PODCAST · news
The Campaign Moment
by The Washington Post
“The Campaign Moment” cuts through the noise and connects the dots of political developments with unmatched reporting, expertise and lively conversations. Co-host Aaron Blake is one of The Washington Post’s veteran political reporters and is a constant each Friday as he analyzes and distills the moments that matter. He also writes our Campaign Moment newsletter. He’s joined by rotating colleagues from the Politics team and “Post Reports” co-hosts Martine Powers and Elahe Izadi.
Episodes
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A message from Aaron
Thank you for listening to “The Campaign Moment” throughout the 2024 election and into the start of the Trump presidency. Stay subscribed to this feed for more updates on our politics coverage in audio. And make sure you’re subscribed to “Post Reports” – that’s where you’ll find our politics...
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Ukraine and the anxiety over Trump's budget
Some House Republicans are getting nervous. They’re worried that passing President Donald Trump’s budget proposal could mean cuts to popular programs like Medicaid. They’ve also gotten an earful from voters angry at Elon Musk who are packing congressional town halls. Senior politics reporter…
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Trump parrots Putin, GOP DOGE drama, a big new poll
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Post congressional reporter Liz Goodwin and Dan Lamothe, who covers the Pentagon and the U.S. military, about the week’s political news. They dig into Trump’s sharp turn against Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and toward Russian...
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A doomsday scenario for the constitution
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Supreme Court reporter Justin Jouvenal and Democracy reporter Colby Itkowitz about how President Donald Trump is testing the power of the courts — and trying to expand his own authority in the process. They break down the cases facing the executive...
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Why so few people stand up to Trump
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with senior national political correspondent Naftali Bendavid and national politics reporter Hannah Knowles about President Donald Trump's proposal to “take over” Gaza, displace Palestinians and remake it as the “riviera” of the Middle East. They also…
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More Trump chaos and key confirmation fights
Trump’s extraordinary news conference on the plane crash near Reagan National Airport, his administration’s freeze and unfreeze of all federal funds, and the Senate hearings for three more of his controversial Cabinet picks. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks through another chaotic week...
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What Trump’s executive orders and Jan. 6 pardons mean
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with senior White House reporter Isaac Arnsdorf and national political reporter Marianne LeVine about how Trump’s executive actions are already having a tangible impact. They also talk about how Trump’s pardon of Jan. 6 rioters was met with a muted...
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Hegseth and Bondi go to Washington
Aaron Blake, senior political reporter and author of The Campaign Moment newsletter talks with national security reporter Abby Hauslohner and national politics reporter Hannah Knowles about the most heated exchanges that Trump’s picks for defense secretary and attorney general, Pete Hegseth and…
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Trump, the unpunished felon
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with The Post’s White House editor, Naftali Bendavid, and national political reporter Maeve Reston about the politics of Trump’s sentencing in the New York hush money case. They also dig into how Trump is trying to pin the Los Angeles wildfires on...
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How Mike Johnson won, and the politics of New Orleans
On Friday, Republicans once again selected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to be speaker of the House — but not before there was a little bit of drama. Earlier this week, President-elect Donald Trump took to social media to link the New Year’s Day vehicular attack in New Orleans to weak border...
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Biden’s legacy, Trump’s Time interview
Aaron Blake, senior political reporter and author of The Campaign Moment newsletter, sits down with senior congressional correspondent Paul Kane and White House reporter Matt Viser to talk about what Biden is trying to do with his last few weeks in office. They also talk about Time magazine’s...
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Will Biden issue more pardons?
On Capitol Hill, Hegseth is facing renewed scrutiny over allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct, which he denies. So this week, the veteran and former Fox News host spent time with lawmakers, publicly and privately making the case for his leadership of the Defense Department. But...
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Gaetz out, Oz in, and your lingering election questions
“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with reporter Leigh Ann Caldwell, who co-authors the Early Brief politics newsletter for The Post, about why Gaetz’s bid for attorney general lasted just eight days. Aaron breaks down why Trump’s electoral…
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The allegations haunting Gaetz and Hegseth
When Trump floated the name of Matt Gaetz for attorney general, some Republicans balked. The former Florida congressman has been investigated by both the Justice Department and the House Ethics Committee over allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl. Gaetz has denied...
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Will Republicans give Trump the Cabinet he wants?
There’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to head up the Justice Department. Former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as the director of national intelligence. Trump has chosen some eyebrow-raising names to…
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What Americans really think of Trump’s promises
President-elect Donald Trump has a lengthy to-do list for his second term in the White House. Among other controversial proposals, it includes conducting large-scale deportations of immigrants in the U.S. without legal status, hiking tariffs on imports, firing career civil servants and granting...
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Democrats play the blame game
“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers, senior political reporter Aaron Blake and White House reporter Cleve Wootson break down the questions many Democrats are asking right now about why Harris lost: Should Biden have dropped out earlier? Did Harris run a bad campaign? Does America hate women?...
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How Trump did it -- and what's next
“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers talks with senior political reporter Aaron Blake and senior national political correspondent Ashley Parker about how Donald Trump won over a broad swath of voters to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris. Plus, how Democrats are reacting to their election…
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Post Reports: Trump's historic win
If you don’t already listen to Post Reports, we’re bringing you our first rundown of the election results, with some initial thoughts from Aaron Blake. Very early Wednesday morning, former president Donald Trump stepped on stage in south Florida and claimed victory. Sounding surprised about how...
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Post Reports: Mapping how Harris or Trump might win
It’s Election Day; today, what voting sounds like across the country — and a primer on what we could expect tonight as the results start to come in, and which down-ballot races to pay attention to. Aaron Blake, host of The Campaign Moment, makes an appearance on the “Post Reports” podcast. After…
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Curious how the electoral college works? Try This.
Remembering all the complex details of how the electoral college works is not exactly easy. And just when you’ve mastered how it all adds up, you probably won’t need to think about it again for another four years — hardly a formula for cementing something in your brain. Aaron Blake, host of The...
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Burned ballots, early voting and final takeaways
The election is just four days away. Tens of millions of Americans have already voted. What do the final polls tell us ahead of the election? “Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with Amy Gardner, who covers early voting for The Post, about what…
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The fallout from Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally
Election Day is one week away. As the Harris and Trump campaigns make their final pitch to voters, could racist comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally on Sunday push Latino voters toward Harris? Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with national political columnist...
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The Elon Musk effect
Over the past few months, Elon Musk has heavily invested in the Trump campaign. Musk is hosting rallies in swing states, giving out million-dollar checks to registered voters in those states and organizing canvassers. Billionaires donating to presidential campaigns is nothing new, but Musk is...
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Record early voting, and good signs for the GOP
Democrats tend to vote early in droves, but early returns this year show signs that GOP voters are hearing their party’s message to cast votes however they can. As of Monday afternoon, nearly 1.5 million Georgia voters had cast their ballots. In North Carolina, the number is over 1 million. And…
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Trump’s bizarre campaign, Harris’s tense interview
“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with national political reporter Marianne LeVine about the peculiar moments that she’s observed on the campaign trail this week with former president Donald Trump. From a music listening session on stage, to some...
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Democrats’ struggles with Black men
A majority of Black voters support Democratic candidates, but the percentage has shrunk in recent years, with the steepest decline among Black men. So, the Harris campaign has launched a round of targeted interviews, deployed prominent Black surrogates and released policy papers aimed…
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Will Democrats flip the House?
Democrats want to retake control of the House of Representatives. Vice President Kamala Harris goes on a media blitz. And elected officials wade through destruction and misinformation after another hurricane made landfall this week. “Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political...
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Bracelets, drones, ads. How Harris is spending campaign cash
Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign is outraising former president Donald Trump’s by wide margins. And if you go to one of her rallies, you can tell. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with national political reporter Maeve Reston about how the Harris campaign is spending cash on the...
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How campaigns deal with news out of their control
The devastation of Hurricane Helene, the escalating tensions in the Middle East and other recent events are casting a shadow over the campaign trail. Read more: Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with The Post’s chief correspondent Dan Balz about the political impact of past natural...
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Walz stumbles early, Vance tries to recast himself in VP debate
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio faced off at what was expected to be the only vice presidential debate on Tuesday night. But it was much less dramatic than the presidential debates. Read more: “Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi talks with senior…
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The battle for the Senate and next week's VP debate
“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with Senate reporter Liz Goodwin about how Senate Democrats are feeling ahead of the November election. They also dig into the politics of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s indictment and preview what to expect in…
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Arizona, Nebraska and the 2024 paths to victory
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, who covers voting issues in Arizona, about how voters in the state are feeling six weeks before the election and what election officials are doing there to try to combat voter fraud claims. They also dig into what a...
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The heightened security concerns cramping Trump's style
“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake chat with national political reporter Michael Scherer about all of this week’s political news. They also dig into how last week’s first – and perhaps only – debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former…
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The increasingly dangerous 2024 campaign
This week saw the second potential assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump in just a few months. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Amy Gardner, a national reporter covering voting on the Post's Democracy Team, about this incident and the ways it’s being talked...
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Polls say Trump lost the debate. What’s his strategy now?
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Isaac Arnsdorf, a political reporter covering Trump and the MAGA movement, about what Trump advisers have been saying in the days after the debate. They also dig into whether misinformation Trump is spewing about Haitian migrants eating domestic…
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Harris and Trump debate. Trump takes the bait.
Post Reports co-host Martine Powers talks with senior political reporter Aaron Blake about what each candidate needed to do in this debate to win over voters in an incredibly tight race. They also talk about whether a new endorsement from Taylor Swift could give Harris an edge. Note: An initial...
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Trump’s debate strategy and Harris’s fundraising momentum
“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter and Kamala Harris expert Cleve Wootson about what Harris and Donald Trump need to do at next week’s debate. They also dig into Harris’s record fundraising numbers and how Harris hopes to...
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The top two states to watch in the 2024 election
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Marianne LeVine, a national political reporter for The Post, about the state of the electoral map for Harris and Trump. They also dig into the potential strategy behind the Trump campaign’s spending push in Pennsylvania and Georgia, and whether...
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Harris’s big interview and Trump’s cemetery controversy
“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb about Harris and Walz’s interview on CNN, new polling that shows continued Democratic enthusiasm, and an altercation between the Trump campaign and an employee at Arlington...
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The RFK Jr. effect
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with politics producer Laura Benshoff about how much Trump stands to gain from RFK Jr.’s endorsement and what kind of impact other third-party and independent candidates like Cornel West, Chase Oliver and Jill Stein might have on the presidential race....
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Harris’s speech and the standout moments from the DNC
Elahe Izadi, co-host of “Post Reports,” and senior political reporter Aaron Blake sit down with White House reporter Cleve Wootson at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to talk about the highlights from Harris’s speech. Harris focused on her middle-class upbringing and how she would...
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Coach Walz’s ‘freedom’ game plan
There’s a new rallying cry for the Democratic Party: “Freedom.” On Wednesday, the third night of the Democratic National Convention, speakers from Oprah Winfrey to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro made the case for why Democrats should be considered the party of patriotism. And then there was Tim...
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Nancy Pelosi's not sorry
Senior political reporter and co-host of “The Campaign Moment” Aaron Blake talks with Marianna Sotomayor, a congressional reporter for The Post who has covered Pelosi for years. They walk through the strings Pelosi reportedly pulled to get Biden to withdraw, earning her the nickname “The…
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Biden’s swan song
Biden received a warm welcome at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday evening when he walked on stage to address his party. Thousands of Democratic delegates packed in the arena chanted “Thank you, Joe!” and pumped signs saying “We love Joe” as he gave his speech. “Post…
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Harris's policy agenda, and Dems’ down-ballot dreams
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake and congressional reporter Liz Goodwin talk with “Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers about the economic policies that Harris’s campaign unveiled Friday, and whether Democrats could win a trifecta in November and make those proposals reality. They also look...
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Harris's expanding path to victory
Senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Campaign Moment newsletter, sits down with Lenny Bronner, a data scientist who works on election models at The Post. They talk about new polling numbers in battleground states and how Harris has put Trump on defense in states like Nevada and...
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The new electoral map, Walz's record and an expensive primary loss
Post Reports co-host Martine Powers sits down with senior political reporter Aaron Blake and Marianna Sotomayor, a congressional reporter covering the House of Representatives, to talk about House Democrats’ enthusiasm for Vice President Kamala Harris’s VP pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – a former...
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Why Kamala Harris is betting on Tim Walz
“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers sits down with senior political reporter Aaron Blake, who writes The Post's Campaign Moment newsletter. They talk about why Vice President Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, his strengths and weaknesses, and how he compares with the…
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Trump’s ‘is she Black?’ attack and Harris’s VP front-runners
In an interview with panelists at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, former president Donald Trump questioned Vice President Harris’s racial identity, saying she only recently started calling herself Black. Also, the leader of Project 2025, the controversial...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
“The Campaign Moment” cuts through the noise and connects the dots of political developments with unmatched reporting, expertise and lively conversations. Co-host Aaron Blake is one of The Washington Post’s veteran political reporters and is a constant each Friday as he analyzes and distills the moments that matter. He also writes our Campaign Moment newsletter. He’s joined by rotating colleagues from the Politics team and “Post Reports” co-hosts Martine Powers and Elahe Izadi.
HOSTED BY
The Washington Post
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Campaign Moment have?
The Campaign Moment currently has 80 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Campaign Moment about?
“The Campaign Moment” cuts through the noise and connects the dots of political developments with unmatched reporting, expertise and lively conversations. Co-host Aaron Blake is one of The Washington Post’s veteran political reporters and is a constant each Friday as he analyzes and distills the...
How often does The Campaign Moment release new episodes?
The Campaign Moment has 80 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Campaign Moment?
You can listen to The Campaign Moment on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Campaign Moment?
The Campaign Moment is created and hosted by The Washington Post.
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