The NPR Politics Podcast
Episodes
Trump Defends Agenda In Combative Address
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the longest address of its kind before Congress in recent memory, President Trump laid out his policy objectives on the economy, immigration, forei...
Poll: Majority Thinks Trump Is Making Changes Too Quickly
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, a majority of respondents think the state of the union is not strong, and that President Trump is moving too quickl...
NPR Investigation: Harassment In The Federal Court System
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Federal judges have enormous power over their courtrooms and their chambers, which can leave employees vulnerable to abuse, with few ways to report th...
Roundup: Congress Works On Budget; Cabinet Meets; Good TV
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Congress is trying to come up with a new budget, while also attempting to extend tax cuts put in place during President Trump's first term. But with a...
Trump's Next Foreign Policy Challenge: Syria
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Syria is in the midst of rebuilding after a long civil war and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime. What happens next in Syria poses a challenge ...
How DOGE Cuts Are Impacting Federal Workers
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Proposals from DOGE, Elon Musk's entity tasked with making the federal government more "efficient," have resulted in lawsuits, pushback from other fed...
NPR Exclusive: Harassment In The Federal Judiciary
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
People who work for the federal court system don't have the same kinds of job protections that most other Americans do. A nearly year-long NPR investi...
Trump Administration Fires Top Pentagon Officials, Military Lawyers
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the weekend, the Trump administration fired several high-ranking military leaders and announced it plans to fire over 5,000 probationary Pentagon...
Roundup: Kash Patel Confirmed As FBI Chief; China Sees Opportunity As USAID Gets Cut
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kash Patel was confirmed as the new FBI director yesterday despite questions about his qualifications. The vote was the narrowest in recent memory wit...
McConnell Announces His Retirement And Trump Signs Another Executive Order
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sen. Mitch McConnell announced today that he would not seek reelection when his term is over in 2026, ending his 40-year career in Congress. Then, Don...
Dems Face Pressure To Fight Trump
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats lost the Senate and the White House in November's elections. Now as a minority party, their representatives — and their voters — are try...
How Trump Changed U.S. Policy Toward Ukraine
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has shifted U.S. policy regarding the war between Ukraine and Russia. On Tuesday, The U.S. and Russia met for peace talks — without ...
Is Trump's Economy Taking Shape?
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He campaigned on lowering the cost of household goods, but inflation remains outside the range the Federal Reserve desires, and the cost of eggs, amon...
Weekly Roundup: Eric Adams; More Trump Nominees Confirmed
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Justice instructed prosecutors to dismiss federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Rather than abiding by ...
DOGE's Quest To Reshape Government Continues
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The unit, led by Elon Musk, has run into legal obstacles as it continues its rapid efforts to change the way the federal government functions. We look...
Navigating Trump's Foreign Policy
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promoted an "America First" approach. How does that translate to how the U.S. works with other countries? This epi...
How Canada & Mexico Respond To Trump's Tariffs
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alongside newly announced universal tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, President Trump has levied tariffs, currently on hold, on a number of goods...
Trump's Latest Target: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The government agency formed in the wake of the Great Recession acts to regulate financial products, like credit cards & mortgages. But, conservatives...
Friday Roundup: Trump's Efforts To Overhaul Bureaucracy, FBI
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration's offer for federal employees to resign now and keep their pay and benefits through September has been paused for now. What h...
Trump Wants To Turn Gaza Into The "Riviera Of The Middle East"
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At a Tuesday press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump said he wanted the U.S. to own Gaza and he would transfo...
Congressional Republicans OK With Shifting Power Dynamics
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Congress is supposed to hold the power of the purse. So what do Republicans in Congress think about what appears to be President Trump and Elon Musk's...
Elon Musk's DOGE Takes Control Of Federal Spending
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elon Musk is keeping his campaign promise of trying to cut $2 trillion of federal spending through his unit, DOGE. After some questions about his role...
Trump Attempts To Shut Down USAID And Imposes Tariffs
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This past weekend, President Trump imposed new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. He has since walked back the 25% on Mexican imports after a conve...
Friday Roundup: More Hearings And Trump's First Two Weeks In Office
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kash Patel, Trump's pick to lead the FBI, and Tulsi Gabbard, his nominee for intelligence chief, had their hearings on Capitol Hill. Will they be conf...
White House Walks Back Federal Funding Memo
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, the White House budget office ordered a freeze on all federal funding. Yesterday, the White House walked that memo back after days of chaos...
RFK Jr. Confirmation Hearing
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During his confirmation hearing Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's pick to run Health and Human Services, defended his stances on vaccines and a...
White House Memo Puts Federal Funding On Hold
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The White House budget office has ordered a pause on all federal grants, loans, and financial assistance programs according to a memo released Monday...
How Trump Is Governing In His Second Term
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This past weekend, President Trump showed the country how he plans to govern in his second term. On Friday, he fired independent inspectors general an...
How Trump's Executive Actions Are Impacting Federal Workers
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportation and reducing the size of the federal workforce. Has he followed through on those promises?...
Trump Declared A "National Energy Emergency." Now What?
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During his inaugural address, President Trump said, "I will also declare a national energy emergency — we will drill, baby, drill." What does that d...
Trump Rolls Back Federal DEI Rules
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The president argues such programs, meant to increase the diversity of the federal workforce, were discriminatory in nature. The actions place employe...
Trump Pardons Jan. 6 Defendants
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people who had been charged with or convicted of crimes associated with the Ja...
Trump Promises "Golden Age," Moves To Enact Sweeping Executive Actions
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I return to the presidency, confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success," Trump said after being swo...
Roundup: Noem Confirmation Hearing; Laken Riley Act
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Senate confirmation hearings for President-elect Trump's cabinet picks continued Friday, as Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) took questions about immigration...
Israel, Hamas Ceasefire; Biden's Farewell Address
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After more than a year of fighting, President Biden announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas had been reached. What's in the deal, and...
Trump's DOJ, Dept. Of State Picks Have Confirmation Hearings
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Trump's picks to run the Departments of Justice and State faced senators today in confirmation hearings. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), th...
Part Of Special Counsel Report Released; Hegseth Confirmation Hearing
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Justice's long-awaited election interference report against Donald Trump, released early Tuesday, said the evidence against the pres...
Trump Puts Blame For Wildfires On Newsom's Shoulders
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Los Angeles area has been devastated by wildfires over the past week. As officials work to get the two biggest fires contained, president-elect Tr...
Trump Sentenced: No Jail Time, No Fine
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced today in his New York hush money case. While there weren't any real consequences, he does walk away a convi...
Washington Honors Jimmy Carter
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former president Jimmy Carter was honored today at Washington's National Cathedral. The funeral brought together all five living presidents, including...
Joe Biden's Judicial Legacy
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When he took office, President Biden promised to diversify the federal bench. During his four years in office, he succeeded in making that promise a r...
President-elect Trump refuses to rule out military involvement in Panama Canal
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Donald Trump held a press conference today from his home in Mar-a-Lago. Topics of discussion included his dissatisfaction with the out...
Congress Certifies Trump's Election Win
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every four years, Congress meets to certify the results of the previous November's presidential election in what is usually a calm and straightforward...
Roundup: New Orleans investigation; Biden's last days in office
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The FBI continues investigating the motivation of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year's Day, killing at leas...
How Donald Trump Reshaped The GOP
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign did not place him at the ideological center of the Republican Party, but the center quickly moved to him. Ho...
How Trump's Tariffs Plan Might Work
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From The Indicator from Planet Money:President-elect Donald Trump made a lot of economic promises on the campaign trail, but none as sweeping as his p...
Donald Trump's Domestic Policy Agenda
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trump campaigned on mass deportation, sweeping tariffs & other widespread changes to U.S. policy. How many of those changes are achievable? This episo...
The Life & Legacy Of Jimmy Carter
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Though he only served one term, Jimmy Carter occupies a unique place among U.S. presidents. His presidency was defined by challenges at home and abroa...
The Annual Can't Let It Go Year End Extravaganza
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We look back on some of the highlights from 2024 that we just can't stop thinking about, politics or otherwise.This episode: political correspondent S...
Joe Biden's Foreign Policy Legacy
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As president, Biden sought to restore faith in the United States' abilities as a world leader, but was tested by a number of significant crises and wa...
What Now For The Democratic Party?
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats lost the race for the White House, and lost control of the Senate, in 2024. But, after holding on to a few competitive seats in the House of...
Joe Biden's Domestic Policy Legacy
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In his four years in office, President Biden managed to get significant legislation passed, but also faced strong headwinds from both his own party an...
The Political Legacy Of Joe Biden
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden has been a national political figure for more than 20 percent of the United States' history. His policies and public figure have evolved ove...
How Trump's early days in 2017 might be different from the upcoming term
22 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith has been looking at what Donald Trump did in early 2017 when he first took office, and what might be...
Roundup: Spending Bill Fight Continues; TikTok Ban Looms
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lawmakers are up against a deadline of midnight Friday to pass a bill to fund the government. What's behind the hold up?Then, a ban on TikTok heads to...
How The Spending Bill Died
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For a few hours, Congress looked poised to avoid a government shutdown by passing a new short-term spending bill. But, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy & Pr...
Congress, White House Face Year-End Deadlines
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lawmakers face a Friday deadline to fund the federal government through March; will it get passed? And, in the waning days of the Biden administration...
Looking At Reproductive Rights In 2024
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The effects of the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion continue to be felt across the United States. We look ...
Trump Holds First Press Conference Since Election
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The president-elect spoke to the media for more than an hour at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Topics of discussion included tariffs, vaccines a...
Roundup: Jan. 6 Report; Biden Issues Pardons
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a new report, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice looked into FBI shortcomings in the run up to the Jan. 6, 2021 insur...
Why Some In Congress Are Skeptical Of Trump's National Intelligence Pick
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tulsi Gabbard doesn't have the typical background for a director of national intelligence, but the former Hawaii congresswoman has made a name for her...
Who Is Kash Patel, Trump's Pick To Run The FBI?
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
He was a public defender and former national security aide. He is a fierce critic of the justice department and longtime ally of President-elect Trump...
Why Are U.S. Troops In Syria?
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After more than 50 years in power, the Assad regime has fallen in Syria. How does the situation in Syria affect the United States, and the foreign pol...
Trump Talks Tariffs, Immigration, Pardons
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Donald Trump sat down for his first broadcast television interview since winning a second term. On NBC's Meet The Press with Kristen W...
Weekly Roundup: Diplomacy, DOGE & Drawings
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though he doesn't take office until January, Donald Trump is already busy, nominating cabinet officials and taking visits & calls from world lead...
What Democratic Organizers Are Learning From 2024
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After a difficult 2024 cycle, activists working to elect Democratic candidates are rethinking their playbooks for the next elections. Many organizers,...
Trump's Proposed Immigration Changes
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Immigration was a central focus of Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. Now that he's set to take office, what changes are expected to U.S. immigration polic...
What Now For The Democratic Party?
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats lost the race for the White House, and lost control of the Senate, in 2024. But, after holding on to a few competitive seats in the House of...
Hunter Biden Pardoned
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden previously had said he would not issue a pardon to his son, Hunter, who was convicted in June of federal gun charges for lying about h...
A Good Guy: Under Oath
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, the second of a two-part investigation from NPR's Embedded.All Marines take an oath to defend the Constitution. After Sgt. Joshua Abate partici...
A Good Guy: 279 Hours
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, the first of a two-part investigation from NPR's Embedded.Sgt. Joshua Abate's career in the Marine Corps seemed to be taking off. He was about ...
What Now For Trump's Court Cases?
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Federal investigations into Donald Trump's actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection & allegations of improper retention of classified documen...
Checking The Receipts On Trump's Tariff Proposal
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a post on Truth Social Monday evening, President-elect Trump announced he plans to enact tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico on his firs...
Biden's Final Push For More Ukraine Aid
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President Biden has long supported Ukraine in its war with Russia. But, with a new Congress — and president — taking office in January, the future...
Roundup: Demographics, Voter Trends, & Political Alignment
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans gained among voting groups largely seen as part of the Democratic base. What's behind the shift, and is it a fluke or a realignment? This ...
Trump's Controversial Attorney General Pick Withdraws
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The former Florida congressman's nomination encountered controversy from the start, over allegations that he participated in sex parties, used illegal...
Trump's Transition Trouble
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well before we know who wins the presidential election, a clock is ticking, counting down to the next administration. The transition between one presi...
Third Party Candidates & Nonpartisan Voting Initiatives Falter
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though many voters said they didn't like Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, very few who voted decided to cast their ballots for other candidates. Th...
Trump's Next Challenge: Confirming Cabinet Nominees
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he could rely on recess appointments to get his preferred cabinet picks into position if the Senate won't c...
Roundup: Here Are Trump's Picks To Run Government Agencies
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
President-elect Trump has named Pete Hegseth to run the Department of Defense, Matt Gaetz to run the Department of Justice and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. t...
Full Control: Republicans To Control Congress & White House
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Republicans will control both chambers of Congress and the White House, giving President-elect Trump broad latitude to enact his agenda. But Congress ...
Trump Won. What Happens to His Election Fraud Movement?
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's election win took the wind from the sails of his election fraud conspiracy movement. Following Vice President Harris' concession, the e...
Cost Of Living, Personal Values Led Latino Voters To Trump
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Evangelical Latino voters at one Pennsylvania church told NPR that they thought Donald Trump would stick up for their values in office. And throughout...
So What Will Trump's Policies Mean For The Cost Of Living?
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Suffice it to say the economy is quite complicated and making sense of the specific impact of any one policy is quite difficult. But a number of the p...
Roundup: What Is The Future Of The Cases Against Trump?
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Almost the whole country shifted right since 2020, but the degree to which different groups changed says a lot about how the race was decided. And wha...
Harris' Failure To Differentiate From Biden Hurt Her Odds
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Vice President Harris conceded the race to President-elect Trump and implored her supporters to carry on the fight to make the country better. What fo...
You Can't Outrun Voters' Feelings About The Economy
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump is heading back to the Oval Office, according to the Associated Press. Vice President Harris failed to overcome the drawbacks of being pa...
Donald Trump Poised To Win Election
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump is poised to win the election and will likely return to the White House as the 47th president. How will he govern and what does it mean f...
It All Comes Down To This — Here's How To Follow The Results
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In our final podcast before voting concludes, we discuss the small boost Vice President Harris saw in the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. The race is...
Roundup: What It Will Take To Get To 270 Electoral Votes
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On today's NPR Politics Podcast: Math Edition, we look at Vice President Harris' possible paths to 270 votes in the electoral college. We then discuss...
Here's How Associated Press Determines Who Won The Election
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
David Scott of the Associated Press shares how his organization discerns the winner of the country's elections, including the presidency. NPR relies o...
In Nevada, Cost Of Living And Immigration Are Key Issues
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Democrats have prevailed in recent presidential elections in the state, in part thanks to a robust union voter mobilization effort. But the state, whe...
What Early Voting Can — And Cannot — Tell Us
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The world is too complex to divine who will win this year's presidential election from the early-voting tea leaves, but there are still important less...
Allies' Racist "Jokes" Overshadow Trump; Harris On Abortion
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's campaign disavowed one of several bigoted remarks made by his allies ahead of the candidate's Madison Square Garden speech Sunday night...
Roundup: The Final Focus? What Trump Would Do With Power
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Vice President Harris and former president Donald Trump are focused on the same thing: the unprecedented ways he has promised to use the presidency.Tr...
Elon Musk Is A Donald Trump Mega-Donor
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Elon Musk has gone all in on Trump and put $75 million into a super PAC he created to support the candidate. He's also assisting with get-out-the-vot...
With Presidential Immunity, Trump Pledges To Prosecute Foes.
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Former President Donald Trump has talked about using the Department of Justice to go after those he sees as disloyal, raising concerns about democrat...
With GOP Favored To Win Senate, How Will Next Congress Act?
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The House of Representatives is currently narrowly controlled by Republicans, but with both Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem...
Ground Game, Mic Failures and Some Closing Arguments
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Both candidates were together in Michigan this weekend started their weekends in Michigan, where Vice President Harris made use of Republican validato...
Weekly Roundup: Checking In On Harris, Trump Campaigns
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Election Day nears, the campaigns of both Kamala Harris & Donald Trump kicked into high gear. Both are holding rallies & making media appearances t...