PODCAST

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

WNYC Studios

Daily thoughtful conversation about the latest news and politics.

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All Episodes

00:24:09

Debate: Should Dems appear with Hasan Piker?

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/23

A debate is underway among Democratic party leaders over whether to engage with influential, controversial streamer Hasan Piker.On Today's Show:Jonathan Cowan, co-founder and president of the centrist think tank Third Way, and Daniel Denvir, journalist, host of the Jacobin podcast The Dig, and author of All-American Nativism (Verso Books, 2020), address Piker's statements and debate whether or not politicians should interact with him, and more broadly, if he belongs in the Democratic

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00:17:02

Just say yes to psychedelics research

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/21

President Trump has signed an executive order in support of research into whether psychedelic drugs could be used in mental health treatments.On Today's Show:Frederick S. Barrett, director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and professor of the Neuropsychopharmacology of Consciousness in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, talks about the use of psychedelics for mental illness and the effects of President Trump's executive

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00:22:03

Inflation, Iran, Israel and the midterm elections

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/20

With congressional elections coming up in November, how are certain national (and international) issues impacting the polls? On Today's Show:David Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, talks about early indications for the upcoming midterm elections.

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00:20:40

Europe’s leaders pledge to not forget Ukraine

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/17

With the war in Iran taking up much geopolitical attention, how has focus changed on other conflicts of global importance? On Today's Show:Steven Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times, covering Europe, discusses his reporting on how European leaders are trying to keep the focus on helping Ukraine, even as the war with Iran is diverting attention and resources.

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00:22:42

What Viktor Orbán's loss in Hungry could mean for...

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/16

JD Vance is in the spotlight after a number of international stories involving the vice president. On Today's Show:Eli Stokols, White House and foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, talks about the politics of Viktor Orbán's loss and the implications for the White House and MAGA world.

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00:20:51

Vance vs. Pope Leo on what’s a just war

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/15

In a now-deleted social media post, President Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus. He has also recently attacked Pope Leo XIV. On Today's Show:Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the author of the forthcoming Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy (St. Martin's, 2026), talks about the range of responses from Christians.

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00:21:15

“Voluntary intoxication” and the Swalwell allegations

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/14

Explosive reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle made public sexual assault allegations against California Representative (and erstwhile candidate for governor) Eric Swalwell. On Today's Show:Jane Manning, director at Women's Equal Justice and former sex crimes prosecutor, explains why the Manhattan D.A. is investigating him, and how this case may shed light on what she says are New York's antiquated sexual assault laws.

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00:17:03

Why did Melania weigh in on the Epstein files?

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/13

Prompted by unfounded internet speculations, the First Lady made a public statement last week that she had no ties to Jeffrey Epstein. On Today's Show:Vicky Ward, investigative journalist, host of the Chasing Ghislaine podcast and author of books including Kushner, Inc. (St. Martin's Press, 2019) and, with James Patterson, The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy (Little, Brown and Company, 2025), talks about Melania Trump's announcement denouncing Jeffrey Epstein and delves into the relationship between

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00:22:22

Has Trump’s war given Iran 'permanent leverage'?

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/09

Two days into a ceasefire with Iran, we take stock of how the conflict has reshaped the region's geopolitics.On Today's Show:Ishaan Tharoor, a contributor to The New Yorker, formerly a foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, discusses Trump's approach to Iran, how the White House has 'never fully understood' the war it started, and what it could mean for the success, or failure, of the ceasefire.

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00:31:57

What WWII taught us about not bombing civilian...

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/08

There are limits of conflict jurisprudence and how leaders in the U.S., Israel and Iran think about following, or skirting, the rules about what constitutes 'war crimes.'On today's show: Former Lt. Col. Rachel E. VanLandingham, national security law expert, law professor at Southwestern Law School, and former chief legal advisor for international law at U.S. Central Command, where she advised on operational and international legal issues related to the armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and

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00:31:34

Medicare 101 after Trump says feds “can’t take care”...

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/07

President Trump recently said it was "not possible" for the federal government to fund Medicaid and Medicare, despite a White House budget proposal that boosts defense spending to $1.5 trillion.On today's show: Maya Goldman, healthcare reporter at Axios, unpacks what that means for the millions of Americans who rely on those programs and the states who'll have to fill the gaps.

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00:29:41

Trump’s “power plant and bridge day” threat for tomorrow

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/06

On Today's Show:Sarah Fitzpatrick, staff writer at The Atlantic covering national security and the Department of Justice, discusses the latest news from the U.S. military, including President Trump's revised deadline and some of the risks of the current Pentagon strategy.

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00:26:29

Leqaa Kordia’s year in detention

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/03

Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after participating in protests near Columbia University, was recently released on bond after a year in at the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas. On Today's Show: She discusses what she endured in the detention facility under conditions that she describes as "horrific," joined by her attorney Sarah Sherman-Stokes, a clinical associate professor at Boston University School of Law.

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00:31:09

Why Trump said 'we don't have to be there' in Iran

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/02

President Donald Trump spoke to the nation about the war in Iran on Wednesday evening. He said that the war was nearing completion and threatened to bomb Iran "back to the stone ages." On today's show: Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) reacts to those remarks.

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00:15:40

Why is Trump finally giving an Iran War speech tonight?

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/04/01

On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW, writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest developments in national politics, including President Donald Trump's executive order attempting to change rules for mail-in voting.

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00:22:28

Jewish families and synagogues face conflict over Israel

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/03/31

As Passover begins, a look at the divergent views on Israel from within Jewish American communities and families.On Today's Show:Eyal Press, contributing writer to The New Yorker, shares his reporting on how disagreements over Israel, Gaza and Zionism itself are dividing synagogues, Jewish families and communities across America.

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00:24:22

Sen. Cory Booker takes calls on Iran, Gaza, democracy

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/03/30

With all the national and international politics at play, an influential local senator shares his thoughts and takes calls from constituents on the issues. On Today's Show: U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, author of Stand (St. Martin’s Press, 2026) weaves history, personal stories and current politics into a defense of principles as a way of facing crises.

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00:22:32

The latest from Congress: DHS funding, the SAVE Act...

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/03/27

The Senate voted overnight to fund key parts of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA. On Today's Show:Evan McMorris-Santoro, national politics reporter at NOTUS and co-author of the NOTUS daily newsletter, and Mary Clare Jalonick, congressional reporter for The Associated Press and the author of Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th (PublicAffairs, 2026), talk about what has to happen next to end the crisis at airports, the status of the SAVE Act and more.

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00:20:17

Can the U.S. and Iran cease-fire proposals lead to a...

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/03/26

Ceasefire negotiations over the war in Iran continue, and so do reports of possible escalation. On Today's Show:Kian Tajbakhsh, Iranian-American scholar, visiting professor of international relations at New York University, fellow of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University and former political prisoner, and William Christou, Middle East reporter for The Guardian, break down the latest on U.S.-Iran negotiation efforts, and offers analysis and insight into the state of the war.

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00:25:16

The Supreme Court Takes on Defining 'Election Day'

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast ·

2026/03/24

After Tuesday's oral arguments in Watson v. Republican National Committee on Tuesday, the Supreme Court appears likely to overhaul the way many states count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day but are postmarked before the deadline.On Today's Show:Carrie Levine, editor-in-chief of Votebeat, talks about the impact of that change.

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Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

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