The Conversation with Dasha Burns

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Sanders on BBQ, politics, and sneaking out of the governor’s mansion | On The Road Mar 10, 2026

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from POLITICO's latest show, On The Road with Jonathan Martin.

In episode one, JMart sits down with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders for a lively conversation about politics, leadership and life growing up in a political family. From her time as White House Press Secretary to leading Arkansas today, Sanders shares insights on the Republican Party, U.S.-Israel security and the memories that shaped her journey—all while enjoying some of the state’s best barbecue.

You can find more episodes of On The Road on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.com/Politico.

The Conversation with Dasha Burns will be back soon

From SNL meme to Trump whisperer (with Sen. Katie Britt) Mar 06, 2026

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Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) is a young rising star in the Republican Party. She sits down with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns to talk about how the war against Iran could affect Americans at home and the urgency of the midterm elections for the Republican Party. Britt also gets candid about her unique relationship with the White House and what it was like having Scarlett Johansson play her on SNL.

And later on the show, Dasha breaks down the exciting Texas primary elections with a panel of journalists. Elaine Godrey of “The Atlantic,” Gabby Birenbaum of “The Texas Tribune” and POLITICO’s Adam Wren share their takeaways.

The real fight within the Democratic Party (with Sen. Elissa Slotkin) Feb 27, 2026

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Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) joins POLITICO's Dasha Burns on "The Conversation" and responds to President Trump's State of the Union address. Slotkin lays out her vision for the future of the Democratic Party, which could be a Project 2029 for the party. The two also discuss the upcoming midterms and much more.

An interview with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy Feb 20, 2026

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joins POLITICO’s Dasha Burns to discuss the United States’ role in ending the war, where Europe fits into the equation, and his frank thoughts on Russians living abroad.

Then, CNN’s chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward calls in from Ukraine to discuss the current climate in the country and how the Ukrainian people are doing.

A Democrat at odds with his own party (with Sen. John Fetterman) Feb 13, 2026

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Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) sat down with POLITICO's Dasha Burns on "The Conversation" for a wide-ranging discussion covering his stance on immigration and ICE, voter ID, Israel and where he sees himself within the Democratic Party.

One month after Maduro's capture (with María Corina Machado) Feb 06, 2026

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Venezuelan politician and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says that Venezuela could have a new democratic election in less than a year. The Nobel Peace Prize winner joins POLITICO’s Dasha Burns for “The Conversation” in a compelling interview that occurred exactly one month after the US captured Venezuelan’s authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro. Machado opens up about her hopes for the nation’s future– and what her own path forward may be.

Plus, progressive political YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen sits down with Dasha to unpack the increasingly blurry line between journalism and content creation. He also shares what the future of progressive politics will look like in 2026.

This GOP senator is done mincing words (with Sen. Thom Tillis) Jan 30, 2026

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Senator Thom Tillis calls for the resignation of Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller in a forthright interview with Dasha Burns for “The Conversation.” The North Carolina Republican made his comments after the shootings of two citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. In a wide-ranging discussion, Tillis talked about tariffs, his hopes for President Trump and his worries for the future of the Republican Party.

Why America is 'reordering the global economy’ (with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent) Jan 23, 2026

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke with POLITICO's Dasha Burns at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in our first episode of 2026. The two spoke just after President Trump's speech that riled U.S. allies. Burns and Bessent spoke on tariffs, Greenland, America's changing role in the global economy and much more.

The top 5 interview moments of 2025 Dec 26, 2025

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Happy holidays! "The Conversation" will return with a new season in January 2026. In the meantime, listen to some of the most memorable moments from the show in 2025 — including our interviews with President Donald Trump, Texas state representative and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D), Trump 2024 and RNC Political Director James Blair, President of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Richard Grenell and Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.).

The human cost of cutting foreign aid (with Bill Gates) Dec 12, 2025

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Gates Foundation co-founder Bill Gates joined POLITICO’s Dasha Burns on this week’s episode of The Conversation to discuss his continued support for vaccine philanthropy, the impact of government aid cuts in global health, AI, vaccine skepticism and much more. The interview took place shortly after the release of The Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers Report projects, which predicts that child deaths will rise in 2025 for the first time this century.

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