CNN Politics

As today's show begins we're still learning about the shocking murder of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson this morning outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan. Our coverage begins with a live report from CNN correspondent Brynn Gingras.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: South Korea, a key US ally, is reeling after its democratically elected president declared martial law. CNN is live on the ground with the latest. Plus: Booze, unwanted advances and an Islamophobic chant are some only some of the new allegations facing Donald Trump's pick to run the Pentagon. And: Top strategists from both parties will debate the question many are grappling with in the political environment: What's the moral high ground?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: We bring you the mixed reaction from last night's surprise White House announcement that Joe Biden issued a "full and unconditional pardon" for his son, Hunter, whom the president says was unfairly targeted. Plus: Senate Republicans stand in the way of Kash Patel becoming the FBI director or confirm the man who promises to dismantle the law enforcement agency and rebuild it exactly how Donald Trump wants it. And: Democrats are looking for a new DNC chair. Dana talks to someone who thinks he's best equipped for the job of guiding the party out of the wilderness.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: Donald Trump spent Thanksgiving night with loved ones Melania, Barron and ... Elon Musk? We look at their relationship and preview Musk's trip to Washington next week to meet with Republican lawmakers. Plus: A controversy over raw milk as bird flu is found in another batch of it in California. Experts say unpasteurized milk is a vector for infectious diseases. But Robert F Kennedy Jr. wants more Americans drinking it and may soon be in a position to promote it. And: What went wrong? A top Democratic pollster joins the show with some tough truths for his party about why they lost the presidency and the path back to power in 2026.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: With 54 days until inauguration the president elect has already filled out his cabinet. Now he's preparing an agenda to quickly push through a narrowly divided Congress. Plus: The Harris campaign brain trust is defending the decisions they made in the final weeks of the campaign. So why do they think Trump won? And: Elon Musk is worth over $350 billion. What will he do with all that money and influence? Wel talk to the author of a new Time magazine cover story on him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: The president-elect says he'll slap massive tariffs on America's three closest trading partners the first day he's in office. But will he follow through? And if he does will it get in the way of his promise to fight inflation? Plus: We could be on the verge of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet is expected to vote on it today. And: One of Trump's most trusted advisers is accused of asking the eventual pick for Treasury Secretary for money to talk him up to the boss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: The president-elect has picked a cabinet of loyalists to carry out his MAGA agenda, but now comes the hard part. We have new reporting on how Team Trump is preparing for multiple contentious confirmation battles. Plus: Rejection to affection. After disavowing Project 2025 on the trail, Donald Trump is tapping an architect of the far-right plan for a critical post in the White House. And: A lame duck just spared two 40-pound turkeys from the kitchen table. How Peach and Blossom rode the gravy train all the way to the White House.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: President-elect Trump has a new pick for attorney general, but his plan to overhaul the Justice Department remains the same. We've got all the latest news from Mar-a-Lago. Plus: With three House races still uncalled, the Republican majority could be one of the smallest ever. We'll look at the challenges ahead for House Speaker Mike Johnson. And: Dana speaks with Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis, who is praising Donald Trump's choice of Robert Kennedy Jr. to run Health and Human Services.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Young voters—especially first-time young voters—helped deliver President-elect Donald Trump his victory this month. The 18-to-29-year-old set tends to vote Democratic, and most of them did. But Trump made significant inroads with young people. This week, John Della Volpe, the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, joins Political Director and Washington Bureau Chief David Chalian to discuss what happened with the youth vote and where the Democrats went wrong with this age group. They also break down three things Gen Z Trump voters expect from a second Trump term and explain why some young voters feel left behind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you prefer to feel morally righteous, or to win? Audie talks with Adam Jentleson, who wants all Democrats to consider that question and adjust their tactics accordingly. He’s worked for U.S. Senators Harry Reid and John Fetterman, and in a recent New York Times op-ed, Jentleson prescribes his party a heavy dose of skepticism toward “the groups” on its left flank and a focus on making progress for all working people instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices