The new Hotline 2026 Midterm Preview special report provides a comprehensive overview of the races, trends, and campaigns that will dominate the road to the midterms. In this webinar, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado is joined by national correspondent Erika Filter, Senate campaign correspondent Nicholas Anastácio, House race correspondent James A. Down…

Hotline Editor Kirk A. Bado brings on national political correspondent Erika Filter to discuss President Trump's role or lack thereof on the midterm campaign trail, the political dynamics between Republican candidates and Trump, and the Democratic hopefuls on the campaign trail instead.De către National Journal

With the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia getting closer to Election Day, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on states correspondent Abby Turner to discuss the campaign trail for Republican and Democratic candidates, which issues have become important to voters, and more on the political dynamics.…

In this bonus episode, Hotline Editor Kirk A. Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss the battles on the Senate map, the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, and the changing political dynamics this midterm cycle. Read Gary Jacobson's article here: https://www.psqonline.org/article.cfm?IDArticle=20…

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado and NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King jump on the podcast to discuss where things stand on Day 6 of the government shutdown. They detail the positions of Democrats and Republicans, which party voters find more responsible, and what role the White House could play to resolve the standoff.…

Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss the latest news on redistricting, the impending government shutdown, and how thermostatic politics could affect the dynamics of the midterm elections.De către National Journal

Red states like Texas and Missouri have yielded to the White House's calls and redrawn their congressional maps to get more GOP-friendly seats. In response, Democratic states have also considered redraws to counteract their Republican counterparts. But with differences among state legislatures and complications in the redistricting process, it coul…

In this bonus episode, National Journal Editor in Chief Jeff Dufour talks to Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service in the third installment of the Trump 2.0 From Platform to Policy webinar series. They unpack the Trump administration's proposed and enacted changes to the federal workforce and how that could affect polic…

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has shaken up the department, from his anti-vaccine stances to his firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez. National Journal Daily Managing Editor Ledyard King brings on congressional-policy reporter Nancy Vu to go in-depth on the backlash toward RFK Jr. f…

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado sits down with the authors of the Almanac of American Politics, Louis Jacobson and Richard E. Cohen, as the Almanac's 2026 edition is released. Listen as they discuss the process for writing this edition, keeping up with the rapid political environment before the publishing deadline, and why the Almanac still matters aft…

In this bonus episode, National Journal Editor in Chief Jeff Dufour, NJ Daily Managing Editor Ledyard King, Hotline Editor Kirk Bado, and congressional policy reporter Nancy Vu are gathered in a virtual roundtable discussion to discuss a hectic August recess. They'll discuss what's going on in Washington in the weeks ahead, the state of the 2026 mi…

Being an appropriator isn't what it used to be. Senior congressional reporter Casey Wooten breaks down the Trump administration's efforts bucking against Congress' ability to spend money. He brings on Molly Reynolds, a senior fellow of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, to discuss what these battles between the executive and legislati…

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on Senate races correspondent Nicholas Anastácio and House races correspondent James A. Downs to give the big picture on the House and Senate battlefield this midterm season. They discuss the recently-published Hotline Power Rankings on which House and Senate seats are most likely to flip. Check out the House Powe…

Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma joins National Journal Radio for the first time, where he sits down with Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann. He discusses his liaison role during the process of passing the Big Beautiful Bill, his response to criticism over the bill, and his position on the Epstein files.…

Hotline House campaign correspondent James A. Downs talks to Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook about the latest updates in redistricting efforts in Texas, who could retire next from the Senate, and the political fallout facing President Trump over information on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.…

President Trump's actions in the U.S. continue to resonate around the world, from his tariffs impacting European stakeholders to his controversial decision to send arms shipments to Ukraine. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on foreign policy and defense reporter Cristina Maza to share her reporting on Trump's recent foreign policy actio…

House and Senate GOP leaders walked a careful tightrope in trying to get the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' approved. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten, Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann and congressional policy reporter Nancy Vu to break down the drama and recap behind the scenes of the 'Bi…

The next Senate midterm cycle looks to be varied with Democrats looking at rare pickup opportunities, messy primaries and swing state retirements. Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on Senate races reporter Nicholas Anastácio to give the current scope and dynamics of the Senate battlefield.De către National Journal

Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss President Trump's polling numbers after a busy news week with threats of war with Iran, infighting in the West Wing, and Dems in disarray. Plus, a guest appearance from Hotline House races reporter James A. Downs.…

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on new national correspondent Erika Filter to discuss Democrats' struggles with messaging in the Trump 2.0 era, the White House's new communication strategy, and more.De către National Journal

With this year's Congressional Baseball Game taking place at Nationals Park on Wednesday, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on the leading expert on the history of the game, Nathaniel Rakich of Baseballot. They discuss Democrats' losing streak, the players to watch, and how torpedo bats could impact the game. Follow Nathaniel's baseball and politi…

Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour speaks with Robert Shea and Adam Hughes, cofounders of GovNavigators, about the differences between civillian and military contracts, the implications of Trump's cuts to the federal government on the private sector, and more. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

The House Budget Committee Sunday night voted to move the "big, beautiful bill" forward after the bill failed in a committee vote on Friday. NJ Daily Editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten and Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann to discuss the potentials pathways for the bill and what tax cuts could be affe…

Hotline editor Kirk Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook handicap the midterm elections and discuss the political dynamics of incumbents facing younger primary challengers.De către National Journal

NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on Senate reporter Savannah Behrmann and House reporter Casey Wooten to talk the updates on budget reconciliation. They talk which programs could be at risk due to budget cuts, the role of the Senate parliamentarian in the reconciliation process, and more.…

National Journal has released Margins to Mainstream, a comprehensive look at the acceleration of policy ideas coming from nontraditional sources and what this could mean for organizations looking to anticipate policy shifts. In a webinar last week, Pope Ward and Jeff Dufour broke down the rise of alternative media and its growing influence, challen…

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on former Hotliner and political analyst Matt Holt to give a temperature check of the Democratic Party ahead of President Trump's 100th day in office. They talk Democrats' weaknesses in the 2024 presidential elections, the brewing Tea Party sentiments within the party, the gameplan for Democrats in the midterm ele…

In this bonus episode adapted from National Journal's webinar series, Hotline editor Kirk Bado brings on House race correspondent James A. Downs and governors and state legislatures correspondent Mary Frances McGown to talk about the shifting political landscapes in state legislatures, the economic impact of tariffs on states, and how funding cuts …

NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on House reporter Casey Wooten and Senate reporter Savannah Behrmann to break down what's happening with the budget reconciliation, congressional reactions to President Trump's tarrifs, and Speaker Mike Johnson's deal on proxy voting.De către National Journal

Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss Rep. Elise Stefanik's return to the House, the off-year governor races, and potential primary challenges to Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

Ahead of midterms, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on Senate races correspondent Nicholas Anastácio to see where the Senate battlefield forms with open primaries, retirement announcements, and how the midterms could impact Republican female senators.De către National Journal

Ahead of the midterm elections, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado takes a look at the possible storylines that could form as Democrats and Republicans plan out the race for the House. House races correspondent James A. Downs and Inside Elections deputy editor Jacob Rubashkin join the podcast to give their expert analysis on what races could be the ones t…

Speaker Mike Johnson tries to juggle several fiscal balls: a spending bill to avoid a looming government shutdown; a multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation package, a recissions package, and a deadline to suspend the debt ceiling or face default. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on House reporter Casey Wooten to break down these fiscal pr…

Hotline editor Kirk Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss President Trump's first month in office and how his presidency may affect the midterm congressional races. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.De către National Journal

Foreign Affairs Correspondent Cristina Maza has been reporting from the Munich Security Conference and watching the results of the elections in Germany. She joins NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King to discuss her reporting at the conference, the outcomes of the election, and reactions from European leaders to President Trump's foreign policy pos…

Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour brings on White House correspondent George E. Condon Jr. to discuss the rapid pace of news coming out of the White House, Elon Musk's increasing influence over the federal government and early favorability polling.De către National Journal

Capitol Hill has been the stage for multiple confirmation hearings for President Trump's nominees. While many of his nominations have flown through the confirmation process, some of Trump's picks have faced controversy. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann, health care correspondent Erin Durkin, and…

Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook break down the first few days of President Trump's new term including his executive orders, his confirmation hearings for his nominees, and what new political dynamics could arise from the next four years.De către National Journal

Soon-to-be President Trump faces a different inauguration compared to his first one. Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on senior national correspondent Zac Weisz and White House correspondent George E. Condon Jr. to discuss the logistics of Trump's indoor inauguration and what to expect in the first weeks of his second term in office.…

In this bonus episode with Hotline Editor Kirk A. Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook, they discuss the latest updates in President-elect Trump's legal battles, online misinformation and decreased news engagement affecting the wildfires in California, what to expect from the news landscape in Trump's second term and …

With the beginning of the 119th Congress, NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional reporter Casey Wooten to look back at the Jan 6th, 2021 attack on the Capitol and the uncertainty surrounding the election of Speaker Mike Johnson. Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann joins the podcast to discuss John Thune becoming the…

For the last podcast episode of 2024, NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on National Journal Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Hotline Editor Kirk A. Bado to look back at 2024 in politics. They recap the most memorable headlines from this year, make predictions on what could happen under the incoming Trump administration, what they're keepi…

Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss election post-mortem analysis, President-elect Trump's controversial nominees and their thorny path ahead in the Senate, and more. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

NJ Daily Managing Editor Ledyard King brings on health care correspondent Erin Durkin and foreign-policy and defense correspondent Cristina Maza to break down President-elect Trump's nominees for health care, foreign policy, intelligence, and immigration. They discuss the controversies surrounding some of the nominees, and their potential impact on…

NJ Daily Managing Editor Ledge King brings on Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann and senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten to discuss the upcoming changes to the House and the Senate with new members, controversial confirmation hearings, and more under an incoming Trump administration. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail…

Hotline editor Kirk Bado discusses the election results and what's to come with senior national correspondent Zac Weisz, Senate campaign correspondent Nicholas Anastácio, House race correspondent James Downs, and gubernatorial reporter Mary Frances McGowan. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.…

In this jam-packed episode, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado discusses the races and storylines to watch with National Journal's correspondents. Follow our correspondents on National Journal's live blog on Election Day starting at 6 p.m. ET here: https://www.nationaljournal.com/2024election-coverage/ Time stamps for each race: Presidential: 0:00-40:05 S…

Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss the early vote returns, the suddenly competitive Nebraska Senate race, and more. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.De către National Journal

As the election inches closer, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado takes a look at the Senate map with Senate-races correspondent Nicholas Anastácio. They break down what races could flip, the defense opportunities for the parties, what's going on in the Nebraska Senate race, and more. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also avail­able on Apple Podcast…

In this bonus episode adapted from National Journal's webinar series "Cook Catch Up," Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook check in on the presidential race as it nears its end, break down the deluge of tight national polls, and check in on other competitive races.…