CNN Inside Politics
by CNN Podcasts
Each weekday, Dana Bash and a panel of well-sourced reporters bring you the most important political stories of the day. On the weekend, Manu Raju kicks off CNN's Sunday morning political programming with Inside Politics Sunday. Dana and Manu get answers from the people making headlines, explain the political stories that matter, and report on how the news will impact you.
Episodes
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Haley Stevens Defects to Rogers, Shaking Up Michigan Senate Race
A major late-campaign shakeup rattles one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races as Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens abandons Democratic nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and endorses Republican Mike Rogers. Dana Bash and her panel examine the fallout in Michigan, new polling showing Democratic...
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Election Showdown: Inside the Battle for Control
With the midterms around the corner, join us as we dive into the key races that could flip the balance of power in Washington. Can Democrats defy the odds, or will Republicans hold strong?
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Senate Battleground Expands; Trump Reverses Course on Rallies; Alaska Ballot Controversy
With four days until Election Day, seven Senate races remain toss-ups as the battleground expands into traditionally Republican states including Kansas, Texas and Alaska ... President Trump reverses course and puts previously canceled rallies in Kansas and Iowa back on his schedule ... Alaska...
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Dems Leading or Deadlocked in Four Critical Senate Races
With just five days until Election Day, new CNN polling shows Democrats leading in key Senate races in Michigan and Texas, while contests in Maine and Kansas remain deadlocked ... President Trump returns to South Carolina to boost Republican turnout in the unexpectedly competitive Senate race ......
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Democrats Get New Hope in South Carolina
With six days until the election, a new poll shows Republican Senator Darline Graham and Democrat Andy Andrews tied at 48% in South Carolina, a state President Trump won by 18 points. In Alaska, new reporting from The New York Times alleges Democrats recruited another candidate named Dan Sullivan...
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Trump Makes Final Push in Key Midterm Races
With Election Day just one week away, President Trump is crisscrossing the country to boost Republican candidates in closely watched races, including two stops in Texas with Senate candidate Ken Paxton. His packed schedule through usually reliable red states underscores GOP concerns about voter...
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Trump's Closing Midterm Strategy Under Scrutiny
With early voting surging and Election Day just eight days away, President Trump launches a final campaign blitz through Republican strongholds as both parties race to shape the battle for control of Congress. Inside Politics examines the key races, messages, and controversies that could…
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Countdown to Change: The Final Days Before the Election
Ten days until a pivotal election. Join Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju as we break down the final stretch in the race for Congress. Can Democrats take control, or will we witness a historic collapse? Tune in to find out.
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House Democrats Poised for Biggest Majority in 16 Years
With just 11 days until the midterm elections, a new Cook Political Report analysis shifts 19 House races toward Democrats, including several Republican-held seats. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats are likely to win back the majority.
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Ohio Governor Denounces Ramaswamy Ad
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine denounces a new ad from Vivek Ramaswamy featuring the estranged mother of Democrat Amy Acton. DeWine calls the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and says knowing the family’s backstory makes it even more wrong.
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Democrats Hold Double-Digit Lead as Trump Approval Hits New Low
With 13 days until the midterm elections, new CNN polling shows Democrats with a 10-point advantage over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 49% to 39%, while President Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a new low of 32%. The poll also finds nearly half of voters have an…
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Trump Stokes Midterm Fears as Crucial Senate Races Tighten
With just two weeks until Election Day, more than $300 million in ads are set to flood the ten Senate races CNN rates as most likely to flip, with Ohio, Texas and Iowa now toss-ups. President Trump takes his midterm message to North Carolina after pointing to unrest in France to warn voters about...
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Trump Hits the Trail as GOP Midterm Nerves Grow
With just 15 days until Election Day, President Trump is campaigning in seven states he won two years ago as Republicans fight to hold their congressional majorities. Early in-person voting begins today in eight more states, including key Senate battlegrounds Alaska, South Carolina and Texas.
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Countdown to Control: Battlegrounds, Challenges, and Campaigns
Inside Politics Sunday is diving deep into the pivotal Senate races of this election cycle. With just 16 days to go, can Democrats flip crucial red states? Can history be made in Kansas? Follow our exploration of this thrilling Senate race where Democrat Adam Hamilton aims to break a 94-year streak.
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House Battleground Expands Into Trump Territory
With just 18 days until the election, the Cook Political Report has shifted 11 House races in Democrats' favor, including nine in states President Trump won in 2024. Several contests in traditionally Republican territory are now growing more competitive as the battle for control of the House...
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AOC Hits GOP Turf in Key Michigan Senate Race
With just 19 days until the election, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is campaigning with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's largely Republican Upper Peninsula. El-Sayed is trying to cut into GOP support in a tight race against Republican Mike Rogers and help Democrats shift the...
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Can Talarico Turn Texas Blue?
With 20 days until the election, two new polls show no clear leader in the Texas Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and President Trump's handpicked GOP candidate, Ken Paxton. Talarico is hoping to defy political history, flip deep-red Texas and help Democrats take back the Senate.
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Questions Already Swirling Around New Press Secretary
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia's debut is drawing negative reviews from Trump world, with some officials already questioning how long she'll last. Zacharia also announced that Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to resign, and Guilfoyle stepped down minutes later amid...
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Is Musk Trying to Buy the Midterms?
Elon Musk, the world's richest man, is pouring a historic amount of cash into the midterms - at least $366 million, with at least $276 of that spent since July. Will his record-breaking political push turn the tide for Republicans?
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Senate Battle & AI Ad Wars
Dive deep into the latest political maneuvers with Inside Politics Sunday. From close Senate races to the impact of AI in campaigns, we're breaking it all down. Listen now to stay informed.
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More Bad News for GOP
The Cook Political report deals a stinging blow to Republicans, revising its election forecast by moving 18 House races in Democrats' favor. That includes four GOP seats in Iowa and Pennsylvania. Cook now projects Democrats will gain between 9 and 19 seats, more than enough to flip control of the...
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Red State Warning
New CNN polls underscore Republicans at risk on home turf as voters blame President Trump for making life more expensive. Two Republican Senate seats in states Trump won by double digits now appear up for grabs.
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Trump Trying to Help Texas GOP Hold-Em
A new midterm forecast shows Texas, a Republican stronghold for nearly a century, is now up for grabs. That's why President Trump is heading back to the Lone Star State today for the third time in less than a month. He'll rally in San Antonio with his Senate pick, Ken Paxton, who's locked in a...
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Trump's Financial Goody Bag
President Trump is doling out goodies and promising Americans relief from high prices, but will voters believe him? In addition to promising multiple rebates, he signed an executive order that he claims will lower near-record diesel prices and "drive down the cost of all goods, including grocery...
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Dems Path To Senate Majority Getting Wider
Our new analysis of the Senate races most likely to flip from red to blue confirms Democrats have a clearer path to a majority than at any time in this election cycle. Trying to counter that, both President Trump and VP JD Vance are campaigning on GOP turf, trying to boost incumbent Republican...
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The Battle for Midterm Dominance: Red States, Blue Waves
With just 30 days left till the midterms, we're diving deep into how President Trump is impacting key races across the country. Can the GOP hold power in Congress?
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Uninspiring Jobs Report Adds to GOP Concerns
The final jobs report before Election Day arrived today, and it's not great. The US added just 29,000 jobs in September, far fewer than expected, while unemployment ticked up to 4.2%. These latest uninspiring numbers come as voters across the country continue to rank the economy as their top issue.
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Early Voting Favoring Dems
Today, we're getting our first look at early voting with our newly launched CNN tracker. Nearly 800,000 ballots have already been cast around the country, and there are clear signs of Democratic enthusiasm and an advantage for the Democrats in several states with key races. Our coverage begins…
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Abdul el-Sayed Leads in Michigan
With just 34 days until the midterms, a new Marist poll shows Democrat Abdul el-Sayed with a seven-point lead over Republican Mike Rogers in their race for the Senate. But for many in the Wolverine State, the choice is about someone who isn't on the ballot: Donald Trump.
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Jack Smith Grilled on Capitol Hill
Jack Smith, who led multiple DOJ investigations into Donald Trump, testified today in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. We heard about classified documents, 2020 election lies, and the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Which begs the question: Why is the GOP relitigating old grievances…
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'Effing Rough'
The headline above is how one Trump adviser is describing the midterms to CNN. That blunt assessment comes as President Trump finally hits back at Florida Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, a vulnerable Republican who made a campaign ad criticizing his deportation policy. The president shared at...
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Election Countdown: Challenges and Strategies for Republicans
Is America gearing up for another political shift? Join us on Inside Politics as we unpack the GOP's internal struggles and Democratic strategies.
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Trump Gives Xi Democracy Tour
As today's show begins, President Trump is escorting Xi Jinping on an archivist-guided tour of the National Archives, where the foundational documents of American democracy permanently reside.
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Press Standoff at White House
As today's show begins, our CNN colleague Betsy Klein has had a heck of a time attempting to get access to the White House. This, despite a judge last night temporarily throwing out President Trump's press ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
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Trump's Poll Numbers Keep Cratering
President Trump wants the midterms to be all about him. But a new CNN poll shows why many Republicans on the ballot may want the opposite. In fact, it's hard to look at these numbers as anything other than a repudiation of the president. Today we dig into the specifics and discuss what they mean...
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Trump Defends Iran War at UN
President Trump defended his war against Iran on the world stage today, casting himself as a peacemaker while threatening to "annihilate the Islamic republic." Yet a new CNN poll shows just one in four Americans approve of how he's handling the war.
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Trump vs. the Press
We've got new CNN reporting on why the president suddenly banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. Earlier today the three news outlets filed a lawsuit against the White House, claiming the ban is a direct violation of the First Amendment.
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Midterm Battles: Media, Economy, and Political Maneuvers
Political drama unfolds as President Trump picks fights with media outlets just 44 days before the midterms! Can Democrats flip key states or is it all just noise? Also, as President Trump hosts China's leader amidst media crackdowns, are we witnessing a distraction or a strategic move? Tune into...
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Are GOP Candidates Ghosting Trump?
We're 46 days until the midterm elections, and it appears at least some vulnerable Republicans have decided cozying up to the White House may not be the best strategy. The latest is GOP Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, who is skipping a rally in Iowa that VP Vance is attending. Hinson's move comes...
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Trump Plays Crime Card in NC
Is President Trump trying to take the 2026 midterms back to 1988? Stumping for Senate candidate Michael Whatley in North Carolina, Trump referred to Democrat Roy Cooper as a "pro-crime politician" who's "tried to bully you into silence while they turned your cities into blood-soaked killing…
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Trump Boost? Or Trump Burden?
President Trump is now going all in on the midterms with his cash and his time. He hits the trail tonight in North Carolina to campaign with GOP Senate candidate Michael Whatley in his race against former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. The visit underscores a crucial challenge for Whatley. He...
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Patel Grilled by Senate
FBI Director Kash Patel fielded questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee today, and the hearing veered into some very unexpected directions, with topics swinging from election lies and violent immigration operations to ... bestiality? Meanwhile, as the Patel was testifying, President Trump…
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Road to 51 Takes a Turn
On today's show we bring you brand new CNN reporting ranking the top nine Senate seats most likely to flip. But we begin with a harrowing Saturday night on the trail for the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, Tom Tiffany, who was flying home from a campaign event when his small,...
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GOP's Big Spend: The Battle for Senate Control
With just 51 days until Election Day, Inside Politics Sunday explores the GOP's ad blitz to secure their majorities. Dive into the strategy and potential impact.
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Remembering 9/11
John King anchors our special coverage of the 25-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
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SCOTUS Rules Against GOP
The Supreme Court may have just saved a Democratic House seat. After days of electoral chaos, the justices firmly rejected GOP efforts in Missouri to bring back a Republican-friendly congressional map that the state courts had blocked. Meanwhile, President Trump channeled his inner Oprah at the...
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New Poll: Key Senate Races Too Close To Call
Brand new CNN polling from Michigan and Maine - two battleground states that could determine which party controls Congress - reveals that the Senate races in each are statistically tied. We consult the "magic wall" with all the numbers.
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All Eyes on New Hampshire
With just 56 days until the midterms, the economy, Iran war, and now a trade war with Canada are threatening the vulnerable Republicans. We are tracking the races, candidates and stories that could shift the balance of power. And we start today with New Hampshire, where there are competitive...
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Negotiating the Trump Election Challenge
Labor Day traditionally marks the beginning of the general election campaign - the moment when non-political junkies start tuning in. This year, it's also the turning point for President Trump, who's ramping up his personal involvement in many races. But for many Republican candidates, that...
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The Midterm Showdown: Trumpapalooza and Its Impact
Get the inside scoop on Trumpapalooza and its impact on endangered Republicans. Don't miss today's deep dive into the midterms and what's at stake.
About this show
Each weekday, Dana Bash and a panel of well-sourced reporters bring you the most important political stories of the day.
On the weekend, Manu Raju kicks off CNN's Sunday morning political programming with Inside Politics Sunday. Dana and Manu get answers from the people making headlines, explain the political stories that matter, and report on how the news will impact you.
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