The Washington Roundtable Answers Your Questions

The Washington Roundtable Answers Your Questions

Author: The New Yorker November 8, 2025 Duration: 43:15
The Washington Roundtable kicks off the 2026 election season by answering  questions from listeners about the forces most likely to shape next year’s midterm elections. They discuss the ascendancy of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, bitter redistricting battles in the states, the high number of elected officials retiring, and much more. Plus, the hosts reflect on the legacy of former Vice-President Dick Cheney, who died on Monday.  This week’s reading: “America Begins Clapping Back at Donald Trump,” by Susan B. Glasser “California Strikes Back in the Redistricting War,” by Jon Allsop “How Far Can Donald Trump Take Emergency Power?,” by Jeannie Suk Gersen “A Next-Generation Victory for Democrats,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells “The N.Y.C. Mayoral Election, as Processed in Therapy,” by Tyler Foggatt “What Zohran Mamdani’s Bid for Mayor Reveals About Being Muslim in America,” by Rozina Ali “Voting Rights and Immigration Under Attack,” by Jelani Cobb Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. 

Each week, The Political Scene | The New Yorker brings the magazine’s signature depth and clarity directly to your ears. This isn’t just a recap of headlines; it’s a sustained conversation with the people who spend their days investigating the forces shaping our world. You’ll hear from the publication’s own writers and editors, whose reporting and analysis provide essential context for understanding today’s complex political landscape. The rhythm of the week structures these discussions: Mondays feature editor David Remnick in thoughtful conversations and narratives about unfolding events. Then, on Wednesdays, senior editor Tyler Foggatt selects one consequential story and explores it thoroughly through interviews with both New Yorker staff and leading outside voices. Fridays round out the week with contributions from the magazine’s staff writers, offering their distinct perspectives. Tuning into this podcast means getting behind the scenes of the journalism itself, listening as sharp minds dissect power, policy, and the human stories at the heart of it all. It’s for anyone who wants to move beyond the noise and find a more nuanced, informed take on American politics and global affairs.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Political Scene | The New Yorker
Podcast Episodes
Is The 2026 Election Already in Danger? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:04
“The Constitution gives the states the power to set the time, place, and manner of elections,” the election lawyer Marc Elias points out. “It gives the President no [such] power.” Yet, almost one year before the midterms…
Hillary Clinton on the Psychology of Autocrats [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:56
The Washington Roundtable is joined by the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Keren Yarhi-Milo, the dean of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, to discuss why interpreting th…
Charlie Kirk and the Long Shadow of Political Violence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:14
The Washington Roundtable discusses the fatal shooting of the right-wing activist and Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk, who was killed on Wednesday during a speech on a college campus. The panel considers whether the Unite…
The New Yorker’s Head of Fact Checking on Our Post-Truth Era [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:40
Fergus McIntosh, the head research editor at The New Yorker, joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss how the magazine is approaching fact -checking in the second Trump era. They talk about how the spread of disinformation and dee…
Anna Wintour Embraces a New Era at Vogue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:04
Speculation, analysis, and commentary circulated all summer, after the announcement, in June, that Anna Wintour would step back from her role as the editor-in-chief of American Vogue. This changing of the guard is unique…
Trump Has Grabbed Emergency Powers. How Will He Use Them? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:19
The Washington Roundtable, hosted by the staff writers Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer, and Evan Osnos, is back in season. The co-hosts reflect on the news of this summer, discussing President Trump’s imposition of tariffs…
Why Pam Bondi Is the Attorney General of Trump’s Dreams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:33
The New Yorker contributing writer Ruth Marcus joins the guest host and staff writer Clare Malone to discuss Marcus’s recent profile of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. They talk about Bondi’s political origins and her u…
Donald Trump’s War on Culture Is Not a Sideshow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:01
The term “culture wars” is most often associated with issues of sexuality, race, religion, and gender. But, as recent months have made plain, when Donald Trump refers to the culture wars, he also means the arts. He fired…