CNN Political Briefing

Donald Trump reversed course on the Epstein files to get right with his party in what proved to be a rare crack in the strong bond the president has with his MAGA base. In addition to the Epstein matter, President Trump has come in for some criticism from supporters over his messaging and focus (or lack thereof) on prices and affordability and his penchant for putting foreign affairs front and center. Jonathan Martin of POLITICO is here to assess whether this is the beginning of Trump's lame duck period and who, or what, comes next. Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once a little-known state assemblyman, Zohran Mamdani catapulted himself to victory in New York City’s mayoral race, earning a prominent place in the national conversation to go with it. Errol Louis is the Political Anchor of Spectrum News NY1, and he’s here to tell David Chalian how Zohran Mamdani rewrote the political playbook in Gotham. Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Running to be mayor of New York City is a tall order for any Republican given Democratic voters outnumber Republican voters by six to one. Curtis Sliwa is once again the GOP's standard bearer in America's largest city after losing to Eric Adams four years ago, but this time he is competing against a rising progressive star in the Democratic Party in Zohran Mamdani and the former governor Andrew Cuomo who left office in disgrace four years ago. And he's doing so while facing enormous pressure to drop out of the race. As the campaign reaches its home stretch, Sliwa tells David Chalian what he’s learned from a lifetime in New York and his two runs for mayor. Producers: Dan Bloom & Sofía Sanchez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prosecution of former FBI director James Comey is an extraordinary chapter in the history of American justice. Former federal and state prosecutor Elie Honig has a new book, When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ's Pursuit of the President, From Nixon to Trump, and he tells David Chalian how to place Comey’s case in a historical context. Producer: Dan Bloom Technical director: Dan Dzula Executive producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Washington bracing for a government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans are already trying to pin the blame on each other. As Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA) is laser-focused on re-capturing the House in 2026. She tells David Chalian how Democrats can put themselves on a path to winning the majority. Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has shocked American politics. Michigan Senate Majority Whip Mallory McMorrow is now running for U.S. Senate, and she joins us to explore her path forward in a competitive swing state and address the urgent question of how America can break the its pattern of political violence. Producer: Sofía Sánchez Senior Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump has spent much of August exerting his power and sparking challenges to its limits. He has upended the traditional independence of the Federal Reserve, launched investigations and searches on his political opponents, and threatened to expand his command of policing America's cities beyond the nation's capital. How should Democrats respond to this shifting political landscape in America? CNN Chief Political Analyst David Axelrod takes us inside the party's internal debates to produce an answer to that critical question. Producer: Kyra Dahring Senior Producers: Faiz Jamil, Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former national intelligence officer and Russia expert Angela Stent breaks down what President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin want out of their summit—and why it's about more than Ukraine. Plus, she shares why she’s unsure whether Trump will be able to parse Putin’s true intentions after the meeting. This episode was Produced by Emily Williams. Senior Producer: Faiz JamilTechnical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Balz is something of a legend in Washington media. He retired this week from full-time reporting after 47 years at the Washington Post. He shares his insights on the first six months of this second Trump administration and gives some of his best advice for political reporters in an increasingly competitive, rapid-fire industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Donald Trump is facing serious backlash from the MAGA world over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. CNN senior correspondent Donie O’Sullivan explains why Epstein looms so large in the MAGA-verse—and why this controversy isn’t likely to die down soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rahm Emanuel isn't shy about criticizing his own party. He also isn’t shy about his potential political ambitions. He’s made it clear he’s considering a potential 2028 presidential run. He shares how he’ll make that decision, what he brings to the growing field of potential candidates and why he thinks Dems shouldn’t talk about democracy without also talking about affordability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The killings and attempted killings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses are raising alarms about an apparent uptick in political violence in America. Robert Pape, the director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats, has studied political violence for 30 years, and he argues the country is in the midst of what he calls an “era of violent populism.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices