Podcast
The Playbook Podcast
Hosted by POLITICO · EN
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.
79episodes
Episodes
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Gloves off: Map wars and where’s the beef?
Yesterday00:12:01Tap to summarizeNew polling shows voters actually want the gerrymandering wars — and it has big implications for 2026. Plus, ground beef is nearing $7 a pound and the White House just quietly shelved its plan to fix it. And Trump comes back from China — so why did Taiwan vanish from the official summit readout?
Transcribe →Trump in China: Pageantry and high-stakes meetings
2d ago00:10:48Tap to summarizePOLITICO White House reporter Alex Gangitano joins the Playbook Podcast from Beijing, where she’s traveling with Donald Trump during his first state visit to China in nearly a decade. With host Jack Blanchard and China correspondent Phelim Kine, the team unpacks a day of closed-door meetings, carefully choreographed optics and mounting tension between the world’s two biggest powers. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spent more than two hours discussing Taiwan, trade, Iran, fentanyl and the broader future of US-China relations. The team digs into the very different messages coming out of Washington and Beijing, the business heavyweights brought into the talks — including Elon Musk and Tim Cook — and what Trump needs to bring home politically from one of the most closely watched summits of his presidency.
Transcribe →James Blair and the Nebraska Dem who may drop out
3d ago00:15:11Tap to summarizePlaybook’s Dasha Burns shares highlights from her one-on-one interview with James Blair, the head of the Republican midterm strategy, for a look at how the White House sees the road to November. Plus, the strangest Nebraska Senate primary result and what it means for Democrats in other races. Then Trump lands in Beijing with a delegation of American CEOs for his summit with Xi Jinping.
Transcribe →Nebraska’s strangest race and another new map
4d ago00:14:10Tap to summarizeIt's primary day in Nebraska, and this might be one of the strangest senate races we’ve seen in a while. Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns also unpack the Republican redistricting wave gaining momentum in South Carolina and Alabama. Plus, Pete Hegseth heads back to Capitol Hill for more tough questions on the war. And Dasha's dog Helly makes a very rambunctious appearance!
Transcribe →Beijing, Iran and GOP's 12 seats
5d ago00:11:51Tap to summarizePresident Trump heads to Beijing for his first visit since 2017, but the shadow of Iran looms large over his talks with Xi Jinping. Playbook's Jack Blanhard and Dasha Burns discuss what's really on the table — from Taiwan to whether Trump might ask China with Iran. Plus, with the Strait of Hormuz still choked and gas prices climbing past $4.50, Republicans are finding an unlikely reason to smile: a redistricting blitz that could hand them a dozen seats before a single vote is cast in the midterm
Transcribe →Trump is ‘stuck in a stalemate’ in Iran (with Leon Panetta) | The Conversation
6d ago00:38:08Tap to summarizeLeon Panetta, former Defense Secretary and CIA director under President Obama, joins Dasha Burns to assess the U.S. conflict with Iran, warning that unclear objectives, a closed Strait of Hormuz and uncertain nuclear negotiations could leave the U.S. stuck in a prolonged war. Plus, Panetta defends President Biden’s handling of the Israel/Gaza conflict but says Biden “should have been much tougher” in providing weapons for Ukraine. Leave us a voicemail or shoot us a text with your questions for our first anniversary special: 202-643-1536.
Transcribe →Can JB Pritzker be the Democrats’ anti-Trump in 2028? | On The Road
1w ago01:07:44Tap to summarizeGov. JB Pritzker (D-Ill.) sits down with POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at Chicago’s iconic Manny’s Deli for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of the Democratic Party -- and his own. Plus: a look at Chicago’s political culture, Pritzker’s rise from donor to power broker, and why Manny’s remains a must-stop on the campaign trail.
Transcribe →The message-less White House, immigration tensions, and Iran
1w ago00:12:51Tap to summarizeThe White House claims it has a midterm message — but nobody seems to know what it is. Adam Wren dives into the GOP's messaging confusion. Then Megan Messerly discusses the tension between immigration headliners and the Trump administration's promises on mass deportations. And more on Iran.
Transcribe →From Rome to the Oval Office to Tennessee
1w ago00:12:43Tap to summarizeMarc Rubio is at the Vatican to smooth things over with Pope Leo XIV after weeks of tension with the White House. Playbook’s Dasha Burns and Jack Blanchard discuss the political importance of this meeting and what is really at stake. Meanwhile, Trump hosts Brazilian President Lula, who has been very critical of the Iran War, at the Oval Office. And Republicans are back to redrawing maps—this time in Tennessee—where they are threatening the state’s lone Democratic House seat.
Transcribe →MAGA retakes Indiana
1w ago00:13:54Tap to summarizeIn Indiana, most of President Trump's endorsed primary opponents beat GOP state legislators. Playbook's Adam Wren tells Jack Blanchard what all of this means, including the future of the nationwide redistricting war and the division in the Republican Party. Then, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces questioning over Jeffrey Epstein. And Marco Rubio is headed to Rome to meet Pope Leo XIV after holding a White House press briefing before Operation Freedom was paused.
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