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, Marianna Sotomayor, Julia Ioffe, John Heilemann, and Abby Livingston—on what’s really happening in this town, from the White House to the Pentagon to Capitol Hill, K Street, the campaign trail, and beyond.
THE LATEST ARTICLES
Peter Hamby
•
June 17, 2026
To Bibi or Not to Bibi?
The biggest casualty of Trump’s Iran détente may be Benjamin Netanyahu, whose once-considerable sway in Washington has faded just as Americans’ support for Israel has fallen sharply, according to exclusive new polling for Puck.
Peter Hamby
•
June 9, 2026
Fahrenheit 250
The nation is feeling queasy about celebrating its birthday in the Trump era—but the national political narrative feels distinct from how regular Americans actually view their country, at least according to some fascinating focus groups.
Peter Hamby
•
June 3, 2026
Revenge of the Normie Libs
In California’s primaries, voters mostly chose pragmatism over progressivism: Tom Steyer’s class crusade fizzled, Saikat Chakrabarti got Pelosi’d, L.A. rejected its wannabe Mamdani, and Spencer Pratt—yes, Spencer Pratt—is still in the running.
Peter Hamby
•
May 26, 2026
Is Xavier Becerra the Best California Can Do?
Among Democratic professionals in California, the prevailing sentiment about the governor’s race is a depressed shrug and a question: How did we end up with Becerra and Tom Steyer as Newsom’s most likely successors?
Peter Hamby
•
May 21, 2026
Trump’s Midterm Tax & Rubio’s ’28 Gains
In exclusive new polling for Puck, more than six in 10 Americans say the economy is getting worse—about the same number that want the gas tax suspended. Meanwhile, Vance’s support is slipping—even as he maintains a whopping 19-point edge over Rubio in a possible 2028 primary matchup.
Peter Hamby
•
May 14, 2026
The Pratt Pack
Spencer Pratt, the former MTV reality villain, is surging in the final sprint of the L.A. mayoral race as an unlikely coalition of Republicans and bashful Democrats gravitate toward his rants about drugs and homelessness—and the failure of polite progressivism to do anything about it.
Peter Hamby
•
May 5, 2026
Does Joe Biden Still Have Any Juice?
The former president may be deeply unpopular in red districts and an embarrassment even in some blue ones, but for many Democrats, his endorsement still matters… a lot. And as Trump’s polling slips below his predecessor’s, plenty of midterm candidates are happy to receive the Biden bump. The lifelong politician, now 83 and battling cancer, is more than happy to oblige.
Peter Hamby
•
April 27, 2026
An American Sickness
A decade ago, there was a perception that political violence came mostly from right-wing extremists. Now that U.S. politics have degraded further, and social media–drawn battle lines have hardened, more Americans are putting the blame on the far left.
Peter Hamby
•
April 21, 2026
Trump’s Brain Fog of War
Exclusive new polling finds that Americans have no idea what the president is trying to achieve in Iran—probably because he keeps changing the story, himself. And they’re not thrilled about his war with the pope, either.
Peter Hamby
•
April 14, 2026
The Talented Mr. Swalwell
Even before the misconduct allegations that precipitated his downfall, Eric Swalwell was an attention-seeking social climber whose professed progressivism may have been his greatest lie of all.