
National Journal Radio
A deep dive on the most important policy, political, and campaign story of the week, powered by National Journal’s expert correspondents. New episodes every Monday.
Latest episodes

Jul 7, 2025 • 32min
National Journal Radio Episode 83: Vote-a-rama Drama
House and Senate GOP leaders walked a careful tightrope in trying to get the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ approved. NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten, Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann and congressional policy reporter Nancy Vu to break down the drama and recap behind the scenes of the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' on the Hill.

Jun 30, 2025 • 33min
National Journal Radio Episode 82: Emerging Senate Battlefields
Nicholas Anastácio, a Senate races reporter at National Journal, dives into the complexities of the upcoming Senate midterms. He discusses the rare pickup opportunities for Democrats, highlighting pivotal primaries and swing state retirements. The conversation shifts to the challenges Democrats face in traditionally Republican areas, like Iowa and Maine. Anastácio also touches on the evolving landscape of endorsements and candidate strategies, and lightens the mood by humorously comparing political drama to reality TV's chaos.

Jun 20, 2025 • 59min
National Journal Radio Bonus Episode: Seeking Approval
Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss President Trump's polling numbers after a busy news week with threats of war with Iran, infighting in the West Wing, and Dems in disarray. Plus, a guest appearance from Hotline House races reporter James A. Downs.

Jun 16, 2025 • 26min
National Journal Radio Episode 81: Look Who’s Talking
Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on new national correspondent Erika Filter to discuss Democrats' struggles with messaging in the Trump 2.0 era, the White House’s new communication strategy, and more.

Jun 9, 2025 • 32min
National Journal Radio Episode 80: Let's Play Ball
With this year's Congressional Baseball Game taking place at Nationals Park on Wednesday, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on the leading expert on the history of the game, Nathaniel Rakich of Baseballot. They discuss Democrats' losing streak, the players to watch, and how torpedo bats could impact the game. Follow Nathaniel's baseball and political insights on X, Bluesky, and on Baseballot.

Jun 2, 2025 • 54min
National Journal Radio Bonus Episode: Trump's Cuts to Government Contracts
Editor-in-chief Jeff Dufour speaks with Robert Shea and Adam Hughes, cofounders of GovNavigators, about the differences between civillian and military contracts, the implications of Trump's cuts to the federal government on the private sector, and more. Episodes of National Journal Radio are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

May 19, 2025 • 29min
National Journal Radio Episode 79: A Step Closer for Budget Reconciliation
The House Budget Committee Sunday night voted to move the "big, beautiful bill" forward after the bill failed in a committee vote on Friday. NJ Daily Editor Ledyard King brings on senior congressional correspondent Casey Wooten and Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann to discuss the potentials pathways for the bill and what tax cuts could be affected in negotiations.

May 12, 2025 • 57min
National Journal Radio Bonus Episode: Handicapping the Midterms
Hotline editor Kirk Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook handicap the midterm elections and discuss the political dynamics of incumbents facing younger primary challengers.

May 5, 2025 • 34min
National Journal Radio Episode 78: The Big, Beautiful Bill
NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King brings on Senate reporter Savannah Behrmann and House reporter Casey Wooten to talk the updates on budget reconciliation. They talk which programs could be at risk due to budget cuts, the role of the Senate parliamentarian in the reconciliation process, and more.

Apr 28, 2025 • 1h 2min
National Journal Radio Bonus Episode: Margins to Mainstream
National Journal has released Margins to Mainstream, a comprehensive look at the acceleration of policy ideas coming from nontraditional sources and what this could mean for organizations looking to anticipate policy shifts. In a webinar last week, Pope Ward and Jeff Dufour broke down the rise of alternative media and its growing influence, challenges in tracking these decentralized voices, and the best tools and strategies to stay ahead. You can find the presentation here if you'd like to follow along while you listen. Download the special report here.