The next Senate midterm cycle looks to be varied with Democrats looking at rare pickup opportunities, messy primaries and swing state retirements. Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on Senate races reporter Nicholas Anastácio to give the current scope and dynamics of the Senate battlefield.
Jun 30, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss President Trump's polling numbers after a busy news week with threats of war with Iran, infighting in the West Wing, and Dems in disarray. Plus, a guest appearance from Hotline House races reporter James A. Downs.
Jun 20, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 131
Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on new national correspondent Erika Filter to discuss Democrats' struggles with messaging in the Trump 2.0 era, the White House’s new communication strategy, and more.
Jun 16, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 130
With this year's Congressional Baseball Game taking place at Nationals Park on Wednesday, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on the leading expert on the history of the game, Nathaniel Rakich of Baseballot . They discuss Democrats' losing streak, the players to watch, and how torpedo bats could impact the game. Follow Nathaniel's baseball and political insights on X , Bluesky , and on Baseballot ....
Jun 09, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 129
Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour speaks with Robert Shea and Adam Hughes, cofounders of GovNavigators, about the differences between civillian and military contracts, the implications of Trump's cuts to the federal government on the private sector, and more. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ....
Jun 02, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 128
The House Budget Committee Sunday night voted to move the "big, beautiful bill" forward after the bill failed in a committee vote on Friday. NJ Daily Editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten and Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann to discuss the potentials pathways for the bill and what tax cuts could be affected in negotiations.
May 19, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Hotline editor Kirk Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook handicap the midterm elections and discuss the political dynamics of incumbents facing younger primary challengers.
May 12, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 126
NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on Senate reporter Savannah Behrmann and House reporter Casey Wooten to talk the updates on budget reconciliation. They talk which programs could be at risk due to budget cuts, the role of the Senate parliamentarian in the reconciliation process, and more.
May 05, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 125
National Journal has released Margins to Mainstream , a comprehensive look at the acceleration of policy ideas coming from nontraditional sources and what this could mean for organizations looking to anticipate policy shifts. In a webinar last week, Pope Ward and Jeff Dufour broke down the rise of alternative media and its growing influence, challenges in tracking these decentralized voices, and the best tools and strategies to stay ahead. You can find the presentation here if you'd like to foll...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on former Hotliner and political analyst Matt Holt to give a temperature check of the Democratic Party ahead of President Trump’s 100th day in office. They talk Democrats' weaknesses in the 2024 presidential elections, the brewing Tea Party sentiments within the party, the gameplan for Democrats in the midterm elections, and more.
Apr 21, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 123
In this bonus episode adapted from National Journal ’s webinar series, Hotline editor Kirk Bado brings on House race correspondent James A. Downs and governors and state legislatures correspondent Mary Frances McGown to talk about the shifting political landscapes in state legislatures, the economic impact of tariffs on states, and how funding cuts impact governors in blue and red states.
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 122
NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on House reporter Casey Wooten and Senate reporter Savannah Behrmann to break down what's happening with the budget reconciliation, congressional reactions to President Trump's tarrifs, and Speaker Mike Johnson's deal on proxy voting.
Apr 07, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss Rep. Elise Stefanik's return to the House, the off-year governor races, and potential primary challenges to Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ....
Mar 31, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Ahead of midterms, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on Senate races correspondent Nicholas Anastácio to see where the Senate battlefield forms with open primaries, retirement announcements, and how the midterms could impact Republican female senators.
Mar 24, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Ahead of the midterm elections, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado takes a look at the possible storylines that could form as Democrats and Republicans plan out the race for the House. House races correspondent James A. Downs and Inside Elections deputy editor Jacob Rubashkin join the podcast to give their expert analysis on what races could be the ones to watch.
Mar 17, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Speaker Mike Johnson tries to juggle several fiscal balls: a spending bill to avoid a looming government shutdown; a multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation package, a recissions package, and a deadline to suspend the debt ceiling or face default. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on House reporter Casey Wooten to break down these fiscal priorities.
Mar 10, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Hotline editor Kirk Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss President Trump's first month in office and how his presidency may affect the midterm congressional races. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify .
Feb 28, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Foreign Affairs Correspondent Cristina Maza has been reporting from the Munich Security Conference and watching the results of the elections in Germany. She joins NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King to discuss her reporting at the conference, the outcomes of the election, and reactions from European leaders to President Trump's foreign policy positions.
Feb 24, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour brings on White House correspondent George E. Condon Jr. to discuss the rapid pace of news coming out of the White House, Elon Musk's increasing influence over the federal government and early favorability polling.
Feb 10, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Capitol Hill has been the stage for multiple confirmation hearings for President Trump's nominees. While many of his nominations have flown through the confirmation process, some of Trump's picks have faced controversy. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann, health care correspondent Erin Durkin, and foreign policy and defense correspondent Cristina Maza to break down who’s already confirmed, who’s next in line, and who might be in trouble....
Feb 03, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook break down the first few days of President Trump's new term including his executive orders, his confirmation hearings for his nominees, and what new political dynamics could arise from the next four years.
Jan 27, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Soon-to-be President Trump faces a different inauguration compared to his first one. Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on senior national correspondent Zac Weisz and White House correspondent George E. Condon Jr. to discuss the logistics of Trump’s indoor inauguration and what to expect in the first weeks of his second term in office.
Jan 20, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 111
In this bonus episode with Hotline Editor Kirk A. Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook, they discuss the latest updates in President-elect Trump's legal battles, online misinformation and decreased news engagement affecting the wildfires in California, what to expect from the news landscape in Trump's second term and more.
Jan 13, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 110
With the beginning of the 119th Congress, NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional reporter Casey Wooten to look back at the Jan 6th, 2021 attack on the Capitol and the uncertainty surrounding the election of Speaker Mike Johnson. Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann joins the podcast to discuss John Thune becoming the Majority Leader of the Senate and what's ahead for him. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ....
Jan 06, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 109
For the last podcast episode of 2024, NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on National Journal Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Hotline Editor Kirk A. Bado to look back at 2024 in politics. They recap the most memorable headlines from this year, make predictions on what could happen under the incoming Trump administration, what they're keeping an eye on and lastly what their new year's resolutions are. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ....
Dec 16, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss election post-mortem analysis, President-elect Trump's controversial nominees and their thorny path ahead in the Senate, and more. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ....
Dec 09, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 107
NJ Daily Managing Editor Ledyard King brings on health care correspondent Erin Durkin and foreign-policy and defense correspondent Cristina Maza to break down President-elect Trump's nominees for health care, foreign policy, intelligence, and immigration. They discuss the controversies surrounding some of the nominees, and their potential impact on policy. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ....
Dec 02, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 106
NJ Daily Managing Editor Ledge King brings on Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann and senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten to discuss the upcoming changes to the House and the Senate with new members, controversial confirmation hearings, and more under an incoming Trump administration. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ....
Nov 18, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Hotline editor Kirk Bado discusses the election results and what's to come with senior national correspondent Zac Weisz, Senate campaign correspondent Nicholas Anastácio, House race correspondent James Downs, and gubernatorial reporter Mary Frances McGowan. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ....
Nov 07, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 105
In this jam-packed episode, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado discusses the races and storylines to watch with National Journal 's correspondents. Follow our correspondents on National Journal 's live blog on Election Day starting at 6 p.m. ET here: https://www.nationaljournal.com/2024election-coverage/ Time stamps for each race: Presidential: 0:00-40:05 Senate: 40:05-1:01:10 House: 1:01:10-1:27:50 Governor's races: 1:27:50 Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and S...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 104