Best Playbook Daily Briefing Podcasts (2025)

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June 5, 2024: Trump’s after-hours hat trick 15:59

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2h ago15:59

15:59

In a trio of announcements last night, President Donald Trump unveiled a new travel ban barring entry into the U.S. by residents from of 12 nations, a fresh attempt to block Harvard-enrolled international students from entering the country and an investigation into the so-called “auto pen” scandal, alleging that White House aides unconstitutionally…

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June 4, 2025: Musk vs. MAGA 12:26

13h ago12:26

12:26

The moment has finally arrived: Elon Musk turned his chainsaw on the Trump White House yesterday in a blitz of X posts taking aim at the president’s reconciliation bill. Calling it an “abomination” and vowing retribution against those members of Congress who back it, Musk’s posture amounts to not only a stunning (but nascent) split between Trump’s …

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June 3, 2025: Trump turns the screws 13:52

2d ago13:52

13:52

President Donald Trump is calling. Will Senate Republicans answer? As the GOP homes in on the votes needed to pass the all-important reconciliation bill through the upper chamber, the president is escalating both his outreach to and pressure on holdouts. But what the White House is saying and what those last few Senate Republicans really want may b…

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June 2, 2025: Antisemitic attack spurs new immigration debate 15:15

3d ago15:15

15:15

Yesterday in Colorado, a man shouted “Free Palestine” as he attacked a group of elderly demonstrators who had gathered to peacefully advocate for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The episode is at once the nation’s latest paroxysm of antisemitic violence and the newest flashpoint in the debate about immigration: the alleged assailant was re…

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New from Politico: The Conversation with Dasha Burns 45:36

4d ago45:36

45:36

Listen to the first episode of Politico’s new podcast, The Conversation with Dasha Burns. Dr. Mehmet Oz, former TV host and Pennsylvania Senate candidate, is one of America’s most famous physicians. Now he’s running the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which means he’s in charge of programs that provide health care for about half of all …

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May 30, 2025: How 2026 looks from a key battleground 14:12

6d ago14:12

14:12

It’s a swing state with an open U.S. Senate seat, several competitive House races, an open gubernatorial seat — oh, and a potential leading 2028 candidate serving as governor. You may call it a political wonk’s dream; we call it Michigan. This week, as the battleground state’s political stars descended on idyllic Mackinac Island, the trends that wi…

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May 29, 2025: Trump vs. the courts — again 17:20

7d ago17:20

17:20

President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda has largely relied on one central claim: that America faces a national emergency that justifies the president taking extraordinary measures. Yesterday, a federal court blew a hole in that rationale in a ruling striking down his tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners while teeing up yet another looming Supr…

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May 28, 2025: Trump’s big crypto play 11:49

8d ago11:49

11:49

Even as President Donald Trump himself has a (relatively) quiet couple days, the gears of his administration continue to turn, and the pairing of his political and personal interests continues, brazenly and in the public. Today, Vice President JD Vance will deliver the keynote address at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas. A few hours later, …

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May 27, 2025: Inside Trump’s ‘destabilize and reshape’ strategy 16:03

9d ago16:03

16:03

The biggest story in Washington today isn’t really in Washington; it’s about how Washington is affecting pretty much every place else. With Congress out on Memorial Day recess, the focus in D.C. today is all international — from Iran nuclear talks to trade negotiations with the European Union to the war in Ukraine to Gaza to King Charles’ visit to …

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May 23, 2025: Trump and the politics of payback 13:01

13d ago13:01

13:01

Revenge, the saying goes, is a dish best served cold. And this week, the Trump administration is serving up a veritable buffet. Whether blocking Harvard University from enrolling international students, launching a Federal Trade Commission investigation into Media Matters, or using the long arm of the DOJ to prosecute Democratic elected officials, …

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May 22, 2025: All the president’s memecoins 13:27

14d ago13:27

13:27

Tonight, Donald Trump goes where no president has gone before: to an invite-only dinner for investors in a cryptocurrency bearing his name. The unprecedented event is the latest in a pile of entanglements that raise serious questions about palm-greasing and profiteering — from deals for Trump-branded golf courses to the $400 million jet Qatar gifte…

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May 21, 2025: Defending a legacy, Biden edition 12:06

15d ago12:06

12:06

Former President Joe Biden is trying to lay low. But with the conversation in Washington dominated by the fallout from his cancer diagnosis and the continuing revelations from Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book “Original Sin,” his every move is fodder for more discussion — welcome or not. Playbook contributing author Adam Wren joins managing edit…

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May 20, 2025: The book Washington can’t stop talking about 14:39

16d ago14:39

14:39

The year’s most anticipated book in Washington has finally arrived: Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s “Original Sin” dropped overnight, just as Joe Biden’s physical and cognitive health as president is the topic dominating the D.C. discourse. And the din of that conversation is likely to only grow louder. Partly, that’s because the Biden story isn’t …

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May 19, 2025: Biden’s cancer diagnosis rocks DC 12:36

17d ago12:36

12:36

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. This news comes just days before the release of a hotly anticipated book that promises to reveal information about the former president’s alleged cognitive decline and the lengths that White House staffers and others in his inner circle went to conceal it. Als…

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May 16, 2025: Dems reckon with Biden book fallout 15:23

20d ago15:23

15:23

As a new book about former President Joe Biden’s cognitive health steamrolls its way through the Washington conversation, a new litmus test is emerging for Democrats with national ambitions: Did Biden, in fact, decline in mental acuity while in office? National politics correspondent and contributing Playbook author Adam Wren joins Playbook deputy …

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May 15, 2025: Why today’s SCOTUS blockbuster is so hard to predict 16:46

21d ago16:46

16:46

Today, the Supreme Court hears arguably the biggest case of the term. But precisely what is being decided is up for debate. There’s a constitutional question about birthright citizenship. And then there’s a procedural question with wide-reaching implications: Can lower-court judges block federal policies with nationwide injunctions? Depending on ho…

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May 14, 2025: The book Joe Biden doesn’t want you to read 14:01

22d ago14:01

14:01

It’s Washington’s buzziest new book, and Joe Biden would probably prefer not to talk about it. And there’s a reason for that: It has ignited a ferocious discourse about the former president’s mental acuity and alleged decline and prompted uncomfortable questions for his former staffers and aides about who knew what and when. Playbook managing edito…

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May 13, 2025: Trump’s Saudi spectacle 14:53

23d ago14:53

14:53

President Donald Trump’s well-known love of pomp and grandeur will be on full display today as he makes an official state visit to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom’s royal family is all too eager to woo Trump — especially as other regional powers, like Qatar, very publicly make entreaties — so they’ve pulled out all the stops for a major gathering of busi…

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May 12, 2025: Trump's high-stakes trip tees up frenzied week 19:26

24d ago19:26

19:26

It’s the start of a frenzied week for Washington, as President Donald Trump embarks on his first overseas trip of his second term and congressional Republicans unveil sweeping new proposed cuts to spending and taxes (and, likely, Medicaid). Add in a few major geopolitical issues — the end of talks between U.S. and Chinese leaders in Geneva and the …

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May 9, 2025: Red, white smoke and blue 11:16

27d ago11:16

11:16

It takes a lot to rip the news cycle away from President Donald Trump. But yesterday, that’s precisely what happened. Shortly after the president unveiled a major new trade deal with the U.K. — something the White House was eager to shine attention on — white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. Meet the new pope: Chicago-born Robert F…

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May 8, 2025: Trump lands a trade deal 14:21

28d ago14:21

14:21

Last night, President Donald Trump teased an announcement the White House had been waiting for: Trump’s first trade deal since his sweeping tariffs upended the global economy. Who answered Trump’s call? The United Kingdom, the latest chapter in the so-called “special relationship” between the two nations. What does it mean for Trump, for the econom…

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May 7, 2025: Washington reaps the whirlwind 12:17

29d ago12:17

12:17

This morning, Vice President JD Vance will speak at a meeting of world leaders convened in Washington by the Munich Security Conference. The speech is amid a backdrop of rising tensions between India and Pakistan, a Russia-Ukraine war that is dragging on, and seemingly endless tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Back home, officials are bra…

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May 6, 2025: Trump and Carney face off 11:14

1M ago11:14

11:14

Today, President Donald Trump will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the heels of his recent electoral victory. It’s their first time face to face, even as backlash to Trump in Canada helped propel Carney to power. Is it possible that the two men could actually find some middle ground? Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blancha…

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May 5, 2025: The dolls and pencils economy 11:23

1M ago11:23

11:23

If one issue has defined President Donald Trump’s second term, it is the economy. Markets continue to deal with tariff-induced whiplash, and people around the country are bracing for higher prices to hit home. But rather than denying the possible hits to people’s wallets, Trump has taken to projecting a new message: settle for less. Playbook managi…

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May 2, 2025: Take this Waltz 9:57

1M ago9:57

9:57

Mike Waltz is out as national security adviser (and in as UN ambassador). Elon Musk is eyeing an exit from DOGE. And President Donald Trump continues to plow ahead, now past his first 100 days in office. Do you see all of this action as the fruit of a busy, ambitious administration or as, well, chaos? The White House’s political fortunes may rise o…

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May 1, 2025: How do you sell Trumponomics? 11:33

1M ago11:33

11:33

More than 100 days into his presidency, Donald Trump isn’t quite ready to claim the economy as his own. The latest GDP figures are underwhelming, markets are still dealing with tariff-induced whiplash and inflation fears are widespread. At what point does the economy become Trump’s for credit or blame? And how is the White House approaching messagi…

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April 30, 2025: Trump returns to the trail 12:40

1M ago12:40

12:40

In marking his 100th day in office yesterday at a rally in Michigan, President Donald Trump wasn’t just looking backwards — he was projecting forward a vision for how he plans to sell his message to the public and what exactly his case to the American people will look like in 2026 and beyond. During a 90-minute speech, Trump flaunted his successes …

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April 29, 2025: Day 100 13:50

1M ago13:50

13:50

Today, President Donald Trump marks the 100th day of his second term, a head-spinning period of time that has upended the global order, pushed the bounds of executive power, rattled the economy and reshaped American politics. What mattered, what didn’t and what comes next? POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns joins Playbook managing editor…

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April 28, 2025: Trump nears a historic benchmark 12:25

1M ago12:25

12:25

As President Donald Trump gears up to mark his 100th day in office, his administration is beset by challenges. Polls show his approval rating at a historical low for this stage in a presidency. Markets are volatile, no new trade deals have yet been brokered and Americans’ economic outlook has darkened. His immigration agenda is stymied by the court…

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April 25, 2025: The Karoline Leavitt effect 10:18

1M ago10:18

10:18

The annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is here and Washington is again beset by navel-gazing — that much is not a surprise. But something seems different this year. It’s not just that the president is skipping the affair. It’s not just that the relationship between the White House and the free press is combative. It’s that there’…

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April 24, 2025: Trump ratchets up pressure on Zelenskyy 10:12

1M ago10:12

10:12

President Donald Trump promised a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine in one day. Nearly 100 days into his presidency, it remains elusive — and Trump is now ramping up the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a deal that many observers see as overly favorable to Russia. What is Ukraine to do? What’s at stake for Europe? And…

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April 23, 2025: The White House tries to calm the markets 11:14

1M ago11:14

11:14

The White House is attempting to stabilize the economy amid market fluctuations and the complexities of trade negotiations with more than 30 countries. But how long can Trump world say they're making progress with little to show for it? White House bureau chief Dasha Burns joins Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard to discuss. Plus, t…

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April 22, 2025: Trump’s ‘chaos’ strategy vs. the global economy 11:38

1M ago11:38

11:38

This morning, we’ll get a better look at the state of the world economy through the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Forecast. All signs point to a relatively grim prediction, due in no insignificant part to the tariffs President Donald Trump has leveled against nations around the world. White House bureau chief Dasha Burns joins Playbo…

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April 21, 2025: New Hegseth controversy roils Washington 9:56

2M ago9:56

9:56

Just how much trouble is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in? That question is set to dominate Washington today. Last night, former top Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot published an op-ed in POLITICO Magazine detailing chaotic conditions at the Pentagon and predicting President Donald Trump will oust Hegseth. Plus, the New York Times reports on a secon…

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April 18, 2024: Trump's messy breakup with mainstream media 9:25

2M ago9:25

9:25

While new developments in the saga of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — the man wrongly deported from Maryland to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador — are certain to drive the day, there’s a bigger meta-story going on. It’s about Trump’s war on institutions — from the court system (as in the Abrego Garcia case) to higher education to law firms to the inde…

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April 17, 2025: Inside the Lutnick-Trump alliance 11:09

2M ago11:09

11:09

Everyone is dispensable in Trump world, but don’t expect the president to get rid of his commerce secretary even when the going gets tough. Trump and Lutnick’s storied friendship goes far beyond business. Even with the tariff rollout proving chaotic, the chances Trump ousts his closest friend from his cabinet are slim. Capitol bureau chief and seni…

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April 16, 2025: The making of the next big SCOTUS showdown 11:47

2M ago11:47

11:47

A court hearing in Maryland yesterday kicked off a two-week legal sprint that could shake America’s system of checks and balances. On its surface, the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a story about immigration policy and government power. But dig deeper, and the stakes for the rule of law are profound. Senior legal affairs reporter J…

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April 15, 2025: Where is Kilmar Abrego Garcia? 11:01

2M ago11:01

11:01

On its face, the Oval Office meeting yesterday between President Donald Trump and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador centered around the illegal deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — the Maryland resident who is still locked away in a Salvadoran mega-prison despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that the administration “facilitate” his release. But …

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April 14, 2025: Inside the chaos at HHS 10:31

2M ago10:31

10:31

In the two-plus months since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the helm at the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency has been shaken to its core — data collection has been halted, research has been cut, and more than 10,000 employees have been laid off. POLITICO White House reporter Adam Cancryn joins host Steven Overly to unpack what is hap…

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April 11, 2025: It’s still the economy, stupid 10:45

2M ago10:45

10:45

With Trump’s chaotic tariff moves shocking markets and spurring vast uncertainty about the economic outlook, Democrats see a political opening. Could the issue — so central to Trump’s political fortunes in 2024 — suddenly become his kryptonite? And what precisely are Democrats doing to make that happen? POLITICO national politics correspondent Brak…

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April 10, 2025: Trump’s tariff two-step 9:57

2M ago9:57

9:57

The U.S. is engaged in a trade war — just not the one many people expected. Yesterday afternoon, President Donald Trump backpedaled on most of the steep tariffs that took effect only hours earlier, pausing them for 90 days to allow time to negotiate potential deals with other nations. One big exception? China, which he announced will now be subject…

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April 9, 2025: 'This is not Trump 45' 11:50

2M ago11:50

11:50

At 12:01 this morning, President Donald Trump’s massive tariffs against China, Vietnam, Japan, and other countries took effect. The new policies are sure to impact not only the country’s economy, but also the dynamics among Republicans on Capitol Hill. White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns joins Playbook author and managing editor Jack Blanchard to …

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April 8, 2025: Trump's trade chief heads to Capitol Hill 11:30

2M ago11:30

11:30

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will be in the hot seat today as he testifies in front of the Senate Finance Committee, where he's expected to defend President Donald Trump's global tariff hike. Trump has sent mixed messages about whether his new tariffs are permanent or up for negotiation, although there are some signs that Trump…

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April 7, 2025: Trump world’s mixed messages on tariffs 11:48

2M ago11:48

11:48

The stock market is already showing the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs — and there’s no sign the pain will stop any time soon. Wall Street banks are ratcheting up their predictions of a recession this year, global markets continue to nosedive and meanwhile, Trump administration officials fan out across media with mixed messages about wh…

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April 4, 2025: Tariffs tumble markets 10:51

2M ago10:51

10:51

The major story today is still the economic after-effects of Trump’s globe-reshaping cascade of new tariffs. Yesterday, they sent markets tumbling head over heels with major losses — the biggest one-day wipeout in value since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. POLITICO economics correspondent and Capital Letter columnist Victoria Guida joins …

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April 3, 2025: Trump sets off a global trade war 12:11

2M ago12:11

12:11

Buckle up. In a major announcement after markets closed yesterday afternoon, President Donald Trump unleashed a major wave of tariffs against America’s trading partners throughout the world. Today, as allies respond in kind with tariffs targeting the U.S., all eyes will be on the markets as investors react to the new economic reality. Even so, a wh…

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April 2, 2025: Voters send a message to Elon Musk 11:20

2M ago11:20

11:20

This morning, many Democrats are waking up feeling something they haven’t experienced since Donald Trump’s election in November: optimism. Yesterday, Democratic-backed Judge Susan Crawford won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, ensuring a liberal majority that some Dems hope could throw out district maps that favor the GOP. Meanwhile in Flori…

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April 1, 2025: One seat, two seat; red seat … blue seat? 10:39

2M ago10:39

10:39

The first major electoral tests of the Trump era are here: In two special elections in Florida and a statewide race in Wisconsin, voters will head to the polls and offer the first meaningful glimpse of the prevailing winds heading into the 2026 cycle. In normal times, Republicans would handily win both seats up for grabs in Florida, but as politics…

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March 31, 2025: The first electoral test of Trump 2.0 10:39

2M ago10:39

10:39

After several days dominated by a single story — Signalgate — the new week brings a series of major stories that will drive the narrative here in Washington. One of those comes from Wisconsin, where a high-profile battle for control of the state supreme court has become the unlikely center of the political universe. With north of $100 million spent…

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March 28, 2025: The Stefanik shuffle 9:55

2M ago9:55

9:55

It’s a fitting end to a week of news dominated by foreign policy hands in Trump world: Yesterday, the White House announced that it is withdrawing Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN ambassador. The New York Republican will instead remain in the House as Republicans work to maintain their narrow majority in the chamber. What does that tell us a…