About this podcast
POLITICO’s Dasha Burns bring her fresh insight, analysis and reporting to the stories driving the day in the nation’s capital. She will be joined by her fellow co-authors and journalists from across POLITICO — available, as always, in audio and video formats each morning.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 2,517 episodes
- Jensen Huang’s Washington fallout · 25 minJensen Huang’s fallout is reverberating across Washington. Who could take the blame and what could it mean for U.S. restrictions on AI chip exports? Then the other stories…
- Big Tech pivots left · 23 minPlaybook co-author Adam Wren sat down with Palantir CEO Alex Karp and former Montana Sen. Jon Tester for a conversation that cut across party lines. They dug into why Karp…
- Business leaders and Washington prepare for a Democratic Congress · 22 minIn this special episode taped live at the B20 Summit, Playbook's Dasha Burns, Will Steakin and Megan Messerly unpack how Washington's power players are preparing for a new…
- The Democratic Party’s new 2028 powerbrokers · 21 minThe 2028 hopefuls are already courting the winners of last week's Democratic wave. Who’s making calls, who’s picking up and how could the party’s newest powerbrokers shape the…
- The Bloc wants a bold agenda. Can Jeffries deliver? · 26 minThe Congressional Progressive Caucus welcomed its largest incoming class in a generation. While their priority list is long, there’s one looming question: Will they support…
- The South’s blue moment (with Rep. Jim Clyburn) | The Conversation · 54 minIn an exclusive interview with Dasha Burns, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) gives his first reaction to Democrats’ historic midterm wins, reveals which potential 2028 candidates have…
- Susie Wiles is out. Stephen Miller is in. Here’s how it happened. · 12 minPresident Donald Trump is shaking up the White House after Republicans’ humiliating midterm defeat, ousting chief of staff Susie Wiles and replacing her with Stephen Miller. But…
- The Clyburn test · 26 minThe race for Rep. Jim Clyburn’s coveted 2028 endorsement is already heating up. He tells Dasha Burns in an exclusive interview who he has spoken to and what it will take to win…
- Bernie’s populist moment · 20 minA decade after Sen. Bernie Sanders nationalized his brand of economic populism, Democrats are winning on his message. What lessons have they learned since 2016 and could a new…
- POLITICO’s Election Night takeaways and Trump’s reaction · 17 minThe results are in: Democrats scored a massive midterm win, seizing control of Congress. In this special Election Night Playbook episode, co-authors Dasha Burns, Adam Wren and…
- The ‘Armageddon of all elections’ · 23 minIt's Election Day. Both Republicans and Democrats can agree on one thing: The results could reshape the political landscape for years to come. Will the blue tsunami predicted by…
- Haley Stevens caps a bizarre midterm cycle · 18 minDays before the midterms and the vibes are feeling off. The polls point to a Democratic wave, but neither party seems to believe them. Plus, the final days of campaigning have…
- Why the midterms are a warning sign for both parties | The Conversation · 45 minWith Election Day days away, Republican strategist T.W. Arrighi and Democratic strategist Lis Smith join Dasha to break down what’s driving a surprisingly competitive midterm…
- Hochul makes the case for a governor to lead Democrats in 2028 | On the Road · 45 minNew York Gov. Kathy Hochul joins POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin over breakfast in New York City for a wide-ranging conversation about governing in 2026. She discusses working with…
- Shapiro takes the inside track · 25 minPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is eyeing a big reelection win. But the stakes for one of Democrats’ most closely watched rising stars go well beyond Tuesday. Then the other…
- Moderates put the left on notice · 21 minLeaders of the New Democrat Coalition are confident they'll deliver a Democratic House majority. They have no intention of letting a handful of insurgent newcomers call the…
- Republicans rethink their attacks on AOC · 19 minRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been one of Republicans' favorite political targets. But with days until the midterms, some Republicans are acknowledging that her brand of…
- Trump is still the center of the GOP money universe · 24 minRepublicans have a big cash advantage heading into the midterms, but much of that money comes from a handful of megadonors, including Elon Musk. Meanwhile Donald Trump remains…
- The Epstein election? · 22 minDemocrats have spent over $20 million dollars on Epstein-related ads. Will it be enough to flip the Senate? Then the other stories animating Washington: President Trump boasts…
- Democrats’ race reckoning (with Angie Nixon) | The Conversation · 39 minFlorida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon joins Dasha for a wide-ranging conversation about her historic campaign and the Democratic Party’s future. Nixon had sharp words for…
- Retiring Republican senator warns GOP: Trump's coalition may not last | On the Road · 44 minSen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) joins POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at a Charlotte diner for a candid conversation about his new book, his decision to leave the Senate and the future of…
- The new Trump of Florida? · 23 minRepublicans are drawing an unlikely comparison between Democratic Florida Senate nominee Angie Nixon and President Donald Trump. What does Nixon’s appeal reveal about the state…
- America’s Heartland sows doubt in the GOP · 22 minAmerica’s Breadbasket needs bread. Soaring diesel prices and fertilizer costs are putting the squeeze on farmers who voted for President Donald Trump, prompting some to rethink…
- The GOP has a midterm messaging problem. Ramaswamy isn’t helping. · 18 minVivek Ramaswamy’s new attack ad on Democratic opponent Amy Acton has ignited a firestorm in Ohio. The backlash points to a much bigger problem for Republicans: finding a closing…
- Democrats’ Musk-ask questions · 22 minElon Musk isn’t on the ballot, but he’s once again becoming a central figure in the midterms. Democrats hoping to reclaim the House majority are already signaling that he’ll be a…
- Ohio returns as a bellwether · 20 minOhio could be a bellwether for the future of a GOP-controlled Senate. In the final weeks toward the midterm, can Republicans shore up their red walls in states like Ohio and Iowa…
- Inside the democratic socialists’ plan to shake up Congress | The Conversation · 52 minDemocratic socialists Melat Kiros and Darializa Avila Chevalier each defeated a longtime Democratic incumbent to win their deep-blue primaries. They’re among a handful of…
- Abdul El-Sayed's ‘new coalition’ · 22 minIn the final weeks toward the midterms, can Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed earn favor from some Black and Jewish voters who have felt skeptical of his campaign? Then the other stories…
- Susie’s turn · 19 minPresident Trump is privately calling allies, soliciting their opinions about his once untouchable chief of staff, Susie Wiles. Playbook has exclusive reporting on sharks circling…
- Republicans privately brace for House defeat · 21 minTop Republicans are quietly preparing for a midterm wipeout, shifting resources to save the Senate. Then the other stories animating Washington: new White House press secretary…
- Are Dems too confident? · 25 minThree weeks out from the midterms and Democrats in some of the most competitive races are walking tall towards Election Day. Purple state candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Chris…
- Walking the Trump tightrope (with Byron Donalds) | The Conversation · 58 minDasha sits down with Rep. Byron Donalds, the Florida Republican nominee for governor, for a special midterms edition of the show. As Republicans face headwinds over…
- The Battle for Black voters · 27 minRep. Byron Donalds is making a play for Black voters in a new ad shared exclusively with POLITICO. What does his campaign tell us about the battle for Black voters this midterm…
- Knives out on MAGA Inc. · 21 minKnives are out for MAGA Inc.’s top two globetrotting advisers, Chris LaCivita and James Blair. Does this open the duo to take the fall if a blue wave materializes in November?…
- Trump’s Latino coalition cracked · 23 minRepublicans appear on the verge of losing the Latino voter coalition that helped carry President Donald Trump in 2024. But that doesn’t mean they’re embracing Democrats. Then the…
- It’s 2026. Still Obama’s Party. · 25 minNearly a decade after leaving the White House, Barack Obama is still one of the Democratic Party’s most powerful political assets. Then the other stories animating Washington…
- Paxton's campaign control · 25 minIn audio from a private meeting obtained by Playbook, Ken Paxton tells donors he’s never felt less in control of a campaign, as he trails Democrat James Talarico in Texas. Plus…
- Can this pastor flip a Senate seat in deep red Kansas? (with Adam Hamilton) | The Conversation · 58 minIn this special midterms edition of “The Conversation with Dasha Burns,” Adam Hamilton, the pastor and Democratic candidate challenging Sen. Roger Marshall, sits down with Dasha…
- The heartland’s ‘woke’ Democrat · 26 minA Democratic pastor running for Senate in Kansas says Kamala Harris should stay in California, told Chuck Schumer he is a liability and is taking the "woke" label head on…
- Beshear’s red-state edge · 22 minKentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is making his case for 2028. Playbook speaks to the governor on why he thinks a red-state Democrat has a competitive edge and what sets him apart from…
- Nevada’s 2028 high rollers · 24 minThe race for governor in Nevada is an early proving ground for the Democratic Party’s next generation as 2028 hopefuls descend on the state. Then the other stories animating…
- Congress had the Squad. Soon it will have the Bloc. · 25 minThe 2018 midterms had the Squad. Now, a new generation of progressive insurgents is already organizing its successor: “the Bloc.” But what happens when they run headlong into…
- ‘Front Row Joes’ take a backseat · 24 min"Front Row Joes" were some of President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters, traveling across the country on his campaign trail. Now some are disillusioned with his presidency…
- Will Democrats finally win in Texas? (with Gina Hinojosa) | The Conversation · 47 minIn this special midterms edition of “The Conversation with Dasha Burns,” Gina Hinojosa, the Democrat running for governor of Texas, sits down with Dasha at her campaign…
- Is this the Democrat who could win back the South? | On the Road · 1 h 8 minFormer New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu joins POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at Mosca’s Restaurant for a wide-ranging conversation about President Trump, the future of the Democratic…
- Are Dems Choosin’ Texas? · 24 minCould the Lone Star State’s Senate race be the tipping point for Democrats? Playbook's Adam Wren and Megan Messerly take a deep dive into Texas politics. Then the other stories…
- Republicans grab the fire extinguisher · 24 minRepublicans brace themselves for a potential midterm blowout – while Democrats see a clearing in the smoke. One thing for certain, GOP candidates and their teams are forced to…
- Xi gets the red carpet · 24 minPresident Donald Trump will roll out the literal red carpet this evening for President Xi Jinping, kicking of the Chinese leader’s three-day Washington stint with an…
- The GOP senator breaking with Trump on vaccines and AI (with Sen. Bill Cassidy) | The Conversation · 40 minThis episode was originally published on Sunday, September 20. We re-published due to a platform issue. There are no changes to the content. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who lost…
- Trump scraps the GOP script · 20 minSix weeks before Republicans ask voters to reject socialism and communism, President Trump is spending the week embracing socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani and preparing to welcome…
