Shane Smith Has Questions

For nonpartisan data on the 2026 midterm election, check out USAFacts election hub: https://usafacts.org/elections/

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Historian and bestselling author Timothy Snyder joins Shane Smith for a wide-ranging conversation about what he calls America’s “superpower suicide” and what it could mean for the future of the United States and the world.

Snyder explains why he believes the U.S. is voluntarily giving up many of the advantages that made it powerful, while Russia has followed its own path of self-destruction through the war in Ukraine. They discuss how drones are changing modern warfare, the threat of nuclear proliferation, Russia’s influence on the American right, and why Snyder sees the war in Ukraine as part of a much larger global struggle between democracy, oligarchy and authoritarianism.

The conversation also turns to the upcoming midterm elections, foreign interference and propaganda, the relationship between corruption and affordability, the power of billionaires, and Snyder’s concerns about artificial intelligence making people less capable rather than more capable. Finally, Snyder shares what worries him most about the years ahead, along with the political movements and democracies that still give him hope.

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Renée DiResta has spent the past decade investigating how propaganda, foreign influence and conspiracy theories spread online. Now, as the midterms approach and AI makes manipulation faster and cheaper, she warns that America may be returning to where it was before the 2016 election—with fewer safeguards and no one clearly in charge.

DiResta joins Shane Smith to discuss Russia’s election operations, Chinese and Iranian influence campaigns, the Stanford Internet Observatory, the Election Integrity Partnership and the controversy over censorship. They also examine Cambridge Analytica, political influencers, “ampliganda,” AI-generated scams and the algorithms deciding what millions of people see.

Who creates the lie? Who gives it reach? And how can we protect elections without policing legitimate political speech?

Renée DiResta is an associate research professor at Georgetown University and the author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality.

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Subscribe to Shane Smith Has Questions for candid conversations about politics, media, misinformation and the forces reshaping the world.
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Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar just won a major Supreme Court fight against the Trump administration over its attempt to impose new federal restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the midterms.

Aguilar joins Shane Smith to explain what Trump was trying to do, why Nevada fought it, and why he believes the battle over who controls American elections is far from over.

They get into mail-in ballots and voter fraud, voter ID, the DOJ’s demands for private voter data, seven federal subpoenas concerning Nevada voters, cybersecurity and foreign interference, and why Aguilar believes the fight over the 2026 midterms is really about control of the 2028 presidential election.

Aguilar also explains why he thinks Trump’s ultimate goal is “choosing the voters rather than the voters choosing the electeds” — and why, after multiple court battles with the federal government, he says he’s not backing down.

Subscribe to Shane Smith Has Questions for candid conversations about politics, media, misinformation and the forces reshaping the world.
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At 23, Adam Mockler has become one of the most prominent young voices in liberal political media, building an audience of millions through rapid-response videos, debates and viral clips.

Adam joins Shane Smith to explain why Republicans dominated the online attention economy—and why Democrats are still struggling to catch up. They discuss the failures of the 2024 Democratic campaign, Kamala Harris’s risk-averse media strategy, the growing appeal of anti-establishment candidates and what the party must do differently before the midterms.

Adam also takes Shane behind the scenes of his viral confrontation with Scott Jennings, explains why he believes the Iran war has failed to achieve its stated objectives and examines the role independent media plays in challenging wartime narratives.

The conversation moves from young men’s isolation and political radicalization to housing, AI, money in politics and a generation that no longer feels the economic system is working for them. Adam also explains his plans to build a new, youth-driven media organization combining debates, political commentary and gonzo-style reporting.

Topics include:

Why “clipping is the new canvassing”

How Republicans captured the online attention economy

Why Democrats have become too scripted and risk-averse

Young men, social isolation and online radicalization

Adam’s viral clash with Scott Jennings

The Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz

Biden, Harris and the Democrats’ loss of public trust

Housing, cost of living and young people’s lack of capital

Political corruption, lobbying and campaign money

AI, disappearing jobs and the case for universal basic income

The future of Mockler Media

Subscribe to Shane Smith Has Questions for candid conversations about politics, media, misinformation and the forces reshaping the world.
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