Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Trending
  • Resources
    • Politics Extra
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!


Trump Remains Upset with His Senior Staff

March 5, 2017 at 7:49 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump “is extremely frustrated with his senior staff and communications team for allowing the firestorm surrounding Attorney General Jeff Sessions to steal his thunder in the wake of his address to Congress,” sources tell CNN.

Said one source: “Nobody has seen him that upset.”

“Trump is upset because he doesn’t believe he is getting the credit he thinks he deserves for his time in office so far because of self-inflicted wounds and missteps… The President’s mood is adding to tremendous pressure inside the West Wing and aides have been seen in tears in recent days at multiple meetings.”

The New York Times reports Trump was also frustrated by the Sunday talk shows and felt people didn’t defend him strongly enough on his claim that former President Obama wiretapped his phones during the campaign.

Still No GOP Consensus on Obamacare Replacement

March 5, 2017 at 7:48 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Contrary to the claims of GOP leaders, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told CBS News that not all Republicans are on the same page on Obamacare replacement.

Said Collins: “There is not a consensus. This is very difficult to achieve the president’s goals and the goals that many of us have of wanting to expand access to coverage and have a damper on the prices.”

David Nather: “All of the focus lately has been on the difficulty of getting conservative House Republicans to vote for the emerging GOP bill — but Collins’ comments are a reminder that the Senate will be an even tougher sell, for moderates as well as conservatives.”

Schumer’s Priority Is to Block the Wall

March 5, 2017 at 6:40 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has concluded that denying President Trump his wall on the Mexican border would be the biggest defeat Democrats can hand him in his first year, Jonathan Swan reports.

“Trump needs 60 Senate votes to fund construction of his ‘great wall’ along the Southern border… There’s nothing the Republicans would be willing to offer that could get Trump the eight Democratic Senators he needs to fund the wall. Mitch McConnell’s only other option would be to invoke the nuclear option and bypass the filibuster. But Democratic appropriators are betting the Republican leader won’t be willing to undermine such a fundamental Senate tradition just to pay for Trump’s wall.”

“The evolving plan, being discussed by Schumer’s office and Senate appropriators: If Republicans put money for the wall into a bill, Democrats block it. It doesn’t matter what else is in the bill — Schumer will make it about the wall. The way Democrats see it, if they can block the wall, they’d crush a central feature of Trump’s political identity.”


You're reading the free version of Political Wire

Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.

    Upgrade Now

  • ✔ Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, a trending news page, a private podcast, no advertising and more!
  • ✔ If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.



Schumer Says Trump ‘Is In Trouble’

March 5, 2017 at 5:21 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told NBC News that Donald Trump’s accusation that Barack Obama tapped his phones last fall indicate “the president is in trouble.”

Said Schumer: “If he falsely spread this kind of misinformation, that is so wrong. It’s beneath the dignity of the presidency… it shows this president doesn’t know how to conduct himself.”

He added: “If it’s true, it’s even worse for the president. Because that means that a federal judge, independently elected, has found probable cause that the president, or people on his staff… have probable cause to have broken the law or to have interacted with a foreign agent.”

For members: Trump Just Made a Big Russia Problem Even Bigger

Comey Asks Justice Department to Reject Trump Claims

March 5, 2017 at 4:36 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

FBI Director James Comey “asked the Justice Department this weekend to publicly reject President Trump’s assertion that President Barack Obama ordered the tapping of Mr. Trump’s phones,” the New York Times reports.

“Mr. Comey has argued that the highly charged claim is false and must be corrected… but the department has not released any such statement.”

“A statement by the Justice Department or Mr. Comey refuting Mr. Trump’s allegations would be a remarkable rebuke of a sitting president, putting the nation’s top law enforcement officials in the position of questioning the truthfulness of the government’s top leader.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

March 5, 2017 at 3:14 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“We don’t know what the Russians have on Donald Trump. And we need — and we need to see, if anything — we need to see his tax returns.”

— Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), quoted by ABC News.

Arkansas Lawmaker Wants His Gun at State Capitol

March 5, 2017 at 3:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Despite metal detectors and armed guards at the doors to the Capitol and leading to galleries overlooking the Arkansas House, a state lawmaker says he would feel safer if he were allowed to pack his own heat,” the AP reports.

“Republican Rep. Mickey Gates is proposing that lawmakers licensed to carry a concealed handgun be allowed to bring their weapons into the Arkansas Capitol and other publicly owned facilities throughout the state.”

A Peek Inside the Conspiracy Theory Feedback Loop

March 5, 2017 at 1:58 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

Think about what just happened this weekend: President Trump tweeted unsubstantiated allegations — which apparently originated in Brietbart — that President Obama ordered wiretaps of Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Mainstream news publications then ran stories about the president’s “explosive allegations.” Trump then doubled-down on the allegations and demanded a Congressional investigation.

Join now to continue reading.

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

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

Koch-Backed Groups Will Pressure GOP on Health Repeal

March 5, 2017 at 1:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Saying their patience is at an end, conservative activist groups backed by the billionaire Koch brothers and other powerful interests on the right are mobilizing to pressure Republicans to fulfill their promise to swiftly repeal the Affordable Care Act,” the New York Times reports.

“Their message is blunt and unforgiving, with the goal of reawakening some of the most extensive conservative grass-roots networks in the country. It is a reminder that even as Republicans control both the White House and Congress for the first time in a decade, the party’s activist wing remains restless and will not go along passively for the sake of party unity.”

“With angry constituents storming town hall-style meetings across the country and demanding that Congress not repeal the law, these new campaigns are a sign of a growing concern on the right that lawmakers might buckle to the pressure.”

Quote of the Day

March 5, 2017 at 12:52 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“You make up something and then you have the press write about it, and then you say, ‘everybody’s writing about this charge.’ It’s a tool of an authoritarian, to just have you always be talking about what you want to be talking about.”

— House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in an interview on CNN, on President Trump’s suggesting he was wiretapped during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Rubio Says We’ll Know About Trump’s Claims Soon

March 5, 2017 at 12:44 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told CNN that whether or not President Trump’s unsubstantiated assertions that President Barack Obama wiretapped his phones at Trump Tower during the presidential election are true will become clear “very quickly.”

Said Rubio: “I imagine we’re going to learn more about it here over the next few days, one way or the other.”

He added: “I’m not sure what it is he is talking about. Perhaps the President has information that is not yet available to us or to the public. And if it’s true, obviously we’re going to find out very quickly. And if it isn’t, then obviously he’ll have to explain what he meant by it.”

Politico: Lawmakers “stunned, baffled” by Trump’s wiretap accusations.

Baby Boomers Won’t Be Largest Voting Bloc in 2020

March 5, 2017 at 10:49 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

Ron Brownstein points out that the brightest spot for Democrats in an otherwise bleak electoral landscape may be President Trump’s continued weakness “with members of the Millennial generation—who are poised to surpass the more Republican-leaning baby boomers in 2020 as the largest generation of eligible voters.”

Join now to continue reading.

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

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

What People Are Reading

March 5, 2017 at 10:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

On the Washington Post fiction bestseller list:

3. 1984 by George Orwell: “A novel of the perils of a totalitarian police state.”

5. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: “A dystopian novel set in a theocratic-totalitarian state.”

7. It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis: “A populist president becomes a dictator.”

White House Says Trump Won’t Comment on Allegations

March 5, 2017 at 9:43 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

White House press secretary Sean Spicer released the following statement on President Trump’s accusation that former President Obama ordered wiretaps against the Trump campaign:

Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling.

President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016. Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted.

It’s Literally Pay to Play at Mar-a-Lago

March 5, 2017 at 9:26 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Examiner: “If you pay $200,000 a year to the company Donald Trump owns, you too can have access most weekends to the president and his top officials. As an alternative, your organization could cut a $150,000 check to bring in a couple of hundred people who will have a chance to schmooze with the president and cabinet officials. Foreign moguls and dignitaries welcome.”

“This isn’t Bill Clinton’s Lincoln Bedroom. This isn’t the Clinton Foundation during Hillary’s reign at the State Department. This is Mar-a-Lago.”

Palm Beach Post: Trump mingles with Mar-a-Lago guests outside charity ball.

A Blockbuster In Search of a Hero

March 5, 2017 at 9:24 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “The truth is that most every Republican is thoroughly gun-shy about going against Trump.”

Trump’s Russia Controversy Isn’t Going Away

March 4, 2017 at 10:31 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Dan Balz: “Russia has become the slow burn of President Trump’s administration. It is the issue that he and his team cannot get beyond. They cannot get beyond it because they are skittish about accepting what is already known. They cannot get beyond it because they have not been as forthcoming as they could be about what they did. They cannot get beyond it because they don’t know what they don’t know.”

“It’s important to remember that much isn’t yet known about the whole controversy, particularly the contacts between Trump campaign officials or advisers and the Russians. That there were contacts is not in dispute. Some appear routine, but the circumstances and the content of all those contacts is far from fully known. It’s possible they will add up to little or nothing. It’s also possible they will add up to something significant.”

Trump Inherits Secret Cyber War Against North Korea

March 4, 2017 at 9:31 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“An examination of the Pentagon’s disruption effort, based on interviews with officials of the Obama and Trump administrations as well as a review of extensive but obscure public records, found that the United States still does not have the ability to effectively counter the North Korean nuclear and missile programs. Those threats are far more resilient than many experts thought, the New York Times’s reporting found, and pose such a danger that Mr. Obama, as he left office, warned President Trump they were likely to be the most urgent problem he would confront.”

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 6311
  • 6312
  • 6313
  • 6314
  • 6315
  • …
  • 8138
  • Next Page »

Get Smarter About Politics

Members get exclusive analysis, a trending news page, the Trial Balloon podcast, bonus newsletters and no advertising. Learn more.

Subscribe

Your Account

Sign in

Latest for Members

  • We May Never Understand Why He Did It
  • Weekly News Quiz
  • Jeffrey Epstein’s First Political Casualty
  • Is This Who We Are?
  • 2026 House Overview

Word of the Day

Bunk: “Bunk” is empty or nonsense talk.

Read the full definition

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.

Copyright © 2025 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy | Corrections Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC