Big Take DC

With two months until election day, Kamala Harris’ campaign is outpacing Donald Trump's on fundraising. But this late into the race, how much does money matter? Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin sits down with Bloomberg money and politics editor Laura Davison to break down both campaigns’ finances, how they might spend their money, and how much impact cash could actually have in the race.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June, two NASA astronauts flew to the International Space Station on a Boeing spacecraft for a week-long test mission. But problems with the machinery mean they’ll be stuck there for 8 months… and when they come back in February, they won’t be flying Boeing. Instead, they’re hitching a ride with the company’s biggest rival in commercial space travel: Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Today on the show: space reporter Loren Grush and Boeing reporter Julie Johnsson on the challenges facing Boeing’s space program, the rise of SpaceX, and the future of NASA’s ambitions beyond our planet. Further listening: Boeing Faces Washington and Wall Street ReckoningsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the Democratic Party has counted on support from Black voters. But former President Donald Trump has tried to leverage voter dissatisfaction with Democrats to bite into the party’s edge with that key demographic. And for a while, it seemed to be working – until the first Black woman to lead a major presidential ticket shook up the race. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host Saleha Mohsin hears from voters and speaks to Bloomberg reporters Akayla Gardner and Hadriana Lowenkron about how Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has flipped the script for Trump, and for Democrats attempting to reverse President Joe Biden’s losses with Black Americans who were key to his win in 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven key states will play an outsized role in determining the outcome of the 2024 US election. A new analysis from Bloomberg found that as a group those states’ economies pose a challenge for Kamala Harris and an opening for Donald Trump. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host Saleha Mohsin goes inside this “battleground economy” with Bloomberg senior writer Shawn Donnan and hears directly from voters on how this economic reality is influencing the communities that will choose between Trump and Harris. Read more: The Swing-State Economic Realities Shaping the US ElectionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last weekend, Donald Trump became the first American president to address a crypto conference, telling an audience in Nashville that “if Bitcoin is going to the moon, I want America to be the nation that leads the way.” It’s a stark contrast from five years ago, when Trump said Bitcoin’s value was based on “thin air.” Is his conversion from crypto skeptic to crypto cheerleader real – or just a canny attempt to get donations? On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host David Gura speaks to Bloomberg investigative reporter Zeke Faux about the surprising opinions he heard on-the-ground at the world’s biggest Bitcoin conference – and what that could mean for the future of the 2024 presidential election. Read more: Trump Became Crypto Believer After Falling in Love With NFTs of HimselfSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to DC was set to be high-stakes, as he arranged to meet with President Biden and former President Trump. But Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy complicated an already delicate balancing act. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, host David Gura speaks with Israel bureau chief Ethan Bronner and national security reporter Nick Wadhams about what’s at stake for each of these leaders, the latest prospects for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, and how November’s election could reshape the US-Israel relationship.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden’s decision not to run for reelection leaves the Democratic nominee that replaces him with an unprecedented challenge: running a successful presidential campaign in under four months. That will take a lot of money.  On today’s Big Take podcast: How much could that campaign cost? Gregory Korte and Laura Davison, who cover money and politics for Bloomberg, dig into that question, Kamala Harris’s fundraising edge and how Democratic donors are reacting to the news. Read more: Joe Biden Bows to Democrats Who Wanted Him Out, Upending US PoliticsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination at the party’s convention this week, just two days after an attempted assassination at a campaign rally over the weekend. Prior to that attack, and shortly before his first debate with President Joe Biden, Trump laid out his vision for a second term in a wide-ranging, 90-minute interview with journalists from Bloomberg Businessweek.  Reporter Nancy Cook and editor Brad Stone take host David Gura inside that conversation, where they dig into “Trumponomics,” how Trump plans to appeal to voters and business leaders who have turned their backs on him. Read more:  Trump on Taxes, Tariffs, Jerome Powell and More The Donald Trump Interview Transcript Corrects length of Powell’s term as chair of the Federal Reserve.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Saturday evening, former President Donald Trump was injured in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Even in a country with a history of assassinations and attempts, it is unprecedented.  Bloomberg national politics reporter Gregory Korte and senior editor Wendy Benjaminson join hosts Saleha Mohsin and Sarah Holder to discuss how the assassination attempt changes everything in the 2024 election - and how political violence has previously shaped America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fallout from President Joe Biden’s debate performance is continuing to ripple through Washington, as prominent Democrats, donors, and world leaders are questioning his ability to win… and to lead. As US allies converge on Washington for the NATO summit and Congressional Democrats scramble for unity, all eyes are on Biden. Big Take DC host Saleha Mohsin talks with Bloomberg White House and politics reporter Jordan Fabian about what’s at stake for Biden in yet another make-or-break week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.