Trump's Terms

Host Scott Detrow curates NPR's reporting, analysis and updates on the 47th President, focusing on actions and policies that challenge precedent and upend political norms, raising questions about what a President can do — and whether his efforts will benefit the voters who returned him to power. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Trump's Terms.

Latest Episodes

Gulf allies brace for a future with an emboldened Iran

Aug 20, 2026

As President Trump tries to disengage from the war he launched on Iran, Gulf allies worry about their own future with their powerful neighbor. NPR's Aya Batrawy reports.

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Trump administration launches $5B AI initiative aimed at advancing science

Aug 19, 2026

The Trump administration has a new $5 billion initiative dedicated to using artificial intelligence to advance science. It's part of what the administration calls a new "golden age of science." NPR's Katia Riddle reports.

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Border construction paused at Big Bend National Park after public outcry

Aug 18, 2026

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott says he is "pausing all construction activity" on border infrastructure in Big Bend National Park, ahead of a visit to the area this week.

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Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea

Aug 17, 2026

President Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back its joint military exercises with South Korea because the country declined to help with the Iran war, citing his relationship with North Korea. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports.

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Cyclosporiasis outbreak is a test for agencies where Trump made cuts

Aug 14, 2026

Last year's funding cuts to federal agencies that oversee foodborne illness outbreaks are being tested with the record cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports.

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Report suggests a threat forced Trump to switch aircraft as he departed NATO summit

Aug 12, 2026

President Trump boarded Air Force One last month as usual. But the Washington Post reports he was smuggled off the plane in a catering truck and flew on an entirely different aircraft due to a threat.

Then, NPR's Michel Martin speaks with former Secret Service agent Robert McDonald about reports that President Trump boarded a military aircraft instead of flying aboard Air Force One from Turkey.

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Iran wants to pressure Trump over Strait of Hormuz

Aug 10, 2026

As Iran works toward a final agreement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, leaders there have a political incentive to drag out negotiations: their desire to put pressure on President Trump.

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Could Trump's arch get moved elsewhere?

Aug 7, 2026

This week, the National Park Service released a document listing 37 historic properties that it says would be adversely affected by the construction of an arch in Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout just below Arlington National Cemetery. NPR's Rachel Treisman reports.

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Senate debates how to sustain Social Security benefits

Aug 6, 2026

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing yesterday on how to prevent deep cuts to Social Security benefits in a few years. The math is simple but the politics are not.

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Paramount's chairman says lawsuit opposing Warner Bros. merger is political

Aug 5, 2026

An antitrust lawsuit has put Paramount's bid for larger rival Warner Brothers Discovery in jeopardy. Paramount's chairman says the problem is really about politics — and whether he's fit to own CNN.

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