

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast
WNYC Studios
Daily thoughtful conversation about the latest news and politics.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 22, 2026 • 24min
How History Has Seen The Trump World Order Before
As Trump and other world leader meet in Davos, international relations and global geopolitics are at the forefront of our political conversations.On Today's Show:Robert Kagan, contributing writer to The Atlantic, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and the author, most recently, of Rebellion: How Antiliberalism Is Tearing America Apart—Again (Penguin Random House, 2024), offers his take on how President Trump is trying to rearrange the world order to look more like the 19th century and the dangers that lie ahead if continues to succeed.

Jan 21, 2026 • 23min
Trump Makes News By Saying He Won’t Attack Our Allies
As world leaders in Davos meet to discuss the future of international relations, many were relieved to hear that President Trump's recent rhetoric about Greenland would remain rhetorical. On Today's Show:Amy Davidson Sorkin, staff writer at The New Yorker, looks back at the first year of President Trump's second term, and where we are now.

Jan 20, 2026 • 20min
Ahead of Davos, What European Leaders Think of Trump's Greenland Threats
As world leaders prepare to meet in Davos for an economic conference, many are mulling how to respond to President Trump's suggestion that the US claim Greenland. On Today's Show:Matt Steinglass, Europe editor at The Economist, explains the recent news in President Donald Trump's remarks on acquiring Greenland, including that the U.S. will impose tariffs on eight European countries until the U.S. acquires the country, and Europe's response.

Jan 19, 2026 • 23min
What Trump's Foreign Policy Means For GOP's Midterm Politics
Amid military actions against Venezuela, and a new European trade war over Greenland, Trump's global ambitions could change the political calculus for Congress members running in this year's midterms.On Today's Show:Eleanor Mueller, congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the national political news of the day and the growing rift between President Trump and congressional Republicans.

Jan 16, 2026 • 24min
The State of the Justice Department's Independence
Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019) , recaps this week's news from the DOJ – including the investigation into Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell, the resignation of six prosecutors over the Renee Good shooting, and the recent raid of a Washington Post journalist's home – and offers analysis about what it might say about the state of judicial independence.

Jan 15, 2026 • 23min
A Reporter's ICE Recruitment Story
Questions about ICE recruitment, vetting and training are being raised, especially after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.On Today's Show:Laura Jedeed, freelance journalist focused on American conservative and far-right movements and author of the Substack Firewalled Media dot com, talks about her reporting on the shoddy screenings hopeful applicants to become ICE agents receive, which became clear when she was offered a position after applying at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hiring expo -- despite her public profile as a journalist critical of ICE and the Trump administration.

Jan 14, 2026 • 20min
SCOTUS Hears Arguments on State Bans on Transgender Girls in Sports
Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny, and a contributing opinion Writer with the New York Times talks about the justices' responses to arguments in two cases involving transgender student athletes, plus other Supreme Court news.

Jan 12, 2026 • 25min
Behind the Scenes of the NYTimes Trump Interview
President Trump sat down for a two-hour interview with a panel of New York Times reporters last week which included a question on the checks on his power on the world stage. His reply: "My own morality."On Today's Show: Katie Rogers, White House correspondent for The New York Times, talks about their interview with President Trump, how they prepared for it and what was said about foreign policy.

Jan 9, 2026 • 22min
Tensions Simmer Between Minnesota and the Trump Administration
Minneapolis is coping with the shooting of a local woman by an ICE agent, and allegations that federal daycare funds have been misused.On Today's Show: Rachel Leingang, Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, talks about how Minneapolis is "on edge" after the fatal shooting of a civilian by an ICE agent, which came after weeks of tension between the Somali community and the Trump administration, and Republicans' spotlight of fraud at child care centers in the state.

Jan 9, 2026 • 23min
Separating Facts From Deep Fakes And Other AI Misinformation
How do you know when something you're reading or watching online is real or fake? On Today's Show:Craig Silverman, co-founder of the Indicator, a publication that exposes digital deception, offers tips on how to identify AI generated content on the internet.


