The NPR Politics Podcast

The Federal Communications Commission is investigating ABC over its show The View 's airing of an interview with a Texas politician. Stephen Colbert moved his interview with the same candidate off broadcast, all because of the FCC’s "equal time" rule. We discuss the rule, possible changes to it, and how it could all affect the way Americans get their information. This episode: voting correspondent...

President Trump delivered his first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday night. We break down what he said, what his political messaging was, and how it previews the administration's goals through the midterm elections. We also analyze how the Democrats responded. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, senior political edi...

North Carolina’s primary election is next week, and early voting is already underway. We discuss what to watch in the race for the state's open Senate seat and a competitive Democratic primary in the state's 4th congressional district. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell. This podcast was produced by Cas...

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump cannot use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping global tariffs. We discuss President Trump’s reaction to the decision and what comes next for his tariffs. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and All Things Co...

Federal government agencies have repeatedly invoked white nationalist language and images in the year since President Trump returned to the White House for his second term. We discuss the intended target of those messages and what effects they have.  This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef, and senior national political correspond...

President Trump has filed legal claims against the U.S. government and says he should be paid billions of dollars in damages. We discuss the significance of these claims and how Trump uses lawsuits as political tools.  This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith. This podcast was produced by Casey Morel...

Democrats see Maine as one of their best chances to flip a Republican senate seat in this autumn's midterm elections. We look at Democrats vying to replace Sen. Susan Collins, as well as Collins' chances at winning another term in office. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and Maine Public correspondent Kevin Miller. T...

The Trump administration has rescinded the Environmental Protection Agency’s “endangerment finding,” the scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions harm the public. We discuss what’s behind the change and what it could mean for Americans. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, climate correspondent Jeff Brady, and political correspondent Ashley Lopez. This podcast was p...

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire at the end of the day Friday, after congressional leaders’ negotiations over reforms to immigration enforcement operations stalled. We discuss what a shutdown of the department means in practical terms, plus what we learned when immigration agency leaders testified before Congress this week.  This episode: voting correspondent Miles...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump this week to discuss the United States’ ongoing talks with Iran over that country’s military capabilities. We discuss what each side wants and possible next steps, plus the latest in the efforts for peace in Gaza. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national security corresp...

NPR reporters observed focus groups of 14 swing voters from Arizona. We discuss how they feel about federal immigration enforcement tactics and what about the economy worries them. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rac...

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, running for his fifth term, is locked in a competitive Republican primary contest. Meanwhile, some Democrats think they can flip the seat, electing a Democrat to represent Texas in the Senate for the first time since 1988. We discuss what to watch in the heated primaries as voters begin casting their ballots next week. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, politic...

Beginning in March, voters will start picking their preferred candidates to run for House and Senate races throughout the country. With a record number of incumbents retiring, we look at what seats are especially competitive & the issues that might play big roles in how voters make up their minds. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and senior politic...

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are running out of time to reach an agreement over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. We discuss the state of negotiations, plus how calls to “abolish ICE” are playing out in congressional races. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional rep...

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions have gone too far, according to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll. We discuss what else the poll tells us about public perception of President Trump, including on the economy and foreign policy. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and senior political editor...

The Justice Department says it has released all of the relevant documents from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We discuss what we have learned from the millions of pages of documents and whether Republicans or Democrats got what they were hoping for from the release. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and s...

President Trump suggested during an appearance on the Dan Bongino Show that Republicans should “take over the voting” in at least 15 states and “nationalize” elections. We unpack what to make of these comments and how they fit into a bigger picture of Trump’s repeated efforts to interfere with states’ administration of elections.  This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, voting...

President Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell when Powell’s term ends in May. We discuss Trump’s efforts to undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve and how that may impede Warsh’s confirmation vote. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsl...

After immigration officials killed two people in Minneapolis this month, congressional Democrats demanded funding for immigration action be separated from other government funding. That's leading to a potential, partial, government shutdown. We unpack the latest from Capitol Hill. Then, why did the FBI raid Fulton County, Ga.'s election center this week, and what does it have to do with President...

Alex Pretti was carrying a permitted gun when he had a confrontation with federal agents who ultimately shot and killed him. While the Trump administration pointed to his gun as a reason for agents to fear for their safety, pro-gun groups argued Pretti had a right to carry. We discuss the rhetoric around guns and how marginalized communities in Minneapolis have been increasingly turning toward gun...

An initial internal review into federal immigration officers’ fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last weekend contradicts the description of the incident by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. We discuss President Trump’s shifting messages on immigration policy and how his administration’s efforts to restrict legal immigration pathways are changing the political environment.  This e...

Congress may be headed toward a partial government shutdown. After a federal immigration officer fatally shot Alex Pretti last weekend in Minneapolis, Senate Democrats say they won’t vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security without changes to how the federal government enforces immigration laws. We discuss what Democrats want, what Republicans are offering, and the political risks of anoth...

The fatal shooting by federal immigration officers of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and an intensive care unit nurse at the VA, escalated tensions surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis and prompted bipartisan calls for investigation. We discuss whether the incident could mark a turning point for the president. This episode: senior White House...

It was another busy week in politics. We discuss former special counsel Jack Smith’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee — the first time he testified publicly about his investigations into President Trump — and Trump’s announcement of a new “framework” related to Greenland. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, White House correspond...

NPR reporters observed focus groups of 14 swing voters from Pennsylvania. We discuss why these voters, who backed President Trump in the 2024 election, feel frustrated with Trump and why they say the latest immigration enforcement tactics have gone too far. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson...