NPR's Newsmakers

Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed says Americans “temporarily” put their trust and hope in Democrats. But he adds that if his party doesn’t act boldly when its takes control of Congress, Democrats may lose that trust. El-Sayed is the first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Senate. The 42-year-old from Michigan is now calling for new Senate leadership and urging President Trump to meet and discuss how they can “figure out what we can work on and get done.”El-Sayed, a former Detroit public health official, even floated the idea of naming major healthcare legislation after Trump.“Put his name on it,” El-Sayed said. “He'll probably pass it. I'm not above doing that. I don't care what it's called.”In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, El-Sayed sat down with NPR host Leila Fadel to talk about a divisive campaign season, the future of the Democratic Party and how Congress should legislate during the final two years of Trump’s term in the White House.Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available — any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to get new episodes as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app.Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Donald Trump recently called Hasan Piker a “terrible liability” and a “communist.”The California-based streamer — who describes himself as a socialist — has become the GOP’s political bogeyman ahead of the midterm elections. Piker argues those attacks will backfire, but also says he has played a role in being portrayed as a 'figurehead of the insurgent left.'“The way that I'm portrayed in the media is an America-hating communist Islamist fundamentalist who wants to secretly do jihad, and then also, at the same time, very woke and gay, so there's this weird inconsistency in their messaging,” Piker says. “Who I am is very simple. I'm a socialist. I'm an anti-imperialist. I want what's best for Americans, and I want what's best for everyone from all around the world.”In this episode from NPR’s Newsmakers, Piker sits down with host Leila Fadel and argues Republicans are using him to distract from policies that made life less affordable. He also addresses his seven Twitch bans, defends his rhetoric against right-wing reactionaries, and reflects on the crisis of loneliness among young men — and the limits of his influence.“At the end of the day, I'm a Twitch streamer,” Piker says. “I hold no political office. I have no real political power. So getting people to be upset at a Twitch streamer and their affiliation as a, if you want to call it a surrogate, in the primary is going to be very difficult.”Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available — any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to get new episodes as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app. Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Tucker Carlson is talking about what happened behind closed doors in his very public break with President Trump over the war with Iran.He recounts an Oval Office meeting, before the conflict began, when Carlson says he warned Trump that he was allowing the U.S. to be led to war by Israel. “Yes, you’re right,” Carlson claims Trump admitted. “But in the end we all die anyway, so it doesn’t matter.” "And I was shocked by that, because it's nihilism,” he says. “That's the last thing any leader should display.”In response to a request for comment from NPR, the White House did not address that point specifically, instead sending along a social media post by the president that describes Carlson and others as “stupid people” who want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, Carlson and host Steve Inskeep unpack the conservative commentator’s split with Trump and the MAGA movement. They also get into faith, money, political power and why Carlson believes both major parties have failed Americans.Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available — any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to get new episodes as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app. Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

There’s a gripe in the comedy scene these days that ‘you can’t say anything anymore.’ Robby Hoffman doesn’t buy it.“Bro, you just did,” she says, responding to an ‘old guard’ of comics who feel maligned for speaking their mind. “You could say anything. But other people had a reaction to it. That also can happen.”Hoffman, for her part, has a lot to say — and more opportunities than ever to do so, from scene-stealing roles in Emmy-nominated shows like Hacks to her most recent Netflix special, Wake Up.She also doesn’t shy away from criticism for what she said in that special, including lengthy jokes about the non-binary community and dismissing the use of they/them pronouns.Hoffman, who describes herself as “somebody who’s clearly in the queer space, who cut my tits off, who could be they/them at the drop of a hat,” pushes back on critics who suggest that her jokes about the topic could be dangerous.“I like to cope and explore through jokes, and I feel like. I should be more able to do that than, say, some of my counterparts,” Hoffman says. “I feel like if I can’t talk about it, who can?”In this episode of Newsmakers, NPR’s Juana Summers sat down with Robby Hoffman at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles to discuss her journey to success and what’s next in her career.“So much, I can’t talk about it,” she says. “I don’t want to jinx it.”Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to get new episodes as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app. Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Congressman Ro Khanna says America needs an “economic realignment.”Fresh off a tour through Pennsylvania, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he is “thinking seriously” about running for president in 2028 — a race he called a “breaking point in America” that could lead to a destructive revolution or a new economic order. “If we don't do something dramatically different, we may break,” Khanna tells NPR’s Steve Inskeep in this episode of Newsmakers.  “Have you met these folks in their 30s? They want pitchforks and torches. They want your scalps … politically.” The California lawmaker — who acknowledged he sits around 2% in the Democratic presidential polls — does not have the name recognition of some other contenders, including his fellow Californians: former Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom. He has, however, steadily raised his profile through years of action on issues ranging from the Epstein files to a wealth tax. And his possible bid for president comes as the Democratic Party’s center and left-wing candidates battle over ideological differences within the party.Khanna said Democrats need to nominate a progressive who will usher in “America’s next New Deal” and shouldn’t fear being labeled “communists” by Republican opponents, including President Trump. “We’ve been calling the guy a fascist for 10 years and he’s won two terms,” Khanna said. “Labels usually don’t matter in American politics.”Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available — any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to get new episodes as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app. Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Hunter Biden says he has nothing left to hide. He’s been all over the internet in recent months, including appearances with some of his harshest critics, such as ultra-conservative podcasters Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes. In May, he reactivated his long-dormant X account, writing, “You've never actually heard from me.”Since then, he’s posted an average of 23 times per day — weighing in on politics, news and culture. After his private life and struggle with addiction was made public through leaks in the media, congressional investigations and federal prosecutions, Biden now says being ‘stripped naked in the public square’ was, in a way, a gift.NPR’s Scott Simon sat down with Biden, who opened up about that public shaming, why President Joe Biden decided to pardon him after tax and gun convictions and why he didn’t want his father to run for reelection in 2024 – but didn’t tell him at the time.Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to get new episodes as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app. Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Bill Maher says he’s “exactly the same person” he plays on TV. He’s been hosting comedy shows on TV for 33 years and just won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.  NPR’s Steve Inskeep sat down with Maher at his Los Angeles home and asked him about his creative process, inviting Louis C.K. to honor him at the Kennedy Center Twain ceremony and what he thinks about President Trump since having dinner with him.NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available — any day of the week. Follow or subscribe wherever you listen or watch so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible. Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to ?plus.npr.org?.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Pastor Doug Wilson believes women should not be allowed to vote and homosexuality should be a crime. He was also invited to speak at the Pentagon this year.That controversial invitation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth underscores Wilson's growing influence in the Republican Party. Wilson is a self-described Christian nationalist who leads Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho — part of a small network of churches with locations including Washington, D.C.Wilson said he opened a D.C. church service because of the number of Christians who adhere to his church’s teachings within the Trump administration. One of the most prominent attendees is Hegseth.NPR's Leila Fadel sat down with Doug Wilson at his main church in Moscow, Idaho, to hear more about why he wants the U.S. to become a Christian theocracy and what that would mean for women and non-Christians in the country.This episode contains profanity and references sexual assault.NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available — any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app.Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Chloe Malle has a new job: steering American Vogue into a new era, and capturing a new generation of readers — ones accustomed to consuming fashion and culture via algorithm rather than the pages of a glossy magazine.Last fall Malle was tapped to succeed Anna Wintour as Head of Editorial Content. The daughter of actress Candice Bergen and the late filmmaker Louis Malle, she started at Vogue 15 years ago as what she describes as a “social editor,” overseeing a weddings-and-parties section that once struck her as too frothy for a serious journalist.Now, in a time when trends are accessible on your phone at any hour of the day, Malle says she believes people still care about Vogue. Under Malle’s leadership, the magazine’s summer issue published in June focused on celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States.In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, Malle sat down with Michel Martin to discuss how the Vogue of today is different from the one she read as an adolescent, why Vogue still matters and how legacy media is evolving.NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available — any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app.Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Former first lady Jill Biden is shedding new light on one of the biggest decisions her husband made as president: to drop out of his own reelection campaign.In this episode of NPR’s Newsmakers, Biden sits down with host Scott Detrow to discuss her new book, View from the East Wing: A Memoir. She opens up about the infamous 2024 presidential debate that doomed President Joe Biden’s campaign -- when his performance so concerned those in his inner circle, Biden says her husband was checked by doctors after leaving the stage -- and the personal and political toll of the months that followed.She also reveals Joe Biden “truly changed his mind” on pardoning their son Hunter, who was convicted on federal gun and tax charges in 2024. She says it was then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Hunter’s criminal cases that eventually led her husband to pardon their son, who faced prison time.NPR's Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts so you always get the latest episode as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app.Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy