The NPR Politics Podcast

President Trump used his prime-time speech Wednesday night to blame the country’s ongoing economic challenges on the Biden administration. We discuss what we learned from the speech and whether it is likely to sway Americans who don’t already support Trump.  This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and senior political editor and c...

Only 36% of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of the economy in a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. We discuss what might be driving that discontent and how much Trump’s tariff policies are to blame.  This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast wa...

As we approach 2026, the NPR Politics Podcast is taking a look back at the year that was in different political areas. Today, we explore what President Trump's administration has done in terms of foreign policy, and what might be expected in the coming year. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national security correspondent Gr...

President Trump has built a brand as the sports-fan-in-chief, attending roughly a dozen major sporting events so far this year. We discuss how professional men’s sports align with Trump’s political brand. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced...

It’s been a busy week in the political world. We discuss the Indiana state Senate's rejection of President Trump's push to redraw the state’s congressional districts, President Trump's speech on the economy in Pennsylvania in which he denigrated immigrants, and the United States' seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, senior White...

The enhanced subsidies 22 million Americans use to help pay for health insurance are set to expire at the end of this month, and when they do, many Americans will see their insurance premiums balloon. We discuss Democrats' and Republicans' competing proposals to address rising healthcare costs and whether Congress is likely to come to an agreement before — or after — the looming deadline. This epi...

The Supreme Court is considering whether President Trump should be able to fire the head of the Federal Trade Commission and other independent agencies without cause. We discuss why Congress created these independent agencies in the first place and the broader impact of the court eroding the 90-year-old precedent that protects them from presidential politics. This episode: political correspondent...

President Trump has announced a $12-billion bailout plan for farmers, designed to offset the impacts they have felt from a trade war with China. We discuss how this program fits into Trump’s broader economic policy agenda, and whether it detracts from his message that tariffs will be a boon for the country’s economy. This episode: national political correspondent Sarah McCammon, White House corres...

The Trump administration has refocused some of its immigration policy on a push to get immigrants to "remigrate," or leave the country voluntarily. We discuss the administration's language and policy and examine its links to white nationalism. This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, immigration policy correspondent Ximena Bustillo, and domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef....

This normally would be a bonus episode just for NPR Politics Podcast+ listeners. With this being the season of giving, we're sharing this one with everyone! To hear more bonus content like this, regular episodes sponsor-free, and support the work of NPR, sign up for NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.  It's the latest installment of our series, "Political Mosts," where we answer a supe...

It was another busy week in the political world. We discuss the Supreme Court’s approval of Texas' redrawn congressional map, Democrats' performance in a Tennessee special election, and President Trump's dismissal of worries about "affordability" as a "con job."  This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and senior political editor and corre...

State and local elections officials across the country are preparing for a variety of ways the Trump administration could interfere with the 2026 midterm elections. We discuss the risks and what tactics the president and his allies have suggested. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, voting correspondent Miles Parks, and senior political correspondent and editor Domenico Mo...

New questions have emerged surrounding the United States’ military strikes on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in early September. We discuss what we know and why the White House appears to be distancing itself from the decision to order multiple strikes on the same boat. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national security cor...

The Trump administration has announced more restrictions on the country’s refugee and asylum programs after a shooting of two National Guard members last week in Washington, D.C., allegedly by an Afghan immigrant. How do these changes advance Trump’s immigration policy agenda and his vision of what it means to be an American? This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, immigration...

President Trump has vowed to seek retribution from his perceived political enemies and to reward his political allies. We discuss how that focus is playing out at the Justice Department, where career prosecutors and other civil servants are no longer calling the shots. How does this partisan shift affect major court cases, from redistricting in Texas to James Comey’s prosecution? This episode: sen...

NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, first launched on a whim in 2008, attract millions of viewers. In this episode of Consider This from NPR , we hear from two members of the NPR music team on what they love about producing and sharing Tiny Desk performances with the world.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorsh...

In a recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, Republicans and Democrats described people in the other political party as "closed-minded" and "dishonest" when talking about politics. That doesn't bode well for upcoming holiday gatherings. We discuss how to navigate Thanksgiving meals while avoiding arguments about politics. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, political reporter Elena Moore,...

The lines between what the Republican and Democratic parties believe have blurred since President Trump first became candidate Trump in 2015. We discuss how the parties — and their supporters — have shifted, and where they go from here. This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith. This podcast was...

The Trump administration is attempting to push through a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia that many have criticized as heavily favoring Russia. We discuss the proposal and the chances for a lasting peace. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and national security correspondent Greg Myre. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and e...

From a rare political turn-about on the Epstein files, to a judicial slap-back on his redistricting plan in Texas, President Trump had a tough week. Is his grip on the Republican Party starting to break? Plus, a new poll shows Democrats with a big advantage going into the midterms. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and senior poli...

The September jobs report, released belatedly on Thursday, shows the United States added 119,000 jobs, beating expectations, but the unemployment rate went up. We discuss what the data tells us about the economy and how the Trump administration is responding to the news. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and chief economics correspondent...

A look at more than 600 immigrants arrested since the Trump administration began amped up immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago finds almost none have convictions. We discuss what enforcement tactics looked like on the ground and what to expect as enforcement ramps up in Charlotte, North Carolina. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, immigration correspondent Sergio Martínez-Beltrá...

President Trump says he won’t “rule out” sending troops to Venezuela, and over the weekend, the world’s largest aircraft carrier arrived in the Caribbean Sea. We discuss why the United States has amassed such a large military presence in the region, and what reasons the Trump administration might have for targeting Venezuela specifically. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, White House...

The subsidies roughly 22 million Americans rely on to help pay for their health insurance are set to expire at the end of next month unless Congress votes to extend them. We discuss the debate on the Hill, and what would happen to the Affordable Care Act without the subsidies. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, and health policy correspondent Selen...

The House Oversight Committee has released 23,000 pages of documents from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We discuss what new information is in the documents and whether the release puts new political pressure on President Trump. This episode: national political correspondent Sarah McCammon, political reporter Stephen Fowler, senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and...