From the White House to your For You Page, political podcasts are taking over. But it's not just their audio podcast content that's driving their success—it's how they’re showing up on social media.
Using Spotify and Apple Podcasts’ Top Charts for News, we’ve curated a list of the top 11 political podcasts in the U.S., how they’re dominating social media, and why their short-form strategy matters more than ever.
The best political podcasts aren’t just winning the podcast charts — they’re winning on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok too. Whether you're into current affairs, daily news, deep dives, or bold political discourse, these shows have got the coverage you’re looking for. The most influential voices in American politics are finding new audiences through short form video on social media.
Let’s break down the best political podcasts in the U.S. right now, why they matter, and how their use of viral Reels and Shorts plays a key role in their rise.
Before we begin, here's a table of the top podcasts and their video count.
Note: Rough estimates. While creating 13,000 Shorts or Reels might seem like a lot of work, Submagic can help create 20+ short form videos from your long form videos-automatically! You should check out our AI viral clip maker.
Here are the top political podcasts
We looked at Apple and Spotify and aggregated the list.
1. The Daily
The Daily is the #1 political podcast in the news category on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, brought to you by The New York Times. It delivers essential political news and analysis with high production value and journalistic integrity.
Hosts: Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise.
Stats: #1 in News on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
What Makes It the Best: A go-to source for daily news and in-depth reporting. Politically center-left, though not explicitly partisan Democrat.
Reviews: Praised by The Atlantic, NPR, and The Guardian for its storytelling.
The Daily video strategy
While they don’t have a social media presence exclusive to the The Daily show, The New York Times boasts a massive social media audience that tunes in to their TikToks, Reels, and Youtube Shorts, bringing in social media users to their network of shows.
2. Up First (NPR)
NPR's Up First gives you the three biggest stories of the day in under 10 minutes.
Hosts: On weekdays, the show is hosted by Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin, and A. Martinez. On the weekends Ayesha Rascoe and Scott Simon host Up First.
Stats: #3 in News on Apple Podcasts and #2 on Spotify in this category.
What Makes It the Best: Concise, objective coverage. Trusted across party lines. NPR leans center-left.
Reviews: Frequently cited as a must-listen for professionals.
Up First video strategy
NPR, like The New York Times, has an enormous social media presence across all platforms that brings in a range of new audiences to the shows that they produce, like Up First.
3. The Tucker Carlson Show
Conservative commentary and media critique from the former Fox News host.
Host: Tucker Carlson
Stats: #7 for news on Apple Podcasts and #3 on Spotify for the same.
What Makes It the Best: Bold takes and a huge fanbase. Very Republican and anti-establishment.
Reviews: Polarizing but popular. Covered by The Hill, The Daily Beast, and Forbes.
The Tucker Carlson Show video strategy
The hottest takes from Tucker’s interviews get clipped for short form videos on social media and are shared widely.
4. The Megyn Kelly Show
Honest, unfiltered conversations on political and cultural issues.
Host: Megyn Kelly, a former news host for both Fox News and NBC News now turned independent journalist.
Stats: #4 in News on Apple Podcasts and #11 for News on Spotify.
What Makes It the Best: Appeals to independents and right-leaning moderates. Critically skeptical of both parties.
Reviews: Featured in Vanity Fair and The Wall Street Journal.
The Megyn Kelly Show video strategy
Frequent video clips on YouTube Shorts, IG Reels, and TikTok. Engages viewers with provocative soundbites.
5. Pod Save America
No-BS liberal commentary from former Obama aides.
Hosts: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor
Stats: #6 in the News category on Apple Podcasts and #10 for the same on Spotify.
What Makes It the Best: Strong Democratic presence with insider insights and grassroots activism.
Reviews: Called “the most influential podcast on the left” by The New Yorker.
Pod Save America video strategy
Major Reels, Shorts, and TikTok footprint. Crooked Media, which produces Pod Save America is one of the best political content brands for short-form video.
6. Candace
Bold conservative commentary from influencer Candace Owens. She’s completely independent now, and offers challenging critiques of both the left and the right in US politics.
Host: Candace Owens.
Stats: #10 on Apple Podcast’s Top Charts for News and #7 on Spotify for the same category.
What Makes It the Best: Highly opinionated, right-wing populist perspective. Appeals to Gen Z conservatives.
Reviews: Discussed by Rolling Stone and Newsweek.
Candace video strategy
Not only has Candace built a large social following for herself as a political influencer over the years, her dedicated social media presence for her show is now racking up clicks and views, with Instagram Reels and TikToks from the show frequently circulating.
7. The Ben Shapiro Show
Daily political analysis from a fast-talking conservative powerhouse. Shapiro also offers detailed analysis on foreign policy as it relates to US politics.
Host: Ben Shapiro.
Stats: #8 in News on Apple Podcasts and #9 in the News category on Spotify.
What Makes It the Best: Razor-sharp arguments, huge fan base, and nonstop content.
Reviews: Frequently analyzed in Politico and The New York Times.
The Ben Shapiro Show video strategy
Daily clips on TikTok, Shorts, and IG. One of the most consistent short-form output strategies in political media.
8. The Joe Rogan Experience
Interviews, politics, and deep convos with big names. Rogan’s minimally edited, multi-hour conversations with some of the biggest figures in today’s political landscape offer a different perspective on the hottest political issues.
Host: Joe Rogan.
Stats: #3 overall in Apple Podcast’s Top Charts, as well as #1 on Spotify overall.
What Makes It the Best: Massive cultural impact. Covers political topics often. In 2024 Rogan hosted a 3 hour sit-down interview with Donald Trump, which is thought to have had a major impact on that general election.
Reviews: Covered in every major media outlet, from BBC to NYT. Joe Rogan has become a household name.
The Joe Rogan Experience video strategy
Rogan clips are social media gold and are all over the major short form video platforms.
9. MeidasTouch Podcast
Three brothers blend comedy, progressive politics, and media analysis. Their show covers current events through the lens of American democracy.
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas co-host the podcast.
Stats: #2 Apple Podcasts for news, #12 Spotify for the same.
What Makes It the Best: Hardcore pro-democracy stance. Democratic and activist-driven.
Reviews: Politico calls it a rising force in political media.
MeidasTouch Podcast video strategy
Daily Reels and YouTube clips. Their short-form editing is elite.
10. NPR News Now
Another NPR politics podcast offering bite-sized hourly updates on current events. They keep up with the latest news throughout the day from news out of the Trump administration to Supreme Court rulings, and so much more.
Host: Rotating NPR journalists host the show.
Stats: #14 in News on Apple Podcasts and #5 in News on Spotify.
What Makes It the Best: Straightforward daily news. Neutral tone.
Reviews: Mentioned across PBS, Reuters, and USA Today.
NPR News Now video strategy
Less personality-driven but included in NPR’s short-form ecosystem.
11. The Charlie Kirk Show
Gen Z-facing conservative podcast from Turning Point USA’s founder.
Host: Charlie Kirk.
Stats: #5 for News on Apple Podcasts and #27 in News Spotify.
What Makes It the Best: Highly engaged youth audience. With a strong Republican stance, Charlie Kirk has had a profound impact on his political party as we move from the Biden era to the current Trump administration.
Reviews: Covered frequently in Fox News, Breitbart, and Axios.
The Charlie Kirk Show video strategy
Tons of videos on YouTube Shorts and TikTok. TPUSA, which produces the show, runs a slick content machine.
The common denominator of successful political podcasts
It’s not just their audio — it’s their strategy. The best political podcasts understand that discoverability lives on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok. It’s where political debate goes viral, where new audiences find your content, and where fanbases are built fast.
Almost all of the above podcasts focus on great hooks for Reels and their short form videos. We have the winning formula, as a free download.
Podcasts were initially audio only but the term is blurred these days. Purists hold strong to “if it’s video it’s not a podcast” while a lot of traditional podcasters are incorporating video into their strategy.
AI video editors like Submagic helps podcasters (the video types :) ) repurpose their content at an insane rate. With a single click, one long podcast is transformed into 20+ Shorts & Reels, with amazing captions.
If you host a video podcast, starting a new podcast, or are considering making the leap from audio only, come on over to the dark side. Upload your long form content and scale your reach with Shorts.
Submagic: Powering political podcasts on Shorts & Reels
Whether you’re a top-ranked podcast or just starting out, the key to standing out on short-form platforms is great visuals, captions, and editing — fast. Submagic helps the biggest names on the internet grow faster with:
- Auto-captions that look professionally edited
- AI-powered tools to clip highlights fast
- Dynamic templates built for engagement
Podcasters, creators, and political commentators alike use Submagic to make their Reels and Shorts unforgettable — and you can too.
