Next Up with Mark Halperin

Mark Halperin opens the show with his reported monologue on why some Democrats are suddenly, uncharacteristically serene in declaring Donald Trump politically finished — and why GOP insiders insist they’re getting the moment wrong again. Drawing on fresh conversations with Republican strategists, Mark breaks down the four-phase comeback plan they believe is already underway, the policy resets they want from the White House, and why...

Mark Halperin opens today’s episode with his reported monologue unpacking the latest claims that Trump’s presidency is effectively over—from MS NOW pundits declaring he’s losing ground to Kara Swisher saying he won’t see the end of his term. He then identifies the real test for the president: how his handling of the economy, intra-party divisions, and voter confidence could shape GOP prospects in the midterms.

Next, Halperin talks w...

As breaking news hits the House on its vote to force release of the Epstein files, Mark Halperin opens today’s show with his reported monologue on what comes next in the continuing scandal. He reveals the real story behind the years-long cover-up — the network of elites who closed ranks to protect their own — and explains why public disclosure won’t quiet the conspiracy theories or satisfy either political party. Plus, Mark unpacks...

On this news-packed episode, Mark Halperin kicks off the show with his new reported monologue breaking down the economic decline and collapsing institutional trust fueling America’s unrest — and how the rise of AI is reshaping politics, society, and individual agency.  This one is going to be a cliffhanger.
 

Then, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer joins fresh off the successful vote to reopen the government, offering the behind-the-scen...

On this very newsy edition of Next Up, Megyn Kelly joins the show to break down the fallout from the government shutdown — the deal that enraged Democrats, why Chuck Schumer could be pushed out by his own party, and why the GOP’s 2028 bench may be stronger than the Democrats’.

Plus, Mark delivers not one, but two new reports on today’s show. First, he examines the populist revolts reshaping both parties — and the attempt by establis...

Mark Halperin kicks off Thursday’s episode with his reported monologue with new buzzy information on the fallout from the 2025 elections — and how the results are already reshaping both parties’ strategies for the midterms and 2028. He reveals how Democrats won back key Trump voters and how figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gavin Newsom, Wes Moore, and Josh Shapiro are using those wins to build momentum. Mark also breaks down ...

On this Election Day edition of Next Up, Mark Halperin opens the 2026 election season by unveiling an innovative campaign debate format tailor-made for the new realities of today’s political discourse and new media — an actual conversation between two candidates seeking to replace Gavin Newsom as California’s next Governor: Democrat Stephen Cloobeck and Republican Steve Hilton.

Today’s debate sets the new standard. Gone are the podi...

Mark opens today’s episode with a new reported monologue on one of the most consequential stories of this century: how senior Biden officials attempted to cover up the president’s cognitive decline—and how the Dominant Media was complicit in that effort. Drawing on newly released testimony from top administration officials, he examines how threats, denial, and silence shaped coverage before the 2024 election, and why the lack of ac...

Mark kicks off today’s episode with a reported monologue on the high art and grand drama of political survival perfected by the masters — Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. He breaks down how figures like Graham Platner continue winning endorsements and voter enthusiasm even when controversy hits, revealing the strategies that help politicians withstand scandal and come out stronger.  

Then Senator Bill Hagerty joins to go inside Trump’...

Mark kicks off today’s episode with his new reported monologue on Washington’s latest drama: the controversy over Donald Trump’s White House ballroom. He unpacks how a simple construction project became the Left’s newest moral anguish—and what the frenzy reveals about the lingering Trump Derangement Syndrome that still defines so much of the left and political media. Mark separates legitimate critique from performative outrage, sho...

Mark opens today’s episode with a reported monologue on why President Trump’s presidency continues to dominate headlines and shape America’s political mood. He breaks down the forces — in media, politics, and public opinion — that keep Trump at the center of every national conversation. 

Then Meghan McCain and Ben Ferguson join for a wide-ranging conversation on Trump’s foreign policy agenda, Bari Weiss’s effort to reform CBS News, ...

Mark Halperin opens today’s show with his new reported monologue on the Democrats’ identity crisis — a deep dive into how the party has built its identity around resistance, and why that playbook has failed in the view of many Democrats. For years now, anti-Trump applause lines have filled the space where ideas used to live, creating a cycle of outrage that thrilled MSNBC panels but alienated voters looking for solutions. Now, as t...

Mark Halperin kicks off today’s episode with his new reported monologue going inside Donald Trump’s historic Middle East peace deal — and the quiet strategy and disciplined tactics that secured the agreement and left even the president’s fiercest critics speechless. Beneath the spectacle, Halperin reveals the seven signature — and often overlooked — skills that allowed the showman president to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Then,...

It’s been one of the most unintentionally hilarious weeks in politics — and Mark Halperin can’t resist a good laugh. He kicks off today’s show with the top five most outrageous stories and viral moments of the week: Katie Porter’s on-camera meltdowns, Pam Bondi’s Senate roast, and CNN suddenly embracing Marjorie Taylor Greene as their new favorite source for “the most trusted name in news,” and much more.

Then, longtime news anchor ...

Mark Halperin opens today’s show with his reported monologue dissecting the legacy media meltdown over Bari Weiss’s appointment as editor-in-chief of CBS News. He unpacks the internal uproar and the outrage from many of the same type of left-leaning journalists who once drove Weiss out of The New York Times — and explains why she may be CBS’s best hope to rebuild credibility and profitability. His message for staffers unwilling to ...

Enjoy this special episode of "After Party with Emily Jashinsky," featuring a long-form interview with "Next Up" host Mark Halperin, about The Washington Post, the Comey indictment, the terrible comments from Ta-Nehisi Coates about Charlie Kirk, and more.

Subscribe now to Emily's "After Party":
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/after-party-with-emily-jashinsky/id1821493726
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0szVa30NjGY...

On today’s special episode of Next Up with Mark Halperin, Mark has the conversation about Charlie Kirk’s assassination that no one else is having – with the people most directly shaped by his life and death yet largely overlooked in the national coverage: the college students whose futures he transformed.

Mark sits down with Turning Point USA leaders from campuses across the country to reflect on Charlie Kirk’s life, his assassinat...

Mark Halperin opens today’s episode with a new reported monologue pushing back on the idea that American history began just ten years ago when Donald Trump went down the escalator, highlighting three current controversies with deep roots. He shows how lawfare, the decline of opportunity and purpose among young men, and government shutdown brinkmanship were all entrenched features of American politics and culture long before Trump e...

Mark Halperin opens today’s episode with a sharp new reported monologue on the Democratic Party’s biggest challenge heading into 2028: how to unite enough of the country to appeal to a deeply divided America. He traces how recent presidents left office with more polarization than when they began and explains why Democrats must reconcile their instinctive opposition to Trump with the need to broaden their appeal. Within the party it...