Leigh Ann Caldwell • April 9, 2025

Unliberation Day

Inside the White House’s white-knuckle pressure campaign to force Hill Republicans not to break with Trump’s tariff policy, no matter the cost… only for Trump himself to blink.

Peter Hamby • April 8, 2025

Trump’s Honeymoon Hara-Kiri

While most presidents enjoy a post-inaugural boost to their popularity, the early post-Liberation Day polling shows Trump’s support on the economy collapsing rapidly. “These economic numbers to me scream red flag,” said polling analyst Lakshya Jain. “Honeymoons don’t end in April.”

John Heilemann • April 8, 2025

The Committee to Crash the World

As the reality of Trump’s trade war sinks in and the odds of a recession rise, a panicked Wall Street is looking desperately to his economic team to steer him toward an off-ramp. But can any of them really influence the guy at the wheel?

Abby Livingston • April 8, 2025

The War on Tariffs

Republicans are now, for the most part, standing by Donald Trump in his trade war. But dissent is brewing within the party, and Democrats are salivating at their own newly brightened prospects.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • April 6, 2025

Nightmare on Capitol Street

After the thrill of Trump’s first two months in office, a torrent of tariffs and a big loss in Wisconsin are giving Republican lawmakers a glimpse of the grim midterm battles ahead. “It’s starting to feel a lot like 2018 with a backlash to Trumpism,” says a Republican pollster. “The Trump honeymoon collapsed with the stock market.”

Julia Ioffe • April 4, 2025

Pete Hegseth’s P.R. War

Performing for the cameras as much as for the troops, the former Fox News host has engineered an unprecedented government-funded digital campaign designed to transform the secretary of Defense into a social media star.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • April 3, 2025

The Post-Liberation Day Hangover…

As Trump’s tariff Mardi Gras comes to a close, Republicans are scratching their heads over their options, the Senate is looking to have Canada’s back, and the White House insists they’re not screwing around. What could possibly go wrong?

John Heilemann • April 2, 2025

Elon Crash Lands in Wisconsin

With his $25 million bankroll, gusher of X posts, and cheesehead-festooned I.R.L. antics, Elon Musk turned the Wisconsin Supreme Court election into a referendum on himself—and received a drubbing. Will the smackdown mark the beginning of the end of his tenure as Donald Trump’s co-president?

Peter Hamby • April 2, 2025

How Special Is Your Election?

Evaluating the early bellwethers in Wisconsin and Florida, the health of the Dem #Resistance, and the Elon of it all.

Abby Livingston • April 1, 2025

The ’28 Combine Begins

The early maneuvering of a dozen-plus Democrats to fill the party’s leadership void has triggered an early frenzy among consultants and operatives scouting a generational talent pool… and a billion-dollar opportunity.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • March 30, 2025

President A.O.C.

The formerly ostracized New York progressive has moved into her party’s mainstream, and everyone is trying to anticipate her next moves. A groundswell is building for her to defenestrate Schumer. But that’s just one of the higher offices her team is considering.

Julia Ioffe • March 27, 2025

The Vance Doctrine

Depending on whom you talk to, J.D. Vance is either a foreign policy naif or an embittered War on Terror vet driven by fear that the West’s foundational civilization is being washed away. The truth may be somewhere in between.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • March 26, 2025

Barbarians at Signalgate

As the Trump group chat debacle stretches into its third day, the White House is ostensibly standing by its men, and Republicans are standing by the administration. In private, of course, some national security–minded Republicans are worried, aggrieved, disappointed, and vexed.

Peter Hamby • March 26, 2025

Khanna Talk Therapy

Ro Khanna, the ambitious Silicon Valley congressman and Bernie acolyte, just wrapped a three-city listening tour to rally despondent Democrats, let them vent, and offer a little hope. Mostly, though, he wants them to face up to the hard work ahead. “We can speak out, but there’s not much we can do beyond organizing and mobilizing in districts and being vocal,” Khanna told me. “And that’s the reality of the situation.”

Abby Livingston • March 25, 2025

The Dems Pivot to Cringe

Field notes from the Democrats’ evolving identity crisis—the emphasis on authenticity, cringey social media campaigns and all.