The NPR Politics Podcast

Even though he doesn't take office until January, Donald Trump is already busy, nominating cabinet officials and taking visits & calls from world leaders. How might his diplomatic efforts now impact policy later? Then, a look at the proposed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which aims to reshape the federal government, and Can't Let It Go. This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lop...

After a difficult 2024 cycle, activists working to elect Democratic candidates are rethinking their playbooks for the next elections. Many organizers, including Black women, are strategizing ways to improve their coalition building. This episode: voting correspondents Miles Parks & Ashley Lopez, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon...

Immigration was a central focus of Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. Now that he's set to take office, what changes are expected to U.S. immigration policy? This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd. The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han and Kelli Wessinger, and edited by Casey Morell. Our...

Democrats lost the race for the White House, and lost control of the Senate, in 2024. But, after holding on to a few competitive seats in the House of Representatives, what lessons can be learned for their future elections? This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. The podcast is produced by...

President Biden previously had said he would not issue a pardon to his son, Hunter, who was convicted in June of federal gun charges for lying about his addiction to crack cocaine when he purchased a gun. Three months later, he entered a guilty plea to tax offenses for failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes. Sentencing was expected later this month in both cases. The decision is att...

Today, the second of a two-part investigation from NPR's Embedded. All Marines take an oath to defend the Constitution. After Sgt. Joshua Abate participated in the events on January 6, the Corps has to decide if he is a Marine worth keeping. Did he break his oath when he entered the Capitol that day? And what does his case say about the changing narrative around January 6? As the 2024 presidential...

Today, the first of a two-part investigation from NPR's Embedded. Sgt. Joshua Abate's career in the Marine Corps seemed to be taking off. He was about to start a top-clearance internship at the NSA. But first, he had to take a standard polygraph test. And then a routine question came up: Have you ever tried to overthrow the U.S. government? Abate told the polygrapher something that he'd been keepi...

Federal investigations into Donald Trump's actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection & allegations of improper retention of classified documents are essentially dead ahead of his inauguration, as is sentencing in a New York state business fraud case in which Trump was found guilty. What happens now? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national justice correspondent Carrie Jo...

In a post on Truth Social Monday evening, President-elect Trump announced he plans to enact tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico on his first day in office. How could this plan work, what would the economic impacts be, and will it really happen? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley. Th...

President Biden has long supported Ukraine in its war with Russia. But, with a new Congress — and president — taking office in January, the future of U.S. aid is in question. What is Biden trying to do before he leaves office to keep helping Ukraine? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman, and congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh. The podcast is p...

Republicans gained among voting groups largely seen as part of the Democratic base. What's behind the shift, and is it a fluke or a realignment? This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, voting correspondent Miles Parks, political reporter Elena Moore, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro. The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han and Kelli Wessinger, an...

The former Florida congressman's nomination encountered controversy from the start, over allegations that he participated in sex parties, used illegal drugs and had sex with a minor. Both the House ethics committee and the FBI investigated the allegations; the federal investigation closed without charges, and the House investigation was not made public. This episode: senior White House corresponde...

Well before we know who wins the presidential election, a clock is ticking, counting down to the next administration. The transition between one president to the next can be tumultuous, and the current transition to Donald Trump's second term is proving to be bumpier than usual. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and editor/correspondent...

Even though many voters said they didn't like Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, very few who voted decided to cast their ballots for other candidates. Then, a look at why many ranked choice voting & nonpartisan primary ballot initiatives s truggled at the polls this November. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and political reporter Step...

President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he could rely on recess appointments to get his preferred cabinet picks into position if the Senate won't confirm them. But, some conservative legal scholars argue there's another — and untested — way around the Senate's constitutional role to provide "advice and consent" and it may lead to a clash. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Ke...

President-elect Trump has named Pete Hegseth to run the Department of Defense, Matt Gaetz to run the Department of Justice and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services. Here's what to know about them and the rest of Trump's picks, who will need to be confirmed by the Senate. This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, national security correspondent Greg...

Republicans will control both chambers of Congress and the White House, giving President-elect Trump broad latitude to enact his agenda. But Congress has been largely ineffectual for years, making state legislatures key to shaping the country's policy landscape. This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, national political correspondent Sarah McCammon, and editor Ryland Barton. The po...

Donald Trump's election win took the wind from the sails of his election fraud conspiracy movement. Following Vice President Harris' concession, the early stages of post-election administration went smoothly and largely without controversy, a stark contrast to the aftermath of the 2020 election. But are election lies going away? This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shiviram, voting corres...

Evangelical Latino voters at one Pennsylvania church told NPR that they thought Donald Trump would stick up for their values in office. And throughout the campaign, we heard from Latino voters frustrated that President Biden and Vice President Harris weren't doing enough to address their concerns about the cost of living. This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, national political c...

Suffice it to say the economy is quite complicated and making sense of the specific impact of any one policy is quite difficult. But a number of the priorities President-elect Trump has championed, including mass deportations and steep tariffs, could all lead to yet another spike in the cost of living. This episode: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, senior national political correspondent...

Almost the whole country shifted right since 2020, but the degree to which different groups changed says a lot about how the race was decided. And what is the future of the cases against President-elect Trump? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and national justice corresponde...

Vice President Harris conceded the race to President-elect Trump and implored her supporters to carry on the fight to make the country better. What forces hindered her campaign? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, national political correspondent Sarah McCammon, and White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram. The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han, Casey Morell and Kelli Wessinger....

Donald Trump is heading back to the Oval Office, according to the Associated Press. Vice President Harris failed to overcome the drawbacks of being part of a deeply unpopular administration. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, campaign correspondent Franco Ordoñez, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior white House correspondent Tamara Keith. The podcast is produced b...

Donald Trump is poised to win the election and will likely return to the White House as the 47th president. How will he govern and what does it mean for the country? This episode: national political correspondent Sarah McCammon, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han, Casey Mor...

In our final podcast before voting concludes, we discuss the small boost Vice President Harris saw in the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. The race is still well within the margin of error, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the final outcome will be close. We also discuss what issues have shaped the race. And we will be live on air and online Tuesday night. Find our coverage at NPR.org in adv...