# America at 250 with Justice Neil Gorsuch, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Gen. Stan McChrystal (Ret.) Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/firing-line-with-margaret-hoover-3927052/america-at-250-with-justice-neil-gorsuch-gov-gretchen-whitmer-and-gen-stan-mcchrystal-ret Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/firing-line-with-margaret-hoover-3927052/america-at-250-with-justice-neil-gorsuch-gov-gretchen-whitmer-and-gen-stan-mcchrystal-ret.md Podcast: [Firing Line with Margaret Hoover](https://stenobird.com/podcast/firing-line-with-margaret-hoover-3927052) Published: 2026-06-27T00:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/firing-line/episodes/America-at-250-with-Justice-Neil-Gorsuch--Gov--Gretchen-Whitmer--and-Gen--Stan-McChrystal-Ret-e3l9ar3 Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/59ca458c/podcast/play/121989411/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-25%2F052406ae-6f65-343d-4e19-824ad80c9bff.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/firing-line-with-margaret-hoover-3927052/episodes/america-at-250-with-justice-neil-gorsuch-gov-gretchen-whitmer-and-gen-stan-mcchrystal-ret Duration seconds: 3426 ## Resource As America marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Margaret Hoover speaks to a Supreme Court justice, a swing state governor, and a retired four-star general about the state of American democracy and the nation’s progress toward fulfilling its founding ideals. Justice Neil Gorsuch, co-author of the new children’s book “Heroes of 1776,” reflects on America’s founders and the lesser-known figures who helped shape the Revolution. He comments on the role of the Supreme Court in sustaining democracy, his view of America as a creedal nation, and the need for better civics education. Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan assesses the impact of deepening political polarization and a troubling rise in support for political violence. She speaks about obstacles to the American dream, the ongoing pursuit of greater equality, and her hopes for the next generation of Americans. Retired Army General Stanley McChrystal discusses the role of the military in preserving democracy and the sacrifices America’s troops have borne since the nation’s founding. He underscores the importance of character in leaders and presidents, and he explains why he is both proud to be an American and leery of unquestioning patriotism. America at 250: A Firing Line Special with Margaret Hoover was made possible by contributions to your PBS Stations from viewers like you. Thank you. ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/firing-line-with-margaret-hoover-3927052/episodes/america-at-250-with-justice-neil-gorsuch-gov-gretchen-whitmer-and-gen-stan-mcchrystal-ret/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/firing-line-with-margaret-hoover-3927052/america-at-250-with-justice-neil-gorsuch-gov-gretchen-whitmer-and-gen-stan-mcchrystal-ret.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.