The NPR Politics Podcast
Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon. Political wonks - get wonkier with The NPR Politics Podcast+. Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics
Episodes
August 8, 2025 • 19 mins
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., cancelled $500 million in mRNA vaccine development contracts this week. We discuss how the move follows a trend of actions by the Trump administration that ignore the advice of subject-matter experts.
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
T...
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
T...
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August 7, 2025 • 15 mins
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is turning to retired federal workers as it tries to rapidly boost its ranks. We discuss the reasons behind the agency's hiring spree and the challenges it faces in its efforts.
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, immigration policy correspondent Ximena Bustillo, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
This podcast was produced by Casey ...
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, immigration policy correspondent Ximena Bustillo, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
This podcast was produced by Casey ...
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August 6, 2025 • 12 mins
If Texas Republicans go through with their plan to redraw the state's congressional districts to give Republicans five more U.S. House seats, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, says he'll push through new districts in his state that benefit Democrats. We discuss the growing redistricting arms race and why, at least for California, it's not that simple.
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, senior polit...
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, senior polit...
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August 5, 2025 • 17 mins
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 that he's back in office, he may be losing the support of some of those shows' hosts. We discuss the manosphere's past political influence and whether it's likely to shape future elections.
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, politics reporter Elena Moore, and s...
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, politics reporter Elena Moore, and s...
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August 4, 2025 • 16 mins
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 Republicans aren't pushing back against tariffs some of them oppose, and the effects of Trump's decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and chief economics cor...
This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and chief economics cor...
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August 1, 2025 • 23 mins
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 Trump's term ends and whether there is someone else who can take up the mantle.
This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
This podcast was produced by Br...
This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
This podcast was produced by Br...
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July 31, 2025 • 12 mins
The Trump administration says it is investigating whether dozens of universities have violated civil rights protections. We discuss the allegations, universities' settlements with the administration, and what's behind all of it.
This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, education reporter Sequoia Carrillo, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
This podcast was produced by ...
This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, education reporter Sequoia Carrillo, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
This podcast was produced by ...
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July 30, 2025 • 16 mins
President Trump, apparently moved by photos of malnourished children and people struggling to find food, has shifted the way he talks about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We discuss the United States' role in the crisis and whether Trump's change in tone will lead to a change in policy.
This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and international corresponden...
This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and international corresponden...
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July 29, 2025 • 12 mins
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 participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps. We discuss why the administration says it needs the data, and how it fits into a bigger push for states' data.
This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, voting corresp...
This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, voting corresp...
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July 28, 2025 • 17 mins
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — for immigrants whose parents brought them illegally to the United States when they were children — offers participants protection from immigration enforcement and benefits such as work permits and the ability to buy health insurance. We discuss efforts by the Trump administration to roll back some of these protections and benefits.
This episode: White House correspondent...
This episode: White House correspondent...
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July 25, 2025 • 18 mins
Congress recently passed — at the White House's request — a rescission package that cancels $9 billion in spending Congress had previously approved. We discuss whether Congress has forfeited its power to decide how the government spends its money, and what that means for voters across the country.
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior White House corresp...
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior White House corresp...
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July 24, 2025 • 15 mins
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 has a politically independent Federal Reserve. We also dive into the potential effects of looming tariffs.
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, finance correspondent Maria Aspan, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.
This podcast...
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, finance correspondent Maria Aspan, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.
This podcast...
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July 23, 2025 • 16 mins
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 Circuit Court of Appeals. We discuss the controversy around Bove's nomination and what it could mean for future judicial appointments.
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior national political correspondent Mara Li...
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior national political correspondent Mara Li...
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July 22, 2025 • 17 mins
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 for recent Gen Z and young millennial candidates, as well as what hasn't. And we ask why we are seeing all these young candidates now.
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, political reporter Elena Moore, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico ...
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, political reporter Elena Moore, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico ...
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July 21, 2025 • 12 mins
New congressional districts are on the agenda for the special session that began in Texas on Monday. We discuss why Texas is redrawing its congressional map now and what it and similar efforts in other states could mean for party control of Congress.
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, correspondent Hansi Lo Wang, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
This podcast was ...
This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, correspondent Hansi Lo Wang, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
This podcast was ...
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July 18, 2025 • 22 mins
We review a busy week in Washington, including President Trump's response to a new report about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and calls from the White House for more partisan budgeting. Plus, what is Trump's foreign policy doctrine?
This episode: politics correspondent Ashley Lopez, senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national security correspondent Greg Myre and senior political edi...
This episode: politics correspondent Ashley Lopez, senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national security correspondent Greg Myre and senior political edi...
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July 18, 2025 • 2 mins
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July 17, 2025 • 16 mins
Two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its decision to withhold about $6 billion in federal education grants. And the Supreme Court says the administration can go ahead with layoffs at the Department of Education. We discuss the impacts these developments have on local school districts.
This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, education reporter Sequoia Carrillo and senior political ed...
This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, education reporter Sequoia Carrillo and senior political ed...
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July 16, 2025 • 15 mins
The big tax and spending bill President Trump signed into law earlier this month included $75 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Supreme Court recently told the administration it could deport people to countries with which they have no ties. We discuss these and other developments that are helping the president accelerate deportation efforts.
This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith...
This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith...
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July 15, 2025 • 13 mins
Before taking office, President Trump promised to release the FBI's files on disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Now he is urging his supporters to stop talking about Epstein. We discuss what the backlash means for Trump, for MAGA, and for the future of the Republican party.
This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Stephen Fowler, and senior political editor and correspondent Do...
This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Stephen Fowler, and senior political editor and correspondent Do...
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