The NPR Politics Podcast

Weekly Roundup: Friday, February 14

14 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Attorney General William Barr asked President Trump to stop his social media commentary on Thursday after the flap over the case involving Trump's adv...

Candidates Vie For Support Of Black Voters; Bloomberg Remarks Cause Controversy

13 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Biden's theory of the case is that his current support among black voters will lead to success in Nevada and South Carolina. That, in turn, he ho...

After Trump Tweet, DOJ Softens Sentencing Recommendation For POTUS Ally

12 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hours after the Justice Department intervened to seek a shorter sentence for Roger Stone, the four federal prosecutors who secured his conviction with...

Bernie Sanders Wins New Hampshire Democratic Primary

12 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has narrowly won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, as moderate voters split their voters between other candidates.F...

On the Ground In New Hampshire

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of The NPR Politics Podcast, Asma Khalid travels to candidate events around the state of New Hampshire and speaks with reporte...

Voters Of Color At The Center Of Heated Democratic Debate

08 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of a busy week in American politics, seven Democrats took the stage in New Hampshire ahead of the state's Tuesday primary.Each candidate ma...

Tensions Between Pelosi and Trump on Display After Senate Acquittal

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The impeachment trial is over, but there are still hard feelings between President Trump and Democratic leadership. Those tensions were on display tod...

Senate Votes To Acquit President Trump, Ending Historic Impeachment Trial

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Senators voted mostly along party lines this afternoon to acquit President Trump on two articles of impeachment. The White House called President Trum...

"Stronger Than Ever Before": Trump Delivers Made-For-TV State of The Union Address

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was a highly partisan event. Trump touted his own accomplishments on issues like the economy and paid family leave, lowering the cost of health car...

Buttigieg And Sanders Locked In Tight Race After Partial Iowa Results Released

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., is neck and neck with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses, according to a partial r...

Iowa Results Waylaid By "Technical Difficulties," Democrats Say

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As problems with a mobile app through which vote tallies were transmitted electronically caused a delay in the reporting of Iowa caucus results on Mon...

In Impeachment Trial, Both Sides Make Final Pitch on Conviction vs. Acquittal

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The White House legal team and House managers made their closing arguments today in the Senate impeachment trial. With an acquittal looking almost cer...

Special Episode: On The Ground in Iowa

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of the NPR Politics Podcast, Scott Detrow travels to candidate events around the state of Iowa days and speaks with our campai...

NPR Politics Live From Des Moines: The Road To 2020

01 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode, recorded in front of a live audience at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines, IA on Friday, January 31. The cast breaks down ev...

Witness Vote Fails, But Impeachment Trial Stretches To Next Week

01 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Senate adjourned for the weekend, but the impeachment trial of President Trump is not over. Senators voted not to hear from new witnesses on Frida...

Questions of Foreign Interference Continue as Trial Moves Closer to Vote on Witnesses

31 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Close to a vote on whether to include witnesses, the White House legal team continued to defend its argument that the president sometimes has authorit...

Trump Legal Team Says Quid Pro Quo In Pursuit Of Reelection Isn't Impeachable

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The point was made by Alan Dershowitz, one of the president's attorneys: "If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in...

President's Defense Team Concludes Arguments in Impeachment Trial

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump's impeachment defense team concluded their arguments with time to spare Tuesday. White House counsel Pat Cipollone said the two artic...

John Bolton Casts Shadow Over Trump Impeachment Defense

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As President Trump's legal team continues their case for acquittal, a report in The New York Times about an alleged conversation between Trump and Bol...

Trump's Legal Team Begins Impeachment Defense, Says The President Did 'Nothing Wrong'

25 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump "did absolutely nothing wrong," White House counsel Pat Cipollone said Saturday, as lawyers representing the president got their first...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, January 24

25 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Democratic impeachment managers conclude their opening arguments Friday night in the Senate Impeachment trial. The president's defense team begins the...

A Few Republicans And The American Public: Democrats Target Their Impeachment Message

24 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the second day of their opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial, Democratic managers honed their case. They hope to persuade a narrow ban...

NPR Politics Live From Drew University: The Road To 2020

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode, recorded in front of a live audience at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey on Wednesday, January 22nd. As part of Drew ...

Senate Trial Opens With Democrats' Appeal to Remove Trump

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the third presidential impeachment trial in the country's history got underway, there was a lot that sounded familiar.House impeachment managers, l...

Senate Impeachment Trial Begins With Partisan Rules Fight

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The first full day of the Trump impeachment trial has been dominated by partisan fighting over the rules of the proceedings.Senate Majority Leader Mit...

We've Attended Thousands of Political Rallies. Here's How They Work.

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Every political rally can be distilled to a few elements: the music, the stump, and the call to action. But each candidate's rallies look a bit differ...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, January 17

17 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has announced his legal team for the Senate impeachment trial—and it includes ghosts of impeachment past. And a non-partisan governm...

Trade Deals Offer Trump Fodder To Tout On Trail

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week, President Trump inked deals in the two trade spats that have helped to define presidency: The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, an incremental up...

After Weeks of Delay, House Transmits Articles of Impeachment to Senate

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named seven Democratic members of Congress as the managers to argue the case for impeachment before the Senate."The emphasi...

Democratic Debate Confronts A Loaded Question: 'Can A Woman Win Against Trump?'

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Six Democratic presidential candidates debated on Tuesday night in Iowa, less than three weeks before the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses.It came...

With A Debate Looming, Progressives Feud and Cory Booker Drops Out

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has suspended his presidential campaign, citing a lack of money to run a winning campaign.Also, Massachusetts Senator E...

NPR Politics Live From Chicago: The Road To 2020

11 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode, recorded in front of a live audience at the Harris Theater in Chicago, IL on Friday, January 10th. The cast breaks down eve...

How Chief Justice Roberts May Preside Over Senate Impeachment

10 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to hand over articles of impeachment to the Senate next week and when the trial begins, Chief Justice John Robe...

House Vote Reignites Tug-Of-War Over Military Authority

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The House is set to vote this evening on a resolution to limit President Trump's authority to strike Iran. President Trump is operating, like his rece...

Trump Responds To Iranian Missile Strike With Sanctions

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

No casualties were reported after an Iranian missile strike on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq on Tuesday night.On Wednesday morning, President Trum...

2020 Democrats Divided In Their Response To Iran Conflict

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump's decision to kill a top Iranian general has split the Democratic field along familiar ideological lines. It remains to be seen how mu...

Congressional Democrats Plan Vote on Trump's War Powers

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi called last week's drone airstrike against Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani "provocative and disproportionate."Iran ...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, January 3rd

03 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump ordered a strike against a top Iranian military leader that seems likely to upset the balance between the Middle East and Washington, ...

Julian Castro Drops Out Of 2020 Race; Candidates Release Fundraising Numbers

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Julián Castro, who served as secretary of housing and urban development in the Obama administration , has ended his presidential campaign. Elements o...

Why New Hampshire Holds The First Primary And Why That Matters

01 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of The NPR Politics Podcast we sat down with New Hampshire Public Radio's political reporter Lauren Chooljian to talk about wh...

Why Iowa's Caucus Comes First And Why That Matters

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of The NPR Politics Podcast we sat down with Iowa Public Radio's lead political reporter Clay Masters to talk about why Iowa's...

The Biggest Political Moments Of The Decade

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What are the most notable political moments of the last decade? The NPR Politics team sits down to discuss four of their picks: the rise of the Tea Pa...

How Elizabeth Warren's Bankruptcy Research Sparked Her Progressive Politics

27 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the NPR Politics Podcast investigates defining moments in the lives of four top Democratic presidential candidates to understand how those ...

What Joe Biden Learned From His 1988 Presidential Campaign

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the NPR Politics Podcast investigates defining moments in the lives of four top Democratic presidential candidates to understand how those ...

The Eight-Hour Speech That Made Bernie Sanders A Household Name

25 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the NPR Politics Podcast investigates defining moments in the lives of four top Democratic presidential candidates to understand how those ...

A Younger Pete Buttigieg Thought That Democrats Weren't Progressive Enough

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the NPR Politics Podcast investigates defining moments in the lives of four top Democratic presidential candidates to understand how those ...

What the Ukraine Scandal Looks Like ... From Ukraine

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, Ukraine elected a comedian as its new president, kicking off a wave of reform that swept the country. Just as Ukrainians felt as th...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, December 20

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are locked in a procedural fight over the format of President Trump's impeachmen...

The 6th Democratic Debate Takeaways

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The last Democratic presidential debate of 2019, sponsored by the PBS NewsHour and Politico, has concluded. After an hour without direct clashes, Sen....

President Trump Impeached on Charges of Obstruction, Abuse of Power

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For just the third time in American history, the House of Representatives has voted to impeach the president of the United States. The chamber approve...

House Advances Major Budget Deal As Trump Bemoans Impeachment

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump sent a six-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tuesday, criticizing Democrats for the impeachment proceedings, which he calls "a...

Anti-Impeachment Democrat To Switch Party; Dispute Could Upend Democratic Debate

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

New Jersey Democrat Rep. Jeff Van Drew is expected to switch parties and become a Republican. Democrats still appear to have more than enough support...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, December 13

13 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Despite partisan impeachment hearings, lawmakers reached a flurry of tentative deals on on Space Force, family leave for federal workers, and a multil...

Democrats Prepare To Advance Impeachment Articles After Fractious All-Day Hearing

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee expect to give their final vote of approval on two articles of impeachment against President Trump Thursday...

DOJ IG Testifies To FBI Lapses, Finds No Political Motivation In Trump Campaign Probe

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday about his investigation into origin...

Democrats Reveal Articles Of Impeachment Against The President

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

House Democrats officially unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Trump at a press conference on Tuesday morning: abuse of power in th...

Hearing Recaps Impeachment Probe; DOJ IG Report Finds No Bias in Russia Inquiry

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In a hearing summarizing the findings of the impeachment inquiry so far, Democrats said they believe the case for removing President Trump from office...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, December 6

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Now that Speaker Pelosi has announced that the House will draft articles of impeachment, Democrats must decide how wide or narrow those articles will ...

#DemsSoWhite? Kamala Harris' Exit Raises Hard Questions About Race And Power

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic Party faces the prospect of a debate in two weeks with only white candidates onstage. Earlier, they had the most diverse presidential c...

Judiciary Hearing Opens Final Act Of Democrats' Trump Impeachment Saga

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A panel of four constitutional law scholars are trying to put the allegations against Trump in a historical and legal context. Three of the professors...

Democrats Release Impeachment Report; Kamala Harris Drops Out Of 2020 Race

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee unveiled the report summarizing their case for impeachment on Tuesday. Plus, California Sen. Kamala Harr...

Judiciary Takes Up Impeachment As House Intelligence Panel Prepares To Release Report

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff will reveal his findings in the impeachment probe, and the House Judiciary plans a hearing with expe...

How To Run For Office

29 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this special collaboration with NPR's Life Kit the NPR Politics team breaks down what are key steps for running for office. This episode: Congressi...

How To Vote In An Election

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this special collaboration with NPR's Life Kit the NPR Politics team breaks down how to get ready for election day. This episode: Congressional cor...

How To Spot Misinformation

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this special collaboration with NPR's Life Kit the NPR Politics team breaks down what misinformation is and how you can spot it. This episode: Cong...

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Is Running For President

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bloomberg announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, saying Trump "represents an existential threat to our country and our values." The bu...

Trump Fires Navy Secretary; Will Allow Eddie Gallagher to Retire As Navy SEAL

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has repeatedly intervened on behalf of the Navy SEAL recently convicted of misconduct. This episode: Congressional correspondent Susan...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, November 22

22 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After a full week jam-packed with impeachment inquiry hearings we look back at the major moments that shaped what will happen next. This episode: Cong...

Hill Calls Investigations A "Domestic Political Errand"; Holmes Details Trump Call

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In what may be the final day of public hearings, members of Congress heard from a former White House policy insider and a foreign service officer who ...

The 5th Democratic Debate Takeaways

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The big question of the night was whether or not Mayor Pete Buttigieg would take heat from other candidates after rising in the polls in Iowa. After d...

Sondland Says Trump Conditioned White House Meeting on Announcement of Investigations

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, tied President Trump directly to conditioning a meeting with the Ukrainian president with ...

Takeaways From The Third Day Of Public Hearings In The Impeachment Inquiry

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Four witnesses testified in the impeachment hearing. The first two were the first to testify with firsthand knowledge of the president's phone call wi...

Impeachment Hearings & The 5th Democratic Debate: What To Watch For This Week

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

More hearings in the impeachment hearing are slated for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. The cast breaks down what to watch for each day...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, November 15

15 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch described a pressure campaign to oust her from Kyiv. President Trump tweeted negatively about her during her hearing; Rep...

Pelosi Says Impeachment Inquiry Shows That Trump Engaged In Bribery

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi believes that the impeachment inquiry currently underway has uncovered evidence that President Trump's actions amounted to ...

Takeaways From The First Public Hearing In Impeachment Inquiry

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mostly, the five hour hearing emphasized aspects of the narrative about the Ukraine affair that already have emerged from closed-door depositions. In ...

The Impeachment Inquiry Public Hearings Begin Tomorrow: What You Need To Know

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After weeks of closed-door depositions, Democrats are planning open hearings this week about the Ukraine affair. Here's where the story stands — and...

President Trump's Push for Black Voters Could Help Persuade Suburban Whites

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump campaign launched its "Black Voices for Trump" initiative in Atlanta last week, touting record low black unemployment and criminal justice r...

NPR Politics Live From DC: The Road To 2020

09 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode, recorded in front of a live audience at the Warner Theater in Washington, DC on Friday, November 8th. The cast breaks down ...

In 2020, Some Americans Will Vote On Their Phones. Is That The Future?

08 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Despite Russia's high-profile interference in the last U.S. presidential election, pockets of the U.S. are experimenting with Internet voting ahead of...

Fmr. Attorney General Jeff Sessions Expected To Announce Run For Senate

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is expected to announce his bid for a Senate seat in Alabama despite no backing from the Republican establishmen...

2019 Elections Show Impeachment Might Not Boost GOP; More Inquiry Testimony Released

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's campaign may be raising lots of money off impeachment, but it may not be firing up rural voters as Republicans thought it would. Plus, William...

Key Testimony In Impeachment Inquiry Released To The Public

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Transcripts from four witnesses in the impeachment inquiry have been made public. The NPR Politics Podcast breaks down the key takeaways from the hund...

Impeachment Trial Could Be A "Disaster" For Senators In 2020 Race

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

All six U.S. Senators still running for president are backing the House's impeachment inquiry. But now that the lawmakers may be getting what they wan...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, November 1

01 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sen. Elizabeth Warren released her plan to pay for single-payer health care without imposing new taxes on the middle class. Plus, Timothy Morrison ver...

House Passes Resolution Formalizing Impeachment Inquiry

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The House of Representatives voted Thursday 232-196 to pass a resolution formalizing its impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Just two Democrats ...

The 2019 Elections: What To Watch For

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's an off, off, off election year, but some states will still be casting votes. NPR Politics breaks down the key races to watch. This episode: Whit...

House Will Vote To Formalize Impeachment Procedures In Ongoing Inquiry

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will vote this week on a resolution outlining the process for the next steps in the inquiry into President T...

Impeachment Inquiry Witness Asks Court To Weigh In On Congressional Subpoena

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Investigators in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump hoped to talk to Charles Kupperman on Monday. But the former White House official failed t...

President Trump Says ISIS Leader Is Dead

27 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Trump declared that U.S. forces have brought "the world's No. 1 terrorist leader to justice" and that no U.S. troops were killed or injured in the rai...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, October 25

25 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The justice department opens a criminal investigation into the basis of the Russia investigation. Plus, Mark Zuckerberg appears on Capitol Hill, and t...

Despite Establishment Worries, Voters Are Excited About Democratic Primary Field

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Democratic donors and activists worry that the party is going to nominate someone who can't win next year, and they're musing about who else could be ...

Trump Calls Syria Cease-Fire 'Permanent,' Lifts Sanctions on Turkey

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump says he is lifting sanctions on Turkey after the country agreed to what he called a permanent cease-fire in northern Syria, ending Tur...

Diplomat Testifies Trump Directly Linked Ukrainian Aid To Political Investigations

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Longtime U.S. diplomat William Taylor is testifying on Capitol Hill Tuesday as part of the House impeachment inquiry, and Democrats say his insight is...

Trump Drops Plan To Host G-7 Summit At His Miami Resort Following GOP Pushback

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump announced that he's dropping his plan to host next year's G-7 meeting of the leaders of the world's biggest economies at his Miami-are...

Weekly Roundup: Friday, October 18

18 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week Joe Biden's campaign released fundraising numbers that showed his campaign does not have much cash on hand, and Bernie Sanders was endorsed ...

'Get Over It': Politics Is Part Of Foreign Policy, White House Says

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledged on Thursday that President Trump expected concessions from Ukraine's president in exchang...

Trump Defends Syria Withdrawal: 'It's Not Our Border'; Republicans Push Back

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump is defending his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, saying, "They have a problem at the border; it's not our border," and that...

The 4th Democratic Debate Takeaways

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Impeachment loomed large over the fourth Democratic presidential debate, but none of the candidates lingered on the topic. Instead Elizabeth Warren to...

The 4th Democratic Presidential Debate: What You Should Watch For

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Impeachment looms over the latest Democratic presidential debate. Plus, Bernie Sanders takes the stage following a heart attack, and Elizabeth Warren ...