National Journal Radio

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on Senate races correspondent Nicholas Anastácio and House races correspondent James A. Downs to give the big picture on the House and Senate battlefield this midterm season. They discuss the recently-published Hotline Power Rankings on which House and Senate seats are most likely to flip.  Check out the House Power Rankings and the Senate Power Rankings . 

Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma joins  National Journal Radio for the first time, where he sits down with Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann. He discusses his liaison role during the process of passing the Big Beautiful Bill, his response to criticism over the bill, and his position on the Epstein files.

Hotline House campaign correspondent James A. Downs talks to Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook about the latest updates in redistricting efforts in Texas, who could retire next from the Senate, and the political fallout facing President Trump over information on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

President Trump's actions in the U.S. continue to resonate around the world, from his tariffs impacting European stakeholders to his controversial decision to send arms shipments to Ukraine. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on foreign policy and defense reporter Cristina Maza to share her reporting on Trump's recent foreign policy actions and entanglements. 

House and Senate GOP leaders walked a careful tightrope in trying to get the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' approved. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten, Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann and congressional policy reporter Nancy Vu to break down the drama and recap behind the scenes of the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' on the Hill.

The next Senate midterm cycle looks to be varied with Democrats looking at rare pickup opportunities, messy primaries and swing state retirements. Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on Senate races reporter Nicholas Anastácio to give the current scope and dynamics of the Senate battlefield. 

Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss President Trump's polling numbers after a busy news week with threats of war with Iran, infighting in the West Wing, and Dems in disarray. Plus, a guest appearance from Hotline House races reporter James A. Downs.

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on new national correspondent Erika Filter to discuss Democrats' struggles with messaging in the Trump 2.0 era, the White House's new communication strategy, and more.

With this year's Congressional Baseball Game taking place at Nationals Park on Wednesday, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on the leading expert on the history of the game, Nathaniel Rakich of Baseballot . They discuss Democrats' losing streak, the players to watch, and how torpedo bats could impact the game. Follow Nathaniel's baseball and political insights on  X , Bluesky , and on Baseballot...

Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour speaks with Robert Shea and Adam Hughes, cofounders of GovNavigators, about the differences between civillian and military contracts, the implications of Trump's cuts to the federal government on the private sector, and more. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify .

The House Budget Committee Sunday night voted to move the "big, beautiful bill" forward after the bill failed in a committee vote on Friday. NJ Daily Editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten and Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann to discuss the potentials pathways for the bill and what tax cuts could be affected in negotiations.

Hotline  editor Kirk Bado and  Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook handicap the midterm elections and discuss the political dynamics of incumbents facing younger primary challengers.

NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on Senate reporter Savannah Behrmann and House reporter Casey Wooten to talk the updates on budget reconciliation. They talk which programs could be at risk due to budget cuts, the role of the Senate parliamentarian in the reconciliation process, and more.

National Journal has released Margins to Mainstream , a comprehensive look at the acceleration of policy ideas coming from nontraditional sources and what this could mean for organizations looking to anticipate policy shifts. In a webinar last week, Pope Ward and Jeff Dufour broke down the rise of alternative media and its growing influence, challenges in tracking these decentralized voices, and t...

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on former Hotliner and political analyst Matt Holt to give a temperature check of the Democratic Party ahead of President Trump's 100th day in office. They talk Democrats' weaknesses in the 2024 presidential elections, the brewing Tea Party sentiments within the party, the gameplan for Democrats in the midterm elections, and more.

In this bonus episode adapted from  National Journal 's webinar series,  Hotline editor Kirk Bado brings on House race correspondent James A. Downs and governors and state legislatures correspondent Mary Frances McGown to talk about the shifting political landscapes in state legislatures, the economic impact of tariffs on states, and how funding cuts impact governors in blue and red states.

NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on House reporter Casey Wooten and Senate reporter Savannah Behrmann to break down what's happening with the budget reconciliation, congressional reactions to President Trump's tarrifs, and Speaker Mike Johnson's deal on proxy voting. 

Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss Rep. Elise Stefanik's return to the House, the off-year governor races, and potential primary challenges to Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify .

Ahead of midterms, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on Senate races correspondent Nicholas Anastácio to see where the Senate battlefield forms with open primaries, retirement announcements, and how the midterms could impact Republican female senators.  

Ahead of the midterm elections, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado takes a look at the possible storylines that could form as Democrats and Republicans plan out the race for the House. House races correspondent James A. Downs and Inside Elections  deputy editor Jacob Rubashkin join the podcast to give their expert analysis on what races could be the ones to watch.

Speaker Mike Johnson tries to juggle several fiscal balls: a spending bill to avoid a looming government shutdown; a multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation package, a recissions package, and a deadline to suspend the debt ceiling or face default. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on House reporter Casey Wooten to break down these fiscal priorities.

Hotline editor Kirk Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss President Trump's first month in office and how his presidency may affect the midterm congressional races. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify .

Foreign Affairs Correspondent Cristina Maza has been reporting from the Munich Security Conference and watching the results of the elections in Germany. She joins NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King to discuss her reporting at the conference, the outcomes of the election, and reactions from European leaders to President Trump's foreign policy positions.

Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour brings on White House correspondent George E. Condon Jr. to discuss the rapid pace of news coming out of the White House, Elon Musk's increasing influence over the federal government and early favorability polling. 

Capitol Hill has been the stage for multiple confirmation hearings for President Trump's nominees. While many of his nominations have flown through the confirmation process, some of Trump's picks have faced controversy. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann, health care correspondent Erin Durkin, and foreign policy and defense correspondent Cristina...