Talking to him is a lot like watching his show, where his love of political history is matched by a tendency to jump from topic to topic. He answers a question about attempts to book President Donald Trump (who appeared on Hardball in 2016) by expressing his desire to “duke it out” with former Vice President Joe Biden, who also has avoided his show as of late. A question about Nationals fans celebrating the World Series victory quickly drifts to his childhood spent watching the Phillies play in a “sweltering” hot Connie Mack Stadium.