Explore every episode of the podcast Ceasefire

Beginning Friday October 10, C-SPAN introduces Ceasefire, a new weekly series that takes a different approach to political conversation. In an era when conflict often grabs the spotlight, Ceasefire creates space for something quieter but no less important: thoughtful dialogue between leaders who don’t always agree, but are willing to listen. C-SPAN’s mission is to show the full picture of American democracy—from fiery floor debates to measured committee work. Ceasefire builds on that commitment by focusing on the kind of cross-party conversations that often happen behind the scenes, but rarely get airtime. The network that doesn't take sides is producing Ceasefire to showcase what often gets overlooked in politics: the quiet, serious work of governing across differences. No shouting matches, no viral takedowns – just two leaders committed to listening, understanding, and finding common ground, united by a shared commitment to the country’s future. It’s not about pretending there aren’t differences. It’s about showing that even in disagreement, dialogue is possible. The aim is simple: to show the country that Americans wearing different political “jerseys” can still sit down together, listen, learn, and work toward shared goals. These leaders may disagree on policy, but they agree on something more fundamental—the belief that our democracy works best when we work together. It’s a fresh take on political television—grounded in respect, driven by substance, and focused on what connects us. Ceasefire offers a front-row seat to the kind of conversations that remind us what's possible when leaders choose to engage thoughtfully. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by former Vice President Mike Pence and former Obama Chief of Staff and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, plus conversations with former Trump Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Faiz Shakir, senior adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) and Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D), plus conversations with Adam Jentleson, former chief of staff to Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) and top aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and Doug Heye, former RNC communications director and senior adviser to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) & Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), plus conversations with Republican strategist Ron Bonjean & Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns sits down with Utah Republican Senator John Curtis and Democratic Congressman Scott Peters of California for a bipartisan, bicameral dialogue on the top issues facing the country, including the government shutdown, the future of health care, and foreign policy challenges facing the Trump administration. Then, host Dasha Burns is joined by Republican strategist Brendan Buck, press secretary for former House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and counselor to former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), and Democratic strategist Anna Greenberg, lead pollster for several congressional and senate campaigns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns sits down with former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile, plus conversations with Republican strategist Terry Holt, and Democratic strategist Meghan Hays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns sits down with former Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) and former Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH), plus conversations with Republican strategist Hogan Gidley, and Democratic strategist Ashley Etienne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns sits down with Florida Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz, and Tennessee Republican Congressman Tim Burchett for a bipartisan dialogue on the Epstein files, health care, and top issues facing the country. Panel 2: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Republican strategist Marc Lotter, former special assistant to President Donald Trump, and Democratic strategist Mo Elleithee, former communications director for the Democratic National Committee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns sits down with former Independent presidential candidate Cornel West & conservative legal scholar Robert P. George, plus conversations with Republican strategist John Feehery and Democratic strategist Joel Payne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), plus conversations with Republican strategist T.W. Arrighi and Democratic strategist Arshi Siddiqui. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican strategist Marc Short & Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod discuss Dasha Burn's sit down interview with President Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman and Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt for a bipartisan dialogue on the top issues facing the country including jobs and the economy, the future of expiring ACA subsidies, and rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. Panel 2: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Republican strategist Mike Dubke, former White House Communications Director in the first Trump administration, and Democratic strategist Brendan Daly, former Communications Director to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to discuss the top political stories of the week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns looks back at key moments of bipartisanship from Ceasefire's inaugural season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and former Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) to preview the year ahead in politics - including the upcoming midterm elections and the political and legislative battles ahead in Washington. Panel 2: A preview of the geopolitical and foreign policy stories to watch in 2026 with Hoover Institution fellow Lanhee Chen, veteran of several political campaigns and foreign policy director for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential bid and McCain Institute Executive Director Ellen Farkas, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia in the Obama administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Scott Jennings & Kate Bedingfield, plus conversations with Democratic strategist Jonathan Kott & Republican strategist John Ullyot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) for a conversation on the top issues facing Congress as both parties prepare for the upcoming midterm elections. Panel 2: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Democratic strategist Kevin Walling, former Biden 2020 and Harris 2024 campaign surrogate, and Republican strategist Bryan Lanza, senior adviser to President Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt (R) and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (D) – Chair and Vice Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors -- for a bipartisan conversation on the top issues facing American cities. Panel 2: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Republican strategist Matt Gorman, former senior adviser for Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and Democratic strategist Joe Lockhart, former Clinton White House Press Secretary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) for a conversation on the top issues facing Congress and the country, including their bipartisan push on housing affordability. Panel 2: Democratic strategist Ty Matsdorf, former director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Republican strategist Alex Conant, senior adviser to former Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Chad Wolf, former acting Secretary of Homeland Security during the first Trump Administration and John Sandweg, former acting Director of ICE during the Obama Administration, for a bipartisan conversation on the future of immigration enforcement in the U.S.. Panel 2: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Michael Allen, former majority staff director for the House Intelligence Committee & former senior director for the National Security Council during the George W. Bush Administration, and Dan Baer, former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for the Security and Co-operation in Europe during the Obama Administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by former New York Democratic Congressman Steve Israel and former Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Charlie Dent, for a conversation on bipartisanship and civility in politics, as well as their outlook on the upcoming midterm elections and congressional news of the day. Panel 2: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Republican strategist Ashley Davis, former White House official during the George W. Bush administration, and Democratic strategist Dan Kanninen, former Harris-Walz Campaign Battleground Director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong (R) & Delaware Governor Matt Meyer (D) during the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, for a bipartisan dialogue on top issues facing states and the country including affordability, health care, and immigration enforcement. Panel 2: Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha, senior adviser to Bernie Sanders' 2020 Presidential Campaign & Republican strategist Erin Maguire, former communications adviser for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former director of press communications for the Trump-Pence Re-election Campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Former Mayor Mitch Landrieu & Mercedes Schlapp, plus conversations with Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter & Republican strategist Tiffany Smiley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Ambassador David Satterfield, former U.S. Special Middle East envoy in the Biden Administration and former U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon and Turkey, and Michael Rubin, former Iran and Iraq advisor to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in the Bush administration, for a discussion on U.S.-Israel combat operations against Iran and the geopolitical fallout. Panel 2: Democratic strategist Joel Payne, deputy press secretary for former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid & Republican strategist Rina Shah, senior aide to former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and former Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A discussion with former Obama Defense Secretary Leon Panetta & former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper, plus a bipartisan conversation with former Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) & former Gov. Bill Haslam (R-TN). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) & Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), plus conversations with Democratic strategist Brendan Daly & Republican strategist Marc Short. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Congressmen Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Carlos Giménez (R-FL) for a bipartisan dialogue on the Iran conflict, continued partial Homeland Security Department shutdown, and other top issues facing the country. Panel 2: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Samantha Vinograd, a former Biden Administration Department of Homeland Security official who also held roles in the Obama and George W. Bush Administrations & Jamil Jaffer, who served in the White House Counsel's Office during the George W. Bush Administration, as well as in the Department of Justice, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns is joined by Mick Mulvaney & Steve Ricchetti , plus conversations with former Reps. Tom Davis (R-VA) & Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by former Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) & former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R) for a bipartisan dialogue on President Trump's handling of the Iran conflict and the economic and political fallout as the upcoming midterm elections approach. Panel 2: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Republican strategist Marc Lotter, former special assistant to President Donald Trump, and Democratic strategist Ashley Etienne, former senior adviser to President Joe Biden & President Barack Obama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Kirsten Fontenrose, former Senior director for Gulf Affairs for the National Security Council during the first Trump administration and Dana Stroul, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East in the Biden administration for a discussion on the latest developments in the Iran war and geopolitical fallout as the fragile ceasefire is set to expire next week. Panel 2: A discussion of the political news of the week with Republican strategist T.W. Arrighi, former national press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Democratic strategist John McCarthy, former senior advisor for political engagement to President Biden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD) & Mark Amodei (R-NV) (AM-uh-day) for a bipartisan dialogue on the Iran war, the debate over Congress asserting its war authority, and how the conflict and rising gas prices might impact the midterm elections. Panel 2: Democratic strategist Arshi Siddiqui, former senior staffer for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Republican strategist John Feehery, former press secretary to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, to discuss the top political stories of the week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: A bipartisan discussion with Republican strategist Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary under President Trump, & Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha, senior adviser to Bernie Sanders' 2020 Presidential Campaign, on the political news of the week including the latest assassination attempt on President Trump and how best to combat the rise in political violence. Panel 2: A bipartisan discussion on the latest in the Iran conflict and other foreign policy news of the week with Michael Allen, former majority staff director for the House Intelligence Committee & former senior director for the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, and Dan Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel in the Obama administration & former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East in the Biden administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) & former Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference Roy Blunt (R-MO) for a dialogue about whether bipartisanship is still possible in Washington amid the various challenges facing the country, such as the ongoing Iran war and concerns about the economy. Panel 2: Democratic strategist Faiz Shakir (fuh-EEZ shuh-KEER), senior advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), & Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, communications director to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and press secretary to former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) – both veterans who served in Afghanistan – join host Dasha Burns for a bipartisan discussion on the top national security challenges facing the U.S. including the ongoing conflict with Iran and economic and geostrategic issues between the U.S. and China in the wake of President Trump's summit with China's leader Xi Jinping this week. Panel 2: Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) join host Dasha Burns for a bipartisan discussion on the top domestic and political issues facing Congress including affordability, immigration enforcement funding, and the impact of redistricting battles across the nation ahead of this fall's midterm elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dasha Burns leads bipartisan conversations on the top issues shaping Washington and the world. In partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations, Senators Elissa Slotkin and Tim Sheehy — both veterans and members of the Senate Armed Services Committee — discuss America’s role on the world stage, the ongoing Iran conflict, and the growing economic and geopolitical competition with China. Then, Republican strategist Alex Conant and Democratic strategist Mo Elleithee break down the top political headlines and the week’s biggest stories from Washington. NOTE:  the conversation is a partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by a foreign policy panel of Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmit, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Miltary Affairs during the George W. Bush Administration, and Nayyera Haq, former Senior Director of Cabinet Affairs during the Obama Administration & former State Department Spokesperson.  Panel 2:  A discussion of the top political news of the week with Republican strategist John Feehery, press secretary for former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Democratic strategist Meghan Hays, former special assistant and director of message planning for President Joe Biden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by former Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) & Rob Portman (R-OH) for a bipartisan discussion on their time in the Senate, the current state of U.S. politics, and issues likely to dominate the upcoming elections. Panel 2: A discussion of the top political news of the week with Republican strategist Hogan Gidley, former Trump White House Deputy Press Secretary, and Democratic strategist Yemisi Egbewole, Chief of Staff to the Biden White House Press Office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by a foreign policy panel of Cliff May, Foundation for Defense of Democracies President & former Communications Director for the Republican National Committee, and Evelyn Farkas, McCain Institute Executive Director & former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia in the Obama administration. Panel 2: A discussion of the top political news of the week with Republican strategist Alex Vogel, Chief Counsel to former Senate Majority Leader Bill First (R-TN) & former General Counsel for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Democratic strategist Dan Kanninen, former Harris-Walz Campaign Battleground Director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Representatives Troy Downing (R-MT) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI) join us for a bipartisan discussion on the biggest issues facing Congress, including affordability, artificial intelligence, and funding for the war in Iran. Then, Republican strategist Tricia McLaughlin, former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump administration, and Democratic strategist Michael LaRosa, former press secretary to First Lady Jill Biden, break down the week's top political headlines and what they mean for Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by a foreign policy panel of Jamil Jaffer, who served in the White House Counsel's Office during the George W. Bush Administration, & held roles with the Department of Justice, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee & the House Intelligence Committee, and Dan Baer, former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for the Security and Co-operation in Europe during the Obama Administration. Panel 2: A discussion of the top political news of the week with Republican strategist Alex Stroman, former RNC spokesperson & former executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party, and Democratic strategist Kevin Walling, former Biden 2020 & Harris 2024 campaign surrogate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel: Thomas Jefferson (Bill Barker) & John Adams (Peyton Dixon) join host Dasha Burns to trace their extraordinary journey from co-authors of American independence, to political adversaries, to reconciled friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) and former National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) discuss the 2026 midterm elections, their experiences in Congress, and the issues they believe will drive voters this fall. Then, Republican strategist and former Trump White House Communications Director Mike Dubke joins Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod, a senior advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 campaign, to break down the week's top political stories and what they could mean for the months ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican strategist Marc Short, top aide to President Trump in the first administration as well as former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, and Democratic strategist Don Baer, former White House Communications Director during the Clinton Administration, discuss the political news of the week including President Trump's primetime address, the Iran War and the upcoming midterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Dasha Burns is joined by Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) for a bipartisan conversation on the wars in Iran and Ukraine, the 2026 midterm elections, and their years serving in Congress. Then, Republican strategist Doug Heye and Democratic strategist Karen Finney break down the week's top political stories, including developments in Washington, the campaign trail, and what to watch in the weeks ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week host Dasha Burns is joined by a foreign policy panel of Michael Allen, former majority staff director for the House Intelligence Committee & former senior director for the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, and Evelyn Farkas, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia in the Obama administration.   Then, discussion of the top political news of the week with Republican strategist Lanhee Chen, chief policy adviser to the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign, and Democratic strategist Joel Payne, campaign adviser for the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign & deputy press secretary for former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by Illinois Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Texas Republican Congressman Pete Sessions for a bipartisan discussion on the U.S. war in Iran, the economy, and the battle for control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections. Panel 2: A discussion of the top political news of the week with Republican strategist John Feehery, former press secretary to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Democratic strategist Michael Hardaway, former House Democratic Caucus communications director & senior adviser. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panel 1: Host Dasha Burns is joined by former Colorado Democratic Senator Tim Wirth and former Connecticut Republican Congressman Chris Shays for a bipartisan discussion on the midterm elections, the current state of Congress, and the impact of money in politics. Panel 2:  A discussion of the top political news of the week with Republican strategist Matt Mowers, former State Department Senior White House Adviser & 2016 Trump presidential campaign senior official, and Democratic strategist Joel Rubin, former State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary of House Affairs & 2012 Obama presidential campaign surrogate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices