The Playbook Podcast

3.9 (650)
POLITICS
UPDATED DAILY

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.

3H AGO

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 carry him to victory in New York City over Andrew Cuomo, who received an eleventh-hour endorsement from President Donald Trump? How close will the margins be in the New Jersey governor’s race? Which other races should you be watching? Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down all the marquee matchups that could provide a glimpse into the midterms. Plus, the government shutdown is set to become the longest in U.S. history later today.

16 min
1D AGO

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 races, plus a redistricting referendum in California that will help decide control of Congress. The case on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs is before the Supreme Court this week — but Trump won’t be there. Plus, the government shutdown enters its 34th day, without a compromise in sight. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through a big week in Trump’s Washington.

14 min
2D AGO

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 energized her colleagues in the party. Crockett is known for her willingness to frankly engage with Republican counterparts from Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green all the way to President Donald Trump. And while some critics in the Democratic Party worry that her way of messaging might alienate swing voters, Crockett says her fellow Democrats are recruiting her to stump for them all over the country. “I think at the end of the day, whether you agree with my style or disagree with my style, I think people respect me for my authenticity,” says Crockett. “They never feel like they're getting someone different. They feel like they know exactly who they're getting.” In this week’s episode of The Conversation, Rep. Crockett chats with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns about what her colleagues think about her messaging style and the strategies that Democrats need to pursue for victory in the midterms and beyond. She also offers insight into her plans for a possible Senate run. Plus, Jane Coaston, host of Crooked Media’s “What A Day” podcast, joins Dasha to talk about the nuances of daily news coverage choices and how mixing politics with sports-like fandom can be a recipe for disaster.

55 min
4D AGO

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 countries across the region. While Trump has already returned home, Carney is wrapping up his sojourn soon. White House reporter Megan Messerly and Ottawa Bureau Chief — and host of the new Playbook Canada podcast — Nick Taylor-Vaisey walk through what each leader is expecting to come from their trip, plus the interesting way Canada is feeling the effect from the shutdown.

20 min
5D AGO

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 Social to announce that the U.S. would “immediately” begin testing nuclear weapons. The U.S. has not conducted a test of nuclear weapons in more than three decades. But it’s unclear how much of a practical play this announcement by Trump was or whether it was largely wielded as a negotiating tactic with other nuclear powers. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns dig into the nuclear news, and the government shutdown that Trump is returning to today.

15 min
6D AGO

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 will be thorny trade talks. But in a way, everything now is a precursor to the big finale of the trip: Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns walk through what to expect. Plus, eyes are fixed on Fed Chair Jerome Powell again for his interest rate announcement later today.

15 min
OCT 28

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 Asia. But while the president rubs elbows with dignitaries across the globe, Washington is facing day 28 of the government shutdown. Will lawmakers make any progress before the looming Nov. 1 cliff? Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss.

17 min
OCT 27

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 gubernatorial races and redistricting efforts. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss what voting in Virginia, New York, New Jersey and California could tell us about how both parties are approaching next year’s midterms — and beyond. Plus, President Donald Trump is in Japan to meet with the new prime minister.

18 min

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TRAILER

New from Politico: The Conversation, Season 2

The Conversation with Dasha Burns is back! In Season 1, Burns sat down with some of the most powerful players in Washington to get their perspectives on what’s really going on inside The White House. Join The Conversation again as Burns continues to explore how President Trump and his team are fundamentally reshaping the country, and how Democrats are tackling this new era of American politics. Full episodes will now air every Friday, starting Sept. 12.

Sep 7

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2 min

3.9

out of 5

650 Ratings

Speak the truth

Sep 18

amyb718

While I understand and respect journalistic objectivity and the effort to present a balanced point of view, this show recurrently fails to name the (obvious, and terrifying) rise of authoritarianism in this country. Re: Kimmel, I truly do not understand Megan talking about freedom of speech as if it is one party’s set of “beliefs,” rather than a Constitutional right.
Excellent Journalism

Oct 17

Happy To be

Real news about politics When Politico first appeared years ago , I thought it was interesting but preferred my newspapers. Now it’s all on line. My take on Politico is it’s not bias , it’s factual, trustworthy in detail.
Government biased news

Oct 10

Greg Potter

If it’s good for Democrats, they report it. If it’s bad for Democrats, they ignore it. If they can’t ignore it, they report how badly the Republicans reacted to the story. Funded by USAID. Can I give less than zero stars as a rating?
Another one bites the dust…

Oct 5

Dolorous Ted

If you’re looking for somewhat objective political journalism from this show, that ship has sailed. If you want to hear the official government line going unchallenged, by all means listen to this show, and then please stay home on Election Day.

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.