Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

In response to the "No Kings" protests this weekend, President Trump shared an AI-generated video involving brown liquid that surely signifies excrement.  On Today's Show: Stuart A. Thompson , reporter at  The New York Times  covering online influence, breaks down his latest reporting on how President Donald Trump is using fake artificial intelligence generated imagery to attack his perceived enem...

Recently, President Trump commuted the sentence of former Long Island congressman George Santos. On Today's Show: Grace Ashford , New York Times reporter covering New York State politics and government, talks about why Trump wanted Santos's early release after serving less than three months of his long sentence for crimes related to theft and fraud. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pc...

House Speaker Mike Johnson called this weekend's "No Kings" protests "hate America" rallies.  On Today's Show: Listeners call in to share what they were rallying for and against, and respond to Johnson's characterization of the marches. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Supreme Court has, over the past few years, opted to grant the federal government and the executive branch more and more leeway.  On Today's Show: Emily Bazelon , staff writer for The New York Times Magazine , co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecu...

President Trump has been using different executive agency programs to target certain cities.  On Today's Show: U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ) weighs in on the Trump announcement that the Gateway tunnel project is "terminated." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The federal government shutdown is now in its 15th day. On Today's Show: David Remnick , editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest national political news, including the latest on President Trump's 'autocratic' tendencies.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data fo...

On Saturday, the Trump administration rescinded the layoffs of hundreds of scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who were mistakenly fired the day before.  On Today's Show: Apoorva Mandavilli , science and global health reporter at The New York Times , explains what happened and who remains at the CDC. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informa...

On today's show: Julian Brave NoiseCat , writer, filmmaker, student of Salish art and history and the author of We Survived the Night (Knopf, 2025), talks about his new book, the story of North American indigenous people through his reporting and his own story, all in the style of a traditional "coyote story."  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...

Venezuela's opposition leader María Corina Machado has been named as the 2025 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. On Today's Show: Gideon Rose , adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the former editor of Foreign Affairs and author of How Wars End (Simon & Schuster, 2010), talks about Corina Machado's work, and related world news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. Se...

The federal government shutdown continues, as Trump's efforts in the Middle East draw praise. On Today's Show: Jonathan Lemire , co-host of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, contributing writer at The Atlantic and author of the book, The Big Lie: Election Chaos , Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 (Flatiron Books, 2022), talks about what he calls the "project 2025 shutdown"...

As the federal government shutdown enters its second week, a Democrat in the Senate shares his insights. On Today's Show: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) talks about the ongoing shutdown and how issues like the Affordable Care Act are a part of the negotiations.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adverti...

President Trump is making moves to deploy national guard troops to cities like Chicago and Portland, OR.  On Today's Show: Kyle Cheney , senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, talks about how states are reacting and why a federal judge keeps blocking the plan for Portland. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...

As the federal government shutdown continues, how is the White House using it for political leverage? On Today's Show: Russell Berman , a staff writer at The Atlantic talks shares the latest shutdown news.  Note: This conversation was recorded on Friday morning about a developing story.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...

It's the second day of the latest federal government shutdown over funding. On Today's Show: Politico congressional reporter Nicholas Wu  talks about the latest on the impasse, who is getting blamed for the shutdown, and what it will take to end it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Universities have had to contend with a climate of protest, and pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on it.  On Today's Show: Christopher Eisgruber , president of Princeton University and the author of Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right (Hachette, 2025), talks about issues of free speech and campus politics at Princeton, and the university's relationship with the...

As Artificial Intelligence technology develops, and as nations vie for technical dominance, the UN has been considering its role.  On Today's Show: Vilas Dhar , president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and member of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Body on AI, talks about the two new institutions created by the United Nations to study and discuss the risks and opportunities of artificial...

Learning institutions, from public schools to universities, have been the site of several political fights in recent times.  On Today's Show: Randi Weingarten , president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy (Thesis, 2025), talks about her new book and explains why she says education protects democra...

The prospect of a government shutdown is growing as Democrats are threatening to not help Republicans on the Hill pass a spending bill by the September 30 deadline.  On Today's Show:  Deirdre Walsh , congressional correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk, talks about the politics of the potential shutdown and related news from Congress. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...

Jimmy Kimmel's brief suspension and, as of yesterday evening, illustrates some of the thornier challenges around the ideal of free speech. On Today's Show: Greg Lukianoff , attorney, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the author of several books on free speech, offers his thoughts on how he says both the political left and right weaponize crackdowns on spe...

After President Trump and his public health chief raised concerns about the use of acetaminophen while pregnant, we look at what the science has to say. On Today's Show: Chelsea Cirruzzo , Washington correspondent for STAT News, talks about the results of last week's meeting of the federal advisory committee on vaccines and other public health news.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...

On today's episode, Richard Gowan , Director of UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group, shares insights on what to expect at the UN General Assembly, including President Trump's Tuesday address, the war in Gaza and the role of the United Nations worldwide. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

Trump's administration has been using pressure to tamp down criticism by some major network late night hosts.  On Today's Show: Elie Honig , senior legal analyst at CNN, New York Magazine columnist, former state and federal prosecutor and author of several books, including When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President, From Nixon to Trump (Harper, 2025), explores investigations...

With the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's late night show, and the news that ABC has temporarily suspended Jimmy Kimmel, we explore the changing landscape and moving goalposts of 'free speech.' On Today's Show: Two Atlantic staff writers, Ashley Parker and Adam Serwer share highlights and discuss the latest from the world of politics, where President Trump's administration and its allies have tak...

The Trump administration's recent lethal strikes on purported drug boats in Venezuela drew widespread condemnation from experts in international law.  On Today's Show: Brian Finucane , senior adviser at the International Crisis Group and a non-resident senior fellow at Reiss Center on Law and Security at NYU Law, talks about the strikes and the legal issues around them.   Hosted by Simplecast, an...

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has issued a report on the state of children's health. On Today's Show: Julie Rovner , chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, talks about the details of the report and where it fits into the Trump administration's MAHA initiative. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a...