Post Reports

Unpacking the political fallout from President Donald Trump’s pause on tariffs.

Tariffs are on. Tariffs are paused. Tariffs are making stock markets go wild. Where do we go from here?

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with The Post’s global economics correspondent, David Lynch, and White House reporter Cat Zakrzewski about Trump’s mixed messaging on tariffs, whether the administration’s tariff pause is strategic, and where the policy whiplash leaves Wall Street and American small-business owners. 

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Reena Flores, Lucy Perkins with help from Annah Aschbrenner and mixed by Sean Carter. 

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President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk have vowed to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse they say is rampant in the Social Security Administration, a federal program that provides more than 70 million Americans with retirement or disability income. 

But evidence of widespread fraud and abuse is scant, and cost-cutting at the agency has driven out experienced staff. As a result, the website is crashing, phone lines are clogged, and seniors are reporting difficulty getting the help they need to establish or update their benefits.

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Lisa Rein, who covers the Social Security Administration for The Washington Post, about how this agency has come under fire during the second Trump administration.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sean Carter. 

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After President Donald Trump announced far-reaching tariffs last week, the stock markets immediately reacted, taking the biggest plunge since 2020. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary about how to weather the economic storm, from whether to pause on big purchases like cars to how to handle your retirement savings. 

Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks also to Rivan Stinson.

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Within hours of taking office in January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order freezing nearly all foreign aid. While exemptions were later given for some life-saving services, the move has sent the global fight against HIV/AIDS into chaos. 

In Kenya, clinics have closed, HIV medication is being rationed and condom dispensers are empty, according to The Washington Post’s Nairobi correspondent, Katharine Houreld. She spoke with host Colby Itkowitz about a woman named Mary’s story, and how mothers and children with HIV fear for their lives.

In the wake of the U.S. overhaul in foreign aid, many now wonder: How much of these long-fought victories against the virus are now being lost? 

Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was mixed by Sean Carter, and edited by Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Jesse Mesner-Hage and Jennifer Amur.  

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With the stock market roiling following the announcement of new tariffs, Republicans are confronting a challenge. Will they support President Donald Trump’s economic plans, even if they don’t believe in them? Or will they seek to temper his moves and draw criticism from a president who hates disloyalty?

Senior reporter Aaron Blake talks with Post congressional correspondent Liz Goodwin and Senate reporter Theodoric Meyer about the mixed reactions to this week’s bombshell economic news. They also discuss how special elections in Florida, and a state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin, provide Democrats with some positive data points after their stinging 2024 defeat. In particular, Elon Musk’s spending push in support of the conservative candidate in Wisconsin may have backfired, motivating liberal voters to turn out en masse. Plus, what Cory Booker’s more than 25-hour speech from the Senate floor did and didn’t accomplish.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. 

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President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the largest increase in tariffs in modern U.S. history, unveiling import taxes that he said would revive domestic manufacturing and amount to a national “Declaration of Economic Independence.”

Today on “Post Reports,” financial writer David Lynch joins host Colby Itkowitz to discuss the impact of these tariffs on the American economy, and on your wallet. 

Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson and Ariel Plotnick, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Jen Liberto.  

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President Donald Trump has wanted to make Greenland a part of the United States since his first term, citing its strategic location and valuable mineral resources. Now, the White House is drawing up scenarios for how the U.S. could take control of Greenland from Denmark, which currently governs the island. But those in Greenland and Denmark have been alarmed by the Trump administration’s strategy and rhetoric.

White House reporter Michael Birnbaum reports on this effort and the challenges that the administration is facing as it tries to make this plan into a reality. 

Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick and Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sean Carter. 

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Correction: A previous version of this podcast incorrectly said the elections in Greenland happened "this month." They happened last month in March.

From New York to Boston to Washington, we've seen arrests of noncitizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing ties to Hamas and Hezbollah. The evidence seems to be their participation in protests of the Israel-Gaza war, or social media posts.

Civil liberties groups say the legal justifications are tenuous and potentially unconstitutional. The First Amendment protects the right to speak, protest and publish views, regardless of citizenship status. But experts say that deportation is an area where courts have historically granted the executive branch broad latitude — and that gray area is where the Trump administration is operating.

Today on “Post Reports,” reporter María Luisa Paúl joins host Colby Itkowitz to outline the rights of noncitizen protesters. 

And, as reports emerge of travelers being questioned, detained or refused entry at U.S. ports of entry — and of travelers having their phones searched and taken by border patrol officers – technology reporter Heather Kelly shares her guide to locking down your devices.

Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Sean Carter, and edited by Maggie Penman. 

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Conservative judicial candidate Brad Schimel and Democratic-backed judge Susan Crawford are the ones on the ballot in Tuesday’s election. But it’s Elon Musk who’s drawing outsized attention in the race for an open seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court.

That’s because the billionaire and his super PAC are pumping money into a race that Republicans claim could decide the fate of the country. Democrats, meanwhile, are also spending millions, hoping that painting Musk as the ultimate villain of the race will inspire their base to turnout. 

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks to Wisconsin-based reporter Patrick Marley about how the cash is being spent and the strategy behind it all. 

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Dan Eggen.  

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What does Bob Woodward think of all this? Colby Itkowitz poses that question to the renowned Washington Post journalist in his first sit-down interview about President Donald Trump since Trump’s second inauguration.

Over 50 years ago, Woodward’s reporting of the break-in at the Watergate with his colleague Carl Bernstein exposed the Nixon administration’s plan to spy on and sabotage his political adversaries and the cover-up that followed. After President Richard Nixon’s resignation, Congress would go on to enact new limits on presidential power, which Trump is now challenging. 

In the years since Watergate, Bob Woodward has continued to report on presidents – interviewing Trump and writing three books about him that reveal the president’s approach to power.

“So much of it is Trump just asserted himself, taking on the role of the courts, taking on the role of Congress,” Woodward told Itkowitz. “So we are entering a moment where there is going to be a clash of those traditions and laws and Trump's will.” 

You can also watch the interview here on YouTube.

Special thanks to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. 

Today's episode was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Renita Jablonski and Reena Flores with help from Allison Michaels. It was mixed by Sam Bair. 

Additional thanks to Zach Purser Brown, David Bruns, Ross Godwin, Randolph Smith, Dan Mich, Tom LeGro, Lauren Saks and Micah Gelman on our video team. 

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