Episodes

  • Gloves off: Map wars and where’s the beef?

    Gloves off: Map wars and where’s the beef?
    May 15 2026
    New 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?
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    12 mins
  • Trump in China: Pageantry and high-stakes meetings

    Trump in China: Pageantry and high-stakes meetings
    May 14 2026
    POLITICO 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.
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    11 mins
  • James Blair and the Nebraska Dem who may drop out

    James Blair and the Nebraska Dem who may drop out
    May 13 2026
    Playbook’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.
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    15 mins
  • Nebraska’s strangest race and another new map

    Nebraska’s strangest race and another new map
    May 12 2026
    It'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!
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    14 mins
  • Beijing, Iran and GOP's 12 seats

    Beijing, Iran and GOP's 12 seats
    May 11 2026
    President 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
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    12 mins
  • Trump is ‘stuck in a stalemate’ in Iran (with Leon Panetta) | The Conversation

    Trump is ‘stuck in a stalemate’ in Iran (with Leon Panetta) | The Conversation
    May 10 2026
    Leon 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.
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    38 mins
  • Can JB Pritzker be the Democrats’ anti-Trump in 2028? | On The Road

    Can JB Pritzker be the Democrats’ anti-Trump in 2028? | On The Road
    May 9 2026
    Gov. 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.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • The message-less White House, immigration tensions, and Iran

    The message-less White House, immigration tensions, and Iran
    May 8 2026
    The 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.
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    13 mins