Leigh Ann Caldwell • May 13, 2026

Yo, Adrian!

Congressman Adrian Smith, one of three Republicans representing all of Nebraska, offers his candid thoughts on Trump’s soybean diplomacy, the tariff backlash, his beef with Canada, the party’s “affordability” balancing act, and more.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • May 12, 2026

Reflecting Pool Blues & A New Challenge to AIPAC

What Trump is saying privately about that wildly expensive no-bid contract, plus exclusive news on new endorsements from the PAC founded by Biden alums who resigned over Gaza.

Marianna Sotomayor • May 12, 2026

Voters Prefer Democrats, But Still Don’t Trust Them

Exclusive new polling by Third Way shows Dems benefitting from anti-Trump emotion. But the skepticism starts as soon as voters imagine them back in power.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • May 12, 2026

Dems Attack Chip Roy… From the Right

With the clock ticking down to the Texas runoff, an environmental group is inserting itself in an effort to swing the A.G. race.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • May 11, 2026

House Democrats Have a Purge Problem

An unusual set of primary interventions by the party’s congressional campaign arm has infuriated progressive candidates, who accuse out-of-touch leadership of putting their thumb on the scale. Democratic sources argue the committee just wants to win.

Julia Ioffe • May 7, 2026

The Boys Are Back in Town

Many Democrats aren’t happy that Jake Sullivan and the other Biden bros who rode shotgun for Barack and Joe’s foreign policy adventures are positioning to return to power: “The idea that the same foreign policy leadership that brought us the Afghanistan withdrawal and the cover-up of Biden’s decline should be in charge of staffing the next Democratic administration,” said one insider, “is tone deaf at best.”

Leigh Ann Caldwell • May 6, 2026

James Blair’s Badly Needed Victory

The brains behind the G.O.P.’s redistricting assault scored a win in Indiana—but it came at an unprecedented cost.

Marianna Sotomayor • May 6, 2026

Johnson & Jeffries’s Prisoner’s Dilemma

Neither party’s leadership is thrilled with the prospect of unending, scorched-earth redistricting wars. Mike Johnson views the gerrymandering games as a headache, and Hakeem Jeffries wants a national ban on mid-decade redraws. But until that day, “we are not going to unilaterally disarm.”

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.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • May 4, 2026

Republican Worries in Ohio & Incumbent Danger in Indiana

Primary voters head to the polls tomorrow in two states affected differently by redistricting.

Abby Livingston • May 4, 2026

“The Only Way Out Is Through”: Democrats Prep for Scorched-Earth Redistricting War

With the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act and essentially legalizing even the most extreme gerrymandering, party leaders say they need to fight fire with fire—even if it means mutually assured destruction.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • May 3, 2026

The Thune-Johnson Trust Deficit

The Republican civil war isn’t just ideological, it’s institutional, with the House and Senate engaged in an intraparty feud with no obvious exit ramp before the midterms.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • April 30, 2026

The Oysterman Cometh

Janet Mills’s suspension of her Senate bid came with a dig at Chuck Schumer, who had pressed her to run without committing the financial resources.

Julia Ioffe • April 30, 2026

Love Him or LaNeve Him

Pete Hegseth’s decision to replace the highly regarded Gen. Randy George with Gen. Christopher LaNeve infuriated senior Army officials. As he prepares to be confirmed to the role, however, LaNeve is trying to mend fences and win converts.

Leigh Ann Caldwell • April 29, 2026

V.R.A. Aftershocks & Kash-Strapped Dems

A Supreme Court decision ensures the redistricting battles will spill into next cycle. And Section 702 prevails—no thanks to Kash Patel.