Accessibility links
Don Gonyea Don Gonyea is a NPR National Political Correspondent based in Washington, D.C., and travels throughout the United States covering elections and the country's political climate. His reports can be heard on all NPR programs and at NPR.org.
Don Gonyea 2010
Stories By

Don Gonyea

Auto Industry In Turmoil

Bush: Carmakers Will Get $17.4 Billion In Loans

President Bush announced a rescue package for U.S. automakers Friday morning at the White House. The president said allowing the automakers to collapse would not be responsible.The ailing automakers will get $17.4 billion in loans. Bush said $13.4 billion will come from the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, and another $4 billion will come later.

Bush: Carmakers Will Get $17.4 Billion In Loans

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/98499914/98499913" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Financial Turmoil Grips World Markets

Automakers Wait For President Bush To Jump In

The auto industry was battered by the defeat of its bailout package in the Senate. Then word came that the White House was willing to use some of the bailout funds approved earlier for the financial industry. But since then, the Bush administration hasn't acted.

Automakers Wait For President Bush To Jump In

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/98494950/98494926" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Obama Discusses Health Care

President-elect Barack Obama discussed the future of America's health care system at a press conference Thursday. Obama nominated former Sen. Majority Leader Tom Daschle as secretary of Health and Human Services and Steven Chu as Energy Secretary.

Obama Discusses Health Care

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/98134204/98134195" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

National

Obama Calls On Blagojevich To Step Down

President-elect Barack Obama made his most extensive comments yet about the scandal involving the governor of Illinois, speaking at a news conference Thursday. Federal prosecutors say Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to put a U.S. Senate seat up for sale — the seat that Obama once held.

NPR's Don Gonyea And Steve Inskeep Discuss The Press Conference, On 'Morning Edition'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/98131296/98116421" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Obama's Conduct Not Questioned In Illinois Scandal

Top Illinois lawmakers say they'd like to call the legislature into session for a special election to pick President-elect Barack Obama's Senate replacement. They don't want to leave that job to Gov. Rod Blagojevich who's accused by federal prosecutors of trying to sell the seat. The governor and the president-elect are not personally close, but they have worked closely together over the years.

Obama's Conduct Not Questioned In Illinois Scandal

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/98068826/98068802" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

National Security Team Tasked With Obama's Vision

President-elect Barack Obama made his national security team selections official Monday. Obama said he will be responsible for the vision that this team carries out, and he expects them to implement that vision once decisions are made. One-time rival Hillary Clinton was picked for secretary of state. Current Defense Secretary Robert Gates has agreed to stay on in that job.

National Security Team Tasked With Obama's Vision

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97682036/97682008" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Confirmation Hearings For Obama Cabinet Picks

Obama Unveils National Security Team

President-elect Barack Obama has unveiled his national security team. Among the main appointments: Defense Secretary Robert Gates is staying on at the Pentagon, Sen. Hillary Clinton will be secretary of state and Eric Holder will be the attorney general.

Obama Unveils National Security Team

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97661091/97661085" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Obama Names Clinton Sec. Of State

President-elect Barack Obama also formally nominated Eric Holder as attorney general, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations.

Obama Names Clinton Sec. Of State

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97650276/97650266" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Navigating The Transition In — And Out

The transition doesn't just involve Cabinet appointments — there's also the work of determining just how the Obama White House will be run. And there's the side of transition that involves the outgoing administration, too.

Navigating The Transition In — And Out

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97365645/97365611" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Obama: Seamless Security Transition A Priority

President-elect Barack Obama says national security and the economy will be priorities when he takes office in January. He told CBS' 60 Minutes that it's important to get a national security team in place because transition periods can be vulnerable. For part of the interview, he was joined by future first lady Michelle Obama.

Obama: Seamless Security Transition A Priority

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/97078485/97078467" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Obama Resigns Senate Seat

President-elect Barack Obama has announced he is resigning his Senate seat, effective Sunday. Obama was the Illinois junior senator for four years. It is now up to the state's Democratic governor to fill the seat.

Obama Resigns Senate Seat

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96971100/96970025" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Bush Rolls Out Welcome Mat For Obama

President-elect Barack Obama is back in Chicago putting together his new administration. He and his wife, Michelle, were in Washington, D.C., Monday to get a special look at what will be their home Jan. 20. The two were greeted at the White House by President Bush and first lady Laura Bush. The two men met alone in the Oval Office for about an hour.

Bush Rolls Out Welcome Mat For Obama

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96844945/96844931" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Politics

Obama Visits White House For Meeting With Bush

President George W. Bush welcomed President-elect Barack Obama to the White House on Monday. While the two men met to discuss affairs of state, first lady Laura Bush gave Michelle Obama a tour of the second-floor residence of the Executive Mansion.

Obama Visits White House For Meeting With Bush

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96827323/96827871" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Election 2008

How Obama Mapped Out His Path To Power

President-elect Barack Obama has followed an extraordinary path that lifted him from the category of "flash in the pan" first-term senator to the Oval Office in less than four years. His well-organized campaign always seemed to know how to respond to crises.

How Obama Mapped Out His Path To Power

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96670531/96670492" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Election 2008

Obama, First African-American President-Elect

Barack Obama is promising supporters that "change has come." Obama defeated Republican John McCain in one hard-fought battleground state after another on his way to becoming the nation's first black president. More than 100,000 people gathered in Grant Park in downtown Chicago to hear Obama's victory speech.

Obama, First African-American President-Elect

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96640359/96640314" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript