Michael Smerconish

  • New York Times Bestselling Author
  • Host, "The Michael Smerconish Program" on SiriusXM
  • Host, CNN’s 'Smerconish'

Using the perfect blend of analysis and humor, Michael Smerconish delivers an engaging, thought-provoking, and balanced dialogue on today's political arena and the long-term implications of the polarization in politics.

Michael A. Smerconish is the host of "The Michael Smerconish Program" on SiriusXM Channel 124, the host of CNN’s Smerconish on Saturday mornings, newspaper columnist and author. He has often been recognized for his radio work. Talkers magazine has consistently named him one of America’s most important talk show hosts.

He is the author of seven books, two of them New York Times’ bestsellers. His published books are: Flying Blind: How Political Correctness Continues to Compromise Airline Safety Post 9/11; Muzzled: From T-Ball to Terrorism, True Stories that Should Be Fiction (a Times bestseller); Murdered By Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain and Injustice (a Times bestseller which he co-authored with Maureen Faulkner); Morning Drive: Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started TalkingInstinct: The Man Who Stopped the 20th Hijacker; and TALK! (his first novel). Smerconish's book Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right: American Life in Columns garnered critical acclaim, and all author proceeds are donated to the Children's Crisis Treatment Center.

 

Michael Smerconish headshot
Michael Smerconish photo 3
Michael Smerconish photo 2
Past Hosts Include:
  • Missouri Hospital Association
  • Bar Association of Lehigh County
  • Institutional Investor Conferences
  • Anti-Defamation League
  • NASCO
  • Tiger Bay Club of Volusia County
  • SFPR
  • Greater Philadelphia Society of Financial Services Professionals
  • Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
  • International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc.
Rave Reviews About Michael Smerconish
Michael Smerconish served as the closing speaker at our annual convention. He was extremely well-received and provided an engaging and insightful bipartisan view on the current status of the issues facing our nation and its implications for the future. In addition, he was very easy to work with in the pre event planning. I would definitely have Michael talk with our members again!

It’s Time to Change the Channel | Ronal Reagan Presidential Foundation - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Michael Smerconish
Expand all >

The Mingle Project

Sirius XM radio and CNN television host MICHAEL SMERCONISH is on a mission to restore civility and compromise to our public discourse.  For three decades he’s had a front row seat to the increase in polarization that has gripped the nation.  He sees the current climate as part of a much larger disco ...

Sirius XM radio and CNN television host MICHAEL SMERCONISH is on a mission to restore civility and compromise to our public discourse.  For three decades he’s had a front row seat to the increase in polarization that has gripped the nation.  He sees the current climate as part of a much larger disconnect in society fueled by technology and self-sorting, having a serious impact on the mental health of our youth.  The Mingle Project is both his diagnosis and prescription for the problem, presented through anecdote, social science …….and a few laughs!  

Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking

SiriusXM radio host, CNN television host, and author MICHAEL SMERCONISH has extensive experience speaking to live audiences and his remarks usually touch upon the political issues of the day. A registered Independent and passionate centrist, Smerconish has the rare ability to address audiences of a ...

SiriusXM radio host, CNN television host, and author MICHAEL SMERCONISH has extensive experience speaking to live audiences and his remarks usually touch upon the political issues of the day. A registered Independent and passionate centrist, Smerconish has the rare ability to address audiences of all political persuasion without alienating anyone in the room.    

His 2021 speeches mirror the subject matter of his recently released full-length film: Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking. Here is the backstory:  

His latest book, Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right: American Life in Columns is a compilation of a selection of the newspaper columns he published in the first 15 years following 9/11. The book gave rise to a successful speaking tour dubbed "American Life in Columns," featuring Smerconish sharing stories from the book with live audiences in small theatres all across America.  When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, Smerconish was about to embark on a new tour called "Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking," a one-man show commemorating his 30th anniversary in talk radio.  Reflecting on his three decades in the media, Smerconish shares funny anecdotes from his time behind a microphone and explains the connection between a partisan media and the increasing divide in Washington.  When several sold-out dates had to be cancelled due to Covid 19, Smerconish commandeered a historic playhouse and with the benefit of a television film crew, delivered his presentation “live” in front of 400 empty seats.  CNN aired portions of this performance worldwide as a one-hour special on July 11, 2020. The full-length version was released on December 8, 2020 by Virgil Films on VOM and DVD.

Facebook  X 
(-)
Books by Michael Smerconish
(-)
Press & Media
(-)
Biography

Michael Smerconish is the host of a daily radio program heard nationwide on SiriusXM’s POTUS channel 124 from 9a.m. – Noon ET.

He is also the host of CNN’s “Smerconish”, which airs Saturdays at 9 a.m. E.T. He was a longtime newspaper columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer and his columns were routinely re-printed in newspapers all across the country. He is the author of seven books. He has donated all of the proceeds for four of them to charity.  One was a novel, TALK, for which the television rights were optioned by Warner Brothers.  His latest book is titled: Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right: American Life in Columns. His one-man, live performance, “Things I Wish Knew Before I Started Talking” debuted on Hulu and is currently streaming on Amazon, Apple and Google.

He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Lehigh University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School and resides in the Philadelphia suburbs where he and his wife have raised four children.