The NPR Politics Podcast
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The NPR Politics Podcast
Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon.Political wonks - get wonkier with The NPR Politics Podcast+. Your subscription suppo...
Recent Episodes
2000 episodes
What happens if Trump tries to mess with the midterms?
President Trump routinely sows doubt in the credibility of elections in the United States — especially if he, or his allies, lose those votes. But wit...
What's going on with vote-by-mail?
President Trump has long railed against voting by mail, falsely claiming it is rampant with fraud. He signed an executive order earlier this year seek...
Graham survives runoff with help from Trump's super PAC
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., beat back a close challenge from Rep. Ralph Norman to win her GOP Senate primary runoff. We look at the race, and how MAG...
What a trade war with Canada means for U.S. consumers
After President Trump announced new tariffs on some Canadian goods, Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, said his country would match them "dollar fo...
How many noncitizens are on U.S. voter rolls?
The federal government claims more than 250,000 noncitizens are on voter rolls in four U.S. states. Officials in those states, though, expressed doubt...
Roundup: carrier formations, calendars & corgis
U.S. foreign policy has teased a 'pivot to Asia' for more than a decade, but as the war with Iran continues, attention is shifting elsewhere. But, Tru...
Crime in the U.S. is down. Why?
Recent data from the FBI show violent crime has dropped over the last few years. President Trump is taking credit for the decline, but the reasons for...
Takeaways from Tuesday's primaries
Democratic voters in many races faced choices between moderate and progressive candidates, while Republicans picked between those President Trump back...
What Florida's primaries tell us about American voters
While it may not be the swing state it once was, the candidates and outcomes in Florida's primary elections provide some clues as to where U.S. politi...
Why White House press secretaries still matter
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt leaves the post at the end of August. We look back at her tenure, why the job still has importance in the...
Two planes, a president and a catering truck
When President Trump left the NATO summit in Turkey last month, he covertly switched planes because the government had received reports of an Iranian...
Is there a rift within the Democratic Party?
This year's primary contests have given Democratic voters a chance to choose between left-wing and moderate candidates and there seems to be a divide...
Voters sent mixed messages in Tuesday's primaries
Voting wrapped up in several states’ primaries on Tuesday, and the results were a mixed bag. We discuss takeaways from primaries in Minnesota, Wiscons...
Women could be the deciding votes in Maine Senate race
More women than men have voted in every election in Maine in the last decade, and women are a key reason Republican Sen. Susan Collins won reelection...
How Trump's focus on his legacy drives his decisions
President Trump has said repeatedly, publicly and privately, that he doesn't want to be compared in the history books to former President Herbert Hoov...
GOP grapples with misconduct allegations against two lawmakers
It was another busy week in the world of politics. We discuss a Senate committee's vote to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, Todd Blanche's...
What is Trump's interest in Paramount's merger with WB?
President Trump has taken a particular interest in Paramount's plan to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $111 billion. We discuss why the president i...
Progressives had a good night in Michigan
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Congresswoman Haley Stevens to win the Democratic nomination for Michigan's open Senate seat. We discuss...
How the GOP plans to fight an anti-incumbent wave
The president's party typically loses seats in a midterm election, and President Trump's low favorability ratings aren't helping Republicans as Novemb...
It's (still) the economy, stupid
The economy is growing very slowly, and wages aren't keeping up with inflation, which is keeping gas and grocery prices high. We discuss how politicia...
Why is Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general in limbo?
Some Senate Republicans are refusing to approve President Trump's attorney general pick unless the Trump administration commits in writing to certain...
Who will Wisconsin Democrats pick to run for governor?
This podcast was taped at 1:15 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
State Assemblywoman Francesca Hong leads in the polls over M...
How power, corruption & lies influence voters' choices
Overwhelming majorities of voters think that corruption is a problem, according to research from the Brennan Center for Justice. Democrats plan on mak...
This Senate race may shape the Democrats' future
The Democratic Party's progressive and moderate wings are squaring off in Michigan as voters decide who the party's nominee for an open Senate seat wi...
Is Troy Jackson Maine's new main man?
Maine Democrats selected Troy Jackson, a former gubernatorial candidate and president of the Maine Senate, to replace Graham Platner on November's bal...
How Trump's agenda complicates midterm races for Republicans
House Republicans had a busy week before heading out for an August recess. We discuss what measures they passed, how those items fit into President Tr...
Fatal ICE shootings reignite campaign debate over immigration
Campaigns across the country are leaning into immigration issues, spurred in part by recent fatal shootings by federal immigration officers in Maine a...
As casualties rise, do the politics of the Iran war change?
President Trump attended the dignified transfer on Wednesday of four U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war. We discuss how the latest casualties affect...
2028 fantasy draft: Republicans
The next presidential election is more than two years away, but it's not too early to start discussing likely contenders. We do an NFL-style draft of...
The races we’re watching in Arizona’s primary
Tuesday is Primary Day in Arizona. We discuss the Republicans hoping to unseat Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November and the competitive primaries f...
New NPR Series: "We Keep Us Safe" from the Embedded podcast
In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to join the racial justice movement of his generation in the wake o...
Trump pushes unsubstantiated claims of election fraud — again
In a national address Thursday night, President Trump said he has new evidence of fraud in the American election system. We discuss whether facts back...
These swing voters shrug at Trump earning billions last year
NPR reporters observed focus groups of 12 Pennsylvania voters who backed former President Biden in 2020 and President Trump in 2024. We discuss their...
Trump warns that communism is coming for America
President Trump has been pushing a new warning lately: communism is coming. He’s referring to candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of Ame...
2028 fantasy draft: Democrats
The next presidential election is more than two years away, but it’s not too early to start discussing likely contenders. We do an NFL-style draft of...
With Graham's death, the Senate loses a key Trump whisperer
Longtime South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly over the weekend at age 71. We discuss how Graham helped President Trump reshape...
Where is Mitch McConnell?
It was another busy week in politics. We discuss Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell’s extended absence from the Senate and the latest news in the Mic...
What’s next after Democrat Platner exits Maine Senate race?
Democrat Graham Platner has announced that he is dropping out of the race to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate, following new allegations — which Pla...
Trump says the Iran ceasefire is over. What happens now?
While attending a NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump said the ceasefire in Iran is over. We discuss what comes next for the conflict and why the U...
This Supreme Court term gave presidents a lot more power
The U.S. Supreme Court term that ended last week greatly expanded power not just for President Trump but for future presidents, too. It also gave Repu...