Every week, host Brian Stelter tackles the week’s news in politics, media, and entertainment with fresh takes on current affairs, exclusive insights from the staff of Vanity Fair’s The Hive, and a featured conversation with a marquee guest.
Recent Episodes
inside the hive
Will America Finally Put a Woman in the White House?
NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ali Vitali discusses why the cards are stacked against non-white, non-male hopefuls like Kamala Harris, who is already deftly navigating the misogynistic minefield of presidential politics.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Why the Christian Right Believes Donald Trump Is “Anointed by God”
Author Katherine Stewart and sociologist Samuel Perry explain how the attempt on the former president’s life has only solidified his messiah-like mythos—and how Trump has turned Christian nationalists into his own electoral army.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
How Donald Trump Will Mold America “in the Image of a Dictatorship”
Reproductive rights crackdowns, mass deportations, and a fealty-based federal bureaucracy. The former president has disavowed Project 2025, but Vanity Fair’s Molly Jong-Fast and Jeff Sharlet say his prints are all over it.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Chris Hayes: Joe Biden’s Reelection Pitch Is a “Tough Ask”
The MSNBC host addresses the delicate question of age in American politics, as the president, now 81, needs to convince voters he “should have the world’s most stressful job when he’s 85 years old.”
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Pod Save America’s Hosts Are Staying Positive About 2024. That Doesn’t Mean They Don’t Fear the Worst
Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor discuss the importance of civil engagement in a time of mass cynicism, and explain how Americans can keep finding the comedy in the country’s post-Trump tragedy.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
How Prison Time Could Burnish Steve Bannon’s MAGA Cred: “It’s Amazing Clout”
Puck national correspondent Tina Nguyen and Washington Post national political reporter Isaac Arnsdorf also discuss the significance of Bannon’s War Room podcast, which they argue has made him an “indispensable voice” for Donald Trump.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
“It’s the Wild West”: Why Silicon Valley’s AI Race Could Leave the Media in Tatters
Wired global editorial director Katie Drummond and Axios senior media reporter Sara Fischer discuss whether news publishers are saving their necks—or signing their own death wish—by playing ball with companies like OpenAI.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Tech Titans Have Talked a Big Game About Misinformation. It Hasn’t Gone Anywhere
Steven Brill, the cofounder of NewsGuard, discusses how social media giants like Facebook and X have aided and abetted in the death of truth, and provides a legislative road map for holding them accountable.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Mary Trump Expects a Post-Conviction “Revenge Tour”
The former president’s niece discusses the guilty verdict and why the GOP’s “attacks on the rule of law have to be taken very, very seriously.”
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
The Democratic War Room Against RFK Jr.
Veteran operative Lis Smith explains why the Democratic Party is “leaving nothing to chance” this election cycle.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Meet CNN’s Legal Eagle With a Bird’s-Eye View of the Trump Trial
Paula Reid previews a range of possible outcomes from the jury, opens up about the challenges of day-to-day TV coverage, and reflects on the biggest “whoa” moment in the proceedings.
By Brian Stelter
inside the hive
Why Black Twitter Isn’t Fleeing Elon Musk’s X
A new docuseries on Hulu explores the history and cultural impact of Black Twitter.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
“We Got Locked in the Bathroom” by Secret Service: Notes From the Trump Trial
In the Trump trial circus, is the ex-president the ringmaster or the lion? Olivia Nuzzi, Washington correspondent for New York magazine, and Vanity Fair staff writer Dan Adler discuss the nonspectacle spectacle happening in Lower Manhattan’s criminal court.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
“You Can’t Believe This Happened”: A “Surreal” Trial and Tabloid Tales of Donald Trump
Vanity Fair’s Dan Adler paints a vivid picture of his time in the courtroom, while The Hollywood Reporter’s Lachlan Cartwright recounts the atmosphere of fear and anxiety at the National Enquirer under David Pecker.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
25 Years After Columbine: Why the Massacre Was a Turning Point for America
Columbine author Dave Cullen reflects on the cultural impact of the Colorado school shooting—and why he keeps coming back to the story. Plus: Dan Adler on the Trump trial.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
The Caitlin Clark Effect
ESPN reporter Alexa Philippou and Vanity Fair contributing editor Tom Kludt explain why you really can’t ignore women’s basketball anymore.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Donald Trump’s Truth Social Is a Meme Stock. So What Happens Next?
Scott Nover breaks down how Trump made billions this week—on paper, at least—and when the former (and possibly future) president might be able to cash out.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Delay, Delay, Delay: Will Trump Ever Be Held Accountable?
Vanity Fair’s Bess Levin and Dan Adler explain what you should know about the many criminal charges against former president Donald Trump.
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Polls Schmolls: Former Obama Adviser on Why the Election Is a “Coin Flip”
Dan Pfeiffer argues that Democrats are in denial about the president’s poor polling. But, with Donald Trump in legal limbo, he says he’d still “rather be the Biden campaign.”
By Brian Stelter
Inside the Hive
Senator Brian Schatz Explains What Donald Trump’s “Fascism” Would Mean for America
The Hawaii Democrat sounds the alarm as the former president makes another run at the White House.
By Brian Stelter