Political Wire

Members should sign in for the full experience.

Trump Acts Like He’s Above the Law, Because He Mostly Is

By Leave a Comment

President Trump is acting like he believes there are no limits to his power — and he’s not entirely wrong.

This week, he announced sweeping new tariffs on Brazil, a move framed not as an economic strategy but as retaliation.

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.

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.




Not Ordinary Times

By Leave a Comment

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has quickly emerged as a distinct and sometimes divisive voice on the Supreme Court.

Her early opinions and searing dissents have stood out for their moral clarity and rhetorical heat. In several high-profile cases, she went further than even Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan — and notably, they didn’t join her.

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.

Incompetence Is Part of the Crisis

By Leave a Comment

Donald Trump’s presidency isn’t just ideologically extreme or norm-breaking—it’s breathtakingly incompetent.

Forget, for a moment, the damage inflicted by his policies, the weaponization of government agencies, or his open hostility to democratic institutions. The most immediate threat may be something more basic: He’s just very bad at the job.

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.

Trump Has a Jeffrey Epstein Problem

By Leave a Comment

Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter yetserday for asking about his former friend and notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein—only to ignite a fresh political headache for himself.

Said Trump, visibly irritated: “I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein, at a time like this!”

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.

Trumpcare Claims Its First Victim

By Leave a Comment

When Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Republicans seized on every glitch, cost increase, or regulatory change and laid it at their feet.

Premiums up? Blame Obamacare. Medicare tweaks? Obamacare. A website crash? You guessed it—Obamacare.

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.

A Conspiracy Theory That Won’t Die

By Leave a Comment

Over the long holiday weekend, ABC News reported the Justice Department and FBI said in a memo they had found no evidence of a so-called client list linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted child sex offender whose died in federal custody nearly five years ago.

For years, rumors have swirled about a secret trove of names—alleged powerful associates, clients, or co-conspirators—who were said to be ensnared in Epstein’s web of abuse.

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.

Why Elon Musk’s Third Party Is Doomed

By Leave a Comment

Elon Musk marked the holiday weekend with a splashy announcement: he’s forming a new political party out of what he says is growing frustration with both Republicans and Democrats.

It’s the sort of declaration that tends to grab headlines—especially when it comes from one of the world’s richest men.

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.

Can Democrats Weaponize Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill?

By Leave a Comment

With Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” now signed into law, the political challenge shifts to Democrats: Can they turn its deeply unpopular provisions into a winning message for the 2026 midterms?

Some early thoughts:

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.

A Few Thoughts on the Republican Budget Bill

By Leave a Comment

Despite abysmal public polling and private doubts from within their own ranks, Republicans pushed through a sweeping budget reconciliation package that cements their policy vision for the country.

The vote leaves little doubt: this is the Republican agenda and they were ready to pass it under virtually any circumstances.

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.

A New Front in Trump’s War on Democracy

By Leave a Comment

Here’s a story that shouldn’t be buried in a pre-holiday news dump…

The New York Times reports the Justice Department is weighing whether to bring criminal charges against state and local election officials it believes failed to adequately secure their voting systems.

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.

Trump’s Power on Full Display

By Leave a Comment

House Republican leaders kept the vote open well into the night, twisting arms and applying pressure to advance President Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill.”

It wasn’t about legislative horse-trading or last-minute policy concessions. There were none.

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.

Democrats Have a Shot at Winning the Senate

By Leave a Comment

What began as a deeply unpopular and hastily constructed piece of legislation somehow emerged from the U.S. Senate in even worse shape.

Senate Republicans didn’t moderate the bill—they doubled down. The final product was rushed through with no public text, no hearings, and no serious debate.

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.

It’s Flat Out Extortion

By Leave a Comment

CBS is reportedly nearing a settlement with Donald Trump over a bizarre lawsuit stemming from a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign — a case almost all legal experts consider frivolous.

At the heart of the lawsuit is a single answer Harris gave during the interview. CBS aired the full response, but in two separate broadcasts — one on “60 Minutes,” the other on “CBS Mornings.”

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.

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.