Political Wire

Enjoy Political Wire Without the Ads

Members get an ad-free site, exclusive analysis, the private Trial Balloon podcast, real-time trending news and the full Political Wire experience.

Become a member. Already a member? Log in.


The GOP Is Revolting

By Leave a Comment

Charlie Sykes: “It almost felt like a unicorn sighting: Republicans on Capitol Hill openly defying Trump and (if one did not know them better) taking principled stands of independence. The change in the political mood was head-snapping; just days earlier, Trump was celebrating his latest victory in his revenge tour as he tightened his grip on the party. Puffed up with the wins, Trump clearly expected Republicans to react in the usual way: by cringing and fawning. He brandished the heads of Thomas Massie and Bill Cassidy as he threatened congressional Republicans, rolled out his most brazen bits of corruption, and — in a moment of pure political snit — endorsed Texas AG Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn…”

“But this week, Trump crossed an invisible line, and for the first time in the Trump Restoration, GOP senators and reps seem genuinely pissed at the president; and willing to break with him on issues that Trump cares about deeply.”

Tulsi Gabbard Resigns

By Leave a Comment

Tulsi Gabbard is resigning from her post as Director of National Intelligence to support her husband through his battle with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” Fox News reports.

Gabbard notified President Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office Friday.

Lutnick Donated to House GOP Before Epstein Testimony

By Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s secretary of commerce, made a $5 million donation last month to a committee supporting House Republicans, an unusually large contribution for a sitting cabinet secretary.”

“The donation was made on April 1, four weeks after the House Oversight Committee arranged to interview Mr. Lutnick about his ties to the sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.”

Most Americans Doubt U.S. Government Will Regulate AI

By Leave a Comment

CBS News Poll: “Most Americans continue to believe AI will reduce the number of jobs in the U.S., but that’s not their only AI concern. They are also skeptical about whether the U.S. government will implement a policy to ensure the technology is used appropriately.”

“That skepticism is fairly widespread. Majorities across age groups and education levels don’t think government policy will ensure AI is used appropriately. Democrats and independents share that view, while Republicans are generally divided.”

The Republican Senate Candidate Who Could Lose Texas

By Leave a Comment

Elaine Godfrey: “Donald Trump is a historically unpopular politician. Gas prices, high inflation, and the war with Iran have all systems flashing fire-engine red for Republicans in November. Yet here was the president, throwing his political weight behind Paxton—a man who has been indicted, impeached, and allegedly unfaithful to his wife.”

“In Washington, D.C., Senate Republicans were apoplectic at the president’s casual betrayal of one of their own…”

“By choosing Paxton, the president is rewarding his—and his base’s—unwavering devotion. He is likely also guaranteeing Paxton a primary victory over Cornyn. And in so doing, Trump may have cemented a set of very difficult circumstances for his party. If Paxton wins on Tuesday, Democrats will probably be better positioned to win statewide in Texas than they’ve been in the past 40 years.”

U.S. Pauses $14 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan

By Leave a Comment

The acting secretary of the U.S. Navy said that arm sales to Taiwan had been put on “pause” to ensure that the American military had sufficient munitions for its Iran operations, CBS News reports. 

President Trump has not committed to following through with the sale, raising concerns over his commitment to support for Taiwan.

Poll Suggests a Possible Path Forward for Democrats

By Leave a Comment

Nate Cohn: “Ever since Kamala Harris’ defeat in 2024, Democratic politicians, activists and policy wonks have argued about whether the party should move toward the left or the center.”

“But in this week’s New York Times/Siena poll, there’s a lot more common ground than one might expect within the Democratic coalition — a group defined here as Democrats, Democratic-leaning independents and independents who voted for Ms. Harris.”

“A surprisingly clear majority of the Democratic coalition is mostly fine with where the party stands on the issues overall. Only 20 percent say it’s ‘too far’ to the left; only 17 percent say it’s ‘too far’ to the right. The dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party seems less about its ideology and more about its failures to stop President Trump — whether in the last election or once in government.”

Kevin Warsh to Be Sworn In as Fed Chair

By Leave a Comment

Wall Street Journal: “Warsh is set to be sworn in as the nation’s top central banker at the White House on Friday, the first Fed chair to take the oath there since Alan Greenspan in 1987. It is also his first public appearance with Trump since the president chose him in January after a monthslong public contest.”

“He takes over at a moment fraught with risk. Inflation is rising, long-term bond yields are climbing, and a growing number of investors say the Fed’s next move could be a rate increase—not the cut Trump wanted and Warsh was hired to deliver.”

Quote of the Day

By Leave a Comment

“These nonsense polls that are out there telling us how the the president has never had a lower approval rating — what last week showed everybody once again is Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Donald Trump still holds the strength. There’s never been anybody like him.”

— House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), on CNBC.

Trump Doubles-Down on ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’

By Leave a Comment

In the face of backlash by Republican senators, President Trump defended the new fund set up by the Justice Department:

“I gave up a lot of money in allowing the just announced Anti-Weaponization Fund to go forward. I could have settled my case, including the illegal release of my Tax Returns and the equally illegal BREAK IN of Mar-a-Lago, for an absolute fortune. Instead, I am helping others, who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration, receive, at long last, JUSTICE!”

Trump Celebrates Stephen Colbert’s Final Show

By Leave a Comment

In a nearly 2 a.m. Truth Social post, President Trump celebrated Stephen Colbert’s demise, writing that it was “amazing that he lasted so long!”

Wrote Trump: “No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”

He later added: “Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the ‘Beginning of the End’ for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts. Others, of even less talent, to soon follow. May they all Rest in Peace!”

Trump’s Endgame Is Surrender

By Leave a Comment

Robert Kagan: “Now that Trump has made clear he has no intention of fighting to reopen the strait, the stampede to get good terms with Tehran will begin. All nations heavily dependent on energy from the Persian Gulf will want to cut their deal quickly to get the oil and gas and other commodities flowing and rescue their battered economy…”

“Trump no doubt hopes that he can slip away without Americans noticing the magnitude of this defeat. The financial markets may stabilize if it is clear that oil will eventually start flowing again through a reopened strait, even if under the new Iran-controlled system. A major strategic setback for the United States need not affect Wall Street. The president may also hope that he can change the subject by launching another military operation, this time against the government in Cuba. And the news media have indeed begun writing more about Cuba than about the unfolding disaster in Iran.”

A Close Look at Trump’s Statement on His Son’s Wedding

By Leave a Comment

Jonathan Chait: “Donald Trump’s most amusing habit is meting out casual abuse to his sycophants. His recent answer to a question about the wedding of Donald Trump Jr. may, depending on how deserving one deems Trump’s eldest son of mistreatment—poor Don Jr. was, after all, born into the Trump life—qualify as his most hilarious riff ever…”

“Trump immediately confides that his son wants him to attend the ceremony, but he will not commit at this point, even though the wedding is just a few days away. He first floats the explanation that it will be ‘just a small, little, private affair,’ as if there may not be space in the party for him, the father of the groom—who, we have already established, wants him to attend.”

“Trump then pivots to a new excuse: He is waging war with Iran. This conflict, although serious, has not prevented the president from engaging in activities such as marathon social-media-posting sessions, regular golf outings, and an event two weeks ago to promote a future UFC bout at the White House.”

Tom Kean Jr. Had Time to Approve Staff Trips

By Leave a Comment

NOTUS: “Rep. Tom Kean Jr. appears to have taken at least two official actions during his weekslong and largely unexplained absence from Congress — both to the benefit of his staff.”

“Despite not casting a vote since early March, the New Jersey Republican signed a pair of congressional “gift travel” disclosures affirming that his chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, was authorized to take trips paid for by special interest groups.”

Trump’s Death Grip on a Shrinking Party

By Leave a Comment

Edward Luce: “I would rather be Massie than Cornyn or Cassidy. The latter two have consistently voted with Trump, confirmed his most manifestly unfit nominees — Pete Hegseth, RFK Jr, Kash Patel etc — and turned a blind eye to Washington’s sprint into naked kleptocracy. Their loyalty went unrewarded. Cornyn posted a photo of himself reading Trump’s Art of the Deal with the caption ‘recommended.’ He also sponsored legislation to upgrade a Texas highway to a future interstate and rename it after the ‘most effective and influential president of our lifetime.'”

“Fat use those did him. Cornyn can now nurse his self-humiliation at leisure. It is a pity because I think he is an otherwise decent man. Without courage, however, all the other virtues wither.”

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.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.