Political Wire

Members should sign in for the full experience.

Where’s the Video of the Airstrikes?

By Leave a Comment

After the painful lessons of Vietnam and Iraq, skepticism about official war narratives has become a bipartisan instinct in Washington.

That makes the absence of any publicly released footage from Saturday’s bombing raid on Iran all the more conspicuous.

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.

Zohran Mamdani’s Win Isn’t a Fluke

By Leave a Comment

Zohran Mamdani’s upset win in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary sent shockwaves through the party—not just for the result, but for what it says about the state of Democratic politics heading into 2028.

While it’s tempting to write off a local race in a big city as an outlier, Mamdani’s win is part of a growing pattern that the party establishment still refuses to acknowledge.

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.




Republicans Get Ready to Walk the Plank

By Leave a Comment

Senate Republicans are aiming to vote this week on what President Trump has dubbed his “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” but public opinion is firmly against it—and growing worse.

A series of new polls show the legislation is deeply unpopular with voters across the political spectrum:

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.

Mixed Messages and Mission Creep

By Leave a Comment

Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth all delivered a carefully coordinated message on the Sunday talk shows: The U.S. airstrikes on Iran were not about regime change.

Said Vance: “We’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”

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 American Intelligence Be Trusted?

By Leave a Comment

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before Congress in March that the U.S. intelligence community “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.”

It was a clear and direct statement, delivered under oath, about one of the most sensitive national security issues facing the country.

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.

Ranked-Choice Voting Is Not Undemocratic

By Leave a Comment

There are legitimate criticisms of ranked-choice voting — it can confuse voters and doesn’t always guarantee a majority winner.

But Annie Lowrey’s critique — using this week’s New York City Democratic mayoral primary as her case study — misses the mark.

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.

Some Early Thoughts on War with Iran

By Leave a Comment

President Trump said the objective of the airstrikes in Iran last night was the “destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity.” He claimed success, saying in a televised address that the nuclear facilities had been “completely and totally obliterated.”

Here are 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.

Weekly News Quiz

By Leave a Comment

What a week… Israel is at war with Iran. The United States may soon be drawn in.

Back home, a sitting U.S. Senator was handcuffed at a press conference. A New York City mayoral candidate was arrested at an immigration hearing. A Minnesota state legislator was assassinated at her home.

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.

We’re All Rubbernecking

By Leave a Comment

The latest episode of Trial Balloon is live for members.

It’s been 10 years since Donald Trump became a near permanent fixture in our lives… A MAGA civil war has broken out… And “objects may look closer than they appear” in New York City’s mayoral race.

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.

The Presidency as Programming

By Leave a Comment

President Trump conducts foreign policy as if it were a reality television show—with himself in the starring role and the global stage reduced to a set.

Every day is scripted like an episode: artificial suspense, breathless speculation, and a dramatic question hanging in the air: What will he do next?

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 Trump’s Saber-Rattling

By Leave a Comment

President Trump on Tuesday dramatically escalated tensions with Iran, declaring that the U.S. now has “complete and total control of the skies over Iran” and demanding the country’s “unconditional surrender.”

The rhetoric came as reports swirled that the U.S. was inching closer to joining Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.

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 Gets Rolled Again

By Leave a Comment

Donald Trump may project strength, but the defining feature of his presidency is weakness.

He’s routinely overruled — by courts, state officials and lawmakers in his own party. That shouldn’t be comforting to his critics. A president this easy to manipulate is a national vulnerability.

The latest example: Trump carved out exceptions in his mass deportation policy for the agriculture and hospitality sectors following pushback from business groups and their Republican allies.

But this week, the carve-outs suddenly vanished.

It appears Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins initially persuaded Trump to protect those industries — only for hardliner Stephen Miller to reverse course behind the scenes.

The infighting is revealing, but it misses the point.

The real story isn’t which adviser won the latest round. The real story is Trump got played again.

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.