podcast
CNN Political Briefing
Join CNN Political Director David Chalian as he guides you through our ever-changing political landscape. Every week, David and a guest take you inside the latest developments with insight and analysis from the key players in politics.
Earlier this year, enthusiasm for a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump was low with Gen Z voters. It looked unlikely young voters would repeat their record turnout from 2020. But, there are signs of renewed excitement amongst the 18-to-29-year-old set with Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket. A new Harvard Youth Poll this week showed that shift, with Harris commanding a 31-point lead among likely voters under 30. John Della Volpe is the direct…Show moreor of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about Gen Z voters. They discuss the enthusiasm gap between young Democrats and young Republicans, how memes influenced Gen Z’s perceptions of Harris and a somewhat surprising issue that polls well with young voters.
Sep 27, 2024
This was a pivotal week for the US economy. The Fed announced its first interest rate cut since the pandemic — and it was a big one. Voters say they’re thinking a lot about the economy during this election. In poll after poll, issues related to the economy rank at the top of voters’ priority lists. Catherine Rampell is an opinion columnist for the Washington Post and an economic and political commentator for CNN. She joined CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about this week’s Fed decision, how Americans are feeling about their finances and what economists have to say about the presidential candidates’ plans for the economy.
Sep 20, 2024
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris faced off on the debate stage for the first time this week. Harris landed jabs, and Trump struggled to stay on-message. But will their performances move the needle in this extremely tight race? And what should Harris’ and Trump’s campaigns focus on now with the big debate behind them? Karen Finney is a CNN political commentator and was senior spokesperson for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Doug Heye is a Republican str…Show moreategist who served as deputy chief of staff to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. They join CNN Political Director David Chalian to share their takes on the debate, the candidates’ paths to 270 and how the campaigns could reach on-the-fence voters.
Sep 13, 2024
The 2024 presidential race has reached a key turning point. Labor Day has passed, Election Day is just over eight weeks away, and the presidential nominees are set to face off on the debate stage in just a few days. New battleground state polls by CNN this week showed a very tight race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Stuart Stevens is a former Republican consultant who worked on George W. Bush and Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns. He’s now an author an…Show mored an advisor to the Lincoln Project — a group opposed to Donald Trump’s candidacy. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to discuss the state of the race. They talk potential strategies for next week’s debate, the sprint to Election Day and why Stevens thinks this race won’t be as close as many people predict.
Sep 6, 2024
More than 36 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the 2024 election, and both Democrats and Republicans are competing fiercely to win their votes. Earlier this summer, polls showed former President Donald Trump could build significantly on gains he made with Latino voters in 2020. But, with Vice President Kamala Harris now at the top of the Democratic ticket, those numbers could be shifting. Mark Hugo Lopez is the director of race and ethnicity research at Pew Research Center. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to take a closer look at this critical voting bloc and how the political views of Latino voters have changed in recent years.
Aug 30, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris has officially accepted her party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention—just a month after President Joe Biden stepped aside and gave her his endorsement. After joining the show for the Republican convention last month, POLITICO’s Ryan Lizza is back to talk all things DNC with CNN Political Director David Chalian. They met at the CNN-POLITICO Grill, steps from the convention floor inside Chicago’s United Center, and broke down what the first three nights of the convention revealed about how the Democrats’ strategy has shifted since Harris took Biden’s place at the top of the ticket.
Aug 23, 2024
Since Vice President Kamala Harris went from running mate to top of the ticket, her campaign has been light on details about her policy positions. She’s expected to start rolling out her economic agenda this week. Jasmine Wright is a political reporter for NOTUS, and she’s covered Kamala Harris since her 2019 run for the White House. She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to break down how Harris is approaching issues like healthcare, the economy, and immigration this time around — and how Harris the candidate has changed since her last presidential campaign.
Aug 16, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris made headlines when she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate this week. CNN’s Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny joins CNN Political Director David Chalian from the campaign trail to explain what went into the ‘vibes’-based decision, and the Midwestern Democrat’s ascent from history teacher to vice presidential hopeful.
Aug 9, 2024
In just a few years, Ohio Senator JD Vance has gone from author and conservative commentator to President Donald Trump’s running mate. Ohio Capital Journal reporter Nick Evans has been reporting on Vance’s career evolution since he ran for Senate. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about how Vance is performing on the national stage.
Aug 2, 2024
Democratic party leaders and donors are rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris as their presumptive presidential nominee. Harris finds herself in her second campaign for the presidency, but this one is in an entirely new context. So how did we get here? Astead Herndon is a national politics reporter for the New York Times and the host of the politics podcast, The Run Up. He previously covered Kamala Harris’ 2019 presidential campaign. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to explain how Harris meets this moment and what to expect in the next hundred days of her campaign.
Jul 26, 2024