NPR Politics Podcast: Congress, Content Creators, and Can't Let It Go

Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts/Reporters:

• Myles Parks (Voting)
• Sam Greenglass (Congress)
• Danielle Kurtzleben (White House)
• Jude Joffe-Block, Stephen Fowler (Contributors)

Episode Overview

This episode unpacks the chaos of the Washington political scene as Congress faces another budgetary deadline, discusses the political tug-of-war over Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies and the rollout of President Trump’s latest health care plans, and analyzes the growing influence of social media content creators on White House policy and public narrative. The episode wraps up with the recurring segment "Can't Let It Go," where reporters share stories and moments from the week that caught their attention.

Main Topics and Key Insights

1. Congressional Budget Deadlines and Spending Bills

[00:15–02:00]

• Congress is facing another deadline (Jan 30) to pass outstanding appropriations bills. Out of 12, only half are done, with four highly contentious packages remaining: Health & Human Services, Defense, and Homeland Security among them.
• Major sticking point: The Homeland Security funding package is particularly difficult due to calls from Democrats for increased privacy provisions to limit ICE's actions amid ongoing harsh crackdowns.
• There’s widespread exhaustion regarding further shutdowns, making another continuing resolution (CR) likely, especially to punt the hardest issues until after the midterms.

“These buckets that are still on the to-do list, they actually make up a majority of discretionary spending. So the stakes are really high.”
— Sam Greenglass [01:14]

2. Health Care Drama: ACA Subsidies and Trump’s New Plan

[02:00–07:27]

• The expiration of ACA subsidies threatens millions with higher premiums, with bipartisan negotiations floundering after initial optimism.
• President Trump released a new health care plan without clear support for extending ACA subsidies, further disrupting talks.
• Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) expressed, "I've told Alaskans I'm not backing down off the engagement. I don't think it is too late to salvage something." [03:09]
• Sticking points existed before Trump’s plan, particularly Republican demands for stricter abortion funding restrictions.
• Trump’s messaging now emphasizes broad “affordability”—tariffs, 50-year mortgages, capping credit card rates, etc.—rather than repealing Obamacare, but specifics are lacking.

“Trump right now is really focused on the messaging that he has a health care plan. And if you think you've heard that before...you have.”
— Danielle Kurtzleben [04:57]

• From a political strategy standpoint, Republicans are risking more by leaning into health care since it’s an area where Democrats historically poll better.

“Purely politically, that is a bet in a midterm year.”
— Danielle Kurtzleben [06:31]

3. The White House, Social Media, and Content Creators

[09:29–20:30]

• Contributions by Jude Joffe-Block and Stephen Fowler spotlight the Trump administration’s methodical use of social media content creators and influencers to drive narratives, especially regarding ongoing ICE operations in Minnesota.
• Government agencies, including DHS, actively push dramatic, militaristic media (e.g., heavily armed agents in helicopter raids) with religious overtones, designed to sway public opinion and control the post-shooting narrative before investigations conclude.
• A “circular” effect emerges: online content prompts Trump to act or post, in turn fueling more extreme content.
• The administration leverages a real-time, campaign-style rapid response operation far beyond conventional governance communication.
• MAGA-affiliated influencers and podcasters are invited to briefings, helping to propagate policy justifications in viral format—a new form of “propaganda machine.”

“In the past we might have thought of propaganda as something…top down media, but it's now this relationship with creators that should be considered.”
— Jude Joffe-Block [14:56]

• Effectiveness is debatable: While successful in the 2024 election, it’s unclear if this divisive, online-focused approach resonates with wider, less-online audiences.
• On-the-ground videos of ICE crackdowns are celebrated in influencer circles, but there’s risk they reach a broader audience and backfire.

“The irony might ultimately be that…if the administration has harnessed for their own benefit, algorithms and trending topics…[they] might ultimately become part of their undoing.”
— Whitney Phillips, relayed by Danielle Kurtzleben [16:46]

• The broader trend: Political discourse is less about policy and more about spinning narratives and rallying the party base. Experts argue we’ve entered an era where “evidence exists to create and expand and blow out the narratives that support the predominant view of each side,” rather than to inform or persuade.

— Larry Shack analysis, summarized by Stephen Fowler [18:39]

4. Can’t Let It Go

[21:21–27:56]

Myles Parks

[21:21–23:27]

• Shares about a federal push—led by the Trump administration—to gain oversight of state voting lists, with the first court ruling denying federal involvement. Outcome uncertain, as appeals are expected and other lawsuits loom.

Danielle Kurtzleben

[23:27–25:34]

• Emotional connection to Minneapolis amid its current turmoil due to ICE crackdowns.
• Shares a heartwarming Golden Globes speech by Kim Eun Jae (K Pop Demon Hunters), who spoke about perseverance and rejection.

“I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfill one dream, to become a K pop idol. And I was rejected and disappointed that my voice wasn't good enough.” [24:47]

Sam Greenglass

[26:00–27:36]

• Fascinated by “doppelgangers,” especially having found an ENT doctor who looks exactly like him—debates whether to make an appointment just for the experience.
• Lighthearted segment brings some levity after heavy topics.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It sounds a little bit like me in college, waiting till the end to do the hardest stuff.”
  — Myles Parks, on Congress’s procrastination [01:07]
• “The administration is in constant campaigning mode.”
  — Jude Joffe-Block, on Trump’s governing style [13:36]
• “If the administration has harnessed for their own benefit, algorithms and trending topics, those very same things might be…what ultimately become part of their undoing when people see it and then think, ‘oh God.’”
  — Whitney Phillips (via Danielle Kurtzleben) [16:46]
• “The evidence doesn't exist to inform. The evidence exists to create and expand…and blow out the narratives that support the predominant view of each side.”
  — Larry Shack, political strategist [18:39]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Congressional spending and shutdown deadline: 00:15–02:00
• Healthcare, ACA subsidies, and Trump’s plan: 02:00–07:27
• Social media, influencers, and policy spin: 09:29–20:30
• Can't Let It Go: 21:21–27:56

Final Takeaways

This episode underscores a Washington increasingly driven by narrative and spectacle—via both old-school political gridlock and a new social-media fueled feedback loop between government, influencers, and the public. The political stakes around health care and immigration remain enormous, but so too are the stakes for the credibility of policymaking itself in this new era of polarization and performative online politics. Can't Let It Go closes things out with stories both weighty and whimsical, showcasing the range and warmth the podcast brings to political reporting.