The NPR Politics Podcast

Legislation working its way through Congress to codify President Trump's tax cuts would also make big cuts to Medicaid if it is passed. We look into what the bill proposes, and what the impacts would be. This podcast: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin. This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs, a...

From allocating more money to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico, to changing provisions on what public services legal immigrants can use, the budget reconciliation bill working its way through Congress would change federal immigration policy in a number of ways. We take a look. This podcast: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, immigration policy reporter Ximena Bustillo, and senior...

It's been six months since President Trump first announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative, which has dramatically shrunk parts of the federal government. And with so many individual stories about federal workers losing their jobs around the country, the big picture can sometimes look blurry. From Consider This : A team of NPR reporters has been looking at agenci...

President Trump announced plans to levy 50 percent tariffs on goods imported from the European Union, and on iPhones not made in the U.S., causing stock markets to tumble. We look at the impact of the president's shifting trade policies on the market. Then, the challenges of bringing some manufacturing jobs to the U.S., and we bid farewell to a podcast stalwart. This podcast: voting correspondent...

Democratic governors in California and Minnesota are proposing to roll back health insurance coverage for immigrants without legal status that they signed into law. We look at what's going on. This podcast: voting correspondent Miles Parks, Minnesota Public Radio senior politics reporter Dana Ferguson, and CapRadio statehouse & politics reporter Laura Fitzgerald. This podcast was produced and edit...

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House Wednesday ostensibly to talk about trade policies and the upcoming G20 Summit. But the Oval Office meeting with President Trump quickly devolved into accusations of a genocide against white farmers in South Africa. This podcast: voting correspondent Miles Parks, immigration reporter Ximena Bustillo, and senior national political corre...

House Republicans are working to advance a massive bill that essentially wraps up all of President Trump's legislative goals. The conference is largely, but not entirely, unified, and just a few Republican defectors could derail the whole thing. So President Trump stopped by Capitol Hill to make his pitch to the skeptics. This podcast: voting correspondent Miles Parks, Congressional correspondent...

Ballot initiatives are one way for voters to get issues that matter to them enshrined in law, especially if lawmakers aren't interested in taking them on in local legislatures. But, efforts in several Republican-led states are trying to make it harder for people to get initiatives on ballots in the first place. This podcast: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, a...

President Trump took his first major trip abroad this week, visiting the Middle East and signing business deals. We talk about what happened. Then, the Department of Justice is pursuing charges against non-citizens alleged to have voted illegally in the 2024 election. It comes as President Trump tries to change national policies concerning voter identification. This podcast: political corresponden...

On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order to prevent children born in the U.S. to parents in the country without legal authorization from obtaining citizenship. On his second day in office, lawsuits were filed to block the order, citing the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause. The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case today, and we break down what happened. This epi...

His face may not be on any currency issued by the federal government, but President Trump has lent his support and image to a meme coin, a kind of cryptocurrency. We look at how his policies on crypto intersect with his business endeavors. This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. The podcast i...

For the first time, the leader of the Catholic Church is from the United States. We discuss how Pope Leo XIV's election may play a role in U.S. politics, both for Catholics and others. This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, religion correspondent Jason DeRose, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro. The podcast is produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Casey Mo...

After saying his tariff policies "will never change," President Trump announced he was reducing tariffs on imports from China from 145 percent to 30 percent. China, in turn, lowered its retaliatory tariffs. What's next? Then, previewing the president's upcoming trip to the Middle East. This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and senior p...

The Trump administration announced plans, currently on hold, to deport migrants to Libya, even if they are not from the country originally, and offered a financial incentive for people to "self-deport." Then, President Trump pulled his previous nominee for surgeon general, and nominated a wellness influencer recommended to him by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. And, we s...

Both Presidents Biden and Trump launched bombing campaigns against Houthi rebels in Yemen after the militant group attacked ships in the Red Sea. This week, Trump said the campaign was over, and the Houthis had agreed to a ceasefire — a claim the militants deny. We explain why the campaign started, why it ended, and what's to come. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national securi...

President Donald Trump hosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House Tuesday. The meeting comes at a time where relations between the two neighbors and allies are unusually icy. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam. The podcast is produced by Bria Suggs & Kelli Wessinger and...

In her Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised that the "weaponization" of the Justice Department would stop. Now, over 100 days into Trump's second term, critics worry that the Trump administration is doing just that. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and justice correspondent Ryan Lucas. Th...

President Trump has called for the government's spending to be wrapped into "one big, beautiful bill" along with other legislative priorities, but Congress may have other ideas. We explore how the White House and Congress will need to work together to fund the government. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior White House correspond...

Mike Waltz is out as President Trump's National Security Adviser, it's the first major departure for the Trump White House since the start of his second term. Then, young Democrats are expressing dissatisfaction with their party, and making moves: primarying sitting incumbent lawmakers in the House of Representatives. This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, White House correspondent...

President Trump has said he wants to be the "fertilization president," urging American couples to have more babies as birth rates decline in the U.S. This stance has also been adopted by right-wing activists that call themselves "pronatalists." What is this movement and how is the Trump administration responding? This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, White House correspondent Asma...

Donald Trump's first 100 days in office have been marked by his on-again-off-again approach to tariffs. Recently, he has given automakers a break on the tariffs he put in place, hoping to drive more auto manufacturing to the United States. So where do the tariffs currently stand? This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and national polit...

As Donald Trump approaches the 100th day of his second term, most voters are not impressed. Majorities disapprove of his performance on key issues, like immigration and the economy, and almost half give his overall performance an F on an A through F scale. Only a slim majority of Republicans give him an A, according to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll . This episode: political correspondent Sarah Mc...

Since Russia's large scale invasion began in 2022, the U.S. has provided significant military aid to Ukraine. But Republicans, led by President Trump, are increasingly skeptical of providing more support. What will happen next, and can Ukraine continue fighting if the U.S. removes its assistance? This episode: political correspondents Sarah McCammon and Susan Davis, and national security correspon...

When running for office, Donald Trump promised to execute the largest deportation in American history and issue massive cuts to federal spending. In his administration's first 100 days, has he kept those promises? This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondents Susan Davis and Stephen Fowler, and immigration correspondent Ximena Bustillo. The podcast is produc...

Donald Trump has repeatedly said that "tariff" is "one of the most beautiful words in the dictionary." In his administration's first 100 days, Trump has introduced sweeping tariffs with a goal to reduce America's trade deficit with foreign countries and to increase domestic manufacturing. This episode: senior White House correspondents Tamara Keith and Asma Khalid and business correspondent Alina...