Episodes

  • What to make of Trump’s mixed-messages on the Iran war

    What to make of Trump’s mixed-messages on the Iran war
    Jun 12 2026
    President Trump sent a lot of mixed messages on the war in Iran this week, starting with imminent peace on Monday, threatening to take control of Kharg Island on Thursday, followed by more imminent peace and then more threats. We discuss what to make of the back-and-forth.

    This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, political reporter Elena Moore, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

    This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.

    Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

    Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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    22 mins
  • Primary voters reject the establishment and choose populism

    Primary voters reject the establishment and choose populism
    Jun 11 2026
    More than half the states have had their primary contests for this year’s midterm elections. We discuss some key themes that have emerged. Voters are embracing economic populism and rejecting establishment politicians — except when it comes to President Trump.

    This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, political reporter Elena Moore, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

    This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.

    Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

    Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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    17 mins
  • Trump signs law giving immigration enforcement $70 billion

    Trump signs law giving immigration enforcement $70 billion
    Jun 10 2026
    President Trump signed a law giving roughly $70 billion to federal immigration enforcement agencies, intended to cover their budgets for three years, with little congressional oversight. We discuss how the move limits Congress’ power and what it could mean for Republicans in the midterms.

    This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, congressional reporter Sam Gringlas, and Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy correspondent Ximena Bustillo.

    This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.

    Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

    Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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    19 mins
  • California counts votes slowly. Trump falsely cries fraud.

    California counts votes slowly. Trump falsely cries fraud.
    Jun 9 2026
    California counts votes very slowly, maybe slower than any other state. This is normal for California, but President Trump and some other Republican leaders are claiming, without evidence, that a delay in getting election results is evidence of fraud. We discuss why California is so slow to count votes and what Trump’s claims could mean for the November midterm elections.

    This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, voting correspondent Miles Parks, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

    This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.

    Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

    Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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    18 mins
  • Will the controversy surrounding Platner deter primary voters?

    Will the controversy surrounding Platner deter primary voters?
    Jun 8 2026
    Democrat Graham Platner is the frontrunner in his party’s primary contest to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate, but Platner’s campaign has been dogged by controversy. Unseating longtime incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins will not be easy but is vital to Democrats' hopes of winning control of the Senate.

    This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, senior political correspondent Tamara Keith, and Maine Public state house correspondent Kevin Miller.

    This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.

    Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

    Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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    19 mins
  • Do political scandals matter anymore?

    Do political scandals matter anymore?
    Jun 5 2026
    As recently as a few days ago, it looked like President Trump’s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund might prevent Congress from passing funding for immigration enforcement agencies. Even though it passed in the end, Trump's fund made the process harder. We discuss how the president is testing the limits of Republicans’ willingness to push through his agenda. Plus, do political scandals matter anymore?

    This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt, and White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben.

    This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.

    Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

    Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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    30 mins
  • Voters reject the establishment in this week’s primaries

    Voters reject the establishment in this week’s primaries
    Jun 4 2026
    Voters in several of this week’s primary races rejected incumbents and politicians backed by Washington leaders in favor of outsiders. We discuss that and other takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries, plus how the Supreme Court’s ruling that lets Alabama redraw its congressional map changes the outcome of the mid-decade redistricting arms race.

    This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political reporter Stephen Fowler, and political correspondent Ashley Lopez.

    This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.

    Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

    Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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    18 mins
  • Why did Governor Polis release election denier Tina Peters?

    Why did Governor Polis release election denier Tina Peters?
    Jun 3 2026
    Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters was released from prison this week, after Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted her sentence. Peters was convicted of tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election. We discuss what to make of Peters’ release, plus the dozens of election deniers running for political offices that oversee state and local elections.

    This episode: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, voting correspondent Miles Parks, and Colorado Public Radio reporter Bente Birkeland.

    This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs and edited by Rachel Baye.

    Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

    Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
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    17 mins