The NPR Politics Podcast
Episodes
Here's How The Candidates Are Making Their Case To Black Voters
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden's campaign is hoping local validators can make his candidacy persuasive in Black communities. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has employed dem...
New Coronavirus Cases At Record Levels; 75 Million Americans Have Voted.
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly 70 thousand Americans test positive every day for the coronavirus, a new high. And after the pandemic drove an evolution in voting habits, more...
When Will Election Races Be Called? Here's The AP's Process
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NPR, like many news outlets, relies on The Associated Press to discern and report election results. In this episode, we speak with the AP's David Scot...
Trump And Biden Are Both On The Trail, But Their Campaign Events Are Worlds Apart
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump is working to enthuse his supporters with rallies full of grievance and conspiracy, harkening back to his successful 2016 run. He cite...
It's Been A Minute: How Latino Voter Outreach Still Falls Short
25 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode from It's Been A Minute With Sam Sanders, Sam dives into the short falls of Latino voter outreach. Latinos are the second larg...
Weekly Roundup: October 23rd
23 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The US government shared details about two alleged election meddling operations by Iran and Russia this week. The operations initially appear to be sm...
Surprise: There Was A Lot Of Policy Talk At The Final Presidential Debate
23 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden sparred over immigration, energy, and pandemic policy in the final presidential debate. But...
How Campaigns Work: Polling
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In an ongoing series congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell looks under the hood at campaigns. From how they raise money to what they do once they h...
Trump's Popularity In South Carolina Boosts Lindsey Graham's Odds In SC
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats have raised oodles of money in the South Carolina Senate race. Like, a whole lot of money. And polling shows things neck-and-neck between GO...
Fifteen Days Out, Some GOP Lawmakers Are Distancing Themselves From Trump
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden warns that nothing is certain, while Donald Trump says everything is still possible. Just over two weeks out from the election, the campaign...
No Compromise From NPR: Does No-Compromising Really Work?
18 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we are sharing an episode of NPR's No Compromise. The podcast series tells the story of three brothers who are determined to change gun politics...
Weekly Roundup: October 16th
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump mired himself in conspiracy last night at his NBC News town hall. Joe Biden didn't give a clear answer on court-packing, but said he'd ma...
With Biden Up Double-Digits, Dems Eye North Carolina and Georgia Senate Seats
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows Joe Biden with a double-digit national lead over President Trump. That margin makes states like North Carolin...
Out Of Bed, On His Heels: Trump Campaigns In Florida And Georgia
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As President Trump returns to the campaign trail after his hospitalization, he's campaigning in states that he won comfortably in 2016. Meanwhile, Joe...
Barrett Says She Isn't 'A Pawn' — But Won't Commit To Recuse From An Election Case
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Read All Of Our CoverageAmy Coney Barrett didn't give direct answers to many questions, as expected. Like past nominees, she refused to deal in hypoth...
'Doubt It'll Change Any Minds': Senate Goes Through Partisan Motions For SCOTUS
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Republican Lindsey Graham said even though views were set, the hearings for Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination are important. Republicans pu...
How Campaigns Work: Advertising
11 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In an ongoing series congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell looks under the hood at campaigns. From how they raise money to what they do once they h...
As Senate GOP Demurs On Aid, Women Bear Brunt Of Economic Crisis
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal Reserve exists to lessen the severity of economic crises and its chair has been calling for more stimulus money for months. But Senate Rep...
"Violent Extremists" Planned To Kidnap Michigan Governor, Says DOJ
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Conspirators began training for a potential attack on Whitmer's vacation home or the governor's official summer residence over the summer, according t...
Pence And Harris Go Head-To-Head Over The Pandemic, Taxes, And Healthcare
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vice President Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris spent the evening echoing the rhetoric of their respective party nominees — but with less interruptions ...
Joe Biden Up In Post-Debate Polls
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The president's sickness has dragged the pandemic back to the center of the presidential campaign, despite the looming Supreme Court fight. And Joe Bi...
As Trump's Care Moves To White House, Doctor Again Evades Key Questions
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The president's care will continue at the White House. Signs still point to a severe case of Covid-19, though his doctor continues to dodge questions ...
Questions Persist About Trump's Health After Second Dissembling Briefing
04 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The president has started a steroid and his doctor acknowledges that Trump has in fact received supplemental oxygen. His course of treatment suggests ...
After Doctor Said Trump Doing Well, Source Familiar With His Health Said Otherwise
03 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
FOLLOW OUR COVERAGE: https://n.pr/3nj0elUMuddled messaging from the White House has sent confusing signals about the president's well-being. We talk a...
Weekly Roundup: October 2nd
02 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The White House says the president's symptoms have been mild so far, but his positive test is likely to have far-reaching effects on Capitol Hill and ...
The President And First Lady Test Positive For Coronavirus
02 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump tweeted after midnight Friday that he and the First Lady Melania Trump had both tested positive for the coronavirus. The White House p...
Two Million Americans Have Already Voted
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Early voting is way up in 2020. But conspiracy theories spread by the president and protests at polling places have spooked some voters, and changed h...
Rail Force One: Biden Leads Whistle-Stop Tour After Debate
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Biden campaign chartered an Amtrak train to take the former vice president through Ohio and Pennsylvania after the first presidential debate. And,...
Debate: Trump Refuses To Condemn White Supremacy, Biden Pitches Directly To Camera
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The first debate was chaotic and light on policy as the participants disregarded the agreed-upon rules. President Trump repeatedly interrupted the dis...
The NYT Says Trump Paid Little In Income Taxes; What Does That Mean For The Campaign?
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A New York Times investigation published on Sunday said that President Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes each year in 2016 and 2017, which ...
Amy Coney Barrett Nominated And Expected To Be Confirmed To Supreme Court
27 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The former Antonin Scalia clerk currently serves on the federal bench after a fifteen-year stint as a law professor at Notre Dame. The Senate will now...
Weekly Roundup: September 25th
25 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There was bipartisan backlash after Trump suggested that he would have to see the results before committing to a peaceful presidential transition. And...
200,000 Americans Are Dead — And It Will Take More Than A Vaccine To Halt Pandemic
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It is hard to conceptualize 200,000 lives lost. Hundreds more die each day. And a vaccine, with partial efficacy and patchwork adoption, won't be enou...
It's Been Months Since Congress Last Passed Coronavirus Aid. Americans Are Struggling.
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As Republicans secure the votes to move forward on a Supreme Court nomination, government funding negotiations hit a snag. And Americans are strugglin...
Who Are The Women Under Consideration To Replace RBG?
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Most of them [the potential nominees] are young, and they've gone through the [nomination] process very recently," Trump said. He noted that one pers...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Progressive Icon, Dead At 87
19 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday. The Supreme Court announced her death, saying the cause was complications from metastatic cancer of the pancr...
Weekly Roundup: September 18th
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A steady presidential race remains steady: Joe Biden's lead is in the high single-digits nationally. But Trump's messaging tying Joe Biden to socialis...
Bad News/Good News: Vaccine Access Months Away, But Masks Really Help
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Congress that a widely-available vaccine probably won't be available until well into 2...
Analysis: Biden Leads, But He's Still Short Of 270 Electoral Votes
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden maintains a lead in key states Trump won in 2016, but the race remains tight in Florida. Arizona and Georgia are toss-ups, and Texas is pink...
They Voted For Obama, Then Trump—Now What?
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding the motivation of voters in Michigan and Pennsylvania is key to understand the 2016 coalition that allowed President Trump to notch a de...
Trump's Nevada Rally Violated State Covid Rules. He Held It Anyway.
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After the weekend's rally, aimed at building support among Hispanic voters, President Trump spent Monday in California hearing about disaster response...
Weekly Roundup: September 11th
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As wildfires rage across the west, activists are noting the campaign's relative silence on the issue of climate change. Natural disasters of all sorts...
Whistle-blower: Trump Officials Pushed Intel Staff To Downplay Russian Interference
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Homeland Security official says in his complaint that he was ordered to halt reports that made the president "look bad." DHS and the...
On Tape: President Trump Admits To Downplaying The Pandemic
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump was aware of the severity of the coronavirus in early February, telling Bob Woodward that it was much more severe than the flu. In pub...
President Trump Pushes Unrealistic Vaccine Timeline In Effort To Win Votes
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pressed on whether he was politicizing vaccine development by suggesting that a vaccine could come before election day (very unlikely), President Trum...
Labor Day Is When Election Season Kicks Into High Gear. Here's Where Voters Are.
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this Labor Day episode of the podcast, we hear from voters in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania about how they're feeling about their options in No...
Weekly Roundup: September 4th
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Isolated bursts of violence between protesters have left at least three Americans dead. But demonstrations across the country remain primarily peacefu...
The Pandemic Is Slowing Nationally, But Still Severe
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Six million Americans have been diagnosed with coronavirus and more than 185 thousand have died. Cases nationally are trending downward, but the Midwe...
Lawmakers On Both Sides Of The Aisle Contend With New Political Realities
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans' internal divisions, and divisions with President Trump, made legislating nearly impossible during Trump's first term. There's little sign...
Trump Defends Man Accused Of Shooting Protesters, Visits Kenosha
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The president is in Kenosha, Wis., today, a city that has been rocked by protests after police shot a black man several times in the back a little ove...
Joe Biden: 'Do I Look Like A Radical Socialist With A Soft Spot For Rioters?'
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Biden's remarks come after several days of unrest in cities, including the shooting deaths of two protesters in Wisconsin, allegedly by an armed white...
Trump Is Following His 2016 Roadmap. Does It Matter That The Electorate Has Changed?
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Protests continue after police in Kenosha, Wisconsin shot Jacob Blake repeatedly in the back on Sunday. A young white man is said to have murdered two...
'We're Here And They're Not': Amid Pandemic And Recession, Trump Touts Achievements
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump accepted the nomination for a second term onstage at the White House, in front of 1500 people — where the was little social distanci...
Pence: Trump Won't Stay Silent When 'Our Heritage Is Demeaned Or Insulted'
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Pence formally accepted the vice presidential nomination on the third night of the Republican National Convention. As racial justice protests con...
Trump Leverages Presidential Power To Juice Convention TV
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Melania Trump gave her Republican National Convention address from the Rose Garden of "the people's house." Campaign videographers were there as Donal...
Trump, Or Else: Speakers Laud President As 'Bodyguard Of Western Civilization'
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump and his allies portrayed Democrats as "radical" and decried "cancel culture." The first night of the Republican National Convention at...
What To Know About The Republican National Convention
23 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump and the Republican party will lay out their vision for Trump's re-election all week. The NPR Politics Podcast breaks down what to watc...
Weekly Roundup: August 21st
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The head of the United States Postal Service testified before the Senate today about controversial changes that good governance watchdogs say undermin...
'An Ally Of The Light': Joe Biden Pledges Return To Hope And Compassion
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden has accepted the Democratic party's presidential nomination. In his acceptance speech, closing out the convention's final night, he pledged ...
Historic: Kamala Harris Accepts Vice Presidential Nomination
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kamala Harris, in her speech on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, accepted the vice presidential nomination with a nod to her mot...
One Upside For Virtual Convention? No Jeers For Controversial Speakers
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Democratic National Convention's second night featured speeches from Colin Powell, Bill Clinton, Jill Biden, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — anot...
Not Too Far Left, But Left Enough: Kasich and Sanders Speak On DNC Night One
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Those were the dual messages of the first night of the Democratic convention from former Republican governor of Ohio John Kasich and progressive fireb...
The DNC Starts Tomorrow. Here's What To Watch For.
16 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and others will speak at the mostly-virtual Democratic National Convention. And, will conventions ever be the same?Want more?...
Life Kit: How To Vote By Mail
15 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you're planning to vote this fall, you can probably mail in your ballot instead of voting in person. NPR's Life Kit put together this guide for how...
Weekly Roundup: August 14th
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump opposes funding for the U.S. postal service because he believes it will make voting by mail easier. Led by a major donor to the presid...
Trump's Executive Actions Are Less Than Meets The Eye
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump announced an executive action last weekend to grant an additional $400 in employment benefits after the White House and Congress faile...
In First Campaign Event, Kamala Harris Prosecutes Trump
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kamala Harris came out swinging, forceful in her critiques of President Trump at her first appearance on the campaign trail since Joe Biden selected h...
Why Pick Kamala Harris For Vice President?
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who is Kamala Harris and why did Joe Biden select her to serve as his vice president and running mate? The NPR Politics team sits down to discuss the ...
Arizona Voters Discuss Coronavirus, Racial Justice, Election
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who will win Arizona, Trump or Biden? How is the coronavirus being handled in the state? Who is to blame? NPR and Marist College held a virtual focus ...
Weekly Roundup: August 7th
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Coronavirus stimulus package negotiations are stuck at "no deal." Meanwhile, tens of millions of Americans remain jobless. Trump may accept the nomin...
Republicans Fear Democrats May Win Senate
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Republican strategists worry that the party may not be able to win a Senate majority again, and they almost certainly will not be able to significantl...
Different Approaches, Same Pain: Georgia And California Struggle To Curb Covid-19
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As Congress stagnates on aid and Biden's convention duties go virtual, states are feeling the pain of the coronavirus. More than 150 thousand American...
Trump's TikTok Trepidation Troubles Teens
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump said Monday that TikTok will close Sept. 15 unless it's bought by an American company. Microsoft is in discussions with TikTok parent ...
The 2020 Battleground Map—With 90 Days Left.
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NPR's 2020 Battleground MapThe latest NPR analysis of the Electoral College has several states shifting in Biden's favor, and he now has a 297-170 adv...
Weekly Roundup: July 31st
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The country's worst-ever GDP report mirrors common sense: the economic retracted dramatically when the pandemic put life on hold. And the president's ...
Trump Suggests Unprecedented Election Delay. Congress Isn't Interested.
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The president tweeted the proposal just after a report showed the U.S. economy shrank by one-third, the worst contraction in history. Legally, resched...
Who Will Joe Biden Pick As His Running Mate?
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NPR has profiled a series of women thought to be under consideration to serve as Joe Biden's running mate. They include Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warre...
Can The GOP Unite Behind Their Coronavirus Plan?
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Senate Majority Leader has announced what is nominally the Republican proposal for the next phase of coronavirus relief, but members of his own pa...
There Are Fewer Than 100 Days Left Till Election Day. Here's The State Of The Race.
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden leads in national polls by a large margin and Trump's approval ratings on key issues are sliding. Despite a term filled with scandals, from ...
Weekly Roundup: July 24th, 2020
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump announced yesterday that much of the Republican National Convention would be cancelled because of coronavirus concerns. School reopeni...
After Crackdown In Portland, Trump And Barr Tout Federal Police
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Federal police have been militant in their response to protests in Portland, including detaining people in unmarked vans. In the wake of that controve...
Trump Wants To Change Who Counts When Dividing Up Seats In Congress
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump gave a more sober briefing about the coronavirus Tuesday evening, though it still contained inaccuracies. He said, months into the pan...
Is The Suburban Swing To Biden A Political Realignment?
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden is winning in the suburbs. They were key to Democrats' winning the House in the 2018 midterms. But suburban voters were once a key part of t...
Congress To Work On Pandemic Relief
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week with plans to tackle a long-awaited pandemic relief package. And a majority of Americans don't trust the pr...
Weekly Roundup: July 17th
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Congress has a lot it wants to take on when lawmakers return to Washington next week—police reform, Confederate names on military bases, and coronav...
GOP Hoped To Diversify. Then Came President Trump.
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A report from Republicans after Mitt Romney's loss called for the party to diversify its base. Instead, President Trump won. Now what?This episode: ca...
Polls Show Biden Riding High. Democrats Are Still Worried.
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden is doing well in the polls: in traditional Democratic strongholds, in swing states, and even in historically Republican bastions. But Democr...
Trump Fights Fauci. Nearly 140,000 Americans Are Dead.
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. continues to break its record daily high of new coronavirus cases. The White House has begun to openly criticize the country's most visible p...
Trump Uses His Office To Help A Friend
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has commuted the prison sentence of Roger Stone. Stone was convicted by a jury of lying to Congress about his efforts to contact WikiL...
Weekly Roundup: July 10th, 2020
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden has received detailed policy proposals from the joint committees he formed with Bernie Sanders, part of an effort to bring progressives into...
Absolute Immunity? Presidents Don't Have It.
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected President Trump's claim that he is "categorically immune" from having his pre-presidential financial records inves...
Is It Safe For Kids To Return To School?
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The President is insistent: kids must return to school in the fall. But its not his decision to make and school districts are struggling to figure out...
Young People Drive Coronavirus Surge
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The US is now regularly seeing days with more than 50,000 new cases of the coronavirus, up from the previous peak of 30 thousand a day in April. Flori...
President Revives "American Carnage" Message
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a speech Friday at Mount Rushmore, President Trump returned to the divisive "law and order" rhetoric and white identity politics that fueled his 20...
How Black Americans Experience Patriotism
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. is experiencing a reckoning over the fact that the promises of America are not fulfilled equally. Black Americans share how they experience p...
US Added Jobs In June—But Now The Pandemic Is Getting Worse
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The unemployment rate fell to 11.1%. But there are indications that the job growth has slowed recently amid a surge of new coronavirus infections. Fol...
Trump Remakes Federal Judiciary In His Image
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In June, the Senate confirmed President Trump's 200th judge to the bench. With a dearth of legislative achievements to point to, reshaping the federal...
Trump's Disapproval Climbs Alongside US Coronavirus Cases
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Amid a renewed spike in coronavirus cases, the number of voters disapproving of the job President Trump is doing is at an all-time high, a new NPR/PBS...
Supreme Court Overturns Restrictions On Abortion Access
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's four liberals, citing the Supreme Court's adherence to precedent, to invalidate a Louisiana law that req...
Weekly Roundup: June 26th, 2020
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
At the first coronavirus taskforce briefing in months, Vice President Mike Pence reiterated that the White House was there to support states in their ...