The NPR Politics Podcast
NPR
Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon.Political wonks - get wonkier with The NPR Politics Podcast+. Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics
Episodes
Mentioned books
34 snips
Apr 6, 2026 • 20min
Trump says Iran can be "taken out" in one night
Trump fields questions on Iran with big threats and few details. The conversation turns to a dramatic rescue mission inside Iran, complete with deception and high-stakes extraction. There is also talk of gas prices, the Strait of Hormuz, religious messaging, and what an off-ramp from a wider conflict could look like.
61 snips
Apr 3, 2026 • 28min
Trump tries to sell the Iran war, a month after it started
Trump makes a delayed prime-time pitch for the Iran war as the conflict grows harder to contain. A downed U.S. jet, pressure around the Strait of Hormuz, and rising gas prices raise the stakes. There’s also turmoil at the Justice Department with Pam Bondi’s exit, plus a massive $1.5 trillion defense request and sharp domestic cuts.
33 snips
Apr 2, 2026 • 19min
Trump tries to shape mail-in voting with executive order
Trump’s latest executive order puts mail-in voting, voter eligibility lists, and the Postal Service in the spotlight. The conversation digs into why legal challenges could move fast, why a national voter list looks messy and unrealistic, and how the move could fuel fresh distrust around future elections.
46 snips
Apr 2, 2026 • 9min
Trump addresses war with Iran
Trump makes a late primetime case for a war already underway. The conversation turns to unclear end goals, missing enriched uranium, and damage to Iran’s military. There’s also tension over Gulf oil routes, shaky planning around the Strait of Hormuz, rising gas prices, and what the speech did or didn’t signal about deeper U.S. involvement.
22 snips
Apr 1, 2026 • 25min
SCOTUS hears birthright citizenship arguments
A high-stakes Supreme Court fight over birthright citizenship takes center stage. The conversation follows skeptical justices, Trump’s unusual courtroom presence, and sharp clashes over constitutional text and history. It also zeroes in on real-world fallout, from administrative chaos to how citizenship could be policed, with a major ruling expected this summer.
36 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 19min
Should all babies born in the United States be citizens?
A Supreme Court showdown puts birthright citizenship at the center of a fierce political and legal battle. The conversation explores Trump’s push to reinterpret the 14th Amendment, the high-stakes arguments on both sides, how public opinion shifts depending on the wording, and what a major ruling could mean for babies born in the U.S. and for American identity.
33 snips
Mar 30, 2026 • 11min
The Senate DHS funding deal fell apart. Now what?
A Senate compromise briefly raised hopes for DHS funding before House conservatives torpedoed it and Congress skipped town. The conversation tracks the Republican infighting, Trump’s move to keep TSA workers paid, and the political blame game taking shape as the standoff drags on.
58 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 29min
How young CPAC-goers feel about the war in Iran
Young conservatives at CPAC wrestle with the war in Iran as Trump’s movement looms over every hallway, even without him on stage. The conversation also turns to Robert Mueller’s death, his long shadow over federal law enforcement, and the investigation that still echoes through Trump-era politics. Midterm chatter, culture-war energy, and party tensions round it out.
19 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 16min
Will record TSA wait times spur a DHS funding deal?
A funding standoff turns airport security lines into political leverage. Lawmakers trade proposals while fights over ICE tactics, enforcement limits, and budget loopholes keep a deal out of reach. Trump adds new demands, public frustration grows, and both parties weigh whether compromise helps more than holding the line.
14 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 16min
In Iran, Trump is both escalating and deescalating
Trump sends mixed signals on Iran, talking up negotiations while moving more troops into the region. The conversation follows the war’s shaky endgame, pressure from oil markets and battlefield limits, and the murky backchannel search for someone who can actually make talks happen. It also looks at fading regime change hopes and rising anxiety across the Gulf.
