and full, unedited conversations that couldn’t fit on the radio.
Hear James Meigs from Popular Mechanics debunk 9/11 conspiracy theories; journalists Michael Scherer and Peter Baker revisit the mission that killed Osama bin Laden; and SEAL Team Six members Mark Owen/Matt Bissonnette and Rob O’Neill give their firsthand accounts of the Abbottabad raid. Jennifer Senior discusses her Pulitzer Prize-winning story of one family’s enduring grief after 9/11.
Plus, hear Michael’s complete new conversations with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, New York Times reporter Carol Rosenberg on Guantánamo Bay, and Gerald Posner on longtime detainee Abu Zubaydah. Twenty-five years later, the stories — and some of the questions — remain.

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Twenty-five years after September 11, Michael Smerconish presents a special three-hour remembrance of the day that changed America — and asks what “Never Forget” means for a generation that wasn’t there.

Drawing from a quarter century of extraordinary archival interviews, Michael revisits the warning signs before the attacks, the heroes of Flight 93, the fight for survival inside the Twin Towers, the unprecedented clearing of America’s skies, the television coverage that guided a stunned nation, and the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden. You’ll hear from Alice Hoagland, Lawrence Wright, Ben Sliney, the late Aaron Brown, Peter Bergen, Rob O’Neill and others, along with Michael’s own broadcast from the afternoon of September 11, 2001.

Then, in an entirely new third hour, Michael sits down with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for an extended conversation about that day and its aftermath, while New York Times reporter Carol Rosenberg and author Gerald Posner examine the unfinished legacy of 9/11 — from Guantánamo and the still-pending trial of the accused plotters to the case of a detainee held for 24 years without ever being charged.

A Special Edition of The Michael Smerconish Program, originally aired on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124.

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Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was convicted of fraud after prosecutors argued that billions of dollars in customer deposits were improperly funneled to his trading firm, Alameda Research. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and hit with an $11 billion forfeiture judgment. Now, Michael speaks with SBF’s Supreme Court attorney Jeffrey Fisher about why he believes the jury never heard the full story, whether Bankman-Fried received a fair trial, and the case for giving him another one. Original air date 10 September 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Will Trump's $5000 dividend promise help Republicans in the midterms or will it backfire?
President Trump is promising every adult U.S. citizen a $5,000 “dividend” if Republicans win the House and Senate—a proposal that could cost roughly $1.2 trillion. Michael examines the political calculation behind the pledge, the questions surrounding how it would work, and the striking contrast with a national debt approaching $40 trillion. Does putting money directly into voters’ pockets give Republicans a powerful midterm advantage, or does the promise look like fiscal recklessness—or even desperation—at exactly the wrong moment? Listen and please rate, review and share this podcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) joins Michael to discuss President Trump’s push to change mail-in voting, the battle for control of the House in the 2026 midterms, and what he sees as the administration’s priorities. Plus, Coons explains his bipartisan effort with Sen. Ted Cruz and other Senators to bring order to college sports, NIL payments, and the transfer portal, in the "Protect College Sports Act." Original air date 9 September 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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