The NPR Politics Podcast

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

Supreme Court rules most of Trump’s tariffs are illegal

February 20, 2026 • 23 mins
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump cannot use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping global tariffs. We discuss President Trump’s reaction to the decision and what comes next for his tariffs.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and All Things Considered host Scott Detrow...
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Federal agencies under Trump have been using white nationalist messages

February 19, 2026 • 16 mins
Federal government agencies have repeatedly invoked white nationalist language and images in the year since President Trump returned to the White House for his second term. We discuss the intended target of those messages and what effects they have. 

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

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Trump says his administration should pay him billions of dollars

February 18, 2026 • 12 mins
President Trump has filed legal claims against the U.S. government and says he should be paid billions of dollars in damages. We discuss the significance of these claims and how Trump uses lawsuits as political tools. 

This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith.

This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs,...
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What's the main thing in Maine's Senate race?

February 17, 2026 • 20 mins

Democrats see Maine as one of their best chances to flip a Republican senate seat in this autumn's midterm elections. We look at Democrats vying to replace Sen. Susan Collins, as well as Collins' chances at winning another term in office.


This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and Maine Public correspondent Kevin...

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Trump administration eliminates greenhouse gas regulations

February 16, 2026 • 16 mins
The Trump administration has rescinded the Environmental Protection Agency’s “endangerment finding,” the scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions harm the public. We discuss what’s behind the change and what it could mean for Americans.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, climate correspondent Jeff Brady, and political correspondent Ashley Lopez.

This podcast was produced by Bria S...
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DHS funding set to expire as talks over immigration enforcement reforms stall

February 13, 2026 • 26 mins
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire at the end of the day Friday, after congressional leaders’ negotiations over reforms to immigration enforcement operations stalled. We discuss what a shutdown of the department means in practical terms, plus what we learned when immigration agency leaders testified before Congress this week. 

This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, congressional corre...
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Trump wants a deal with Iran, but could military strikes be coming?

February 12, 2026 • 21 mins
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump this week to discuss the United States’ ongoing talks with Iran over that country’s military capabilities. We discuss what each side wants and possible next steps, plus the latest in the efforts for peace in Gaza.

This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national security correspondent Greg Myre.

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ICE makes these swing voters anxious, but they don’t want to ‘abolish ICE’

February 11, 2026 • 16 mins
NPR reporters observed focus groups of 14 swing voters from Arizona. We discuss how they feel about federal immigration enforcement tactics and what about the economy worries them.

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 Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.
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What to watch in the Texas Senate race

February 10, 2026 • 19 mins
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, running for his fifth term, is locked in a competitive Republican primary contest. Meanwhile, some Democrats think they can flip the seat, electing a Democrat to represent Texas in the Senate for the first time since 1988. We discuss what to watch in the heated primaries as voters begin casting their ballots next week.

This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lo...
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The midterm map is beginning to take shape

February 9, 2026 • 22 mins

Beginning in March, voters will start picking their preferred candidates to run for House and Senate races throughout the country. With a record number of incumbents retiring, we look at what seats are especially competitive & the issues that might play big roles in how voters make up their minds.


This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and seni...

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How fights over ICE funding are playing out on the Hill and in midterm races

February 6, 2026 • 27 mins
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are running out of time to reach an agreement over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. We discuss the state of negotiations, plus how calls to “abolish ICE” are playing out in congressional races.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, politi...
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Most Americans say ICE has ‘gone too far’ in new poll

February 5, 2026 • 17 mins
Nearly two-thirds of Americans say Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions have gone too far, according to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll. We discuss what else the poll tells us about public perception of President Trump, including on the economy and foreign policy.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico...
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Justice Department released 3 million pages of Epstein files. What did we learn?

February 4, 2026 • 18 mins
The Justice Department says it has released all of the relevant documents from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We discuss what we have learned from the millions of pages of documents and whether Republicans or Democrats got what they were hoping for from the release.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and senior political editor and...
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Trump says Republicans should ‘nationalize’ elections

February 3, 2026 • 18 mins
President Trump suggested during an appearance on the Dan Bongino Show that Republicans should “take over the voting” in at least 15 states and “nationalize” elections. We unpack what to make of these comments and how they fit into a bigger picture of Trump’s repeated efforts to interfere with states’ administration of elections. 

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, voting correspondent Miles Parks...
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Trump’s efforts to control the Fed may jeopardize new chair’s confirmation

February 2, 2026 • 14 mins
President Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell when Powell’s term ends in May. We discuss Trump’s efforts to undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve and how that may impede Warsh’s confirmation vote. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.

This podcast was produ...
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Another government shutdown looms -- what you need to know

January 30, 2026 • 30 mins

After immigration officials killed two people in Minneapolis this month, congressional Democrats demanded funding for immigration action be separated from other government funding. That's leading to a potential, partial, government shutdown. We unpack the latest from Capitol Hill.


Then, why did the FBI raid Fulton County, Ga.'s election center this week, and what does it have to do with ...

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Minnesota shooting blurs political lines around guns

January 29, 2026 • 17 mins
Alex Pretti was carrying a permitted gun when he had a confrontation with federal agents who ultimately shot and killed him. While the Trump administration pointed to his gun as a reason for agents to fear for their safety, pro-gun groups argued Pretti had a right to carry. We discuss the rhetoric around guns and how marginalized communities in Minneapolis have been increasingly turning toward gun ownership.


This episo...
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Internal review contradicts Trump administration on Alex Pretti shooting

January 28, 2026 • 18 mins
An initial internal review into federal immigration officers’ fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last weekend contradicts the description of the incident by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. We discuss President Trump’s shifting messages on immigration policy and how his administration’s efforts to restrict legal immigration pathways are changing the political environment. 

This episode: senior White House...
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Senate Dems demand immigration enforcement reforms before funding DHS

January 27, 2026 • 16 mins
Congress may be headed toward a partial government shutdown. After a federal immigration officer fatally shot Alex Pretti last weekend in Minneapolis, Senate Democrats say they won’t vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security without changes to how the federal government enforces immigration laws. We discuss what Democrats want, what Republicans are offering, and the political risks of another government shutdown. 

T...
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Does Alex Pretti’s death mark a turning point for Trump?

January 26, 2026 • 19 mins
The fatal shooting by federal immigration officers of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and an intensive care unit nurse at the VA, escalated tensions surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis and prompted bipartisan calls for investigation. We discuss whether the incident could mark a turning point for the president.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keit...
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