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

Trump Calls Cartels Terrorists. Is That Enough To Go To War?

October 13, 2025 • 10 mins
From Consider This from NPR:

Nearly a quarter century after the September 11th attacks, the Trump administration is using the language of terrorism to target a new enemy: Latin American drug cartels.

The president says the U.S. is in armed conflict with drug cartels.

Scott Detrow talks to a Bush-era lawyer who says the powers of war are too extraordinary to use against crime.

Learn more about spo...
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Roundup: Indictments, Shutdowns, And Cats

October 10, 2025 • 27 mins
The Justice Department indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James, an outspoken critic of President Trump, this week on allegations of fraud. It comes after the DOJ indicted another Trump critic, former FBI director James Comey, who was arraigned this week on charges alleging he lied to Congress.

Then, we get an update on the government shutdown, and talk about a cat's wild ride.

This episode: senior White H...
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Israel And Hamas Agree To First Phase Of Peace Deal

October 9, 2025 • 17 mins
Hamas and Israel have agreed to the first phase of a deal designed to end the war in Gaza. We discuss President Trump’s role in the negotiations that brought about the deal and whether lasting peace could be on the horizon.

This episode: voting and election security correspondent Miles Parks, national security correspondent Greg Myre, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith.

This podcast was produced by ...
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Why Trump Says He Wants To Send The National Guard To Chicago And Portland

October 8, 2025 • 18 mins
President Trump has taken steps to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago and to Portland, Oregon. We discuss how the administration justifies those actions, as well as how Albuquerque, New Mexico, is using that state’s National Guard to fight crime

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and senior political editor and correspondent...
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How The Shutdown Is Affecting Federal Workers And Services

October 7, 2025 • 15 mins
The federal government shutdown is in its seventh day, with negotiations on Capitol Hill over reopening the government at a stalemate. We discuss how the shutdown is affecting federal workers and the services they keep running, as well as warnings by the White House that they will lay off workers as a result of the shutdown.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, labor and workplace correspondent Andr...
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Unpacking The New Jersey And Virginia Races For Governor

October 6, 2025 • 18 mins
Voters in New Jersey and Virginia are casting their ballots in their states’ gubernatorial elections. We discuss the major issues at play and whether federal politics are affecting the races.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, WNYC senior reporter Nancy Solomon, and WAMU reporter Margaret Barthel.

This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs...
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Poll: Nearly 1 In 3 Say Political Violence May Be Necessary To Right The Country

October 3, 2025 • 21 mins
A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released this week finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans think political violence is a major problem, but nearly a third say political violence may be necessary to put the country back on track. We discuss how young voters compare to the rest of those surveyed, as well as other major findings from the poll.

This episode: voting and election security correspondent Miles Parks, polit...
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Tick Tock For TikTok's Sale

October 2, 2025 • 15 mins
Congress ordered the social media app to be sold to U.S.-based investors, citing national security concerns related to TikTok's Chinese ownership. But, despite President Trump announcing who might be involved in purchasing the app, the sale hasn't gone through yet, and it's unclear what exactly will be sold. We discuss the latest.


This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political reporter Elena Moore, and techn...
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No Budging From Congressional Leaders As Government Shutdown Begins

October 1, 2025 • 19 mins
Wednesday marks the beginning of the first federal government shutdown since 2019, and negotiations between the leaders of both parties appear to be at a standstill. We discuss which side seems to be winning the messaging war, as well as the policy question at the center of the fight.

This episode: voting and election security correspondent Miles Parks, congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales, and senior political edi...
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White House Unveils 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan

September 30, 2025 • 15 mins
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a plan that could yield an end to the war in Gaza. But Hamas was not involved in crafting the 20-point plan, and it’s not clear whether they will agree to it. We discuss what benefits the plan has for each side and how the United States’ involvement fits into Trump’s America-first vision.

This episode: voting and election security correspondent Miles P...
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Trump Administration Wants To Dismantle Federal Watchdog Agencies

September 29, 2025 • 12 mins
The Trump administration has taken steps to effectively dismantle the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Office of Special Counsel, two agencies that protect federal civil servants. We discuss why changes at these agencies matter and how the U.S. Supreme Court could grant the president broad powers to make changes at other independent agencies. 

This episode: voting and election security correspondent Miles Parks, labo...
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James Comey Indicted On Charges Stemming From 2020 Congressional Testimony

September 26, 2025 • 18 mins
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Thursday on charges stemming from his testimony before Congress in 2020. President Trump promised retribution against his perceived enemies and demanded that prosecutors at the Justice Department speed up the investigation targeting some of his most prominent critics. What is Comey accused of and what does the indictment signify for the rule of law?

This episode: White House cor...
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Ignoring Scientific Evidence, Trump Blames Tylenol For Autism

September 25, 2025 • 15 mins
President Trump suggested that Tylenol can cause autism and the drug leucovorin can treat it. We discuss what the science actually says and why the president made the unusual announcement this week.

This episode: White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, health correspondent Yuki Noguchi, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, ...
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MAGA And Evangelical Christianity Converge At Kirk Memorial

September 24, 2025 • 22 mins
Charlie Kirk’s memorial service this past weekend put the convergence of the MAGA movement and evangelical Christianity on full display. We discuss how MAGA and evangelical Christianity are shaping one another, and how MAGA’s version of Christianity is different from that of past Republican leaders.

This episode: White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, religion correspondent Jason DeRose, domestic extremism correspo...
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Western Allies Formally Recognize A Palestinian State. The U.S. Won't.

September 23, 2025 • 16 mins
At the United Nations General Assembly, President Trump reiterated the U.S. had no plans to recognize a Palestinian state. It comes as many traditional allies, like Canada, the United Kingdom & France, have done so in recent days. We look at why, and what the political implications are.


This episode: White House correspondents Danielle Kurtzleben & Franco Ordoñez, and national security correspondent Greg Myre.

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Congress Deadlocked As Possible Government Shutdown Looms

September 22, 2025 • 17 mins
Funding for the federal government runs out after September 30 unless Congress can pass a bill to prevent it. We discuss congressional leaders’ negotiations over a spending bill and the politics surrounding a potential shutdown.

This episode: White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

This podcast was produced ...
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Sources & Methods: Trump's UK Visit, Gaza/Ukraine Tension

September 20, 2025 • 25 mins

Today, we're sharing another episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's biggest national security news with NPR's team of reporters covering the military, State Department, and spy agencies. NPR correspondents stationed around the world also join the conversation. 

This episode, political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben and diplomatic c...

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Federal Reserve Lowers Rates, But Less Than Trump Wants

September 19, 2025 • 18 mins
The Federal Reserve voted this week to cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point. We discuss the factors behind the agency’s decision, as well as President Trump’s legal fight to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook.

This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, financial correspondent Maria Aspan, congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith.

This podcast was p...
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Why Did President Trump Order Strikes On Venezuelan Boats?

September 18, 2025 • 11 mins
The United States has launched strikes on two Venezuelan boats this month. President Trump says the boats were smuggling drugs. We discuss that justification and why Trump’s actions could be risky.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national security correspondent Greg Myre, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, and edit...
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Republicans Declare 'War' On Liberals In Response To Kirk's Death

September 17, 2025 • 12 mins
In the week since MAGA activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot, some Republicans have responded by declaring "war" on liberals. We discuss that and other responses to Kirk’s death, as well as what his loss means for the Republican Party’s future.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political reporter Elena Moore, and political reporter Stephen Fowler.

This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Br...
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