North Carolina, Democrats' elusive battleground

There’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to head up the Justice Department. Former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as the director of national intelligence. Trump has chosen some eyebrow-raising names to staff his Cabinet. But are there any Republicans in the Senate that would choose to block them? Congress reporter Liz Goodwin joins hosts Aaron Blake and Elahe Izadi to dig into Trump’s Cabinet appointments, their chances in the Senate, and whether Trump could bypass the upper chamber entirely with the use of recess appointments.Today's episode was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Rena Flores, Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Gaetz has been under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and accepting improper gifts. The choice of Gaetz for attorney general stunned senators and even some of Trump’s own advisors and set up a test of loyalty for a Republican Senate that might be loath to confirm Gaetz. Host Elahe Izadi speaks with congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor about why Trump would choose Gaetz – and why the former congressman is so controversial, even within his own party. Today’s episode was produced by Laura Benshoff, with help from Ariel Plotnick and Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy and edited by Monica Campbell with help from Maggie Penman, Lucy Perkins, and Reena Flores. Thanks to Emily Rauhala. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Elon Musk invested millions of dollars to help Donald Trump’s reelection campaign through the political action committee America PAC. The result was a massive door-knocking campaign in critical swing states and million-dollar giveaways to voters who signed a petition. Musk held rallies and town halls across Pennsylvania, spoke at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, and was alongside the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago on election night.Now Musk has been picked to help lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, with the goal of cutting government spending and streamlining regulations. Tech reporter Trisha Thadani spoke with Martine Powers about Musk’s political affiliations and his role in a future Trump administration and how it could benefit Musk’s companies. Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick and edited by Maggie Penman. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Lucas Trevor, Bishop Sand, Reena Flores, Sabby Robinson and Emma Talkoff. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

When it comes to abortion, the results of last week’s election were decidedly mixed. Abortion protections passed in New York, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Missouri but failed in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota. This means that 2 million more women now have access to abortion services across the country. But with Donald Trump’s second term as president nearing, there are questions about how a Republican-controlled government will approach the issue of abortion, and whether a federal abortion ban could be on the table. Elahe Izadi speaks to Post reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske about what abortion access now looks like after the election, and how that could change again when Trump returns to the White House. Today’s show was produced by Peter Bresnan. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Monica Campbell. Thanks to Susan Levine, Frances Stead Sellers and Maggie Penman. Additional reporting for this episode was provided by Reshma Kerpalani. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On today’s “Post Reports,” how foreign leaders are reacting to Trump’s victory, and how they are preparing for a second Trump presidency.Read more: For months, foreign leaders have been anxiously awaiting the results of the United States’ presidential election. Now, with Donald Trump’s decisive victory, politicians and policymakers abroad are wondering what a second Trump presidency will mean for them, and for the complex issues facing the world right now.Today, host Martine Powers speaks with foreign affairs columnist Ishaan Tharoor about the ripple effects of Trump’s win across the globe. Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Ariel Plotnick and Elana Gordon. It was mixed by Sam Bair. And edited by Lucy Perkins with help from Maggie Penman. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.Read more about veterans helping with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts here.

“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers, senior political reporter Aaron Blake and White House reporter Cleve Wootson break down the questions many Democrats are asking right now about why Harris lost: Should Biden have dropped out earlier? Did Harris run a bad campaign? Does America hate women?Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to do a variety of things on “Day 1” should he win the presidency: mass deportations, tariffs on all U.S. imports, cutting federal funding for schools that discuss race and much more. Today, host Martine Powers speaks with White House reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb about what Trump’s second term could mean for America.Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Ariel Plotnick and Bishop Sand. It was mixed by Rennie Svirnoskiy. And edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Reena Flores. Thanks to Gina Harkins.

“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers talks with senior political reporter Aaron Blake and senior national political correspondent Ashley Parker about how Donald Trump won over a broad swath of voters to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris. Plus, how Democrats are reacting to their election losses and what this defeat means for the party’s future.Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Former president Trump is projected to win the White House – again. Martine Powers takes you through what we know about the results of a historic election.Read more:Very early Wednesday morning, former president Donald Trump stepped on stage in south Florida and claimed victory. Sounding surprised about how the election had gone, the former president promised to “fix everything” and praised his supporters, saying this was “the greatest political movement of all time.” This morning on Post Reports, we’re walking you through what happened overnight. Later today we’ll be back with another episode diving deeper into the results, and what the second Trump presidency might look like.This morning’s show was produced and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy with help from Peter Bresnan and Elana Gordon. It was edited by Renita Jablonski with help from Maggie Penman and Monica Campbell. Thank you to Aaron Blake, Dan Balz and Mo Rodman.

After an unprecedented campaign season, Election Day in America is finally here. Today, host Martine Powers talks with senior political reporter and host of “The Campaign Moment” podcast Aaron Blake about what to pay attention to as results start to come in this evening, including downballot races and potential scenarios for each candidate's path to victory.Plus: Election anxiety is real! Here’s how to manage stress throughout the day.Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick and Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy and Sam Bair. It was edited by Reena Flores, with fact checking help from Lucy Perkins. Thanks to Mary Jo Murphy, Jenna Johnson, Cathy Decker, Susan Levine, and the whole slew of Post reporters around the country covering this election on the ground, including Laura Benshoff, Holly Bailey, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, and Josh Dawsey.