POLITICO’s Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns bring their fresh insight, analysis and reporting to the biggest story driving the day in the nation’s capital.
PodSkip has analyzed 2 episodes of The Playbook Podcast, averaging 1.5 ads per episode (4% of runtime).
Can the American experiment survive? (with Ken Burns) | The Conversation
Jul 05, 2026
As America marks 250 years since its founding, award-winning documentarian Ken Burns joins Dasha to reflect on what history can teach us about this political moment.
In this wide-ranging interview…
Steve Bannon sizes up the Democrats
Jul 02, 2026
What does MAGA make of the Democratic Party's insurgent wing? POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly shares insights from her interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon…
Running on an anti-establishment ticket
Jul 01, 2026
Results from the Rockies have rolled in, and it’s another big night for the insurgent Democratic candidates. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court wrapped up its term with major rulings, so what do they mean…
Trump’s scorecard on SCOTUS decisions
Jun 30, 2026
The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver end-of-term decisions for several high-profile cases including birthright citizenship, state bans on transgender athletes in women's sports, and campaign…
Trump looms over Colorado Primary
Jun 29, 2026
Colorado voters head to the Primary polls on Tuesday. And there's one big question Democrats are wondering nationally: what's next for insurgent candidates? Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran agree to…
Finland’s president: Europe needs to calm down about Trump (with Alexander Stubb) | The Conversation
Jun 28, 2026
Dasha sits down with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki for a wide-ranging conversation on NATO, Russia's war in Ukraine, Iran and the future of America's relationships with allies around…
How Gov. Wes Moore is challenging Trump’s 250th anniversary narrative
Jun 26, 2026
House Speaker Mike Johnson patches things up with Trump after the president canceled the signing of a bipartisan housing bill on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Democrats of all ilk prepare for the Colorado…
Where the Democratic Party insurgency is headed
Jun 25, 2026
Is the roof collapsing on the Democratic Party? The New York primaries are fueling questions around where the party is headed as insurgent candidates gain ground. Meanwhile, after President Trump…
Mamdani's moment, AIPAC’s reach, and a bipartisan bill
Jun 24, 2026
Playbook Podcast host Jack Blanchard and POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly sit down for a primary postmortem. It’s a big win for Democratic Socialists – so what do New York’s results…
Trump and Mamdani test their political clout in New York
Jun 23, 2026
It’s primary day, again. On this episode of the Playbook Podcast host Jack Blanchard sits down with POLITICO Albany bureau chief Nick Riesman to get the scoop on what’s moving in…
Amid tensions, NATO chief heads to DC
Jun 22, 2026
NATO Chief Mark Rutte heads to Washington to meet with President Trump as tensions simmer over defense spending. Meanwhile, Iran negotiations had a shaky start on Sunday after Israeli strikes on…
Democrats need to stop being ‘boring’ (with Jack Schlossberg) | The Conversation
Jun 21, 2026
Jack Schlossberg joins Dasha to talk about his campaign for New York’s 12th congressional district, his viral online persona and why he thinks Democrats need to be more “controversial” in the Trump…
Versailles, Vance, and the Iran Deal
Jun 18, 2026
The G7 summit has wrapped and Trump signed the Iran MOU at the Palace of Versailles — yes, that Versailles. Politico’s Myah Ward was on the ground at the G7 all week and shares how much Iran and the…
Who is really winning in the Iran deal?
Jun 17, 2026
President Donald Trump is expected to speak later this morning, likely touting the Iran agreement. This comes after Bloomberg published an unconfirmed draft of the memorandum that raises some serious…
Trump tests endorsement in Georgia
Jun 16, 2026
In Georgia’s Republican primary runoff, will Trump’s endorsement of Rep. Mike Collins secure his GOP nomination in a high-stakes bid to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff? Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin…
U.S. and Iran reach a deal. Now what?
Jun 15, 2026
President Donald Trump heads to the G7 Summit in France today after reaching a peace agreement with Iran last night. But what is in the deal, and is it worth the paper it's written on? Amid these…
The EPA isn’t here to fight climate change (with Lee Zeldin) | The Conversation
Jun 14, 2026
At POLITICO’s Energy Summit, Dasha presses EPA administrator Lee Zeldin on rising gas prices, the war in Iran, Trump’s energy dominance agenda, coal, AI data centers, and whether the EPA has a…
Why TACOS are back in the headlines
Jun 12, 2026
TACOs are back. President Trump announced yesterday that he will nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, to be the next director of national intelligence. This comes after pushback on…
A vibe check inside Trump’s White House
Jun 11, 2026
Tumult stirs in the White House as an increasingly frustrated President Trump tightens his inner circle. Abroad, another night of U.S. strikes on Iran is testing whether Trump's long-promised path to…
Lindsey Graham wins, inflation looms
Jun 10, 2026
Voters in Maine have decided: controversy-plagued Democrat Graham Platner will face Sen. Susan Collins in the fall. Meanwhile in South Carolina, Sen. Lindsey Graham defeated MAGA challenger Mark…
Will Graham Platner survive his controversies?
Jun 09, 2026
Voters head to the polls in Maine's primary, where Democrats are watching to see whether controversies surrounding Graham Platner will derail his political future. In South Carolina’s Republican…
100 days of the Iran War and FISA at risk over Bill Pulte
Jun 08, 2026
Sunday marked 100 days of the Iran war with no deal reached. Iran launched a new wave of missiles at Israel overnight and then Israel struck back. Trump is pressing both sides toward negotiations…
The crypto clash that could reshape finance (with Brian Armstrong) | The Conversation
Jun 07, 2026
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong sits down with Dasha for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of crypto, the growing political influence of the industry, and his vision for a world increasingly…
Do scandals still have political consequences? Plus, Biden’s back in the headlines
Jun 05, 2026
The Bidens are back in the spotlight after tensions briefly flared between loyalist Andrew Bates and Jill Biden over her new memoir. Out west, California's primary results are rolling in, revealing…
Todd Blanche gets the gig, oil shocks, and Trump vs. Congress
Jun 04, 2026
Trump nominates Todd Blanche as attorney general—but can he actually get confirmed? Plus, oil industry executives are warning the White House of a potential energy price spike in mid-to-late June as…
Trump's endorsement in Iowa loses and Bill Pulte is now Acting DNI?
Jun 03, 2026
Iowa delivered the biggest surprise of the 2026 primary cycle as a Trump-backed candidate, Randy Feenstra, lost for the first time, while Chuck Schumer's Senate pick, Josh Turek, won comfortably…
Primary Day in the Golden State
Jun 02, 2026
Six states vote today, with California's governor's race taking center stage. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns discuss the unexpected rise of Xavier Becerra, whether a Republican makes the…
Congress returns, Iowa Primary, and the Iran stalemate
Jun 01, 2026
Congress returns from recess with several unresolved items on the agenda. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns walk through the stalled immigration spending bill, an upcoming war powers vote…
Audience Q&A: Dasha Burns pulls back the curtain on covering politics | The Conversation
May 31, 2026
Every week on this show, Dasha Burns talks to the most compelling and sometimes unexpected power players in Washington and beyond. But for this special first anniversary episode, she turned the…
Shapiro on Trump, Fetterman and 2028 over pizza and cheesesteaks in South Philly | On The Road
May 30, 2026
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) sits down with POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at Angelo’s Pizzeria, a South Philly institution, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of the Democratic party, rising…
