Fox News anchor Bret Baier is making a renewed push in the podcast space ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Baier will launch a new program called Common Ground on Nov. 1, seeing the anchor speak with lawmakers, business leaders and other public figures from different political backgrounds and perspectives “to discuss issues of the day and how Americans can find common ground in a polarized world.”
“In his farewell address to the nation, most remembered for the line about his concern about the ‘military-industrial complex’, President Dwight D. Eisenhower also delivered a clarion call for lawmakers from both parties to find common ground, exercise civility, and hunt for solutions first before devolving into partisan fights. ‘Good judgment seeks balance and progress’, he said. The premise of this podcast centers on the theme that Eisenhower delivered more than 62 years ago,” Baier tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The point is to bring interesting people together (not just lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, but CEOs, sports figures, regular folks from different sides) to share that civil conversation with an audience.”
Baier added that he hopes the podcast will provide an environment to find solutions to today’s problems, in a format that may be more amenable to nuanced conversations.
“We will not avoid controversy or tough questions — but will strive to get outside the partisan talking points of the day,” he says.
“When I travel the country, that’s what I hear most – ‘I wish people would come together. I wish it wasn’t always so partisan,’” Baier adds. “Common Ground will get all sides to listen to each other first and then try to get to solutions to the biggest issues of the day. In today’s divided world, I couldn’t think of a better time or environment to launch this podcast.”
Common Ground will debut two new episodes each week, and will be available through Fox News Audio under a new umbrella channel called “The Bret Baier Podcast.” The channel will include Common Ground as well as Baier’s other podcasts, The Campaign, The Candidates and the All-Star Panel.