CNN Politics

On Thursday, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will debate each other live on CNN, the earliest general election debate in US history. The debate is being held at a CNN studio in the key swing state of Georgia, which helped deliver the presidency to Biden in 2020. In this episode, we go inside the debate studio to preview the event and hear from Atlanta-area voters about what t...

First: With CNN's historic presidential debate just 33 hours away, we share new insights from the Biden and Trump teams, and reveal a behind-the-scenes look inside the debate hall.  Plus: A Supreme decision on free speech, as the highest court in the land rejects a Republican lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's efforts to combat misinformation on social media.  And: One of the most aggr...

First: We're just two days away from Joe Biden and Donald Trump going face-to-face on the CNN debate stage. We will bring you new reporting on how the candidates are preparing for the momentous event that could define the entire race.  Plus: In the most expensive House primary ever, voters are choosing today between liberal Congressman Jamaal Bowman and his more moderate opponent.  And: The suprem...

First: Marking two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Joe Biden says Donald Trump is responsible and warns he'll go even further if he's back in the Oval Office.  Plus: Tough and nasty or nice and calm? The former president is testing out those debate strategies and asking supporters to weigh in, while his successor spent the week behind closed doors with top advisers preparing...

More than 158,000 Republicans cast Pennsylvania primary votes for Nikki Haley nearly two months after she quit the race for president. That’s enough votes to swing a state critical to victory in November – and Haley had similar showings in other battlegrounds. So, how do these critical swing voters choose between Joe Biden and Donald Trump – two candidates they do not like? In the first installmen...

First: Crunch time. Biden zeroes in, while Trump hits the trail with just four days left. Plus: Great expectations. Two pollsters break down the candidates' targets. We have new reporting on a key vulnerability for Biden.  And: Rough draft. Could Congress expand conscription to women?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On CNN’s State of the Union, potential Trump VP pick North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum sits down with guest anchor Kaitlan Collins to preview the upcoming CNN debate, as well as Trump’s search for a running mate. Kaitlan also presses Burgum for repeatedly claiming that the US is a “dictatorship” under President Biden. Next, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul joins Kaitlan to discuss her advice for President B...

President Joe Biden has announced an amnesty program for some undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens. It’s one of the biggest protections for undocumented immigrants since President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This comes after the President aimed to limit protections for asylum-seekers who cross the border illegally, earlier in June. CNN senior White House re...

First: The Trump campaign brought in a boatload of cash in May. Could that reshape the final months of the 2024 campaign? And why is the former president singing a new tune about Joe Biden's ability to debate?  Plus: The Supreme Court keeps in place gun restrictions that prevent domestic abusers from owning firearms. But the justices keep the country waiting on the other big cases on the docket. ...

First: One week out from the crucial CNN presidential debate, we're getting breaking details about what it will look like, who will talk last, and how it was all settled.  Plus: The Supreme Court issues four decisions but holds back blockbuster opinions on Donald Trump, executive power, insurrectionists, and abortion.  And: US officials warn all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah could render th...

First: Today is Juneteenth, a day to commemorate the end of slavery and an awful chapter in US history. Politics, of course, are part of it too, with the Biden campaign highlighting what it calls flagrant racism from Donald Trump.  Plus: Trump says he'll rip up and throw out Joe Biden's new immigration plans on day one of a second term.  And: Just 345 votes separate an ultraconservative congressma...

First: The White House is unveiling a new plan to shield undocumented immigrants married to US citizens from being deported. The president's campaign hopes it'll please the very same people he angered with more aggressive border rules he announced just two weeks ago.  Plus: In his new memoir, Dr. Anthony Fauci describes his complicated relationship with Donald Trump. We bring you part of his conve...

What can we learn about the future of our elections from political prediction markets? Audie calls up Thomas Gurca, Director of Iowa Electronic Markets (IEM), an online futures market that includes political betting. He explains what makes prediction markets different from traditional gambling and how IEM continues to predict presidential elections with better accuracy than the polls.  Learn more...

First: "A convicted criminal who's only out for himself." That's how the Biden campaign is labeling Donald Trump in a new ad as the current president leans into attacking the former president for his 34 felony convictions.  Plus: Who wants to be a running mate? Countless Republicans are vying to be on the ticket with Donald Trump, but only one contender was chosen as the favorite at a conservative...

First: On the attack. Trump throws red meet to the base, and consolidates support. While Biden courts seniors and raises millions with Hollywood stars. Plus: Final countdown. Just 11 days till CNN’s debate, the decisions and verdicts hanging over it all. And: Soccer Tsunami. Why Washington is nervous. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On CNN’s State of the Union, Jake Tapper sits down with potential Trump VP pick Sen. Tom Cotton. Jake presses Cotton over Trump’s comments on supporting Ukraine and suggesting he would consider blanket pardons for all January 6 rioters. Next, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy joins Jake to discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, as well as to share his reflections...

This week, a federal jury found President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, guilty on three federal felony gun charges. Will this impact Biden’s 2024 campaign? And how does this case compare, if at all, to the Trump trials? CNN Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to unpack this historic week few weeks of legal news.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

First: It's Donald Trump's 78th birthday. He says he wants to pretend the day doesn't exist, but it does, and it highlights one of the biggest issues of this election.  Plus: The Supreme Court strikes down a ban on bump stocks, the device used in the deadliest mass shooting in American history.   And: The lesser of three evils. That's how some voters who backed Trump in 2016 and the Biden in 2020...

From darkened streetlights and abandoned homes to pervasive graffiti and long waits for emergency services, Mayor Mike Duggan inherited a Detroit rife with problems, but also potential. Since he took office in 2014, Mayor Duggan has helmed a turnaround for the city, overseeing rising standards of living and significant economic growth. Mayor Duggan joined David at the newly re-opened Michigan Cent...

The Supreme Court has upheld access to abortion pills like mifepristone, which have become the most common way to end a pregnancy. It was a unanimous ruling -- the first major decision on abortion since SCOTUS overturned Roe vs. Wade two years ago -- and a big setback for the anti-abortion movement in the courts. Our coverage begins with CNN's Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic.  Learn more about...

First: President Biden embraces his son, both literally and figuratively, after his three felony convictions. We look at the fallout for the first family and the Biden campaign.  Plus: David Axelrod joins us to talk about whether his party needs to do more to reach out to disaffected Republicans, especially with so many progressives turning away from Biden over the war in Gaza.  And: The cost of h...

Steve Bannon, the standard-bearer of “MAGA media,” is set to report to federal prison on July 1st for refusing to comply with January 6 Committee subpoenas. He’s the latest in a growing list of Trump allies to face legal prosecution in defense of the former president. Bannon used the moment to paint himself as a martyr, a strategy which CNN Political Reporter Sara Murray says is in line with Donal...

Today's show begins just after a jury finds Hunter Biden guilty on federal gun charges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: Closing arguments begin in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial, which means the first son's fate will likely be in the hands of a jury as soon as today. CNN is inside the courtroom to bring you all the developments.  Plus: Donald Trump is to meet with his probation officer. We have new details on his pre-sentencing interview and what it could mean for potential prison time.  And: On the campai...

On CNN’s State of the Union, Dana Bash asks National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan about Israel’s successful raid to rescue four hostages kidnapped on October 7th, as well as reports of hundreds of Palestinian casualties as a result of the operation. Next, Trump VP hopeful South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem tells Dana that it would be “beneficial” for Trump to pick a woman as his running mate. After t...