CNN Political Briefing

President Joe Biden has pledged to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court after Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement. CNN’s Capitol Hill Reporter Melanie Zanona explains what Senators are saying about the timeline of the process and Biden’s potential picks. Plus, will a SCOTUS nomination be enough to save Biden’s sinking reputation with Democrats? To learn more about how CNN protec...

A bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh hours before President Joe Biden was scheduled to discuss infrastructure in the area. The President chose to proceed with the trip, and visited the bridge while he was in the city. CNN’s Chris Cillizza explains why two prominent Pennsylvania Democrats were missing from today’s event. Plus, Biden’s trip to the steel city comes as he tries to fix his communication pr...

Many anti-Trump Republicans are expected to attend a fundraiser for GOP Rep. Liz Cheney in March. CNN’s Chris Cillizza explains why this group may be part of the resistance, but they’re very much outnumbered. It’s Donald Trump’s party and they’re just part of it, whether they like it or not. Plus, the two major Republican leaders in office approach Trump’s unshakeable control over the party very d...

Justice Stephen Breyer plans to retire from the Supreme Court, allowing Biden the opportunity to appoint a new liberal justice. CNN’s Chris Cillizza explains how President Biden’s first nomination to the court will likely play out and why Democrats are under pressure to act fast. Plus, Cillizza dives into Breyer’s time on the court and highlights some notable moments from his career. To learn more...

President Joe Biden had some choice words for a Fox News reporter yesterday... and didn’t realize he was speaking into a hot mic. CNN’s Chris Cillizza explains the context behind this incident and why it made headlines. Biden apologized to the reporter soon after–something former President Donald Trump almost never did.   To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy...

Over the weekend, the Arizona Democratic Party censured one of its own – Senator Kyrsten Sinema. On today’s CNN Political Briefing, The Point’s Chris Cillizza explains what this means and what it says about where Sinema stands with her own party. Many Democrats believe Sinema could be in trouble when seeking reelection... but Cillizza thinks it’s far too early to write her political obituary.  To...

Thanks to the Supreme Court, the House select committee investigating January 6th has all the legal documents former President Donald Trump tried to block. CNN Legal Analyst Joan Biskupic explains why the high court’s decision is clear in one way, but not another–how does executive privilege apply to a former president? Plus, the committee wants to talk to Ivanka Trump. To learn more about how CNN...

President Joe Biden was inaugurated exactly a year ago today. Biden admitted yesterday it’s been a challenging year, but one with “enormous progress” too. Do Americans agree? Do Democrats? We know how Republicans feel... CNN Congressional Reporter Daniella Diaz breaks down key challenges Biden’s faced this year:  Covid-19, his domestic agenda, the economy, foreign affairs and more. To learn more a...

Senate Democrats are trying to pass legislation today on a big priority for the party: voting rights. However, Republicans are expected to block it, once again. CNN Congressional Reporter Daniella Diaz breaks down the debates today from both sides of the aisle over the legislation and the filibuster. Plus, President Joe Biden says the vote will show the American people who is with them and who is...

On his very first day in office, Virginia’s new Governor Glenn Youngkin got rid of the state’s mask requirement in schools. CNN Capitol Hill reporter Daniella Diaz explains what was behind Youngkin’s decision and the immediate pushback that followed. Plus, will Youngkin’s focus on education become the model for other Republican campaigns in the 2022 midterms? To learn more about how CNN protects l...

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day–his family, the President, and the Vice President spent the day celebrating his legacy and pushing for Congress to pass voter and election reform legislation. CNN Congressional Reporter Daniella Diaz shares why this effort will likely be unsuccessful in the Senate. Plus, you’ll hear polling CNN’s Harry Enten gathered on how Americans’ views of Dr. King chang...

Another Covid-related blow to President Joe Biden–the Supreme Court blocked his vaccine and testing requirement aimed at large businesses. CNN Legal Analyst Joan Biskupic explains why the conservative majority thought the rule was an overreach and why the liberal justices dissented. However, there was another vaccine mandate the Court did allow to go into effect... To learn more about how CNN prot...

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is now the third Republican lawmaker the select committee wants to talk to about January 6th. CNN Congressional Correspondent Ryan Nobles explains why the committee wants to hear from him and why his unwillingness to cooperate today doesn’t match up with what he said about cooperating last year. Will committee members subpoena their three colleagues? To learn m...

Should Republicans follow the Senate Minority Leader’s lead or former President Donald Trump’s? CNN’s GOP Reporter Gabby Orr explains why that answer isn’t as clear as it used to be lately. Trump keeps harping on the 2020 election results, while some Senate Republicans would rather move on. However, the grip Trump has on the House GOP remains tight. Plus, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was a...

The clock is ticking for Democrats to pass federal voting rights bills–President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris went to Georgia to underscore the importance of the issue. CNN Congressional Correspondent Ryan Nobles breaks down the speeches today and the growing criticism of Biden and Democrats... not just from the usual suspects, but from voting rights advocates too. Will the Senate go...

Can former President Donald Trump and his allies be liable for the Capitol insurrection? CNN Congressional Correspondent Ryan Nobles breaks down the civil lawsuits before the D.C. District court today that could answer that question. You’ll also hear the latest on the House select committee’s investigation into January 6th. Plus, a GOP Senator came out and admitted the 2020 election wasn’t stolen....

The idea that the pandemic might never end has been a joke since March 2020, but now that joke seems to be a reality. CNN Political Director David Chalian explains how the White House is pivoting strategies from trying to eradicate Covid to learning to live with it. The CDC’s job is to communicate this fast-changing science and guidance, which hasn’t been easy for the agency or clear to Americans....

January 6th, 2021 is “a day that is going to live on forever in American history.” That’s what CNN Political Director David Chalian said on this podcast last year. On the first anniversary, there’s no doubt those words ring true. You’ll hear Chalian break down what happened in D.C. today–Democrats looked back on their experiences during the insurrection. Plus, Biden gave a passionate speech where...

The one-year anniversary of the January 6th insurrection is tomorrow, and the select committee investigating the events from that day says it wants to talk to more key Conservatives. CNN Political Director David Chalian breaks down the committee’s motivations and looks ahead at how D.C. is preparing for tomorrow. President Joe Biden is expected to call his predecessor out for the role he played, w...

Senate Democrats are trying to pass voting rights legislation without Republicans by changing the filibuster rules. CNN Political Director David Chalian explains the roadblocks ahead for Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to do so. Plus, is there an opportunity for election reform that Democrats and Republicans could both get behind? You'll hear an idea published in the New York Times from a conservati...

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Capitol insurrection on January 6th. The House committee investigating the attack says it has firsthand knowledge from multiple sources about the former President’s actions on that day. CNN Political Director David Chalian explains what we know so far about those firsthand accounts. Plus, some new polling suggests the number of people who think the v...

2022 starts tomorrow, and so does the start of an election year. In a special episode, CNN Political Director David Chalian breaks down the political climate of the midterm elections and key races to watch. As Republicans try to take control of the House and the Senate, Democrats will try to hold on to their razor-thin majority. Plus, this election year will test President Joe Biden’s approval amo...

In President Joe Biden’s inauguration speech almost a year ago, he laid out his goals for the nation. In a special episode, CNN Political Director David Chalian reviews how the President handled the ongoing pandemic, record levels of inflation, legislative obstacles, foreign affairs and the continued attack on democracy during his first year in office. Plus, has Biden helped unite the country and...

While our team takes a quick holiday break, we are excited to share a new podcast with you called “Margins of Error”. A surprising percentage of people today, including CNN resident numbers guy Harry Enten, hate making and receiving phone calls. Our reluctance to dial in, is affecting everything from national polling to workplace relationships to our levels of anxiety. Harry asks why we’re avoidin...

The US is heading into another Covid Christmas. As circumstances quickly change with the virus, the Biden administration’s plans are also adapting to address the new Omicron variant. CNN Political Director David Chalian breaks down Biden’s two-pronged message to Americans today on Covid. Plus, former President Donald Trump boasts about his booster shot? To learn more about how CNN protects listene...