The NPR Politics Podcast

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...

Checking In With The Double Haters

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As campaign season started, many American voters expressed a dislike of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump. With Biden's exit from the presidential race,...

Looking At The Election In Arizona

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Between a competitive Senate race, a measure to liberalize abortion rights & a measure concerning immigration, Arizona voters have a lot on their ball...

Harris, Trump Ramp Up Campaigning As Polls Open

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Polls ahead of Election Day show an ever tightening race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. We look at their camp...

Election 101: How Voting Looks Different In 2024 (Encore)

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Voting looks a little different in 2024 than it did during the last presidential election. In this encore of a September episode, we explore some of t...

Roundup: Activists Pitch Women — Secretly Vote For Harris

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump campaigns in Aurora, Colorado today, a city that he's targeted with the brand of anti-immigrant rhetoric that has propelled his reelectio...

The politics of natural disasters

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After hurricanes Helene and Milton battered the south, both former President Trump and Vice President Harris have made disaster response part of their...

Older Voters Worried About Economy, Abortion

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

They vote in large numbers. They're a part of the electorate that usually gets courted heavily. But older voters say this time around, presidential ca...

Call Her Daddy, The View, 60 Minutes: Kamala Harris Goes Wide

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are both leveraging popular entertainment media to reach voters who might not follow traditional news sources.Our cover...

Fewer Than 30 Days Until This Whole Thing Is Over

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This presidential cycle is the closest in recent memory and, despite what feels like an never-ending stream of unprecedented news, has remained nearly...

Roundup: Harris Courts GOP; Trump Returns To Shooting Site

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vice President Harris traveled to the birthplace of the Republican Party in Wisconsin this week to campaign with a one-time senior Republican congress...

Ranked Choice Voting... Coming To A Ballot Near You?

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Voters in a record number of states, including the battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada, are set to decide this fall whether to enact far-reaching chan...

Control of House of Representatives Runs Through New York

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Democratic under-performance in New York state cost the party control of the House of Representatives in 2022. Now, a new coordination strategy has th...

Vice Presidential Debate Recap

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This vice presidential debate in New York City, hosted by CBS News, is the only time Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz face off before vo...

Visions of masculinity: Walz, Vance prepare for debate

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NPR's live special coverage of the CBS News Presidential Debate Simulcast begins Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and is available on your local mem...

Weekly Roundup: Latino Voters Could Be Key In PA, NV

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Folks with Puerto Rican heritage represent a small but vital part of the electorate in Pennsylvania, where a little bit of outreach money could make d...

So Who Are These Vice Presidential Picks Meant To Appeal To?

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kamala Harris' running mate Gov. Tim Walz has spent his time in the key mid-west states and is in many ways fulfilling the core obligation of a VP pic...

Israel, Ukraine And The Messes That Await The Next President

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The most immediate challenge for the next president: the U.S. is both deeply involved in both of these wars but has pretty limited control of what is ...

Will Mark Robinson's Racism & Porn Scandal Hurt Trump In NC?

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson described himself, according to CNN reporting, as a "Black Nazi" and expressed support for slavery in p...

How Harris Incorporates Biography Into Her Election Pitch

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kamala Harris often quotes her mother on the campaign trail: "Don't let people tell you who you are. You tell them who you are." Though she would be t...

Weekly Roundup: Oprah, Harris, Trump, Undecided Voters

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vice President Harris sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a campaign event that was reminiscent of the televison icon's classic daytime talk show. And Don...

As Fed Makes Borrowing Easier, Candidates' Economic Pitches

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It just got cheaper to borrow money in the United States; the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, signalling that it believes inflation is largely ove...

Reproductive Rights Fight Continues To Define Campaign

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump's rhetoric on abortion care and reproductive rights has been all over the map this year, but his record — and that of the Republican pa...

Election 101: How Voting Looks Different In 2024

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Voting looks a little different in 2024 than it did during the last presidential election. We explore some of the changes & challenges as voting begin...

A Conversation About Political Violence In The United States

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former president Donald Trump appears to have been the target of a second assassination effort Sunday. A man was arrested after the Secret Service spo...

Weekly Roundup: Swift Speaks, Congress Stalls

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The influential pop star threw her support behind Vice President Kamala Harris in an Instagram post Tuesday. What impact does her endorsement — or a...

Examining GOP False Claims Of Noncitizens Voting

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's an allegation that's centuries old, but is increasingly becoming prominent in political discourse — that noncitizens are voting en masse to inf...

After Their Debate, Harris & Trump Head Back On The Trail

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Following Tuesday's debate, both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are hitting the campaign trail — and tweaking their ...

Harris, Trump Spar In First Debate

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vice President Kamala Harris went on the offensive against former President Donald Trump in the ABC News Presidential Debate, putting Trump on the def...

How Harris, Trump Prep For Tuesday's Debate

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have their first — and, so far, only — scheduled debate on Tuesday. What are the st...

Looking The Other Way Part 2: On Tape & Under Oath

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when political ambition collides with a #MeToo allegation in the Democratic party?Episode 2 of our two-part investigation.Learn more abou...

Looking The Other Way, Pt. 1: A Powerful Democrat & A #MeToo Scandal

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did Eric Garcetti, a powerful Democrat, lie under oath about a #MeToo scandal in his office?That's the question at the center of a new investigation f...

Roundup: Trump N.Y. Sentencing Delayed Until After Election

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It was a busy week in U.S. courtrooms. After being convicted of 34 felonies earlier this year in a New York state trial, former President Donald Trump...

Republicans Are In Good Position To Win The Senate

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Republicans need to flip two seats to assure their control of the Senate, and with West Virginia's open seat a virtually guaranteed pick-up, all eyes ...

Why Harris And Trump Are Dumping Cash, Time Into Pennsylvania

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NPR tracked where the candidates are investing the most travel time and money. Unsurprisingly, the most competitive states are receiving the most atte...

Voting Is About To Begin. How Has The Electorate Changed?

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are fewer white people without college degrees, more Latino potential voters in key states and a rise in Asian American voters in Nevada. We hav...

Breaking Down "No Tax On Tips"

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By now, you've probably heard a lot from both presidential nominees about getting rid of taxes on tips. The idea may sound good on first go, but it ha...

Roundup: Harris Pitches Hope; Trump's Military Cemetery Feud

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In her first major interview of her presidential campaign, Vice President Harris pitched policy continuity with an attitude shift. She wants to contin...

Experts Think Georgia Can Withstand Trump-Backed Conspiracies

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump unsuccessfully tried to pressure Georgia's political leadership to "find" him votes in the 2020 election, but election conspiracies he in...