The Playbook Podcast
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The Playbook Podcast
POLITICO’s Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns bring their fresh insight, analysis and reporting to the biggest story driving the day in the nation’s capital.
Recent Episodes
1994 episodes
New questions loom over lasting peace in Gaza
There is a growing sense of unease within the Trump administration over the ceasefire in Gaza, with new documents obtained by POLITICO revealing a Whi...
The beginning of the end
A 60-40 procedural vote in the Senate on Sunday night is putting the 40-day government shutdown on track to find an end date this week if all goes acc...
The Conversation election special 2025: Mikie Sherrill and James Blair
New Jersey’s governor-elect Mikie Sherrill and James Blair, the political director for the Trump 2024 Campaign and the RNC, break down the lessons lea...
Republicans brace for the post-Trump era
As Republicans continue reeling from the resounding losses they faced across the country on Tuesday, one glaringly obvious lesson has emerged: the par...
Republicans face the Election Day music
There is a lot that President Donald Trump wants to talk about today. He wants to talk about drug prices and rare earth minerals, among other things....
Democrats dominate around the country
If last night was any indication, Democrats may have regained some spark. The party pulled off wins in various races around the country. From Democrat...
How to watch Election Day like a pro
Election Day is here and even though some of the races look predictable, plenty of questions abound: Will Zohran Mamdani’s Democratic socialist agenda...
Election Day eve
There’s one day of campaigning left before Election Day in states like New York, New Jersey and Virginia for contentious mayoral and gubernatorial rac...
From 'The Conversation': Can Jasmine Crockett teach Democrats how to communicate?
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) hasn’t been in Congress for very long, but she’s transformed the way that Democrats are communicating with voters and...
Trump and Carney's diplomatic dance
President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have been off touring Asia, seeking to firm up partnerships and open up trade with coun...
Trump goes nuclear
Minutes before President Donald Trump headed into his long-awaited and widely watched meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he took to Truth Soci...
Trump tackles tricky trade talks
President Donald Trump is winding down his trip across Asia. Today, he meets with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for what many are expecting wil...
Trump’s Asia trip heats up as the shutdown drags on
President Donald Trump met with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for the first time — with plenty of pomp — as he continues his trip around...
What the 2025 elections may tell us about 2026
Eight days remain until Election Day. Despite the off-year slate, a handful of races around the country are making headlines in tightening gubernatori...
From 'The Conversation': Why Sen. Rand Paul feels like GOP ‘whipping boy’
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is known for being a firebrand when it comes to his conservative, small-government principles. He’s also known for being a long...
Why Trump’s Asia trip is risky business
President Donald Trump is headed to Asia later today for a trip filled with a host of meetings on the agenda. Most notably, Trump will meet in person...
Trump’s wrecking ball presidency
President Donald Trump finds himself in the middle of two dizzying news cycles — one abroad and one back home. The White House has leveled new sanctio...
White House pulls Ingrassia nomination
Paul Ingrassia’s nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel is off. The withdrawal of Ingrassia’s nomination comes after POLITICO reported on te...
Who qualifies for legislative immunity?
President Donald Trump is once again testing the limits of the Justice Department. Today, lawyers representing Rep. LaMonica McIver will attempt to ha...
Another ride on Trump’s foreign policy rollercoaster
President Donald Trump is set to meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House today — but that is far from his only order o...
From 'The Conversation': JB Pritzker says Trump is defunding the Chicago police
Nationwide, state and local officials are pushing back against President Trump’s plans to send the National Guard into various Democratic-run cities f...
Trump continues his push for world peace
President Donald Trump today is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the two expected to discuss arms as Russia’s war in Ukraine...
Trump shows no signs of stopping
Monday will mark nine months since Inauguration Day, and President Donald Trump’s second term is only gaining momentum. Since January, Trump has bent...
How the Supreme Court could reshape the midterms
The Supreme Court today will hear arguments in a case that could gut the Voting Rights Act, which would drastically reshape next year’s midterms. Some...
Trump’s Middle East victory lap
President Donald Trump is back in Washington today after a visit to Israel, where he delivered a speech touting the ceasefire that he helped broker. N...
From 'The Conversation': Oregon AG to Trump: There’s no rebellion here | Dan Rayfield
Dan Rayfield is Oregon’s attorney general — and the latest state-level politician to be thrust into the national spotlight by a legal clash with the T...
The Middle East peace plan is in place. What now?
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas based on the Middle East peace plan pushed by President Donald Trump was ultimately landed after Jared Kushner...
What Trump said about a peace deal in the Middle East
President Donald Trump last night announced that Israel and Hamas both signed off on the first phase of his peace plan. This isn’t just a momentous oc...
What Comey’s arraignment means for the justice system
Former FBI Director James Comey is set to be arraigned this morning. The move, though hardly unexpected, marks a defining moment in the history of the...
Bondi’s blockbuster Senate hearing
Attorney General Pam Bondi is on Capitol Hill today for a high-profile hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Among those poised to grill Bond...
Trump’s troop tour continues
Communities in Chicago and Portland spent the weekend adjusting to President Donald Trump’s decision to send in the National Guard — but some of his m...
From 'The Conversation': “They're causing real harm”: Kevin Hassett on the Dem shutdown standoff
Kevin Hassett is the director of the National Economic Council and arguably the economist closest to President Donald Trump. Right now, he’s also one...
Democrats’ shutdown struggle
It’s day three of the federal shutdown, and the Democrats are struggling to come up with a coherent and unifying message. Meanwhile, Republicans are e...
How the shutdown could pierce the bubble
Washington may not agree on much at the moment, but there’s a broad consensus on at least one thing about the federal shutdown: There is, at this mome...
The shutdown begins
Overnight, the federal government shut down as its congressionally approved funding lapsed. How long will it last? Who will the American public hold r...
The shutdown’s final countdown
Barring a last-minute deal, the federal government will shut down at midnight tonight. And at this hour, the two sides seem as far apart as ever. A me...
Trump’s crackdown comes for Portland
First came Los Angeles. Then, Washington, D.C. Now, President Donald Trump’s ongoing federal crackdown on big cities comes to Portland, Oregon. Last n...
From 'The Conversation': James Talarico on immigration, his faith, and how Democrats are getting it wrong
James Talarico is a Texas state representative who’s recently announced his candidacy for US Senate. He’s a Democrat, but not afraid to criticize some...
Trump’s DOJ targets Comey
Last night, federal prosecutors in Virginia charged former FBI Director James Comey with obstruction and making a false statement to Congress. It come...
Trump’s Middle East mission
President Donald Trump has found his next big foreign policy project: Peace in the Middle East. And where that’s a goal hat has vexed generations of p...