The Playbook Podcast

We're bringing you an episode of our newest show, On the Road with Jonathan Martin.

POLITICO’s senior columnist sits down with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders for a lively conversation about politics, leadership and life growing up in the governor’s mansion. From her time as White House Press Secretary to leading Arkansas today, Sanders shares insights on the Republican Party, U.S.-Israel security and the memories that shaped her journey—all while enjoying some of the state’s best barbecue.

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President Donald Trump's retribution campaign is landing in Indiana. After a raft of Republican state lawmakers spurned the White House's redistricting push in the Hoosier State, the president and his allies vowed to target rebels with aggressive primary efforts to oust them from their seats. That promise is now getting backed up by a significant splash of cash for a suite of state-level races. Playbook's Adam Wren and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the unprecedented effort from MAGA world.

A group of hard-line immigration hawks are pressing President Donald Trump's administration to keep up his mass deportation agenda, despite signals that the White House wants to take a new approach on the issue. With a new DHS secretary on the way in, the White House has sought to drive a different message on immigration ahead of the midterms. But the MAGA wing of the party wants to see Trump go further still. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the split between the rhetoric and the reality.

This week kicked off with a tumultuous moment for the markets as the war with Iran set off panic and spiking oil prices. But the White House didn't flinch. The administration believes it has a three- to four-week window to bear the brunt of any economic impacts as it pushes forward with military operations in Iran. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House reporter Megan Messerly discuss the tightrope that President Donald Trump is walking on the issue during an all-important midterm year.

After markets tumbled to open the week, President Donald Trump on Monday indicated that the war with Iran may not stretch as long as many have feared. Trump used the word "complete" a number of times throughout his remarks, seeming to signal that the U.S. military forces had accomplished most of his desired objectives. But the situation on the ground is evolving rapidly, and a U.S. exit is still uncertain. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Politics Bureau Chief Jonathan Martin discuss Trump's guiding light. Plus, JMart previews his new podcast project launching today.

Oil prices are soaring at record figures as the war with Iran continues expanding, with little sign of slowing down. The White House is urging calm, promising that the historic disruption will only be temporary. But the rising prices are threatening to pinch American consumers at the pump, and the knock-on effects are difficult to predict. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and POLITICO's diplomatic correspondent Felicia Schwartz discuss how long President Donald Trump can sustain this position.

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) is a young rising star in the Republican Party. She sits down with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns to talk about how the war against Iran could affect Americans at home and the urgency of the midterm elections for the Republican Party. Britt also gets candid about her unique relationship with the White House and what it was like having Scarlett Johansson play her on SNL.

And later on the show, Dasha breaks down the exciting Texas primary elections with a panel of journalists. Elaine Godrey of “The Atlantic,” Gabby Birenbaum of “The Texas Tribune” and POLITICO’s Adam Wren share their takeaways.

During an exclusive interview with White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns, President Donald Trump made clear that his administration wants to be involved in selecting new leadership for Iran. During a lengthy conversation, Trump weighed in on the still-unfolding situation in Iran, Venezuela and Cuba — among other things. Playbook's Adam Wren and Dasha break down what Trump's latest comments mean. Plus, the Zohran Mamdani manifesto is going global.

The White House pledged that 2026 would see President Donald Trump focused on an affordability agenda, with voters feeling cost-of-living concerns ahead of the midterms. Now, the war that he set off with Iran is causing a spike in gas prices, leading to panic within the administration as they race to tamp down the fallout and pitch a message to voters who are feeling the pinch at the pump. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss the ramifications of the ever-expanding war.

The Texas Senate primary results produced every bit of drama that the races promised ahead of Election Day. Democrats are set to put state Rep. James Talarico up for the nomination, while the Republican race is headed to a runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and state AG Ken Paxton. The question now turns to the White House: Will President Donald Trump put his thumb on the scale ahead of the May 26 runoff? Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns sort through the results.