Matt Loffman
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@NewsHour politics producer. Trying to see the whole picture.
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Articles by Matt Loffman
Inside Philadelphia's preparations for Election Day
In the final sprint to Election Day, more than 12 million votes have already been cast nationwide. That includes more than 65,000 in Philadelphia. The city’s voting processes have drawn President Trump's ire for more than a decade. In partnership with the Pulitzer Center, Lisa Desjardins takes a closer look at how officials in Philadelphia prepare for voting. Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.
Ohio becomes midterm battleground after years of Republican wins
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio In recent presidential elections, Ohio has become a reliably Republican state. But in this year's midterms, it's once again a battleground. The races for governor and U.S. Senate are both seen as toss-ups by The Cook Political Report, and there are a handful of competitive House districts. Liz Landers reports on how national issues are affecting Ohio voters as they prepare to head to the polls.
Water access becomes a top election concern for Arizona voters
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio For many Arizona voters, the top concern heading into the midterms isn't inflation, immigration or education. It's water. With the state gripped by prolonged drought, candidates are facing growing questions about how to secure its water future. Stephanie Sy reports for our series, Tipping Point.
How local officials are testing voting machines to ensure election integrity
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Midterm election season culminates on one important Election Day, but voting is already underway in many states. For the local officials who run elections, the work started even earlier. Liz Landers reports on how they prepare for voting and why they say voters should trust the process.
A look at how overseas ballots are verified and counted in the midterms
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Defense Secretary Hegseth directed military commanders to have a one-day “stand down” this month so service members have time to vote in the midterms. In King County, Washington, ballots are already being processed from service members and Americans living abroad. Some arrive by mail. Some by email. Liz Landers takes a look at how those ballots are verified and counted and how secure they are.
What the Supreme Court's voter-citizenship database decision means for the midterms
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio The Supreme Court revived a controversial voter-citizenship database less than two months ahead of the midterm elections. In the ruling, the court sided with the Trump administration, which is seeking to use the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database to review state voter rolls for potential noncitizens. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Jessica Huseman of Votebeat.
What the Supreme Court's voter-citizenship database decision means for the midterms
8 hours ago Meghan Markle may revive her abandoned plans to become a British citizen following her dramatic return to the UK – six years after Megxit brought the process to an abrupt halt. RadarOnline.com can reveal Markle, 45, had intended to pursue citizenship after marrying Prince Harry, 42, in 2018, with …
New poll reveals how Trump's low approval might affect midterms
With voting for the midterm elections already underway, President Trump is asking voters to pretend he's on the ballot. A new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds that people are, but that could be bad news for the president. We found Democratic congressional candidates hold a significant lead over Republicans. Lisa Desjardins has the insights from that poll.
Voters don't like data centers. They really don't like them close to home
Voters share an opposition to data centers that scrambles usual party lines, according to the latest poll from PBS News, NPR and Marist. Public opposition especially hardens when people are asked about construction in their own communities. Fifty-eight percent of U.S. voters say the construction of new data centers by companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI will mostly have a negative effect on the country.
Democrats lead in new poll as Trump looms over midterms
President Donald Trump's efforts to make the midterm elections a referendum on his presidency appear to be backfiring as Democratic congressional candidates hold a significant lead over Republicans in the latest poll from PBS News, NPR and Marist. More than half of registered voters – 53% – say they would vote for Democratic candidates if the election were today, while 41% prefer Republicans. Independents, who often decide competitive races, favor Democrats by a margin of 25 points.
Voters trust local election officials. They're less sure about the mail
President Donald Trump's unfounded insistence that mail-in ballots lead to fraud appears to be persuading only his loyal coalition and almost no one else, a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds ahead of midterm elections. With early and mail voting underway in a handful of states, many of those ballots that will help determine which party controls Congress are moving through a system that Trump has spent more than a year trying to reshape.
Trump says he's banning 3 outlets from White House in his latest attack on press freedom
President Donald Trump says he is banning three major news outlets, CNN, MS NOW and Politico, from the White House due to what he called "unfavorable coverage." Trump didn't provide details on how the ban would be implemented, but warned he might bar other media outlets as well. White House Correspondent Liz Landers reports on the administration's latest test of First Amendment protections.
Trump remains focus of GOP's midterm campaign as convention wraps
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio With November’s midterms closing in, Republicans wrapped an unprecedented two-day convention in Dallas aimed at firing up the party’s base. President Trump and Vice President JD Vance headlined an event that also produced some striking and unexpected moments. Liz Landers spoke with some of the attendees.
Gavin Newsom on Democrats, Trump and 2028
California Gov. Gavin Newsom thinks Democrats took their eyes off the ball on state-level races. Now, he's campaigning across the South to drive turnout in states where Republicans have tried to redraw congressional maps. In this episode of "Settle In," recorded during a recent visit to South Carolina, Newsom talks to Amna Nawaz about what Democrats need to compete in rural America and what he's considering as he weighs a presidential campaign in 2028.
Gavin Newsom on how to beat the GOP: 'Democrats need to grow a backbone'
Sep 7, 2026 6:40 PM EDT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio As California’s governor, Gavin Newsom has become one of the Democratic Party’s most vocal critics of President Trump. As speculation swirls around Newsom's own potential presidential bid, he's on the road and raising money to get more Democrats elected at the state level, where he says his party took its eye off the ball. Amna Nawaz caught up with Newsom in North and South Carolina.
Ousted Election Assistance Commission chair on Trump's effort to control voting
Preparations for elections can take months or years. From registering voters to maintaining voting machines, it is carried out by state and local jurisdictions, with support from the federal government. But in this election year, the agency that helps those efforts is effectively unable to function. Geoff Bennett spoke with Thomas Hicks, who served on the Election Assistance Commission. Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.
Ousted Election Assistance Commission chair on Trump's effort to control voting
Jill Biden 3 hours ago Biden will publish 'Promise Me, America' memoir after the November midterm elections Associated Press - By HILLEL ITALIE • 3h NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Joe Biden will publish a memoir this fall, publisher Little, Brown and Company told The Associated Press. “Promise Me, America,” which Biden says will touch upon everything from the economy to his decision to drop his bid for reelection, is scheduled to come out Nov.
Trump Fires Election Commission Members in Latest Attempt to Control Voting Process
With planning for the midterm elections well underway, President Trump has ousted the remaining members of a bipartisan federal agency that helps state and local officials run smooth elections and certify voting equipment. White House correspondent Liz Landers explains what happened at the Election Assistance Commission and the impact it could have in November.
Trump fires election commission members in latest attempt to control voting process
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio With planning for the midterm elections well underway, President Trump has ousted the remaining members of a bipartisan federal agency that helps state and local officials run smooth elections and certify voting equipment. White House correspondent Liz Landers explains what happened at the Election Assistance Commission and the impact it could have in November.
Brooks and Capehart on the Supreme Court standing up to Trump in its decisions
Jul 3, 2026 6:30 PM EDT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio David Brooks of The Atlantic and Jonathan Capehart of MS NOW join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including major Supreme Court decisions and more primary upsets in a busy lead-up to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Survey reveals political and cultural factions shaping the midterms
Jun 10, 2026 6:35 PM EDT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio A new report from the Pew Research Center says American politics are not as simple as red versus blue. Pew surveyed more than 10,000 people and split the public into nine distinct groups along political and cultural values. Despite a polarized political environment, the report finds a minority of Americans are truly all-in for either party. Amna Nawaz discussed the findings with Jocelyn Kiley.
Democratic strategist breaks down DNC's 2024 election autopsy
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio The Democratic National Committee released a long-awaited, yet still incomplete, report into what went wrong during the 2024 presidential election. The report had initially been shelved, but after months of consternation and criticism, DNC Chair Ken Martin said he released it in the name of transparency. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Democratic strategist Faiz Shakir.
How reality TV stars seeking office are changing politics
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, his wife and their children filmed a reality show that is set to be released in the lead-up to the nation’s 250th anniversary. It is a return to form for the Duffys, who first met filming for MTV in the 1990s. Now, a new batch of reality TV stars are hoping to transition into elected office. Ali Rogin reports on how their campaigns could change politics.
New poll shows growing number of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of Iran war
May 6, 2026 6:40 PM EDT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio The latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll shows that six in 10 Americans disapprove of how President Trump is handling Iran. Lisa Desjardins joins Amna Nawaz to offer insights on the poll with a closer look at how Americans are seeing the war in Iran and rising gas prices.
New poll shows growing number of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of Iran war
21 hours ago The "Late Show" host riffed on a weird moment from the defense secretary's latest Pentagon press briefing. Stephen Colbert on Tuesday had fun with one of the weirder moments from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest Pentagon press briefing — the topic of alleged “kamikaze dolphins.” The “Late …
Americans are increasingly worried about voting, new poll shows
Americans' confidence that their elections will be run fairly has dropped to its lowest point in years, according to a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Ahead of a consequential midterm contest in November, two-thirds of Americans say they are confident their state or local government will run a fair and accurate election, a drop of 10 percentage points from the month before the 2024 presidential election.
Majority of Americans oppose military action in Iran, new poll finds
A majority of Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is managing the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and oppose the military action outright, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. WATCH: As U.S.-Israeli strikes intensify, Iran says it's no longer looking to negotiate As Operation Epic Fury nears the end of its first week, the new survey found 56% of Americans oppose U.S. military action in Iran, while 44% support it.
Majority of Americans oppose military action in Iran, new poll finds
9 hours ago Years of US and Israeli pressure pushed Tehran from calibrated restraint to open regional confrontation. Since October 7, 2023, the United States and Israel believed that sustained diplomatic and military pressure on Iran would deter and degrade its capacity to fight. In the process, they degraded …
Primaries in key states begin to shape the midterm matchups
Mar 4, 2026 6:35 PM EST Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio The midterm elections kicked off in earnest with primary contests in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas. There was some confusion at the polls, and the results led to sharp words, a few upsets and more questions about the elections still to come. Geoff Bennett reports.
Checks and balances aren't working under Trump, growing majority says
On the eve of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, two-thirds of Americans say the system of checks and balances that divides power between the White House, Congress and the courts is not working well, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist Poll. That's a dramatic rise in the percentage of people who say they now doubt how a core tenet of American democracy is functioning, jumping 12 percentage points from this time last year.
Checks and balances aren't working under Trump, growing majority says
8 hours ago F.B.I. Director Kash Patel, an avid hockey fan, is once again fending off criticisms for muddying the line between his personal interests and his professional duties. In videos shared with reporters, Patel was seen celebrating with the U.S. men’s hockey team in the locker room after their Olympic …
U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents describe how they were treated
Videos from across the country have shown months of violent interactions with immigration officers. Part of the outcry has been the treatment of U.S. citizens. Uproar rose higher last month following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by agents in Minnesota. Lisa Desjardins reports, and we hear from some of the people who were detained. Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.
Poll: Nearly two-thirds of Americans say ICE has gone too far in immigration crackdown
Americans largely disapprove of the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as recent enhanced enforcement operations spread to new cities across the country, a new PBS News/NPR/Marist Poll found. A majority say ICE is making Americans less safe, and a growing number believe the agency's actions have gone too far. Meanwhile, anti-ICE protests that have grown in size and visibility in recent weeks are viewed by a majority of Americans as mostly legitimate and not unlawful.
What's in the bipartisan Senate deal to avoid a shutdown, temporarily fund DHS
Jan 29, 2026 6:45 PM EST Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Senators are racing to find a solution as the federal government is once again on the verge of a partial shutdown. This time, there's hope for a bipartisan deal on the key issue, the conduct of ICE and other DHS officers. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports.
Whistleblower responds after DOJ confirms DOGE mishandled Social Security data
Jan 27, 2026 6:25 PM EST Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio The Social Security Administration says members of Elon Musk’s DOGE team working at the agency accessed and shared sensitive data. The latest disclosure from the Trump administration seemed to confirm some key concerns first raised in a whistleblower complaint filed by the agency’s chief data officer, Chuck Borges. Geoff Bennett spoke with Borges and his lawyer, Debra Katz.
Minneapolis police chief urges 'lawful, peaceful' response to ICE shooting Original
Jan 7, 2026 6:54 PM EST Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio A woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday. It comes amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown targeting the city. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
How retirements and redistricting could impact the 2026 midterms
Dec 30, 2025 6:35 PM EST Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio The end of 2025 brings us to the beginning of a midterm election year. That means questions about whether power will shift in Washington. Dozens of members of Congress are heading toward the exit and a handful of states are shaking up their political maps to try to lock in partisan gains. Lisa Desjardins breaks down the numbers.
Trump gets worst economic ratings ever in new poll as Americans worry about affordability
Dec 17, 2025 6:55 PM EST Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Economic concerns continue to be a top priority for Americans. In a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, 57% of respondents say they disapprove of the job President Trump is doing on the economy and just 36% think he’s doing a good job. It’s the lowest approval rating he’s seen on the issue in either of his terms in office. Amna Nawaz discussed more insights from the poll with NPR's Domenico Montanaro.
Americans are more dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy than ever, poll shows
Americans give President Donald Trump his worst approval ratings ever for his handling of the economy, as they also express concerns about the cost of living, healthcare prices, and personal finances, a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds. Fifty-seven percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, once viewed as one of the president’s strengths. Thirty-six percent say the president is doing a good job, the lowest this poll has found across both of his terms in office.
Clyburn spotlights trailblazing Black members of Congress in ‘The First Eight’
Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. Amna Nawaz: Congressman James Clyburn has spent more than three decades in Congress. And in his new book, he turns his attention to the trailblazing Black men who were the first to walk those halls. Geoff Bennett recently sat down with the congressmen to learn more.
Poll: Voters favor Democrats by double digits if midterms were today
Riding a wave of recent election victories, Democrats have another reason to hope for a repeat performance in next year’s elections. According to a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, a majority of voters say they would rather elect a Democratic candidate if the midterms were held today. Meanwhile, there are several warning signs for Republicans looking to make up ground before Americans cast their ballots next year.
Read Jeffrey Epstein’s newly released emails about Trump, November 12, 2025
*** Read Jeffrey Epstein’s newly released emails about Trump By Liz Landers PBS News Hour, November 12, 2025 *** Donald Trump, then girlfriend Melania Knauss, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell at Mara Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in February 2000, published by PBS on November 12, 2025 Read Jeffrey Epstein’s newly released emails about Trump By Liz Landers PBS News Hour, November 12, 2025 Late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein specifically referenced his relationship with President...
Why Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court election has national implications
Trump wanders off during walk with Japanese Prime Minister Donald Trump appeared to wander off while being given a tour by new Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi. During a welcome ceremony, the new leader of Japan guided the president around a room filled with troops and dignitaries. At one point, Trump saluted the US and Japanese flags and then kept walking, leaving Takaichi behind to bow to the flags alone. On two other occasions, she had to direct him where to walk.
There’s a growing number of Americans who think violence might be necessary to get the country back on track
Nearly a third of Americans – 30% – say people may have to resort to violence in order to get the country back on track, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. It’s a sharp rise from 18 months ago, when 19% of Americans said the same. READ MORE: Are Democrats or Republicans to blame for the looming government shutdown?
There’s a growing number of Americans who think violence might be necessary to get the country back on track
Trump’s free speech backflip was 250 years in the making “If we don’t have FREE SPEECH, then we just don’t have a FREE COUNTRY,” then-candidate Donald Trump said in a campaign video. But less than nine months into his second term, he was explaining his administration’s stance this this way: “We took the freedom of speech away,” he said at a White House …
Are Democrats or Republicans to blame for the looming government shutdown? Here’s what our poll found
Americans are divided on which party to blame if funding lapses after midnight tonight, according to a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Yet a plurality – 38% – say Republicans, who control the White House and both houses of Congress, would be most at fault. In the new poll, 27% would blame Democrats, while 31% believe both parties would be equally to blame.
Former Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson issues urgent call to protect U.S. democracy
Sep 11, 2025 6:30 PM EDT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio "American democracy is under threat" was the starting point for a task force assembled by the American Bar Association two years ago. Their mission was to investigate the causes and potential solutions for this growing problem. Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who helped lead the initiative, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss the task force's findings.
Brooks and Atkins Stohr on the political response to the Minnesota school shooting
Aug 29, 2025 6:30 PM EDT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio New York Times columnist David Brooks and Boston Globe columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the tragic school shooting in Minnesota, the Trump administration's actions to remake the government and the Ukraine war continues two weeks after the Trump-Putin summit.
Miles Taylor warns: ‘We need America to wake up’ as Trump punishes opponents
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio The suspension of FEMA staffers and the FBI raid of John Bolton are just the latest examples of the Trump administration targeting critics or political enemies. That ire is something Miles Taylor knows all too well. While serving in Trump’s first administration, he anonymously criticized the president and has been dealing with the fallout ever since. Amna Nawaz spoke with Taylor to discuss more.
Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on whether Democrats can overcome GOP redistricting advantages
NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including the politics of redistricting and President Trump's latest push against mail-in voting.
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