“As Elon Musk set out to upend the federal bureaucracy on behalf of Donald Trump, he reached out to Trump’s team with an unusual request: U.S. law generally prohibits noncitizens from working for the federal government, but Musk was hoping to make an exception for Baris Akis, a Turkish-born venture capitalist with a green card who had become a close ally,” The Atlantic reports.
“The answer, delivered privately by Trump’s advisers, was an unequivocal no.”
Save to FavoritesForeign Policy: “The Russian government is many things, but subtle is not one of them. Ahead of a highly anticipated summit on the Russia-Ukraine war in Alaska on Friday, Russian…
“U.S. consumer sentiment softened in August as households anticipated higher goods prices because of import tariffs,” Reuters reports.Save to Favorites
David Graham: “For the Russian autocrat, this is a win in itself. Putin is a global pariah facing an international warrant for his arrest, but the United States is welcoming…
“A staff mutiny forced the management of a plush British countryside pub to turn away JD Vance, just weeks after the same venue hosted Kamala Harris,” the Daily Beast reports.Save…
“Pressure is mounting on Republicans in Indiana to take up redistricting ahead of the midterms, with both White House officials privately pressuring lawmakers and a mysterious group urging voters to…
Missouri Republicans appear headed to congressional redistricting special session, St. Louis Public Radio reports. They will likely redraw Missouri’s 5th congressional district to make it more favorable for Republicans.Save to…
“A federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment Friday of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, capping a years-long corruption investigation that had overshadowed the mayor’s second term,” the New Orleans…
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared he is not running for president in 2028. Said Kennedy: “Let me be clear: I am not running for president…
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is prepping for the redistricting battle in California, wearing a colorful shirt that includes the phrase: “Terminate Gerrymandering.”Save to Favorites
Many see Donald Trump as a rupture in the conservative tradition. But perhaps he’s just a return to form. For all the talk of Ronald Reagan as the high point…
“NASA is planning to decommission premier satellite missions that gather information on planet-warming pollution and other climate vital signs beginning as soon as October,” CNN reports. “The destruction of the…
A new Pew Research survey finds 60% of Americans disapprove of President Trump’s job performance, while only 38% approve.Save to Favorites
“Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been working behind the scenes to rally his Republican troops against California Democrats’ gerrymandering ballot measure,” Politico reports. “McCarthy recently told his former home-state…
Robert Putnam and Richard Reeves: “Many boys and men are struggling today… in an America… disrupted by technological change, immigration and growing inequality. Since 2010, suicide rates among young men…
“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is living for free in a military home typically reserved for the U.S. Coast Guard’s top admiral,” the Washington Post reports. “The highly…
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to meet today in one of the most remote corners of American soil — Alaska — and the stakes couldn’t be higher. What…
The Economist: “The puzzle of Mr Trump’s admiration for Mr Putin may have been better addressed by psychologists. Certainly Mr Putin, the seasoned KGB operative, has known how to play…
Brian Stelter: “No matter what happens at President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today, Trump will have Sean Hannity there right afterward to help him spin it positively.”…
The Economist: “When Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin in Alaska it will be the seventh time the two have talked in person. This time is different, though. Since their last…
Taegan 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.