The NPR Politics Podcast

President Trump's trade policies were dealt a blow this week as a court said he could use a 1977 emergency law to justify levying tariffs. What comes next? Plus, a look at how the traditional rules of diplomacy have been upended by the Trump administration. And, much ado about mangoes. This podcast: White House correspondents Deepa Shivaram, Franco Ordoñez, and Danielle Kurtzleben, and national security correspondent Greg Myre. This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs, and edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics [http://plus.npr.org/politics]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to "drain the swamp." Now that he's in his second term, how have his efforts to shrink the federal workforce played out? This podcast: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, labor and workplace correspondent Andrea Hsu, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs, and edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics [http://plus.npr.org/politics]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Legislation working its way through Congress to codify President Trump's tax cuts would also make big cuts to Medicaid if it is passed. We look into what the bill proposes, and what the impacts would be. This podcast: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin. This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs, and edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics [http://plus.npr.org/politics]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

From allocating more money to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico, to changing provisions on what public services legal immigrants can use, the budget reconciliation bill working its way through Congress would change federal immigration policy in a number of ways. We take a look. This podcast: White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, immigration policy reporter Ximena Bustillo, and senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. This podcast was produced by Bria Suggs, and edited by Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics [http://plus.npr.org/politics]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

It's been six months since President Trump first announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative, which has dramatically shrunk parts of the federal government. And with so many individual stories about federal workers losing their jobs around the country, the big picture can sometimes look blurry. From Consider This [https://www.npr.org/2025/05/16/1251782097/connecting-the-dots-on-doge]: A team of NPR reporters has been looking at agencies — from food inspectors to nuclear scientists to firefighters and more — and today, we'll connect some of the dots on how DOGE cuts have impacted workers, and hear how Americans far beyond Washington may feel the effects of these cuts. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]