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The NPR Politics Podcast 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
The NPR Politics Podcast

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The NPR Politics Podcast

From 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

Most Recent Episodes

Looking The Other Way, Part 1: A powerful Democrat and a #MeToo scandal

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks during a ceremony to award Mexican actor/singer/radio personality Angelica Vale a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/AP

Looking The Other Way, Part 1: A powerful Democrat and a #MeToo scandal

Did Eric Garcetti, a powerful Democrat, lie under oath about a #MeToo scandal in his office?

Looking The Other Way, Part 1: A powerful Democrat and a #MeToo scandal

Listen · 41:04
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Looking The Other Way Part 2: On tape and under oath

The Los Angeles City Hall building is seen in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

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Damian Dovarganes/AP

Looking The Other Way Part 2: On tape and under oath

What happens when political ambition collides with a #MeToo allegation in the Democratic party?

Looking The Other Way Part 2: On tape and under oath

Listen · 42:52
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Roundup: Demographics, voter trends, and political alignment

The entrance to a polling station on the Gila River Indian Community, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Laveen, Ariz. Matt York/AP hide caption

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Matt York/AP

Roundup: Demographics, voter trends, and political alignment

Republicans gained among voting groups largely seen as part of the Democratic base. What's behind the shift, and is it a fluke or a realignment?

Roundup: Demographics, voter trends, and political alignment

Listen · 22:35
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Matt Gaetz, Trump's controversial pick for attorney general, withdraws

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., closes a door to a private meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Matt Gaetz, Trump's controversial pick for attorney general, withdraws

The former Florida congressman's nomination encountered controversy from the start, over allegations that he participated in sex parties, used illegal drugs and had sex with a minor. Both the House ethics committee and the FBI investigated the allegations; the federal investigation closed without charges, and the House investigation was not made public.

Matt Gaetz, Trump's controversial pick for attorney general, withdraws

Listen · 10:31
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Is the influence of third party candidates waning?

Voters work on their ballots at a polling place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Simi Valley, Calif. Chris Pizzello/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/AP

Is the influence of third party candidates waning?

Even though many voters said they didn't like Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, very few who voted decided to cast their ballots for other candidates.

Is the influence of third party candidates waning?

Listen · 14:11
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Trump's transition trouble

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

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Evan Vucci/AP

Trump's transition trouble

Well before we know who wins the presidential election, a clock is ticking, counting down to the next administration. The transition between one president to the next can be tumultuous, and the current transition to Donald Trump's second term is proving to be bumpier than usual.

Trump's transition trouble

Listen · 14:42
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Could Trump's cabinet picks trigger a constitutional crisis?

The Department of Defense seal is seen on the podium in the Press Briefing room at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 in Washington. Kevin Wolf/AP hide caption

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Kevin Wolf/AP

Could Trump's cabinet picks trigger a constitutional crisis?

President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he could rely on recess appointments to get his preferred cabinet picks into position if the Senate won't confirm them. But, some conservative legal scholars argue there's another — and untested — way around the Senate's constitutional role to provide "advice and consent" and it may lead to a clash.

Could Trump's cabinet picks trigger a constitutional crisis?

Listen · 12:44
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Here Are Donald Trump's Picks To Run Government Agencies

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., departs after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23, 2024. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

Here Are Donald Trump's Picks To Run Government Agencies

President-elect Trump has named Pete Hegseth to run the Department of Defense, Matt Gaetz to run the Department of Justice and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services. Here's what to know about them and the rest of Trump's picks, who will need to be confirmed by the Senate.

Here Are Donald Trump's Picks To Run Government Agencies

Listen · 25:22
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Republicans win control of the House, giving the GOP full control of government

Workers hang state flags on the side of a parking garage next to the Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, Thursday, July 14, 2016. Gene J. Puskar/AP hide caption

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Gene J. Puskar/AP

Republicans win control of the House, giving the GOP full control of government

Republicans will control both chambers of Congress and the White House, giving President-elect Trump broad latitude to enact his agenda. But Congress has been largely ineffectual for years, making state legislatures key to shaping the country's policy landscape.

Republicans win control of the House, giving the GOP full control of government

Listen · 11:49
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Donald Trump won. What does that mean for his election conspiracy movement?

Pro Trump supporters rally outside the State Capitol, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Phoenix. President-elect Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump on Saturday to become the 46th president of the United States. Matt York/AP hide caption

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Matt York/AP

Donald Trump won. What does that mean for his election conspiracy movement?

Donald Trump's election win took the wind from the sails of his election fraud conspiracy movement. Following Vice President Harris' concession, the early stages of post-election administration went smoothly and largely without controversy, a stark contrast to the aftermath of the 2020 election. But are election lies going away?

Donald Trump won. What does that mean for his election conspiracy movement?

Listen · 14:43
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