CNN Political Briefing

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Earlier this year, enthusiasm for a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump was low with Gen Z voters. It looked unlikely young voters would repeat their record turnout from 2020. But, there are signs of renewed excitement amongst the 18-to-29-year-old set with Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket. A new Harvard Youth Poll this week showed that shift, with Harris commanding a 31-point lead among likely voters under 30. John Della Volpe is the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about Gen Z voters. They discuss the enthusiasm gap between young Democrats and young Republicans, how memes influenced Gen Z’s perceptions of Harris and a somewhat surprising issue that polls well with young voters.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This was a pivotal week for the US economy. The Fed announced its first interest rate cut since the pandemic — and it was a big one. Voters say they're thinking a lot about the economy during this election. In poll after poll, issues related to the economy rank at the top of voters’ priority lists. Catherine Rampell is an opinion columnist for the Washington Post and an economic and political commentator for CNN. She joined CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about this week’s Fed decision, how Americans are feeling about their finances and what economists have to say about the presidential candidates’ plans for the economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris faced off on the debate stage for the first time this week. Harris landed jabs, and Trump struggled to stay on-message. But will their performances move the needle in this extremely tight race? And what should Harris’ and Trump’s campaigns focus on now with the big debate behind them? Karen Finney is a CNN political commentator and was senior spokesperson for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Doug Heye is a Republican strategist who served as deputy chief of staff to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. They join CNN Political Director David Chalian to share their takes on the debate, the candidates’ paths to 270 and how the campaigns could reach on-the-fence voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2024 presidential race has reached a key turning point. Labor Day has passed, Election Day is just over eight weeks away, and the presidential nominees are set to face off on the debate stage in just a few days. New battleground state polls by CNN this week showed a very tight race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Stuart Stevens is a former Republican consultant who worked on George W. Bush and Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns. He’s now an author and an advisor to the Lincoln Project — a group opposed to Donald Trump’s candidacy. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to discuss the state of the race. They talk potential strategies for next week’s debate, the sprint to Election Day and why Stevens thinks this race won’t be as close as many people predict.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than 36 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the 2024 election, and both Democrats and Republicans are competing fiercely to win their votes. Earlier this summer, polls showed former President Donald Trump could build significantly on gains he made with Latino voters in 2020. But, with Vice President Kamala Harris now at the top of the Democratic ticket, those numbers could be shifting. Mark Hugo Lopez is the director of race and ethnicity research at Pew Research Center. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to take a closer look at this critical voting bloc and how the political views of Latino voters have changed in recent years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris has officially accepted her party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention—just a month after President Joe Biden stepped aside and gave her his endorsement. After joining the show for the Republican convention last month, POLITICO’s Ryan Lizza is back to talk all things DNC with CNN Political Director David Chalian. They met at the CNN-POLITICO Grill, steps from the convention floor inside Chicago’s United Center, and broke down what the first three nights of the convention revealed about how the Democrats’ strategy has shifted since Harris took Biden’s place at the top of the ticket. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since Vice President Kamala Harris went from running mate to top of the ticket, her campaign has been light on details about her policy positions. She’s expected to start rolling out her economic agenda this week. Jasmine Wright is a political reporter for NOTUS, and she’s covered Kamala Harris since her 2019 run for the White House. She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to break down how Harris is approaching issues like healthcare, the economy, and immigration this time around — and how Harris the candidate has changed since her last presidential campaign.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris made headlines when she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate this week. CNN's Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny joins CNN Political Director David Chalian from the campaign trail to explain what went into the ‘vibes’-based decision, and the Midwestern Democrat’s ascent from history teacher to vice presidential hopeful.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In just a few years, Ohio Senator JD Vance has gone from author and conservative commentator to President Donald Trump’s running mate. Ohio Capital Journal reporter Nick Evans has been reporting on Vance’s career evolution since he ran for Senate. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about how Vance is performing on the national stage.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Democratic party leaders and donors are rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris as their presumptive presidential nominee. Harris finds herself in her second campaign for the presidency, but this one is in an entirely new context. So how did we get here? Astead Herndon is a national politics reporter for the New York Times and the host of the politics podcast, The Run Up. He previously covered Kamala Harris’ 2019 presidential campaign. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to explain how Harris meets this moment and what to expect in the next hundred days of her campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While former President Donald Trump received a hero’s welcome at the Republican National Convention, President Joe Biden is facing mounting pressure to drop out of the race. On the ground at the RNC, CNN’s Political Director David Chalian sits down with Ryan Lizza, POLITICO's Chief Washington Correspondent and host of the podcast “Playbook Deep Dive”. They talk about Biden’s candidacy teetering on possible collapse and how an assassination attempt on Trump’s life reshaped his convention.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Biden remains in the race for president, for now. But Democrats are divided over whether he should remain their nominee. CNN political commentator Karen Finney joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to explain how we got here and how the party moves forward from here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Joe Biden's performance on the debate stage last night created a panic in many corners of the Democratic party. CNN's Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny joins David Chalian to talk about where both campaigns go from here, and what he considers “perhaps the story of our lifetimes.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Joe Biden has announced an amnesty program for some undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens. It’s one of the biggest protections for undocumented immigrants since President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This comes after the President aimed to limit protections for asylum-seekers who cross the border illegally, earlier in June. CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins David Chalian to explain the President’s policy whiplash, break down the new amnesty program, and discuss the response from Republicans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, a federal jury found President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, guilty on three federal felony gun charges. Will this impact Biden’s 2024 campaign? And how does this case compare, if at all, to the Trump trials? CNN Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to unpack this historic week few weeks of legal news.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump is now the first presumptive presidential nominee to run with a felony conviction. CNN historian Timothy Naftali joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to unpack this unprecedented moment and reflect on how history will remember Donald Trump.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices