The NPR Politics Podcast
Episodes
Sources & Methods: Two wars escalate abroad, political violence at home
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're sharing another episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's bigge...
Suspect In Charlie Kirk Shooting Arrested
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Officials said Friday that they have arrested the person they believe shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk Wednesday. We discuss what we...
How Charlie Kirk Shaped Conservative Politics
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University Wednesday. We discuss how the controversial Kirk shaped ...
Are Trump’s Immigration And Manufacturing Goals At Odds?
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A recent immigration raid at a Hyundai manufacturing facility in Georgia led to the detention of nearly 500 workers, most of them South Korean nationa...
RFK Jr. Under Fire Following Vaccine Changes And CDC Shakeup
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Senators in both parties had harsh words for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a recent hearing. We discuss the health and political implicati...
President Trump Asks Supreme Court To Uphold Tariffs
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold his authority to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. We di...
Sources & Methods: Navy cartel strike, China's power flex
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're sharing another episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's bigge...
Trump Administration Interpretation Of Civil Rights Act Reshapes Public Schools
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump pledged to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, but his administration is also using the department’s Office for Civil Rights...
Court Says Trump Can’t Use 18th-Century Law To Deport Venezuelan Immigrants
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A federal appeals court ruled this week that the Trump administration may not use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan immigrants without going ...
Trump Says D.C. Is Now ‘Crime Free.’ What’s The Reality?
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After nearly a month of federal law enforcement and military personnel patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., President Trump says the District i...
Why Aren’t More Young Republicans Running For Congress?
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Congress members have returned to Washington, as have partisan fights over Jeffrey Epstein and a possible government shutdown. We discuss what to expe...
Sources & Methods: Trump's DC takeover, Ukraine, fired spy chief
30 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're excited to share an episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's bi...
How Trump Is Remaking Culture To Fit His Worldview
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has made unprecedented moves to influence American culture, from taking broadcast corporations to court to his efforts to control the ...
Most GOP Congress Members Are Avoiding Town Halls, But One Held 15 In A Week
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most Republican members of Congress are shying away from holding town hall meetings, but Missouri Republican Mark Alford is bucking that trend. We dis...
Many Latinos Who Backed Trump Say They Won't Support Republicans Next Time
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many Latinos who voted for President Trump in the last election say they are disappointed or even regret voting for him, according to recent polling. ...
ICE Detains Kilmar Abrego Garcia Again
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who entered the United States illegally as a teen, was detained again by Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
Is The U.S. Economy Beginning To Show The Effects Of Trump's Policies?
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The United States is taking in roughly $30 billion a month in tariffs that cover a wide range of products. We discuss whether those tariffs have made ...
How Openly Partisan Gerrymandering Is Becoming Normalized
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump called on Texas Republicans to redraw their state's congressional maps to favor Republican candidates. In response, California voters ...
How The Trump Admin Uses Immigration Policy To Show Force
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a candidate, Donald Trump campaigned on carrying out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. As president, he's used immigration policy as a ...
Trump Falsely Claims Mail Ballots Are "Corrupt," Calls For Their Prohibition
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The president also called for changing how ballots are tallied in elections. We unpack the president's claims, and discuss how presidential power is l...
Trump, European Leaders Meet To Discuss Ukraine
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the heels of meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska, President Trump invited various European leaders & Ukraine's president, Volodymyr ...
Why Is The National Guard Patrolling Streets In Washington, D.C.?
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has ordered Washington, D.C.'s National Guard to patrol the capital's streets, and members from other states' Guards are joining them....
Trump, Putin Meet In Alaska; No Deal On Ukraine Made
16 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a hastily arranged summit in Alaska, President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met to discuss Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Although ...
What To Expect From The Trump-Putin Summit In Alaska
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine. However, Ukrainian Presi...
Democrats Lean On Messages About Medicaid Cuts
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Democratic lawmakers have been spending Congress’ August recess talking about the Medicaid cuts in President Trump's newly passed tax and spending b...
Exclusive: FEMA Didn’t Sufficiently Staff Disaster Hotline After Texas Floods
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the days after disastrous floods tore through Texas Hill Country last month, tens of thousands of calls to a federal aid hotline went unanswered, a...
President Trump Asserts Federal Control Of Washington, D.C.
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump announced plans Monday to exercise more federal control over Washington, D.C., including by taking control of the city’s police depa...
Trump Administration Ignores The Experts As It Cancels $500 Million For Vaccines
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., cancelled $500 million in mRNA vaccine development contracts this week. We discuss how the move follows ...
ICE Recalls Retired Federal Workers To Bolster Its Ranks
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is turning to retired federal workers as it tries to rapidly boost its ranks. We discuss the reasons behind the ag...
If Texas Redraws Its House Map, California Governor Says It Will, Too
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If Texas Republicans go through with their plan to redraw the state's congressional districts to give Republicans five more U.S. House seats, Californ...
Some 'Manosphere' Podcasters Who Backed Trump Are Turning From Him
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During the 2024 campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump went on several podcasts in the so-called "manosphere," in an effort to reach new voters. Now th...
Trump's new tariffs set to take effect this week, but much is uncertain
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The latest tariffs are due to take effect this week, but many of the details are still uncertain. We discuss what may be coming, why congressional Rep...
What Is MAGA Without Trump?
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The "Make America Great Again," or MAGA, movement stands for loyalty to President Trump above all else. We discuss what happens to the movement once T...
The Trump Administration Takes On Higher Ed
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration says it is investigating whether dozens of universities have violated civil rights protections. We discuss the allegations, u...
President Trump Changes His Tone On The Crisis In Gaza
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump, apparently moved by photos of malnourished children and people struggling to find food, has shifted the way he talks about the ongoin...
States Fight Federal Effort To Collect Personal Data Of Food Stamp Users
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A coalition of 21 states and Washington, D.C. is challenging the Trump administration's demands that states hand over the personal data of people who ...
Trump Administration Looks To Roll Back Some Benefits For DACA Recipients
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — for immigrants whose parents brought them illegally to the United States when they were childre...
Congress And Trump Play Tug-Of-War Over The 'Power Of The Purse'
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Congress recently passed — at the White House's request — a rescission package that cancels $9 billion in spending Congress had previously approve...
Trump's Attacks On Federal Reserve's Powell Could Bring Economic Pain
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell have been relentless. We discuss what it would mean if the United States no longer...
What Bove's Nomination Says About Trump's Future Judge Picks
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Emil Bove has been behind many of the Justice Department's most controversial recent decisions, and now he's President Trump's nominee to the 3rd Circ...
Is There A Playbook For Young Democratic Candidates — And Does It Work?
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are at least 10 Democratic candidates younger than 40 vying for seats in Congress in next year's elections. We discuss what has been successful ...
Texas GOP Hopes to Redraw Congressional Map And Keep Control Of U.S. House
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New congressional districts are on the agenda for the special session that began in Texas on Monday. We discuss why Texas is redrawing its congression...
Weekly Roundup: Trump Attacks Media Over Epstein Story
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We review a busy week in Washington, including President Trump's response to a new report about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epst...
Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit d...
Trump Plows Ahead With Plans To Dismantle Department Of Education
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its decision to withhold about $6 billion in federal education grants. And the Supreme Court ...
How The Trump Administration Is Amping Up Immigrant Deportations
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The big tax and spending bill President Trump signed into law earlier this month included $75 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the...
MAGA Turns On Trump Over Handling Of Jeffrey Epstein Files
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before taking office, President Trump promised to release the FBI's files on disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Now he is urging his supporters to s...
What Does The Federal Response To Texas Floods Indicate About FEMA's Future?
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has said he is considering eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. We discuss FEMA's role in helping Texas commu...
Trump Announces New Tariffs And Gets Supreme Court's OK On Layoff Plans
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court gave President Trump the green light to move forward with plans to lay off thousands of federal workers. We discuss the potential im...
Trump's Views On Russia-Ukraine War Are Shifting
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During the campaign, President Trump promised a swift end to the war in Ukraine, but he has so far not been able to strike a deal to stop the fighting...
The Justice Department Sues All The Federal Judges In Maryland
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Justice has taken the rare step of suing all of the federal District Court judges in Maryland, after the Maryland court issued a 48-...
Inside Trump's Tax And Spending Law: Medicaid Cuts & A 'Backdoor Abortion Ban'
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's new tax and spending law is expected to result in nearly 12 million Americans losing health insurance. Advocates say it also effecti...
How President Trump's Tax & Spending Law Will Affect Americans' Wallets
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has promised that his newly signed tax and spending law will be a boon for taxpayers and the economy as a whole. We dig into what the ...
One Of The Cheapest Ways To Save A Life Is Going Away
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From our friends at The Indicator from Planet Money: What's the price to save a human life? We examine the monumental legacy of the U.S. President's E...
Congress Delivers Trump A Win With Tax And Spending Bill
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Congress narrowly passed President Trump's massive tax and spending bill this week. We discuss what the GOP victory could mean for the 2026 midterm el...
Poll: Most Americans Think Democracy Is Under Serious Threat
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most Americans are worried about democracy, have little faith in their political leaders, and disapprove of President Trump's job performance, accordi...
Senate Passes Trump Tax Cut, Spending Bill
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vice President JD Vance had to break a 50-50 tie in the Senate in order for the bill to pass, after three Republicans joined with Democrats to vote ag...
Exclusive: The Trump Administration Is Building A National Citizenship Data System
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, voting officials have noted that there was no national citizenship list to compare their state lists to, so to verify citizenship for the...
Weekly Roundup: Supreme Court Limits Nationwide Injunctions
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that federal courts exceeded their authority by issuing a nationwide injunction on President Trump's birthright citizen...
How Trump Makes His Money, From Golf Courses To Crypto
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From Trump Tower to Trump Steaks, President Trump's business ventures have always been about the Trump brand. What does that mean when the man behind ...
Under Pressure? Trump Faces Key Deadlines on Hill, Tariffs and More
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump is nearing a critical juncture for several of his top priorities. He wants Congress to pass his sweeping legislative agenda by July 4t...
Mission Accomplished? What We Know About The State of Iran's Nuclear Program.
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump and his Cabinet say Iran's nuclear program was "devastated," "obliterated," and "destroyed" by U.S. strikes this weekend. But the real...
Iran Retaliates After U.S. Military Strikes. Now What?
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Iran launched missile attacks on a U.S. Air Force base in Qatar following this weekend's U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. We break down what...
The U.S. Strikes Nuclear Sites In Iran. Now What?
22 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. launched a military strike against nuclear sites in Iran, further involving itself in Israel's conflict with Iran. We look at what happened, ...
Will The U.S. Get Involved In Military Action With Iran?
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Israel and Iran continue to launch aerial assaults against each other, there are growing questions as to whether the U.S. will get involved in the ...
A Summer Treat: 'Weird Al' Yankovic On His Life & Career In Show Business
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
And now, a diversion from the news.When Weird Al's debut single, "My Bologna," came out, there wasn't really a model for how a parody artist could hav...
How Iran Is Dividing the MAGA Base
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As tensions continue to escalate between Israel and Iran, President Trump is now signaling an openness for more U.S. military involvement. We discuss ...
How The Farm Industry Is Complicating Trump's Immigration Crackdown
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, President Trump suggested the agriculture industry might be spared from his immigration crackdown. But Tuesday, Homeland Security officials...
Political Violence In The U.S.
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers over the weekend, we look at what is motivating people to carry out acts of political violence, and wha...
Weekly Roundup: Israel vs. Iran, Immigration News, and A Mascot Love Triangle
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Israel launched strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, killing at least three of Iran's top military leaders. We look at why Israel took these actions ...
Love In The Time Of Politics
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roses are red, Violets are blue, Their politics are opposites — Could their love be true? New polling from NPR/PBS News/Marist suggests, for young p...
MAHA Cheers and Public Health Fears as RFK Ousts Vaccine Panel
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousted all 17 members of a vaccine advisory board this week. It's a move that's been roundly cond...
Trump vs. Newsom: Breaking Down the Politics of the L.A. Protests
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles stretch into their fifth day, President Trump is doubling down on his decision to send national g...
Protests In L.A. Over Trump's Immigration Policies
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a series of immigration raids in and around Los Angeles, protestors demonstrated against the actions & the broader immigration policies of the T...
Budget Battles & Conversations With China
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Negotiations over President Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" continue on Capitol Hill — but now, his former ally, Elon Musk, is criticizing both the le...
Explaining Trump's New Travel Ban
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump issued a presidential proclamation Wednesday that bans citizens of 12 countries, and severely restricts citizens from seven others, fr...
Data Difficulty: How DOGE Could Hurt The Census And More
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration team that calls itself the Department of Government Efficiency has gathered a ton of data on people in the U.S. — often wit...
How President Trump's Pardons Are Challenging Political Norms
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal pardon power is one area where presidents have unchecked authority. President Trump is using that authority in ways that challenge long-st...
Explaining Trump's Fight With Big Law Firms
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has issued executive orders targeting certain law firms, seeking to restrict their business endeavors. While some firms have settled, ...
Tariff Twists; Diplomatic Deals; Mango Mania
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's trade policies were dealt a blow this week as a court said he could use a 1977 emergency law to justify levying tariffs. What comes ...
How Trump Has Reshaped The Federal Workforce
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to "drain the swamp." Now that he's in his second term, how have his efforts to shrink th...
Why Medicaid Cuts Are In The GOP Tax Bill
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Legislation working its way through Congress to codify President Trump's tax cuts would also make big cuts to Medicaid if it is passed. We look into w...
How The "BIg, Beautiful Bill" Would Change Immigration Policy
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From allocating more money to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico, to changing provisions on what public services legal immigrants can use, th...
Connecting The Dots On DOGE
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's been six months since President Trump first announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative, which has dramatically ...
Another Turn In Trump's Economic Policy
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump announced plans to levy 50 percent tariffs on goods imported from the European Union, and on iPhones not made in the U.S., causing sto...
Immigrants Without Legal Status May Lose Health Care In States
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Democratic governors in California and Minnesota are proposing to roll back health insurance coverage for immigrants without legal status that they si...
Accusations Of White Genocide Derail US-South Africa Meeting
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House Wednesday ostensibly to talk about trade policies and the upcoming G20 Summit. But the...
Can Trump Get His Megabill Through Congress?
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
House Republicans are working to advance a massive bill that essentially wraps up all of President Trump's legislative goals. The conference is larg...
Republicans Push For Legislation Limiting Ballot Initiatives
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ballot initiatives are one way for voters to get issues that matter to them enshrined in law, especially if lawmakers aren't interested in taking them...
Roundup: Trump visits the Middle East
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump took his first major trip abroad this week, visiting the Middle East and signing business deals. We talk about what happened. Then, th...
SCOTUS Hears Birthright Citizenship Case
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order to prevent children born in the U.S. to parents in the country without legal aut...
Why Is Trump Involved In Crypto?
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
His face may not be on any currency issued by the federal government, but President Trump has lent his support and image to a meme coin, a kind of cry...
How An American Pope May Influence American Politics
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time, the leader of the Catholic Church is from the United States. We discuss how Pope Leo XIV's election may play a role in U.S. politi...
Trump's Tariff Turnaround
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After saying his tariff policies "will never change," President Trump announced he was reducing tariffs on imports from China from 145 percent to 30 p...
Roundup: Immigration Policies; New Surgeon General Nominee
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration announced plans, currently on hold, to deport migrants to Libya, even if they are not from the country originally, and offere...
Why The U.S. Bombed Houthi Rebels In Yemen
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Both Presidents Biden and Trump launched bombing campaigns against Houthi rebels in Yemen after the militant group attacked ships in the Red Sea. This...
How Trump Is Reshaping U.S.-Canada relations
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump hosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House Tuesday. The meeting comes at a time where relations between the ...
How President Trump Is Reshaping The Justice Department
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In her Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised that the "weaponization" of the Justice Department would sto...
Making Sense Of Cents: Setting The Federal Budget
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has called for the government's spending to be wrapped into "one big, beautiful bill" along with other legislative priorities, but Con...
Roundup: Mike Waltz Is Out, Young Democrats Ask What's Next, And Can't Let It Go
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Waltz is out as President Trump's National Security Adviser, it's the first major departure for the Trump White House since the start of his seco...