Episodes

  • Jill Biden on Hunter’s pardon and her husband’s turbulent political end

    Jill Biden on Hunter’s pardon and her husband’s turbulent political end
    Jun 4 2026
    Former first lady Jill Biden is shedding new light on one of the biggest decisions her husband made as president: to drop out of his own reelection campaign.

    In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, Biden sits down with host Scott Detrow to discuss her new book, View from the East Wing: A Memoir. She opens up about the infamous 2024 presidential debate that doomed President Joe Biden’s campaign -- when his performance so concerned those in his inner circle, Biden says her husband was checked by doctors after leaving the stage -- and the personal and political toll of the months that followed.

    She also reveals Joe Biden “truly changed his mind” on pardoning their son Hunter, who was convicted on federal gun and tax charges in 2024. She says it was then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Hunter’s criminal cases that eventually led her husband to pardon their son, who faced prison time.

    NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app.

    Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.

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    25 mins
  • Can Maine Senate hopeful Platner survive another controversy?

    Can Maine Senate hopeful Platner survive another controversy?
    Jun 1 2026
    Anti-establishment candidate Graham Platner seemingly came out of nowhere to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Senate seat in Maine. But his campaign has been dogged by controversies.

    There were the old, deleted Reddit posts in which he made racist comments and blamed sexual assault on victims. There was a now-covered tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol. And most recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women early in his marriage.

    Taken together, they raise a big question. Does he have too much baggage to carry on? Or can his anti-establishment political message — that has generated SO much enthusiasm among the democratic base — carry him through?

    In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, Platner addresses earlier controversies, the failures of his own party and calls Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “insecure.” Platner says he aspires to a version of masculinity different from the one embodied by Hegseth. “This idea that you're supposed to use your strengths to use power over other people or to offend people, be mean to people — that somehow that's manly. That's not masculinity,” he says. “That's the act of a coward.”

    NPR sat down with Platner before news broke of the explicit sexual messages.

    NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app.

    Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.

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    49 mins
  • Byron Allen on replacing Colbert, political comedy and Black ownership

    Byron Allen on replacing Colbert, political comedy and Black ownership
    May 22 2026
    Byron Allen, the media mogul and former stand-up comedian, is gearing up for his latest venture: bringing his show Comics Unleashed to the CBS time slot long held by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.


    In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, Allen sat down with NPR’s Ailsa Chang ahead of his debut episode. He discussed his plans for Comics Unleashed in its new prime late night slot, why he thinks there’s still more than enough political comedy after the cancellation of Colbert, and why it’s important for Black Americans to own and produce media.


    NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe wherever you listen or watch so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible.


    Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.

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    38 mins
  • Dana White on Trump, masculinity and bringing UFC to the White House

    Dana White on Trump, masculinity and bringing UFC to the White House
    May 18 2026
    When Donald Trump celebrated his imminent return to the White House on election night in November 2024, a parade of high-profile supporters joined him on stage. They included Dana White, the president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the multi-billion dollar mixed martial arts organization, which will host a fight on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14.

    In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, White sat down with Steve Inskeep to discuss the growth and success of UFC, political polarization and masculinity in the Trump era.

    NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow on Spotify, subscribe on YouTube, or find us on the NPR app so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible.

    Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.

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    25 mins
  • From exile to rebuilding: María Corina Machado's plan for a new Venezuela

    From exile to rebuilding: María Corina Machado's plan for a new Venezuela
    May 11 2026
    In a different world, María Corina Machado would be leading Venezuela. That’s exactly what many Venezuelans expected after authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro was ousted from power earlier this year following his capture by U.S. forces.

    Instead, the opposition leader, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting democracy, is on the outside looking in, even though Maduro is sitting in a U.S. prison. So, when does Machado plan to return to her home country? And how much of the groundwork can she begin to lay from hiding?

    In this episode of NPR's Newsmakers, Machado sat down with Mary Louise Kelly at NPR headquarters this month to discuss her new book The Freedom Manifesto, the difficult task of rebuilding from the ground up, and the pressures she faces not only as a global figure, but as a human being and mother.

    NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe wherever you listen or watch so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible.

    Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.

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    31 mins
  • Zohran Mamdani on NYC as a blueprint for Democrats

    Zohran Mamdani on NYC as a blueprint for Democrats
    Apr 17 2026
    Through his first 100 days as mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani has focused on “pothole politics” — a blend of high-level legislative wins and intense focus on everyday essential services that keep the city running. The 34-year-old mayor has delivered on progressive campaign promises, from more funding for child care to new taxes on the ultrawealthy. He views his government as a model for how Democrats can deliver on policies that benefit the working class.

    In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, Mamdani sits down with host Leila Fadel at City Hall to discuss his first 100 days in office, his approach to working with President Trump and the message he believes Democrats should deliver during this year’s midterm elections.

    NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or watch the show wherever you get podcasts.

    Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.

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    29 mins
  • Dave Chappelle on free speech, the purpose of comedy and the weaponization of jokes

    Dave Chappelle on free speech, the purpose of comedy and the weaponization of jokes
    Apr 15 2026
    Dave Chappelle, the provocative comedian and architect of Chappelle’s Show, is one of the biggest names in comedy. Now in arguably the most successful chapter of his life and career, he views himself as not just an entertainer -- but as a professional processor of events and experiences. He describes comedians as 'the nation's kidney' -- an essential organ for processing the raw experiences of life.

    Chappelle believes that function is one shared by comics and journalists -- they both process events and help audiences make sense of the world. That conviction is why he recently invested $15 million into the infrastructure of WYSO, the public radio station in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio.

    In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, he tells host Michel Martin why free speech is so important to him, and why he refuses to let public expectations dictate his art.

    NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow the show wherever you listen or watch on NPR’s YouTube channel.

    Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.

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    39 mins
  • Jamie Dimon on the Iran war, President Trump and why he’s optimistic about AI

    Jamie Dimon on the Iran war, President Trump and why he’s optimistic about AI
    Apr 7 2026
    Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorganChase, the United States' largest bank, has a financial stake in almost everything. Unlike many CEOs, he says it’s his job to speak out on many things.

    This week, Dimon released his annual letter to shareholders — a document that comments on banking issues and also assesses risks to the economy, from inflation to the war in Iran. The letter asserts his company is ready for anything, noting, among other things, that it has profited during economic booms and also during recessions.

    In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, Dimon tells host Steve Inskeep that he doesn’t worry much about the way President Trump’s contradictory statements tend to send financial markets sliding and soaring again, saying, “I have to deal with the world I got.”

    NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available — any day of the week. Follow the show wherever you listen, or watch on NPR’s YouTube channel.
    Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.

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    33 mins