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Drones Spotted Over Base Where Rubio and Hegseth Live

March 18, 2026 at 10:59 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“U.S. officials detected unidentified drones above the Washington Army base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live,” the Washington Post reports.

“Officials have not determined where they came from.”

“The military is monitoring potential threats more closely because of the heightened alert level as the United States and Israel strike Iran… Multiple drones were spotted over Fort McNair on a single night in the last 10 days, prompting increased security measures and a meeting at the White House to discuss how to respond.”

Most Say the Economy Is Getting Worse

March 18, 2026 at 9:02 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Economist/YouGov Poll finds 59% of Americans say the economy is getting worse.

Trump Weighs Military Reinforcements

March 18, 2026 at 9:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump’s administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the U.S. military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran,” Reuters reports.

“The deployments could help provide Trump with additional options as he weighs expanding U.S. operations, with the Iran war well into its third week.”

FBI Investigates Intelligence Aide Who Resigned Over War

March 18, 2026 at 8:58 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The FBI has opened a leak investigation into a top former intelligence official who resigned Tuesday in protest over the war in Iran,” Semafor reports.

“The investigation into former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent is focused on allegations that he improperly shared classified information.”

Some Sad News…

March 18, 2026 at 8:12 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Longtime Political Wire reader Terje Anderson died earlier this week.

Terje once served as chair of the Vermont Democratic Party and knew quite a bit about politics. He was a familiar voice to many in this community for years.

I never had the chance to meet Terje in person, but we exchanged emails often over the years. He cared deeply about this site and the conversations that took place here.

Please keep his friends and family in your thoughts.

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Moves Away From Iran War

March 18, 2026 at 7:59 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is moving away from operations tied to the Iran war and sailing to the US Navy’s base in Crete for repairs after a fire broke out in the ship’s laundry area last week,” CNN reports.

“The movement of the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier comes as military operations against Iran are still in full swing, particularly as the US is seeking ways to reduce Iran’s threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Pentagon Seeks $200 Billion More for Iran War

March 18, 2026 at 7:57 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a more than $200 billion request to Congress to fund the war in Iran, in an enormous new ask that is almost certain to run into resistance from lawmakers opposed to the conflict,” the Washington Post reports.

“That number would far surpass the costs of the administration’s massive airstrike campaign to date and instead seek to urgently increase production of critical weaponry expended as U.S. and Israeli forces have struck thousands of targets over the past three weeks.”

GOP Lawmaker Claims He Won Fake Transparency Award

March 18, 2026 at 4:48 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R), who’s been criticized for blocking bills to make the Legislature’s records available to the public, claimed Tuesday to have won a transparency award from an organization that might not exist,” the Detroit News reports.

Bonus Quote of the Day

March 18, 2026 at 4:24 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Oh, we don’t have one. I think the Trump Derangement Syndrome, that’s the leader right now… our party is governed by the TDS. And now it’s made it virtually impossible without being punished as a Democrat to agree something’s good or I agree with the other side.”

— Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), quoted by Mediaite, when asked who was the leader of the Democratic party.

Mullin Pledges to Sell His Massive Stock Holdings

March 18, 2026 at 4:22 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) “said he would sell dozens of individual stocks once he’s confirmed as homeland security secretary,” NOTUS reports.

“Mullin is one of the richest members in the multimillionaire-packed Senate. His median net worth is around $45 million… His wealth has increased significantly since he was elected to the U.S. House in 2012 with a median net worth of $5.9 million.”

Kevin Kiley Loses His Committee Assignments

March 18, 2026 at 4:20 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Rep. Kevin Kiley, the former Republican who recently registered as an Independent, said in an interview Wednesday he plans to caucus with the House GOP and will seek to regain his committee assignments,” Politico reports.

“The California lawmaker was formally removed from his panels Wednesday after giving official notice he was switching parties to serve as an Independent and run in a new district after his state redrew congressional maps.”

Why a Record Number Are Quitting Congress

March 18, 2026 at 4:09 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Wall Street Journal: “This cycle marks the largest midterm exodus of House members in nearly a century of data. The moves signal broader unease inside the chamber about the direction of the political winds—and the value of remaining in office in a fraught political environment.”

Introducing Reader Wire (Beta)

March 18, 2026 at 3:14 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

I’m testing a new members-only feature called Reader Wire — a place where readers can share links to interesting political news and analysis from around the web.

Think of it as a community-driven stream of stories worth your attention, curated by fellow members. 

Join now to continue reading.

Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.

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Top Intelligence Officials Contradict Trump on Iran War

March 18, 2026 at 3:04 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Two top intelligence officials directly contradicted one of the Trump administration’s justifications for going to war with Iran, repeating on Wednesday the intelligence community’s conclusion that Iran was years away from developing missiles capable of hitting the United States,” the New York Times reports.

Rand Paul to Oppose Mullin’s Confirmation

March 18, 2026 at 3:01 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Sen. Rand Paul will oppose Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security. He also won’t stand in the way of it,” Semafor reports.

Said Paul: “I think he’s unfit. I think his temperament is not suitable. I think his anger issues are a problem, yeah, and so I won’t vote for him, but I’ve promised to at least get an expeditious vote.”

Fed Holds Steady and Maintains Rate-Cut Projection

March 18, 2026 at 2:20 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday and preserved a path to cutting rates this year as higher energy prices from the Iran war threaten to prolong their yearslong inflation fight,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Officials voted 11-1 to hold the benchmark federal-funds rate in a range between 3.5% and 3.75%, the second consecutive meeting with no change.”

Is Cory Booker Tough Enough?

March 18, 2026 at 2:16 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Russell Berman: ‘A touch of annoyance flashes across Cory Booker’s face as we talk about fighting. ‘Why do people preemptively, continually, mistake kindness for weakness?’ he asks. By ‘people,’ he means, at this moment, me. I had just brought up the festering concern, expressed by fans and critics alike, that he is simply too nice to win the presidency.”

“Booker has been trying to convince me that he’s tough enough for this uncivil American era—that a pathologically genial New Jersey Democrat who preached love in his (mostly unloved) 2020 campaign could, if called to, knock a guy on his ass…”

Early Primaries Offer Clues

March 18, 2026 at 1:56 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The first round of March primaries is offering an early, if incomplete, snapshot of what the 2026 midterms might look like.

The primary calendar heats up in May and June but a few takeaways are already emerging:

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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