August 6, 2026

WAMU 88.5

The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi

All eyes are now on November’s midterm elections, after this week’s Virginia primaries turned out to be a “big snoozer.” Could the Commonwealth be the difference in which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives? We ask Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell. Plus, Sen. Surovell explains why he agrees with President Trump’s plan to overhaul Dulles Airport and whether he shares Governor Abigail Spanberger’s skepticism about a potential Dominion-NextEra merger.

Maryland lawmakers greenlit a redistricting referendum this week that now heads to voters in November for approval. The move would redraw the state’s congressional districts in 2028. We ask State Senator Cheryl Kagan what changed her mind on redistricting and what comes next.

It’s been one year since President Trump federalized D.C. police and deployed the National Guard to the nation’s capital to deal with what he called “out of control crime.” What has changed in the District during that time? Has crime actually gone down? Is the hundreds of millions spent on the National Guard, and the billions budgeted to keep them in the District through 2029, worth it? D.C. Police Union President Gregg Pemberton joined us on the show last year, and he sits down with Kojo and Tom again to discuss the police officers’ perspective. Plus, he gives his thoughts on the recent report about MPD’s ongoing issues with reporting crime data.

Sorting political fact from fiction, and having fun while we’re at it. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies, and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia at 12 p.m. on Friday.

Produced by Matt Blitz