CNN Political Briefing

President-elect Donald Trump wants to replace the current FBI director with firebrand Kash Patel—a fierce Trump loyalist who promises to root out the “deep state” and make radical changes to the agency. CNN National Security Reporter Zachary Cohen joins CNN Correspondent Kristen Holmes to break down this controversial pick and what it reveals about Trump’s approach to his second term. They share what they’re hearing about Patel from sources in law enforcement and Trump’s inner circle. Plus, they discuss Trump’s distrust of the FBI and what makes this an unprecedented pick.

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It’s a familiar feeling if you spend enough time on the internet: you talk about something in the real world, and then you see that same thing advertised to you online. This uncanny experience has led many people to wonder: are our devices listening to us? And is that how online advertisers are able to serve such specific ads? David Choffnes, associate professor at Northeastern University, says it’s not that simple. You can read the full study David discussed in this episode here.

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Young voters—especially first-time young voters—helped deliver President-elect Donald Trump his victory this month. The 18-to-29-year-old set tends to vote Democratic, and most of them did. But Trump made significant inroads with young people. This week, John Della Volpe, the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, joins Political Director and Washington Bureau Chief David Chalian to discuss what happened with the youth vote and where the Democrats went wrong with this age group. They also break down three things Gen Z Trump voters expect from a second Trump term and explain why some young voters feel left behind.

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Preparations for President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House are well underway and CNN Correspondent Kristen Holmes is following the transition closely. She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to break down what we know so far about Trump’s mindset, his staffing choices and the mandate he believes he has from American voters. They discuss Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks so far and what they reveal about how he’s approaching his second term. Plus, Kristen describes a typical night at Mar-a-Lago. 

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America was loud and clear in its decision this week, delivering President-elect Donald Trump a decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Now, with Trump heading back to the White House, what’s next? CNN’s Chief National Affairs Correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to break down America's decision. He shares what he learned from one Wisconsin voter that helps explain Trump’s win and lays out what we know so far about what a second Trump term will look like. Plus, they discuss two big surprises from the results. 

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Polls show the divide in how American men and women vote could be bigger than ever this year—and longtime Democratic strategist and pollster Celinda Lake thinks the outcome of this race will be up to the women. She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to discuss what she calls this election’s “gender chasm” that’s given former President Donald Trump the edge with men and Vice President Kamala Harris the advantage with women. They discuss why the gender gap exists—and if it’s here to stay. She also explains how Democrats are reaching women who might be interested in voting for Harris but are hesitant to vote differently from their Trump-supporting husbands.

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The days before an election always bring uncertainty, but that’s especially true this year, with polls showing a near deadlock between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. This week, Republican pollster and CNN Political Commentator Kristen Soltis Anderson joins CNN Political Director David Chalian. They discuss the ever-changing electorate, what makes this year’s polling unique and why she thinks it’s “irresponsible” to make any predictions right now about what will happen on Election Day. Plus, she explains the two X-factors pollsters could have miscalculated this year.

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Early in-person voting started this week in Georgia and North Carolina, and it won’t be long until voters nationwide are lining up at polling places on November 5. So, do election officials feel ready? CNN Political Correspondent Sara Murray has been reporting on how communities across the country are preparing for Election Day. She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to discuss what election officials are doing to combat disinformation and avoid repeating problems from 2020. They also discuss the “neighborhood fights” playing out in Wisconsin over ballot drop boxes and why you shouldn’t be surprised if tallying votes in Pennsylvania takes a long time.

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Election Day is just a little over three weeks away, and there’s still no clear leader in this race. With Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump still neck-and-neck, all eyes are on the battleground states. Doug Sosnik is a longtime Democratic strategist who’s known for his deep-dive political memos. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to share his insights on the current state of play and why he thinks the next 25 days are all about Harris’ ability to close the deal with voters who may not feel naturally aligned with her. He also explains why this election could yield the biggest gender gap in American political history.

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This could be a historic election when it comes to the gender gap. Women have strongly supported Vice President Kamala Harris while former President Donald Trump holds a significant advantage with men. And while women’s rights have been front-and-center in this election, the race has also raised questions about masculinity and male voters. Richard Reeves is the founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, a think tank that does non-partisan research on the wellbeing of boys and men in the US.  He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to discuss the different models of American manhood on display in the race and why he thinks some male voters are feeling “politically homeless” during this election. 

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