Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his primary last Saturday to a challenger backed by President Trump, and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie faces a similar challenge in his primary on Tuesday. We discuss the president’s efforts to target politicians he perceives as disloyal to him and what it means for the Republican Party. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and Kentucky Public Radio reporter Sylvia Goodman. This pod...
May 18, 2026•22 min
President Trump returned from a long awaited trip to China on Friday. We discuss what the United States got out of the meetings with Chinese leaders. Plus, what should we make of Trump’s prolific social media use ? This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Mutur...
May 15, 2026•33 min
In the last week, we’ve gotten seemingly conflicting economic data — inflation is up, consumer spending is up slightly and the job market is holding steady. We discuss what to make of it, how voters are feeling, and what politicians are saying about it. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, financial correspondent Maria Aspan, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our execut...
May 14, 2026•21 min
A day after Nebraska held its primary election, the result in the Democratic race to fill one of the most competitive House seats in the country is still too close to call. We discuss how one possible outcome in that race could change the way the state awards its Electoral College votes in presidential elections, plus the particularly strange dynamics in the state’s Senate race. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and Minnesota Pu...
May 13, 2026•17 min
President Trump is headed to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. We discuss what each side hopes to accomplish and how the Iran war has changed the power dynamics between the two leaders. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Listen to every episod...
May 12, 2026•18 min
The U.S. House map looks particularly bleak for Democrats after Virginia’s Supreme Court overturned the map voters approved last month, on top of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gutted the Voting Rights Act. We discuss where the party goes from here, how Republicans are continuing to bolster their advantage with new districts in southern states, and what it all means for voters. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, and political corresponde...
May 11, 2026•17 min
Oil prices continue to climb as a result of the Iran war. We discuss how that has interfered with President Trump’s planned energy policy. Plus, will the Republican presidential ticket have Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the top in 2028? This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, business correspondent Camila Domonoske, and White House correspondents Danielle Kurtzleben and Franco Ordoñez. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited...
May 08, 2026•31 min
The Trump administration has taken multiple actions that experts warn are undermining the fight against public corruption. We discuss what that looks like and the implications for democracy and the rule of law. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Listen to every ep...
May 07, 2026•18 min
President Trump said he would punish the Republican state senators in Indiana who voted against redistricting, and in Tuesday’s primary, almost all of them lost to Trump-backed challengers. We discuss takeaways from the primaries in Indiana and Ohio, plus how voters say they feel about Trump in a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was pr...
May 06, 2026•15 min
Iran and the United States have exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz in the last couple days as the U.S. military tries to provide safe passage to commercial ships there. We discuss what these developments mean for the ongoing ceasefire, as well as how the war overall has stymied President Trump’s domestic priorities. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, national security correspondent Greg Myre, and White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. This podcast was produced by Casey Mo...
May 05, 2026•17 min
Congress has been unable to reach an agreement over the reauthorization of a surveillance program the intelligence community says is vital for spying on foreign nationals. We discuss what is so controversial about Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and why concerns about it cross traditional partisan lines. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, congressional reporter Eric McDaniel, and justice correspondent Ryan Lucas. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell...
May 04, 2026•19 min
President Trump and his allies seem to be — once again — seeking retribution from people who have gotten on the president’s bad side. We discuss the Justice Department’s new indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, Trump’s efforts to unseat some Indiana Republican state lawmakers, and a renewed fight with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, Supreme Court and justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior political correspondent Tamara Keith. This podcast w...
May 01, 2026•26 min
Florida lawmakers have approved a new congressional district map designed to flip four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives from Democrat control to Republican, giving Republicans better odds at maintaining control of the chamber. We discuss what this means for voters, how it affects the midterms and whether the redistricting wars will ever end. Plus, Maine Gov. Janet Mills ends her campaign for Senate. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, a...
Apr 30, 2026•20 min
In a landmark ruling Wednesday, the Supreme Court effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act. We discuss what the ruling could mean for Black representation — not just in Congress but at all levels of government. This episode: voting correspondents Miles Parks and Hansi Lo Wang and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Listen to every episode of the NPR Pol...
Apr 29, 2026•19 min
President Trump has suggested the United States “buy” the struggling Spirit Airlines. We discuss other ways Trump has blurred the lines between government and business and whether Republicans have turned from their traditional stance on free-market capitalism. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, financial correspondent Maria Aspan, and White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive prod...
Apr 28, 2026•21 min
The Justice Department has charged 31-year-old Cole Allen with trying to assassinate President Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday. We discuss what we know about Allen and how Trump responded to Saturday’s shooting. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive ...
Apr 27, 2026•16 min
President Trump, Vice President Vance, and members of the administration were evacuated from the Washington Hilton Saturday night after shots were fired. The dinner, President Trump said, will be rescheduled, and law enforcement officials say the suspected gunman is in custody. This episode: All Things Considered host Scott Detrow, All Things Considered deputy executive producer Courtney Dorning, White House correspondents Franco Ordoñez and Deepa Shivaram, & immigration correspondent Ximena...
Apr 26, 2026•53 min
It was another busy week in politics. We discuss the Justice Department’s decision to drop its investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, the status of negotiations over funding for the still-shut-down Department of Homeland Security, Congress and cabinet members who left their positions, and more. This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, and White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and...
Apr 24, 2026•27 min
The Justice Department has charged the Southern Poverty Law Center, a prominent civil rights organization, with several financial crimes. We discuss what the group is accused of and why it became a target of the Trump administration. This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef, and justice correspondent Ryan Lucas. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Mu...
Apr 23, 2026•17 min
Virginia voters narrowly approved a ballot measure to redraw congressional district lines, improving Democrats’ odds at winning back the House in November. We discuss what to make of the results in Virginia and whether Democrats also have a real shot at winning control of the Senate. This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Sugg...
Apr 22, 2026•20 min
President Trump signed an executive order to fast-track medical research into psychedelic drugs, following a push by podcaster and influencer Joe Rogan. We discuss what the research says and how the push fits into the Make America Healthy Again agenda. This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, health correspondent Will Stone, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our ...
Apr 21, 2026•18 min
The Justice Department has declared that the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional and therefore, President Trump is allowed to destroy any records from his time in office. We discuss how the move could make it harder to hold presidents accountable. This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, Supreme Court and justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and ...
Apr 20, 2026•21 min
Most of the Department of Homeland Security has been without funding for two months, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement got billions of dollars from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. We discuss how that funding insulates the agency from congressional oversight and how a proposal from congressional Republicans could further limit accountability. Plus, the significance of another failed vote to rein in the administration’s war powers. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, immi...
Apr 17, 2026•27 min
NPR reporters observed focus groups of 13 Georgia voters who backed President Joe Biden in 2020 and President Donald Trump in 2024. We discuss what they had to say about the Iran war, the economy and Trump’s priorities. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Listen to every episode o...
Apr 16, 2026•14 min
A crowded governor’s race in California got a little less crowded when Democrat Eric Swalwell ended his campaign — and resigned his seat in Congress — following allegations of sexual misconduct. We discuss where Swalwell’s exit leaves the race and how President Trump’s endorsement of a Republican candidate might be a boon to the Democrats running. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, KQED correspondent Guy Marzorati, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Th...
Apr 15, 2026•21 min
President Trump launched new attacks at Pope Leo XIV over the weekend, calling the religious leader “Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons,” in a social media post. We discuss what’s behind the tensions between the president and the religious leader and whether they could affect Trump’s political support. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, religion correspondent Jason DeRose, and White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs...
Apr 14, 2026•23 min
Negotiations with Iran over the weekend ended without a deal. In response, President Trump announced that the U.S. military would effectively close the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping traffic. We discuss how the blockade affects the ongoing war in Iran and the possible political consequences for Republicans. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, national security correspondent Greg Myre, and senior political correspondent Tamara Keith. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bri...
Apr 13, 2026•19 min
Leaders in the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, coalition are pushing back against President Trump’s decisions regarding the Iran war. We discuss this apparent fracturing within the MAGA coalition, as well as splits between MAGA and the Make America Healthy Again movement. This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, political reporter Elena Moore, health correspondent Will Stone and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Casey ...
Apr 10, 2026•33 min
Vice President JD Vance was in Hungary this week campaigning for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who faces a tough path to reelection. We discuss why the Trump White House is backing Orbán, and whether that support fits into President Trump’s America First vision. This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and international correspondent Rob Schmitz. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Ou...
Apr 09, 2026•22 min
In the last day and a half, President Trump threatened to wipe out Iranian “civilization,” then announced a two-week ceasefire. We discuss what we know about the terms the United States and Iran are negotiating, and where things go from here. This episode: senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national security correspondent Greg Myre. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer i...
Apr 08, 2026•19 min
