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Political Theater

From left, Priscilla Chan, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla CEO Elon Musk attend the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump in the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025.

Podcasts

The ‘Bleeding Edge’ bleeds into 2026

Political Theater, Episode 400

By Jason Dick
Posted March 5, 2026 at 1:27pm

Team U.S.A. hockey gold medalists Quinn Hughes, right, his brother Jack Hughes, left, and their teammates are recognized by President Donald Trump during Tuesday's State of the Union address in the House Chamber.

Podcasts

That’s entertainment! Or not. State of the Union 2026

By Jason Dick and Brandon Wetherbee
Posted February 25, 2026 at 5:59pm
Outgoing National Press Club President Mike Balsamo of the Associated Press toasts newly inaugurated NPC President Mark Schoeff Jr. of CQ Roll Call on Feb. 6.

Podcasts

Spotlight on the National Press Club, and its new president

By Jason Dick and Mark Schoeff Jr.
Posted February 13, 2026 at 9:57am
Marissa Lang, an enterprise reporter who was laid off by The Washington Post, hugs a supporter during the Save the Post rally outside the newspaper’s offices on Thursday after about 300 newsroom employees were fired the day before.

Podcasts

The Washington Press Club Foundation dinner debrief

By Jason Dick and Jessica Wehrman
Posted February 6, 2026 at 11:54am
Senators returned to Washington after a massive winter storm, with just a few days to avert a partial government shutdown. Time is not on their side, nor is a solution for addressing concerns about Homeland Security operations.

Forecast shows chance of snow, shutdown

By Jason Dick, Savannah Behrmann and Valerie Yurk
Posted January 29, 2026 at 12:22pm
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive for the inauguration of Donald Trump for his second term as president inside the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025.

Contempt for the Clintons?

By Jason Dick and Todd Ruger
Posted January 22, 2026 at 7:13pm
The decision by Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola, pictured here shortly after being sworn in to her first full term as a member of the House in February 2023, puts into play a Senate seat in a state where Democrats aren’t typically competitive.

‘All the pieces matter’ in politics — just not equally

By Jason Dick and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted January 16, 2026 at 12:14pm
President Donald Trump's approval rating is underwater, as are people's satisfaction with the direction of the country, according to polling averages per the last year. The Political Theater podcast explores which numbers are key to understanding the emerging 2026 campaign's dynamics.

The good, the bad and the meh: What 2026 economic and polling numbers we follow

By Jason Dick and Nathan L. Gonzales
Posted January 8, 2026 at 12:20pm
The movies can be political, even when the topic isn’t politics.

Political Theater’s conversations with filmmakers and other people who dig movies

By Jason Dick
Posted December 29, 2025 at 9:35am
Caution tape is seen on the East Front lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 18. In 2025, Congress faced questions about its role in government as the executive and judicial branches tugged at its responsibilities.

A most consequential year for Congress

By Jason Dick
Posted December 18, 2025 at 1:59pm, Updated December 19, 2025 at 9:19am