How Biden Lost Americans’ Faith in Immigration
The Daily
12/15/25
•29m
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A New York Times review of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s actions on immigration showed that decisions he and his closest advisers made created an opening for a more aggressive Trump administration agenda.
Christopher Flavelle, who interviewed more than 30 former Biden administration officials who worked on immigration and border policy, explains how Mr. Biden fumbled the immigration issue, and what the Democratic Party can learn from his missteps.
Guest: Christopher Flavelle, a reporter for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- How Mr. Biden ignored warnings and lost Americans’ faith in immigration.
- Read four takeaways from The Times’s reporting on Mr. Biden’s immigration record.
Photo: Paul Ratje for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Previous Episode
Sunday Special: The Best Music of 2025
December 14, 2025
•55m
As 2025 comes to an end, The Sunday Special is looking back on the year in culture.
This week, we’re listening to the songs and albums that defined the year, for better or worse. Gilbert Cruz is joined by Caryn Ganz and Lindsay Zoladz from The Times’s pop music desk to discuss some of the biggest and best releases of 2025.
Albums and songs mentioned in this episode:
Bad Bunny, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”
Lady Gaga, “Mayhem”
Justin Bieber, “Daisies”
Chappell Roan, “The Giver” and “The Subway”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”
Doechii, “Alligator Bites Never Heal”
Taylor Swift, “The Life of a Showgirl”
Morgan Wallen, “I’m the Problem”
Ghost, “Skeletá”
Dijon, “Baby”
Geese, “Getting Killed”
Water From Your Eyes, “It’s a Beautiful Place”
PinkPantheress, “Fancy That”
Lily Allen, “Tennis”
Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas”
Sleigh Bells, “Bunky Becky Birthday Boy”
Hayley Williams, “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party”
Turnstile, “Never Enough”
On Today’s Episode
Caryn Ganz is the pop music editor at The Times.
Lindsay Zoladz is a pop music critic at The Times and the writer of The Amplifier newsletter.
Additional Reading
Photo Illustration by The New York Times; From left, Angela Weiss/AFP — Getty Images (Lady Gaga); OK McCausland for The New York Times (Geese); Erika Santelices/Reuters (Bad Bunny); Helle Arensbak/AFP -- Getty Images, via Ritzau Scanpix (PinkPantheress)
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Next Episode
Inside the Tech Company Powering Trump’s Most Controversial Policies
December 16, 2025
•39m
Warning: This episode contains strong language.
Palantir, a data analysis and technology company, has secured federal contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars during President Trump’s second presidency, including to develop software to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement deport people.
Michael Steinberger, who spent six years interviewing Palantir’s chief executive, Alex Karp, for the book “The Philosopher in the Valley,” explains how Mr. Karp went from a self-described lifelong Democrat to a champion of Mr. Trump, and the impact this transformation could have on American democracy.
Guest: Michael Steinberger, a contributing writer to The New York Times.
Background reading:
- Listen to an interview with Mr. Karp from the DealBook Summit this month.
- In May, the Trump administration tapped Palantir to compile data on Americans.
- Here is Mr. Steinberger’s book, which this episode is based on.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
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