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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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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.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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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.”
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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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?
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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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.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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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.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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March 23, 2025
The Johnson Trust Fall
After a 10-day recess filled with the hue and cry of angry voters, Democrats are returning to a Washington where universities, law firms, and major corporations have all been muzzled. Meanwhile, Republicans are quietly navigating their own DOGE dilemmas… including how to slice trillions of dollars from the government without too many people noticing.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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March 19, 2025
The G.O.P. Impeachment Head Fake
Publicly, Trump allies are whipping support to impeach the federal judge throwing up obstacles to the president’s deportation agenda. Behind the scenes, Republicans say they don’t have the votes—and worry that going to war with the judiciary is a distraction they don’t need.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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March 16, 2025
OK, Schumer
Last week, the Senate Democratic leader finally made a decision to avert a government shutdown. Now he faces the music within his own party.
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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March 13, 2025
What the Chuck?
As responsibility for funding the government falls on the Senate, Democrats are growing nervous that Chuck Schumer hasn’t offered them much of a strategy, or a viable off-ramp, to navigate what Republicans are already framing as a possible “Schumer shutdown.”
Leigh Ann Caldwell
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March 9, 2025
Dem Group Therapy Goes Awry
Not surprisingly, the Democrats are divided—within the party, and among chambers—about the upcoming shutdown crisis, and what to do if the government does, indeed, shut down.
