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Leigh Ann Caldwell, Peter Hamby, Julia Ioffe, Marianna Sotomayor, John Heilemann, & Abby Livingston
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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
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August 20, 2025
Trump Turns the Screws on Indiana
With California preparing to neutralize the Texas gerrymander, the White House is ramping up its pressure campaign in Indiana, where few Republicans want to redistrict—but even fewer want to make enemies of President Trump.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 10, 2025
John Cornyn’s Moment of Truth
The Cornyn campaign is at a critical juncture as the Texas senator falls behind A.G. Ken Paxton in the state’s Republican primary, hurting his chances at clinching an endorsement from Trump. But Paxton may actually need Cornyn to improve in the polls to keep other challengers at bay…
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 10, 2025
The Gospel According to Buck
A lively conversation with Brendan Buck, the former top G.O.P. aide turned strategist, about the new risk calculus on Capitol Hill and whether Congress is edging closer to abdicating its powers to the White House.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 6, 2025
The Emancipation of M.T.G.
The MAGA congresswoman has made a career out of defending Trump. But lately she’s started to break with the president she still calls her favorite. Are her followers still with her?
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 4, 2025
Senate Pre-Recess Shutdown Jitters
What should have been a routine nominations agreement before the August recess has spiraled into a bitter standoff between Trump, Thune, and Schumer. Now the stage is set for a bruising fall showdown over confirmations, foreign aid, and government funding—with a shutdown increasingly likely.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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August 3, 2025
Josh Hawley Takes Stock
Congress’s latest, inevitably futile ritual of attempting to ban its own members from trading stocks was particularly explosive this time around, after the president erupted at Sen. Josh Hawley over a perceived threat to his own bottom line. And yet, the latest effort may present even bigger hurdles.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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July 30, 2025
Is Schumer a Flip-Phone Guy in an A.I. World?
The Senate Democratic leader is facing down the prospect of another government funding fight before he’s even recovered from the last one. This time, he’s trying to get ahead of it—but some in his caucus have other ideas.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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July 27, 2025
Johnson Loses the Epstein Caucus
The House speaker’s strategy to bury the Epstein drama by sending Congress home for the summer has only delayed a reckoning that Trump himself set into motion. The defection of a few key Republican members shows the problem isn’t going away.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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July 23, 2025
House Republicans’ Cruel Summer
G.O.P. members were hoping to spend the August recess focused on selling the (unpopular) Big Beautiful Bill to their constituents, and messaging about extended tax cuts. But the Epstein drama has consumed everything.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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July 21, 2025
The Collins Pressure Campaign
After Sen. Susan Collins’ eleventh-hour decision to not put forth an amendment slimming down the $9 billion rescission package, she blamed a “political stunt” from Democrats for her change of heart. But a subtle pressure campaign from her G.O.P. colleagues and the White House might have been the key factor.
