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Leigh Ann Caldwell, Julia Ioffe, Peter Hamby, Abby Livingston & John Heilemann
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Sunday through Thursday
Puck’s daily political newsletter from Washington—featuring Leigh Ann Caldwell, Julia Ioffe, Peter Hamby, Abby Livingston, and John Heilemann—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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December 14, 2025
Chuck & Mike’s Freaky Friday
In a sudden inversion of political fortunes, the Senate minority leader is no longer in the party’s doghouse, while the House speaker is facing revolts within his own caucus.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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December 10, 2025
The G.O.P.’s Healthcare Groundhog Day
Once again, Republicans are trying to repeal Obamacare—and once again, leadership doesn’t appear to have any clear plan for what should replace it. Democrats, already anticipating an election year with the wind at their backs, couldn’t be more pleased.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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December 7, 2025
Johnson’s Career Crisis & The House G.O.P. Exodus
Serving in the House—even when your party controls that chamber, the Senate, and the Oval Office—just ain’t what it used to be. The 119th Congress has been divided and demoralized, and is on track to be the least productive in recent memory. Now, frustrated G.O.P. members are running for the exits before things get worse.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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December 3, 2025
Bleak House
Republicans are increasingly resigned to losing their House majority, a fate they ascribe to Speaker Mike Johnson’s mismanagement, and to the redistricting crusade prosecuted by the White House itself.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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November 30, 2025
Jaime Harrison on the Disappearing Rural Democrat
A frank discussion with the onetime Senate candidate and former D.N.C. chair about why he still thinks Democrats can compete in rural America—and what it will take to win back red states.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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November 23, 2025
The Bros Fade on Trump
A generational civil war has erupted within the MAGA coalition, with some young men gravitating toward extremists like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, and others abandoning Trumpism entirely. For Democrats, it’s an opportunity to win back disaffected voters who flipped in 2024.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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November 20, 2025
Big Guthrie Energy
The A.I. gold rush has touched off a mad scramble to produce enough energy—oil, natural gas, coal, solar, wind, geothermal, you name it—to power the thousands of data centers popping up across the country. House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie confronts whether a divided Washington can ever reach a consensus on energy growth before China wins the whole ballgame.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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November 16, 2025
The G.O.P.’s Epstein Sophie’s Choice
The week ahead is likely to be the hardest for Republicans this session, with a lose-lose proposition on the Epstein vote: Cross Trump, or alienate the base? And then there’s the healthcare conversation they’d much rather avoid…
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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November 12, 2025
Tick, Tick… Schumer
The embattled top Senate Democrat is once again facing calls to step down from leadership.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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November 9, 2025
Can Democrats Become a Big Tent Party?
After last week, ebullient Democrats gathered in Washington to plot how to instill the lessons of the election: make room for disagreement, run younger candidates, dump the litmus tests, and hammer Trump on affordability.
