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PODCAST

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.

news politics

All Episodes

11:16

May 9, 2025: Red, white smoke and blue

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/05/09

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 Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. And just as soon as his name was uttered, he was dragged into a partisan battle over his real or imagined

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14:21

May 8, 2025: Trump lands a trade deal

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/05/08

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 economy, for the US-UK alliance and for Europe as a whole? Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns

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12:17

May 7, 2025: Washington reaps the whirlwind

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/05/07

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 bracing both for Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell’s decision on whether to cut interest rates — and President Donald Trump’s reaction to the

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11:14

May 6, 2025: Trump and Carney face off

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/05/06

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 Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns discuss what to watch for as the two leaders face off.

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11:23

May 5, 2025: The dolls and pencils economy

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/05/05

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 managing editor and author Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House bureau chief Dasha Burns discuss. Plus, what’s next for Secretary of State Marco Rubio?

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9:57

May 2, 2025: Take this Waltz

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/05/02

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 or fall depending on which answer prevails among the American electorate. POLITICO national political correspondent Adam Wren and Playbook deputy editor

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11:33

May 1, 2025: How do you sell Trumponomics?

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/05/01

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 messaging on economic issues at this uncertain moment? Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton joins managing editor and author Jack Blanchard to discuss it all.

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12:40

April 30, 2025: Trump returns to the trail

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/30

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 and downplayed his shortcomings — and the MAGA faithful lapped it up. But what about the rest of America? How will they respond to his message over these

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13:50

April 29, 2025: Day 100

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/29

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 and author Jack Blanchard to unpack it all.

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12:25

April 28, 2025: Trump nears a historic benchmark

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/28

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 system, with the threat of a larger legal confrontation in the wings. Where do things go from here? And will the White House take this moment as an

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10:18

April 25, 2025: The Karoline Leavitt effect

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/25

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’s been a fundamental change in the way the administration approaches the media. And in that, one woman plays a starring role: White House press secretary

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10:12

April 24, 2025: Trump ratchets up pressure on Zelenskyy

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/24

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 how does it all play out from here? Ahead of a series of key meetings between Trump, his emissaries and European leaders, Playbook managing editor and

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11:18

April 23, 2025: The White House tries to calm the...

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/23

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, the latest on the drama at the Pentagon.

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11:38

April 22, 2025: Trump’s ‘chaos’ strategy vs. the...

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/22

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 Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard to discuss. Plus, the latest on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s future.

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9:56

April 21, 2025: New Hegseth controversy roils Washington

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/21

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 second Signal group chat in which Hegseth shared details about the attack plan for Yemen — and this one included Hegseth’s wife and brother. So — how’s this

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9:25

April 18, 2024: Trump's messy breakup with mainstream...

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/18

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 independent media. With Washington’s attention turning to next week’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, we’re joined by POLITICO Magazine’s resident

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11:09

April 17, 2025: Inside the Lutnick-Trump alliance

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/17

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 senior Washington columnist Rachael Bade joins Playbook managing editor Jack Blanchard to dig in.

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11:47

April 16, 2025: The making of the next big SCOTUS...

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/16

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 Josh Gerstein joins Playbook managing editor and author Jack Blanchard to discuss the implications of the hearing and what to expect next.

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11:01

April 15, 2025: Where is Kilmar Abrego Garcia?

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/15

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 below that surface-level issue is a standoff over the rule of law: whether the administration still feels bound to operate in good faith and comply with

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10:31

April 14, 2025: Inside the chaos at HHS

The Playbook Podcast ·

2025/04/14

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 happening and why it matters. Plus, Meta’s antitrust trial begins today, and President Donald Trump will meet with the president of El Salvador to discuss

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2,101 results

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