Get the inside conversation in your inbox
Leigh Ann Caldwell, Peter Hamby, Julia Ioffe, Marianna Sotomayor, John Heilemann, & Abby Livingston
•
Sunday through Thursday
Puck’s daily political newsletter from Washington—featuring Leigh Ann Caldwell, Peter Hamby, John Heilemann, Julia Ioffe, Abby Livingston, and Marianna Sotomayor—on what’s really happening in this town, from the White House to the Pentagon to Capitol Hill, K Street, and the campaign trail.
THE LATEST ARTICLES
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
September 28, 2025
Beyond the Trump Disapproval Matrix
The president’s favorables are sliding, even on his best issues. But Capitol Hill Republicans are determined to sink or swim with Trump—and they’re convinced they’ll be on the right side of the shutdown blame game, too.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
September 24, 2025
Ted Talk
Many have noticed that the Texas senator has been displaying an unusual amount of independence from the White House lately. Is it simply a naked bid to position himself in a sure-to-be crowded ’28 primary?
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
September 21, 2025
Silence of the Lambs
With a few notable exceptions, Republicans on the Hill are avoiding talking about Trump’s demands to shut down broadcast networks, cancel comedians, imprison protesters, investigate Democratic nonprofits, sue newspapers, and prosecute speech. “We don’t love it,” one senior aide said. But mostly they’re just waiting to see if things get worse.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
September 18, 2025
State of Emmer-gency
The House Republican whip dishes on Brendan Carr’s F.C.C., shutdown politics, and, of course, cryptocurrency.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
September 14, 2025
The Schumer Mill
News, notes, and recriminations aplenty from a terrible week on Capitol Hill: the fallout from Kirk’s assassination; Thune versus Schumer; Britt versus Murphy; Democratic division over a shutdown, and more.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
September 10, 2025
The Party of Ezra
Ezra Klein has become something of a spiritual advisor for Capitol Hill Democrats, many of whom have him on speed dial. So when he calls for a shutdown in the pages of the Times, and attendant multimedia channels, lawmakers actually listen—and agonize.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
September 7, 2025
Trump’s A.I. Identity Crisis
Washington remains divided between Trump-adjacent Silicon Valley accelerationists who want to advance A.I. at all costs, and skeptical lawmakers from both parties, who warn of unforeseen risks, ranging from copyright theft to national security threats.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
September 3, 2025
Thune’s Pocket Rocket
Republicans are lurching toward an explosive showdown with Democrats, the public, and each other over the president’s so-called pocket rescissions. How the Senate majority leader handles the blowback, and a looming government shutdown, could impact the midterms and the future of Congress itself.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
August 27, 2025
The Trump Socialist Experiment
Starting on the other side of Labor Day, Congress will be tasked with confronting the president’s increasingly alarming socialist experiment. Will Republicans blink on making the Fed an extension of the White House? Is Intel just the first shoe to drop?
Leigh Ann Caldwell
•
August 24, 2025
The Incredible Shrinking Freedom Caucus
The bare-knuckled Republican brawlers who once struck fear and trembling inside the House have become sidelined during the second Trump administration. Now, increasingly, they’re showing themselves out.
