The Smerconish Podcast

New Jersey says a software error mistakenly added approximately 6,600 noncitizens to its voter rolls—and fewer than 400 ultimately cast ballots. Does the incident undermine claims that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare, or show that isolated errors can be detected and corrected? Michael speaks with David Becker, executive director and founder of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research and a former senior trial attorney in the Justice Department’s Voting Section, about voter fraud, possible prosecutions, voter ID, DMV records, and the SAVE Act. Then Michael opens the phones to listeners divided over accountability, election security, and public trust in America’s voting systems. Original air date 23 July 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Is it ever appropriate for federal prosecutors to subpoena journalists to reveal their confidential sources?
Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed four New York Times journalists after their reporting raised questions about whether a Qatar-donated Air Force One had adequate security protections. Michael examines the clash between national security investigations and press freedom, including the Justice Department’s shifting media policies, the absence of a federal shield law, and landmark cases involving the Pentagon Papers, Judith Miller, and James Risen. Are reporters simply subject to the same grand jury demands as everyone else—or would forcing them to identify sources cripple investigative journalism and deter whistleblowers? Michael explains the stakes before casting his own vote. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Michael turns the Democratic Party’s 2028 primary calendar into a political strategy game: Which state should vote first, and could that decision determine the eventual presidential nominee? He weighs diversity, geography, affordability, voter access and general-election competitiveness before making the case for Nevada. Then listeners join the debate, offering alternatives including Maryland, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Kentucky—and raising one major problem with Nevada that could change the calculation. Original air date 23 July 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: New Jersey mistakenly registered 6,600 non-citizens to vote, and about 400 did so — is that an aberration, or the norm?
Michael examines the collision between two stories: President Trump’s sweeping claims about noncitizen voting and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill’s acknowledgment that a software error added thousands of ineligible residents to the voter rolls, with roughly 400 reportedly casting ballots. Does one documented failure overturn the broader evidence that noncitizen voting is rare—or expose a vulnerability officials have underestimated? Michael breaks down the numbers, the political fallout, and why New Jersey may become a defining election-integrity argument heading into the midterms. Listen here, vote at Smerconish.com, and please rate, review and share this podcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Did New Jersey just give President Trump a powerful new argument on election integrity? Michael Smerconish and Mark Halperin debate the facts, the politics and the future of the SAVE Act before turning to the increasingly unpredictable 2026 midterms. Plus: the political danger of the Iran war, JD Vance’s comments about Israel, Susan Collins’ fight for survival, and the clues suggesting Mark Kelly may be positioning himself for a 2028 presidential campaign. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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