National Journal Radio

Hotline Editor Kirk A. Bado brings on national political correspondent Erika Filter to discuss President Trump's role or lack thereof on the midterm campaign trail, the political dynamics between Republican candidates and Trump, and the Democratic hopefuls on the campaign trail instead.

With the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia getting closer to Election Day, Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado brings on states correspondent Abby Turner to discuss the campaign trail for Republican and Democratic candidates, which issues have become important to voters, and more on the political dynamics.

In this bonus episode, Hotline Editor Kirk A. Bado and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss the battles on the Senate map, the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, and the changing political dynamics this midterm cycle. Read Gary Jacobson's article here: https://www.psqonline.org/article.cfm?IDArticle=20715 Watch the Midterm Election Preview on C-SPAN here: https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2026/midterm-election-preview/667195

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado and NJ Daily managing editor Ledyard King jump on the podcast to discuss where things stand on Day 6 of the government shutdown. They detail the positions of Democrats and Republicans, which party voters find more responsible, and what role the White House could play to resolve the standoff.

Editor-in-Chief Jeff Dufour and Cook Political Report with Amy Walter founder Charlie Cook discuss the latest news on redistricting, the impending government shutdown, and how thermostatic politics could affect the dynamics of the midterm elections.

Red states like Texas and Missouri have yielded to the White House's calls and redrawn their congressional maps to get more GOP-friendly seats. In response, Democratic states have also considered redraws to counteract their Republican counterparts. But with differences among state legislatures and complications in the redistricting process, it could be easier said than done. Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado talks to House races correspondent James A. Downs on the tense arms race between red states and blue states, the legal battles behind redistricting, and the real-life impacts of what redistricting could have on communities.

In this bonus episode, National Journal Editor in Chief Jeff Dufour talks to Max Stier, President and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service in the third installment of the Trump 2.0 From Platform to Policy webinar series. They unpack the Trump administration's proposed and enacted changes to the federal workforce and how that could affect policy in return. You can follow along with the presentation they discuss in the episode here. You can also look at this one-pager recap of the webinar here.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has shaken up the department, from his anti-vaccine stances to his firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez. National Journal Daily Managing Editor Ledyard King brings on congressional-policy reporter Nancy Vu to go in-depth on the backlash toward RFK Jr. from Democrats and Republicans at his recent congressional hearing.

Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado sits down with the authors of the Almanac of American Politics, Louis Jacobson and Richard E. Cohen, as the Almanac's 2026 edition is released. Listen as they discuss the process for writing this edition, keeping up with the rapid political environment before the publishing deadline, and why the Almanac still matters after 53 years. Buy the 2026 edition here: https://www.thealmanacofamericanpolitics.com/index.aspx

In this bonus episode, National Journal Editor in Chief Jeff Dufour, NJ Daily Managing Editor Ledyard King, Hotline Editor Kirk Bado, and congressional policy reporter Nancy Vu are gathered in a virtual roundtable discussion to discuss a hectic August recess. They'll discuss what's going on in Washington in the weeks ahead, the state of the 2026 midterms, and how congressional retirements are impacting ideological composition in both parties.