The NPR Politics Podcast

Closed primaries — where only members of that political party can vote — are effectively the final say in the vast majority of House of Representatives elections. Can open primary elections help incentive candidates to work toward consensus? And 300,000 people voted via the web in 2020. And, yes, the tech makes elections experts really worried. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid,...

The former president is evidently trying to shore up support with working class voters in Michigan. He narrowly lost the state in 2020. The autoworkers' union blasted Trump in a statement — though its relationship with the Biden White House is less than cozy. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, national political corres...

The governor of North Dakota is running to be the Republican nominee for president after a long career in business and two elections to the governor's mansion. In an interview with The NPR Politics Podcast , Burgum, who has languished in the polls, says his path to the nomination relies on increasing his name recognition. This episode: politics correspondent Susan Davis and White House corresponde...

The country's wartime president heads to the United Nations and to Capitol Hill this week to make the case for more support. But the topic of further funding Ukraine's war efforts is increasingly dividing the American public, with Republicans in Congress especially split. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, national security correspondent Greg Myre, and political correspondent Susan Da...

Congressional redistricting in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and New York may give Democrats a chance to win more seats in the House of Representatives & improve their chances to take back the chamber in the 2024 elections. We explore why. Then, bidding farewell to Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and saying hello to Taylor Swift. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congression...

The president's son faces three felony charges related to a weapon he purchased in 2018. The charges come after a plea deal fell apart earlier in the summer, and may cause headaches for the Biden campaign — not to mention become fodder for the House's impending impeachment inquiry into the president. This episode: political correspondents Susan Davis & Kelsey Snell, and senior White House correspo...

Public opinion toward organized labor is at recent highs. As a potential strike by the United Auto Workers looms, we look at what UAW workers are looking for in a new contract, and how the Biden administration & Republicans alike are approaching this moment. This episode: political correspondents Susan Davis & Don Gonyea, and labor & workplace correspondent Andrea Hsu. This episode was produced by...

The speaker of the House cited "allegations of abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption" in his reasoning to direct House committees to begin the proceedings, which will start at a date to be determined. The White House called it a "political stunt" in a statement, and not all Republican lawmakers are on board with the idea just yet. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressio...

The chair of North Carolina's Democratic party is just 25. Her Republican counterpart in Alabama is 37. Together, they represent a younger generation making inroads in political leadership. How do their perspectives inform their parties' plans in 2024? This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, and political reporters Ximena Bustillo & Elena Moore. This episode was produced by Casey Morell...

The former governor of New Jersey is running to be the Republican nominee for president for a second time, having lost to Donald Trump in 2016. In an interview with The NPR Politics Podcast , Christie says both he and the GOP have changed in the intervening years, but his break with Trump and Christie's positions on abortion & Ukraine increasingly put him out of step with the party he hopes to lea...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was once seen as the biggest threat to former President Donald Trump. But his campaign got off to a rocky start and is struggling to gain traction. In this episode, we look at how three non-Trump candidates — DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Mike Pence — are selling themselves to voters. And whether there is a market for anyone not named Donald in the GOP primary. This episode:...

Ken Paxton, a Republican, is facing a bipartisan impeachment trial in the Texas Senate related to allegations of corruption and bribery, which Paxton denies. Despite being a state official, Paxton has had an outsized influence in national policy, especially regarding immigration, by involving the state of Texas in lawsuits filed against the federal government. This episode: voting correspondents M...

Most new recruits to active duty military service were either very young or not yet born when the attacks of September 11th, 2001 took place. As the U.S. nears the 22nd anniversary of the attacks, how is military recruitment changing to adapt to a post-War on Terror landscape — and what impact does it have on military readiness? This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, Pentagon corresponden...

We're off for Labor Day, but we wanted to give you something a little fun to listen to. It's our Politics Podcast Trivia Game! This episode was first released as a bonus episode for NPR Politics Podcast+ listeners. We're excited to give everyone an opportunity to hear it now! If you want to a chance to be our next trivia contestant and to hear more bonus content like this (and support NPR in the p...

Donald Trump has pled not guilty to state charges in Georgia, as have many of his alleged co-conspirators. And, on the campaign trail, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was forced to return home to deal with a storm. Vivek Ramaswamy agreed to stop performing an Eminem song, but said that he hopes the rapper will "rediscover the renegade that made him great." Also, the 2008 campaign celebrity "Joe the Plum...

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, again froze suddenly during a press conference. The 81 year-old's medical incidents have raised concerns about his future in Washington. And funding the war in Ukraine, funding the government, responding to natural disasters, and investigating President Biden are all inter-related dilemmas as Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy walks the high rope that...

The government announced the first ten drugs that are the subject of price negotiations between the U.S. government and private companies. For decades, the government has been prohibited from negotiating the price it pays through Medicare for medication — until the rule was relaxed under the Affordable Care Act. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House reporter Deepa Shiva...

NPR obtained secret government inspection reports, which described "negligent," "barbaric" and "filthy" conditions inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. For more than three years, under both the Trump and Biden administrations, the federal government fought NPR's efforts to obtain those records. That's despite a Biden campaign promise to "demand transparency in and...

In New York City, more than 90,000 migrants or people seeking asylum have sought refuge since spring 2022. The city's Democratic mayor, Eric Adams, has asked for more federal assistance, and in the meantime, has cut back on services for those coming to his city. The Biden administration blames Congressional inaction. This podcast: White House correspondents Tamara Keith and Franco Ordoñez, and cri...

Wisconsin's diverse geography and intense state politics have kept it a closely-fought presidential battleground for years — but abortion politics and the GOP's slipping grasp on the state's evolving suburbs might be changing things. And a family's journey to find care for their daughter — from Afghanistan to Mexico and then across the U.S. southern border — exposes the complicated state of affair...

Former President Donald Trump was processed through a county jail in Georgia on 13 charges that he was part of an illegal conspiracy to change the 2020 election results in Georgia. He has yet to enter a plea in the case. This episode: White House reporter Deepa Shivaram, national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and WABE reporter Sam Gringlas. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore and Casey...

All the candidates except former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson said they would support Donald Trump if he secures the nomination — even if he is criminally convicted on any of the charges he is facing. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former vice president Mike Pence held much of the focus during the debate. This episode: White House correspondent As...

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, former vice president Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will participate in the first Republican primary debate tomorrow in Milwaukee. Trump, in lieu of participating, sa...

The president's visit to the state is a fresh reminder of the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather in the United States — and of his fraught reputation among climate-conscious voters. This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. The podcast is produced by Elena Moore an...

President Biden welcomed the men in an effort to foster unity as the United States works to counter China's influence in the region. And Alabama is once again in court over its congressional district maps. This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving, voting correspondent Hansi Lo Wang, and Gulf State...