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The Best People with Nicolle Wallace

MS NOW, Nicolle Wallace

89 episodes

Who are The Best People? They’re the most magnetic and engaging people in the room; the ones who know how to get that extra something out of every collaboration, connection, and endeavor. These people are the best at what they do and know how to bring out the best in others. Now, in an era of social and political upheaval, The Best People share lessons that we can all use. Listen as Nicolle Wallace seeks varied perspectives on how to keep reaching for truth, decency, and connection.

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  1. Eugene Daniels and Symone Sanders Townsend Are Hardened but Hopeful

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 75 · Explicit

    Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels earned their stripes in different worlds before joining forces: Sanders Townsend as a former campaign communications advisor and Counsel to the Vice President and Daniels a…

  2. Dana Bash: Trump Can’t Will His Way Out of His Problems

    · 47 min · Bonus · Explicit

    Dana Bash has covered enough elections to know how consequential this one could be. Coming off the release of her new book, “The Elections That Changed the World,” the host of Inside Politics and co-anchor of CNN’s…

  3. Doc Rivers Coaches Us Through This Moment

    · 44 min · Episode 74 · Explicit

    Doc Rivers knows ball. The former NBA player and title-winning coach (Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks) believes that America is overdue for a true reckoning — and that the moment is now. “We're…

  4. Aaron Sorkin Thinks You Can Handle the Truth

    · 40 min · Episode 73 · Explicit

    Aaron Sorkin is acutely aware of the criticism that his work is too optimistic — and with “The Social Reckoning,” he’s doubling down. “I just like when an audience feels two inches taller than they did when they walked…

  5. Michael Lewis Has a Warning About the State of Our Soul

    · 22 min · Bonus

    If Michael Lewis has a superpower, it’s the ability to make anything — even the most esoteric subject — interesting. Now, one of the country’s biggest nonfiction writers is tackling Elon Musk, DOGE, his attempts to gut…

  6. Judge Esther Salas: This Country Has Given Us Too Much for Us to Abandon It

    · 46 min · Episode 72

    Judge Esther Salas knows what it’s like to overcome a dark moment. On July 19th, 2020, the U.S. district judge suffered a devastating loss: a man who had been a plaintiff in her court years prior murdered her only son…

  7. Anthony Scaramucci Says Trump Made All the Wrong Moves

    · 43 min · Bonus · Explicit

    Anthony Scaramucci has stories to tell. He joins Nicolle for this special episode as part of the new “Nicolle Wallace Presents: 92NY on MS NOW” series to discuss the roots of our political divisions: the uniquely…

  8. Pete Buttigieg: We're in a "Make or Break" Moment

    · 50 min · Episode 71 · Explicit

    Pete Buttigieg thinks this is a “make-or-break” moment in American politics. As Americans continue to struggle economically and President Trump’s focus seems elsewhere, the former US Secretary of Transportation argues…

  9. Ted Boutrous Jr.: “Today was a Feel-Good Moment for the First Amendment”

    · 18 min · Bonus

    Meet the man who just won the first round in one of the biggest First Amendment fights in years. Ted Boutrous Jr. has been the lawyer behind some of the cases that have made history in recent years: from the fight for…

  10. John Heilemann: Trump will Pay at the Ballot Box

    · 48 min · Episode 70 · Explicit

    John Heilemann thinks it’s time for America to change the channel on President Trump. The “Impolitic” podcast host and chief political columnist at Puck sees the Commander for what he is: a “loser” for the Republican…

  11. Dan Harris Wants Us to Stop Worrying Alone

    · 45 min · Episode 69 · Explicit

    Dan Harris knows that the most important fight is the one happening within. Reflecting on his journey of self-regulation, the former ABC anchor recalls a news report on Good Morning America on a warm June morning in…

  12. Julia Curlee: “This is my Country, Too.”

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 68 · Explicit

    Julia Curlee brings stories of a remarkable career, recounting her time as a CIA analyst and as an intelligence briefer for Vice President Mike Pence. She begins, however, by talking about the most “unremarkable”…

  13. Best of The Best: Chris Hayes Makes His Curiosity the Antidote to Anxiety

    · 57 min · Episode 67 · Explicit

    This week, we’re revisiting an episode we recorded back in May with MSNOW’s own Chris Hayes. Please enjoy! We’ll be back with a new episode next week. Chris Hayes’ antidote to anxiety is always curiosity. Whether on…

  14. Tim Miller Thinks Trump is Losing His Grip

    · 48 min · Episode 66 · Explicit

    Tim Miller has some ideas about how Democrats can seize this moment as President Trump’s poll numbers continue to decline. A GOP strategist turned never-Trumper, the host of “The Bulwark Daily” podcast now commits…

  15. Tim Snyder on the “Tiny Infinitesimal Amount of Courage” We Need

    · 39 min · Episode 65

    Tim Snyder sees through the myth of President Trump’s strength. “He’s not actually strong,” the “On Tyranny” author and historian tells Nicolle, likening the Commander in Chief to the smoke and mirrors that build up…

  16. Marc Elias: We’re Not Heading Towards the Precipice — “We’re There”

    · 53 min · Episode 64 · Explicit

    Marc Elias is adamant: what’s dangerous in this era is that many people think President Trump’s second term is just business as usual. As the administration works to undermine fair elections ahead of the midterms, the…

  17. Brian Driscoll on the Hollowing Out of the FBI: "It's Devastating”

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 63 · Explicit

    Brian Driscoll doesn’t have to be a “hopeful guy” — and yet, he is. A year ago, he was fired as acting director of the FBI after resisting demands to hand over the names of agents who worked on January 6 insurrection…

  18. Sue Gordon: Trump’s Approach to Intel is “Breathtakingly Reckless"

    · 54 min · Episode 62 · Explicit

    Sue Gordon is indefatigable. Nicolle calls her a “unicorn”: a rare case of somebody who served with honor and integrity as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence — and who Donald Trump, at least for a…

  19. Heather Cox Richardson on America’s Vibe Shift

    · 57 min · Episode 61

    If historian Heather Cox Richardson ever had an agenda, it’d be protecting democracy. The history professor and author of the “Letters from an American” Substack joins Nicolle this week to consider the knock-on effects…

  20. Rachel Maddow: Donald Trump is ‘Emotionally Incontinent’

    · 18 min · Bonus

    Nicolle sits down with her dear friend and colleague Rachel Maddow for a revealing conversation about the state of the nation and Rachel's coverage of the Trump administration's cruel and violent immigration policies…

  21. Jim Acosta Is Still Asking the Tough Questions

    · 51 min · Episode 60 · Explicit

    Jim Acosta is pretty sure that when 60 Minutes is in trouble, we're all in trouble. A year and a half after stepping down from a storied career as a White House correspondent and anchor at CNN, the independent…

  22. Sen. Raphael Warnock: "The Power is in the People. It's Not the People in Power”

    · 51 min · Episode 59 · Explicit

    Senator and Pastor Raphael Warnock recognizes that “Democracy is the house we live in. It's the context in which we get to fight.” Coming off the release of his new book, “The Crooked Places Made Straight,” he joins…

  23. Exclusive: Jack Smith Will Not Be Intimidated

    · 47 min · Bonus

    Jack Smith is speaking out. In his first news interview since criminally charging Donald Trump and finding himself on the President’s enemies list, the former DOJ Special Counsel sits down with Nicolle Wallace. On…

  24. Eddie Glaude Wants You to “Tell the Truth With Love, Lit by Rage”

    · 48 min · Episode 58 · Explicit

    Eddie Glaude believes that, “if we're not angry about our current moment, something's wrong.” Bonded by their experiences covering some of the nation’s most haunting modern stories, the author and Princeton professor…

  25. Pablo Torre: America’s Story is the Story of the Knicks

    · 51 min · Episode 57 · Explicit

    Pablo Torre thinks sports are the “skeleton key.” The journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning host of the podcast of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” joins Nicolle to talk about the potent power of the game: how sports weave…

  26. Don Lemon Lives Rent Free in Donald Trump’s Head

    · 54 min · Episode 56 · Explicit

    Don Lemon was one of the first journalists that “pissed Trump off,” Nicolle charges out of the gate. A year and a half into the president’s second term, the independent journalist and former CNN anchor is upfront about…

  27. Liz Oyer Won’t Be Bullied by Anyone — Even Trump

    · 54 min · Episode 55

    Liz Oyer understands the transactional nature of the current Justice Department more than most. In March of 2025, she was fired from her position as the US Pardon Attorney for refusing to reinstate actor Mel Gibson’s…

  28. Bob Costas Steps Up to the Plate

    · 46 min · Episode 54

    Bob Costas believes democracy is worth going to bat for. The legendary sportscaster and 12-time host of NBC’s Olympics coverage is no stranger to speaking up when the moment calls — which, as he tells Nicolle this…

  29. Ben Rhodes: “The Best Speakers Build Movements”

    · 55 min · Episode 53

    Ben Rhodes believes “we’ve lost the art of speaking to one another.” Amid the megaphone of social media sound bites and the ever-increasing coarseness of our politics, the speechwriter and former Obama Deputy National…

  30. Ken Burns Knows We’ve Been Here Before

    · 55 min · Episode 52 · Explicit

    Ken Burns thinks we’re going to make it. An award-winning documentarian, Ken’s celebrated career seeks to find humanity in our country’s imperfect story. He threads this idea through his documentaries about everything…

  31. Chris Hayes Makes His Curiosity the Antidote to Anxiety

    · 56 min · Episode 51 · Explicit

    Chris Hayes’ antidote to anxiety is always curiosity. Whether on TV with "All In," on his podcast (aptly named “Why Is This Happening?”), or writing about our waning attention spans in his latest book, he looks to make…

  32. Introducing WITHpod: The AI End Game

    · 1:16 · Bonus

    AI – and coverage of it – is everywhere. But what is artificial intelligence, really, beyond the buzzword? Each week, in a special new miniseries - ‘The AI End Game’ - Chris Hayes is joined by preeminent experts on AI…

  33. Sarah Longwell Knows the Cheat Code to Politics

    · 54 min · Episode 50 · Explicit

    Sarah Longwell listens to voters. As a GOP strategist and pollster who felt herself languishing in the wilderness as Trump 1.0 took root, she founded “The Bulwark” in 2019 with a stated mission “to put country over…

  34. Gov. Mikie Sherrill Runs New Jersey Like a Busy Mom

    · 52 min · Episode 49 · Explicit

    Governor Mikie Sherill's best leadership lessons came from the Navy—and her kids. As a mom of four, the retired Navy helicopter pilot and former Congresswoman doesn’t have time to waste, and with less than 100 days…

  35. Sherrilyn Ifill on Rebuilding Post-Trump: " It's Gotta Come Down to the Studs”

    · 56 min · Episode 48 · Explicit

    Sherrilyn Ifill maintains that we need a cultural reset from the ground up. The renowned former head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Howard University law professor has been in the trenches of defending civil…

  36. Kara Swisher on Death and Doritos

    · 55 min · Episode 47 · Explicit

    Kara Swisher is always one of the smartest people in the room. A long-revered voice in tech and media, her trademark, B.S. free ability to pinpoint coming trends and predict fading technologies has earned her…

  37. Best of the Best: Yes, Robert De Niro is Talking to You

    · 40 min · Episode 46 · Explicit

    Last weekend the legendary actor spoke at a protest in New York City. “The concept of No Kings is a great rallying cry, and hugely successful, as millions of us have answered the call. I support this movement 150%” he…

  38. Alex Wagner: Trump’s MAGA Base is "Mad at Daddy"

    · 49 min · Episode 45 · Explicit

    Alex Wagner is journalist to her core, forever on the hunt for the next story “bubbling up on the ground.” From her 2020 reporting for Showtime’s “The Circus” on right-wing militias intent on reacting to a Joe Biden…

  39. Julie K. Brown Continues to Break Open the Epstein Story

    · 51 min · Episode 44

    When Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown first started digging into the story behind Jeffrey Epstein’s sweetheart plea deal back in 2018, she did not envision the firestorm that would build around her…

  40. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling Knows Leadership… And When It’s Lacking

    · 55 min · Episode 43

    “ We anticipate your unit taking about fifty percent casualties.” This is what Retired Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling heard in an intelligence briefing at division headquarters before deploying to Iraq in 1991.…

  41. How Tig Notaro's "Laugh Hang" Got Her to the Oscars

    · 50 min · Episode 42 · Explicit

    Tig Notaro is spectacularly funny. She’s also a fiercely dedicated friend. The Emmy and Grammy nominated comedian now adds “Oscar Nominee" to her impressive list of accomplishments for her work producing the deeply…

  42. A Mayor, a Military Pro and a Professor on Affluence, Grievance and Greed

    · 53 min · Episode 41 · Explicit

    After Nicolle's fiery conversation with Princeton Professor Dr. Eddie Glaude, former NOLA Mayor Mitch Landrieu, and The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols on "Deadline: White House" a few weeks back, it was clear they needed to…

  43. Yes, Robert De Niro is Talking to You

    · 40 min · Episode 40 · Explicit

    Robert De Niro commands every room he enters. His decades-long career and Academy Award winning performances have gifted the world some of its most beloved films, from instant classics like "The Godfather II" and…

  44. Scott Galloway Wants You to Resist and Unsubscribe

    · 30 min · Episode 39

    Like many Americans, Scott Galloway was feeling powerless against the Trump administration's worst policy impulses. And then it hit him: knowing Trump responds only to changes in the market, why not use our keyboards…

  45. Check Out a Preview for “Clock It”

    · 5:35 · Bonus

    “MS NOW Presents: Clock It” is an invitation to the liveliest and most informed groupchat in your feed. Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels are long-time political powerhouses. And they understand more than most…

  46. Rosie Perez is Still Doing the Right Thing

    · 51 min · Episode 38 · Explicit

    Rosie Perez was a self-professed “college nerd” studying biochemistry when she landed her breakout role as Tina in Spike Lee’s iconic 1989 film “Do the Right Thing.” Since then, audiences have fallen in love time and…

  47. MS NOW Presents: Clock It with Symone and Eugene

    · 2:27 · Bonus

    Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels were once at odds as White House staffer and White House reporter. Now they’re friends and colleagues—each co-hosting their own shows at MS NOW. But their off-air…

  48. Eric Holder: Institutions Have Failed Us, the American People Have Not

    · 53 min · Episode 37 · Explicit

    Eric Holder exemplifies a Justice Department guided by principle and integrity— rather than by the whims of a White House occupant. Holder’s unique perspective as the nation’s former chief law enforcement officer…

  49. Amb. Susan Rice on Trump’s “Grand Theft Larceny"

    · 50 min · Episode 36 · Explicit

    Susan Rice’s exemplary career in government and international relations has earned her a distinctive reputation as a resolute advocate for American interests on the world stage. As the former Ambassador to the United…

  50. Oliver Darcy on the Effects of a Steady Fox News Diet

    · 49 min · Episode 35 · Explicit

    In a media market saturated with content, Oliver Darcy breaks the fourth wall—turning the lens back on the content makers shaping today’s news. The veteran media reporter and “Status” newsletter founder is known for…

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