Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

WNYC Studios

Donald Trump

Trump Administration

Iran

Democratic Party

United States

ICE

Supreme Court

Venezuela

Trump

Affordable Care Act

Republican Party

Government Shutdown

Jeffrey Epstein

Israel

Midterm Elections

NATO

Free Speech

Department Of Homeland Security

Congress

Democracy

Daily thoughtful conversation about the latest news and politics.

827 ratings

Publishes	Daily	Episodes	1563	Founded	7 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	Daily NewsNewsNews Commentary

Listen to this Podcast

Guests Hosts Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

The real costs of the war with Iran

When we talk about the 'cost' of war, how much is about financial costs? How much is about military costs? And what about humanitarian costs?

On Today's Show:

John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker talks about how analysts, politicians, and ev... more

1 Sep 2026 • 19 min

Wisconsin's Gov Race is a Test Case for Data Center Opposition

Wisconsin is becoming a major hub for AI data centers, and likewise, local advocacy and backlash against them.

On Today's Show:

Dan Kaufman, journalist and author of The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the F... more

31 Aug 2026 • 21 min

How 'Lake America' is about culture, not just tariffs

The Trump campaign to name things in his image continued this week as he signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario Lake America. On today's show. Politico’s Ottawa bureau chief Nick Taylor-Vaisey talks about this and the escalation in Presiden... more

28 Aug 2026 • 26 min

Can we fix polarization on campus?

Do college students need to interact more with those who hold different political views?

On Today's Show:

Neil Gross, sociology professor at Colby College in Maine and the author of What Happened to College?: How Politics Broke Higher Education and... more

27 Aug 2026 • 28 min

Key Facts

Accepts Guests

Accepts Sponsors

Contact Information

Podcast Host

Number of Listeners

Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Brian Lehrer ShowWNYC

On the MediaWNYC Studios

The Political Scene | The New YorkerThe New Yorker

The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion

The New Yorker Radio HourWNYC Studios and The New Yorker

Recent Guests

Nick Taylor-Vaisey

Politico Ottawa Bureau Chief and lead author of the Canada Playbook newsletter

Politico

Episode: How 'Lake America' is about culture, not just tariffs

Neil Gross

Professor of sociology at Colby College

Colby College

Episode: Can we fix polarization on campus?

Yeganeh Torbati

Correspondent covering Iran and the war in the region for The New York Times

The New York Times

Episode: Trump’s economic 'D-Day'

Adam Segal

Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program, CFR

Council on Foreign Relations

Episode: China's growing favorability around the world

Andrew Hale

Economist focusing on trade policy and international relations; fellow at Advancing American Freedom

Advancing American Freedom

Episode: Heritage Foundation defector on 'crackup' of Project 2025 think tank

David Hogg

Founder of Leaders We Deserve, former DNC vice chair

Leaders We Deserve

Episode: David Hogg on next-gen Dem politics

Megan Romer

DSA national co-chair

Democratic Socialists of America

Episode: DSA platform vs. DSA politicians

Rachel Leingang

Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US

Guardian US

Episode: Winners and Losers in the Big Midwestern Primaries

Teo Armus

Reporter at The Washington Post covering midterm elections

The Washington Post

Episode: Winners and Losers in the Big Midwestern Primaries

Hosts

Brian Lehrer

Host of The Brian Lehrer Show with extensive coverage of daily politics and public affairs.

Brigitte Bergen

Senior reporter filling in for Brian, contributing reporting and analysis.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 827 ratings

Brian Lehrer
…but is he a Zionist? Because the way he handled the students’ protests and how obnoxious he was when he interviewed those brave and upstanding pro-palestinian students makes me think he is.
Apple Podcasts
1
janetfo
United Statesa year ago
I Mean … Right?
•EPISODE 960 (Elie Mystal): Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “… Right?” ~ •Episode 976 (Andrea Bernstein): Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “I mean …”

~

•EPISODE: Pre-2024 Voting Rights News: Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “We’re so excited to …”
~ •EPISODE: Biden wants to spend $1.6 trillion: Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “That’s a great question.” (Both guests AND host)

~

•EPISODE: “Is Writing An Op-Ed Now Grounds For Deportation?” Annoying Guest catchphrase: “So …” (also “I mean …”)
Apple Podcasts
3
(Gibberer)
Australiaa year ago
I Mean … Right?
•EPISODE 960 (Elie Mystal): Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “… Right?” ~ •Episode 976 (Andrea Bernstein): Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “I mean …” ~ •EPISODE: Pre-2024 Voting Rights News: Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “We’re so excited to …”
~ •EPISODE No.31 Biden wants to spend $1.6 trillion: Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “That’s a great question.” (Both guests AND host)
Apple Podcasts
4
(Gibberer)
Australia2 years ago
Disappointing
So disappointed in todays show about the targeted attack on World Central Kitchen. Seldom heard such nonsense as the Ha-Aretz journalist saying: oh no, IDF didn’t kill them on purpose - why would they, they will just have to feed the Palestinians themselves now. OBVIOUSLY keeping Palestinian civilians safe and fed has not been a concern of the Israeli government at all - in fact they have been starving them purposefully! And this complete hair brain statement was left standing without a respons... more
Apple Podcasts
2
NYTimes commenter
United States2 years ago
I Mean … Right?
•EPISODE 960 (Elie Mystal): Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “… Right?”
~
•Episode 976 (Andrea Bernstein): Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “I mean …”
~
•EPISODE: Pre-2024 Voting Rights News: Annoying Guest Catchphrase: “We’re so excited to …”
Apple Podcasts
3
(Gibberer)
Australia2 years ago

Embed These Reviews on a Website

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many highlight historical and policy context as a strength of the show.

Listeners appreciate thoughtful, evidence-based questioning and civically minded discourse.

Some critics feel occasional bias or guest selection influences framing.

Overall, audiences find the discussions clear, well-researched, and actionable for understanding current events.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#94	United States/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts	#142	Canada/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts	#231	United Kingdom/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts	#118	Australia/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts	#61	Argentina/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts	#79	Israel/News/Daily News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

DSA platform vs. DSA politicians

Q: I want to ask you about AOC in this context. How much does her situation reflect the movement, and should people take it as representative of DSA as a whole?

The episode explains the complexity: AOC has strong support at the local level even as national endorsements shift; divisions exist, but on-the-ground sentiment in places like New York City remains supportive, while national perspectives are more contested.

China's growing favorability around the world

Q: How has China's soft power evolved since the early 2000s?

Segal explains China began investing in soft power via language and cultural outreach, Confucius Institutes, and embedding China-focused narratives in global policy discussions, with the Olympics as a high-profile showcase.

China's growing favorability around the world

Q: What was your reaction when you first saw the Pew survey results?

Adam says he wasn't particularly surprised given the US reputation damage and long-standing trends of rising Chinese favorability in many countries, especially developing economies.

Flock cameras: Public safety or surveillance state?

Q: How is the company marketing flock to local police departments as a crime-fighting tool?

Koebler explains that flock pitches itself as a system that can rapidly identify and track vehicles of interest, using an integrated network that allows cross-jurisdiction searches to help recover stolen vehicles and locate suspects.

Iran, Israel and others, 81 years after Hiroshima

Q: How was the decision made to actually use an atomic bomb at the end of World War II? Who considered what kinds of moral and military trade-offs?

The guest explains that the action was less a single decision to 'use' the bomb and more the culmination of a program to build it, with multiple factors and trade-offs considered as the war progressed, including the aim of ending the war and the realities of military planning at the time.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

What is Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Thoughtful, balanced political conversation that covers current events, policy, and governance with on-the-record reporting and expert guests. Episodes frequently mix on-the-ground reporting, historical context, and policy analysis, spanning domestic politics, voting rights, national security, and health policy. Noteworthy is a focus on accountability, nuance in framing, and a willingness to challenge guests while grounding discussions in accessible, civic-minded reporting.

Where can I find podcast stats for Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast:

1. The Brian Lehrer Show
2. On the Media
3. The Political Scene | The New Yorker
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. The New Yorker Radio Hour

How many episodes of Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast are there?

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 1563 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast?

Recent guests on Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast include:

1. Nick Taylor-Vaisey
2. Neil Gross
3. Yeganeh Torbati
4. Adam Segal
5. Andrew Hale
6. David Hogg
7. Megan Romer
8. Rachel Leingang

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.

Try it free for 7 days