Election Day is less than a week away and many students at the University of Connecticut have already cast their ballots. The election, specifically the hotly contested presidential race, has dominated the headlines with a new story or development seemingly coming out every day. This makes it hard for many to keep up with the ever-changing state of the race, which makes it especially difficult for voters who have yet to decide who they will throw their support behind. Many have turned to podcasts as a main source of election news and analysis, as well as to get to know the candidates thanks to the frequent appearances of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on some of the nation’s biggest podcasts. Here are some of the top election-related podcasts to check out in the run-up to Tuesday.
The NPR Politics Podcast
The NPR Politics Podcast is a daily podcast that covers the latest breaking election stories. NPR reporters on the campaign trail join the podcast to discuss the state of the presidential race, as well as the elections to the House of Representatives and Senate. This is a great source for those who want a streamlined way to get the biggest election headlines from an outlet that doesn’t have bias like many 24-hour news networks do. The podcast’s format of featuring a rotating cast of reporters keeps it interesting for frequent listeners, providing variety for each episode.
FiveThirtyEight Politics
Though the website FiveThirtyEight was simplified and left as a shell of its former self with the new website 538, the site’s podcast has remained the same. The podcast looks at the election with a numbers-driven approach to analyze and predict the outcome of what’s on the ballot. Topics include not just what the polls are saying about who will win, but also trends that can be seen from the polls. Host Galen Druke also keeps things fresh by bringing in different elections experts and analysts to offer their insight.
Donald Trump’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience
In the final stretch of the campaign, Harris and Trump have engaged in a “podcast war” by appearing on various podcasts to talk about the issues, but also try to connect with voters. Arguably the most notable appearance was when Trump appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, the nation’s most listened-to podcast. The three-hour long interview allows listeners to hear Trump talk about issues like foreign policy, but also some more light-hearted banter about whether aliens exist and “The Apprentice.” This is a must-listen episode for those who want to know more about the candidates as people and not just their policies.
Kamala Harris’ appearance on Call Her Daddy
In the midst of the “podcast war,” Harris appeared on an episode of “Call Her Daddy,” the nation’s most popular podcast among women and the second most listened-to podcast only behind Rogan. The 40-minute-long episode featured a sprawling conversation between Harris and host Alexandra Cooper about some of the most important issues to female voters, including abortion rights and increasing support for female survivors of abuse. Harris also talked about her experience as a prosecutor and as a stepmother. Like Trump’s appearance on “Rogan,” the episode is a great way for voters to learn more about Harris, her policies and her background.