The Daily 202's Big Idea

The president has shown more and more frustration as negative coverage mounts of his role in the government shutdown.

The landslide vote was pure humiliation for a British leader who has spent the past two years trying to sell her vision of Brexit to a skeptical public.

The Republican congressman from Iowa questioned how the term “white supremacist” came to be considered offensive.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested temporarily reopening the government while continuing negotiations.

The White House continues laying the groundwork to declare a national emergency to get money for President Trump’s border wall, and they’re looking seriously at tapping disaster relief funds.

The White House beefed up its legal team and plans to aggressively invoke executive privilege in a bid to contain the potential fallout of Bob Mueller’s report and to curtail oversight by House Democrats.

In a nationally televised address from the Oval Office last night, Trump declared “a growing humanitarian and security crisis” at the southern border to make the case for his proposed wall.

Trump administration officials made an urgent case on Monday that the situation at the border with Mexico has reached a crisis level, laying the groundwork for the president to possibly declare a national emergency.

White House national security adviser John Bolton said that several “objectives” must be achieved before a pullout from Syria could take place.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic-controlled House plan to push through legislation to reopen the federal government. But the measure has been …

A scathing op-ed by the incoming senator and 2012 GOP presidential nominee is a thunderclap in the Republican Party.

President Trump invited congressional leaders to the White House for a briefing on border security, the first face-to-face session involving …

Democrats have settled on a strategy for attempting to reopen the government when they take control of the House on Thursday, aimed at ending the …

Trump's latest overtures in the wake of the midterm elections stand in stark contrast to the historical behavior of modern presidents, who have moved …

A week after President Trump directed the military to draw up plans to withdraw about half the U.S. troops deployed in Afghanistan, military officials are walking a fine line detailing the future of the longest U.S. war …

The president’s visit to an air base west of Baghdad, which was shrouded in secrecy, followed months of public pressure for him to spend time with …

The president defended his plan to build a border barrier and cast doubt about the performance of Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell after a sharp downturn in U.S. markets.

U.S. stock markets suffered their steepest Christmas Eve decline in decades Monday, defying the best efforts by the Trump administration to instill confidence, and coming very close to ending a record 10-year upward run.

President Trump, who aides said has been seething about news coverage of Mattis’s resignation letter, abruptly announced Sunday that he was removing Mattis two months early and installing Patrick Shanahan as acting …

The secretary of defense saw only one solution left to his distress with President Trump’s approach to national security.

The president's decision to abruptly withdraw troops from Syria is a clear rebuke to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the last remaining member of a retinue of military men Trump once fondly referred to as “my generals.”

A federal judge delayed sentencing Flynn, after suggesting President Trump’s former national security adviser may have betrayed his country.

One of the efforts aims to identify key issues that matter to swing-state voters the GOP has previously lost.

The operation used every major social media platform to help elect Donald Trump — and worked even harder to support him once he took office.

Nancy Pelosi locked down the votes this week to become speaker again by tapping a vast network of allies, relying on a grab bag of political favors …

After weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiating, Pelosi backed off her resistance to setting a date for her departure and agreed to step aside by 2022.

Preliminary indications show the breach -- which affected up to 500 million people -- was executed by hackers affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of State Security

Butina was accused of working to push Moscow’s agenda by forming bonds with National Rifle Association officials and other conservative leaders, and making outreach to 2016 presidential candidates, including Donald …

President Trump’s top pick to be his next chief of staff, Nick Ayers, will not take the job and instead leave the White House at the end of the year, reopening negotiations over who will succeed the departing John Kelly …

Victorina Morales says she has worked for Trump's golf club in New Jersey since 2013 along with other undocumented immigrants and that at least two …

Former president George W. Bush eulogized his father with a perfect mix of serious and funny, remembering his bravery in combat and his dislike of …

Mueller cited Flynn's “substantial assistance” with several ongoing investigations.

A far-reaching proposal by Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin would weaken the authority of the state's governor-elect, Democrat Tony Evers.

As Trump reaches a deal with China in the trade war, the relationship between Beijing and Washington remains rocky.

The latest guilty plea of Trump's longtime fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen proves that the president has emerged as a major subject of interest in special counsel Bob Mueller’s Russia investigation.

The government put out life expectancy numbers early Thursday morning in a bleak series of reports that show a nation still in the grip of escalating drug and suicide crises.

Some legal experts think it was a play by Manafort to get a presidential pardon even as he worked with Mueller in hopes of a lighter sentence.

Manafort denied lying intentionally, but both sides agreed that sentencing should be set immediately.

The President has flummoxed his own aides by repeatedly seeking new spending while ruling out measures needed to address the country’s unbalanced …

The inquiries include only a portion of the questions that Mueller has sought to pose to Trump for nearly a year, when he first requested an interview with the president.

White House ethics officials learned of her repeated use of personal email when reviewing emails gathered last fall by five Cabinet agencies to respond to a public records lawsuit.

In an interview with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday,” Trump went after the retired Navy SEAL and Special Operations commander who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden and the capture of Saddam Hussein during his 37 …

It was not immediately clear what charges Assange would face. In the past, prosecutors had contemplated pursuing a case involving conspiracy, theft …

The very public spat between deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel and First Lady Melania Trump began with the first lady's Africa trip last month.

President Trump has been lashing out in frustration over the midterm results and his poorly-received Europe trip.

Sinema, who was once a spokeswoman for the Green Party, repackaged herself as a moderate and overcame tens of millions in attacks on her liberal record. She is the state’s first female senator, and our nation’s first …

Republican Gov. Rick Scott sharpened his attacks on his opponent in the razor-tight U.S. Senate race and filed a new round of lawsuits against Democratic election officials.

On Thursday, Democrats maneuvered for position in down-ballot races, hoping to claim a sliver of power in the party’s first majority in eight years.

A Justice Department official said Whitaker would assume authority over the special counsel probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential …

Two-thirds of voters said the president was a factor in how they voted, according to network exit polls. That allowed Democrats to win control of the …

President Trump's speeches at three campaign rallies yesterday were meant to shore up challenging Senate races in states where he won overwhelmingly. …

The fierce battle for control of Congress and the nation’s governorships has turned toward blatant and overtly racial attacks rarely seen since the …

On Thursday, Trump ratcheted up the anti-immigrant rhetoric that has been the centerpiece of his midterm push by portraying a slow-moving migrant caravan, consisting mostly of families traveling on foot through Mexico, …

History nerds are geeking out this morning.

Special counsel Bob Mueller is also probing whether Trump ally and longtime confidant Roger Stone may have helped Wikileaks time its release of Democratic emails.

A former Rabbi at Tree of Life synagogue also said during an appearance on MSNBC that President Trump should wait a week before visiting the city …

Police identified the 11 victims killed in Saturday’s mass shooting at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue, the deadliest attack on Jews in …

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been telling associates that Republicans are in a strong position to hold the Senate and could pad their …

The discovery of five pipe bombs mailed to prominent Democrats, CNN and a liberal billionaire have put the country on edge and sent law enforcement officials scrambling to prevent any more packages from reaching their …

The U.S. Cyber Command has begun targeting Russian operatives, warning them that the military is tracking their activities in an attempt to deter them from disrupting the fast-approaching midterm elections.

White House aides say the migrant caravan has proved to be a particularly effective wedge issue for Trump. His approach in many ways seeks to …

The Democratic nominees for governor in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Kansas are intentionally bland. In contrast, Democratic voters selected the more fiery candidates for governor in …

While some GOP leaders in the House had initially hoped to focus their election message on the economy, President Trump has continued to highlight immigration.

President Trump’s hesitation and friendly engagement with the Saudis underscores his transactional approach that prioritizes geopolitics and economic …

While making the case for a third term as governor, Scott Walker compared himself to the star quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.

If you made a list five years ago of national Democratic surrogates that a candidate in a purple state like Wisconsin would want to campaign with, …

President Trump talked about how he'll handle Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance, his mockery of Christine Blasey Ford, his unsupported assertion that China meddled in the 2016 elections …

The Turkish government has told U.S. officials that they have audio and video recordings to support their conclusion that Saudi journalist and …

The feud between Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe dates back to Robert Mueller's May 2017 appointment as special counsel.

In an op-ed for today’s print edition of The Washington Post, Khashoggi's fiancee calls on Trump to help shed light on his disappearance.

Since Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed on Saturday, Trump has seemed more interested in inflaming rather than reducing the tensions over his pick amid questions over whether the high court is becoming too …

'Can He Do That?' host Allison Michaels fills in for James.

Sens. Susan Collins and Jeff Flake indicated Thursday that the additional FBI probe was adequate. A third Republican, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, has …

In anticipation of the report’s arrival, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday night teed up a key vote to advance Supreme Court …

Tuesday’s attack could further inflame tensions in the pitched battle over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation — and alienate …

The policy is over, but many kids continue to be separated from their parents.

The question is not whether Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should face prosecution. It’s whether he should receive a lifetime appointment to …

Increasingly, it looks like Christine Blasey Ford’s fear may come true: That it would all be for naught.

President Trump’s argument Wednesday cast doubt on the credibility not only of the three women who have accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, but also …

President Trump’s charged rhetoric came as Republicans quickly closed ranks around Kavanaugh, even as a handful of pivotal swing votes remained quiet …

President Trump called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday with an unmistakable message: Call the vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, and call it soon.

A new accusation roiled Kavanaugh’s nomination hours after the Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to let Christine Blasey Ford testify on Thursday …

An attorney for Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually said Ford appearing at a hearing on Monday to detail her claims is “not possible” but has offered to …

GOP senators strongly signaled on Wednesday that they will forge ahead with embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, even as his accuser called the rush for a public hearing next Monday deeply …

Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, wants the FBI to investigate her allegation before …

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her decades ago will testify publicly setting up a …

Republicans face a potential backlash from female voters, especially suburban women, if they press ahead with Brett Kavanaugh's nomination despite the allegation.

Instead of focusing on Hurricane Florence, President Trump’s attention on Thursday was devoted to airing personal grievances related to last year’s Hurricane Maria.

Democrats are pummeling Republican gubernatorial and senate candidates over a pending lawsuit by 20 GOP-led states that could allow insurance …

The president has long struggled with public displays of empathy and with rising to the role of consoler in chief.

The idea of selling naming rights to rockets and spacecrafts is part of a broader effort to generate more private-sector involvement in low Earth …

Vice President Mike Pence denied on Fox News and CBS that he was part of discussions to remove President Trump from office or that he had anonymously written an explosive op-ed against him.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has spent much of his life as a Republican operative, claimed he stays out of politics.

The parlor game in Washington is guessing which senior official is behind the anonymous opinion piece published in The New York Times on Wednesday.

The confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh launched Tuesday as a bitter political brawl

President Trump’s latest public broadsides against his own attorney general offered a timely reminder of how high the stakes are in the confirmation hearing that starts today for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Evidence of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s past skepticism toward affirmative action is being studied closely – and it's giving heartburn to civil rights advocates.

The ousting of White House counsel Don McGahn has led to growing concern among some of President Trump's closest allies that both the president and …

A Republican propelled by President Trump and an African American Democrat won the nominations for governor of Florida on Tuesday, setting up a …

A damning new inspector general's report released Monday concludes that the head of the General Services Administration may have misled Congress …

President Trump has repeatedly declined to say anything nice about McCain, even while he was dying.

President Trump’s lawyers say they’re afraid Mueller will lay “a perjury trap,” but the Fox hit shows Trump doesn’t need to be coaxed like a bear in the backwoods of Maine with donuts.

Michael Cohen’s guilty plea raises the likelihood that he will attempt to leverage the secrets he knows about Donald Trump.

The events that unfolded yesterday created a political nightmare for President Trump.

It often feels like Donald and Melania are part of different administrations.

"Can He Do That?" host Allison Michaels fills in for James.

"Can He Do That?" host Allison Michaels fills in for James.

"Can He Do That?" host Allison Michael fills in for James.

"Can He Do That?" host Allison Michaels fills in for James.

"Can He Do That?" host Allison Michaels fills in for James.

"Can He Do That?" host Allison Michaels fills in for James.

Donald Trump is the do-as-I-say, not-as-a-I-do president. His in-laws became U.S. citizens this week because their daughter, Melania, sponsored them, even though Trump decries this form of family reunification.

The first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump allegedly committed felony insider trading last year while standing on the White House lawn.

A tight special election between Democrat Danny O’Connor and Republican Troy Balderson in a deep-red Ohio House district Tuesday reinforced a trend that has been developing for more than a year.

As Rick Gates implicated himself and his former boss Paul Manafort in multiple criminal acts, Manafort, who could spend the rest of his life in …

One week before the first anniversary of his botched response to the racial violence in Virginia, President Trump again sparked controversy this …

Their show of unity just steps from the Oval Office on Thursday appeared aimed at easing public concerns about President Trump’s public skepticism of Russia’s intentions.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has offered to limit the number of questions that his team would ask Trump in a potential interview in an effort to …

Two stories from yesterday illustrate innovation's dark side. A federal judge blocked the publication of blueprints for 3-D-printed guns, and Facebook acknowledged that there is an ongoing disinformation campaign on its …

It’s increasingly clear that President Trump got burned by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

The tariffs have really gotten their goat.

A U.S. Air Force plane carrying what are thought to be the remains of 55 Americans killed during the Korean War arrived at Osan Air Base in South Korea on Friday morning -- the 65th anniversary of the armistice that …

Michael Cohen – the president's longtime attorney, consigliere and fixer – once vowed he’d take a bullet for his boss.

A September 2016 recording by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen reveals that Donald Trump appeared familiar with a deal that a Playboy model made to sell the rights to her story of an alleged affair with him.

The watershed case is back in the news after it emerged over the weekend that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh argued in 1999 that the “tensions of the time” may have led to what he called an “erroneous decision."

In a string of four Sunday tweets, President Trump made several demonstrably false assertions about what’s actually in the documents. He continued to hammer on this theme Monday morning.

Tensions have ratcheted up here in Washington after the White House announced Thursday that President Trump has invited Vladimir Putin to visit the United States in the fall.

President Trump, who is increasingly isolated, found himself at odds on Wednesday with his own people who work out of Foggy Bottom, Fort Meade, …

It’s striking to compare the current president’s European adventures to his predecessor’s Africa foray.

Everyone around President Trump urged him to take a firm stance with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President Trump's afternoon tea with Queen Elizabeth II marks the culmination of a sometimes tortured fascination with the British royal family, …

President Trump is remaking the global order without significant political resistance or penalty, unchecked by a largely compliant Congress and …

It’s not saturating the news any more, but immigrant families are still feeling the aftershocks of President Trump’s policy to tear them apart at the …

President Trump nominated federal judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on Monday night, a move that elevates a conservative stalwart with deep ties to the Republican establishment to succeed retiring Justice …

President Trump sounded genuinely baffled by George H.W. Bush’s 1988 campaign slogan, “A thousand points of light," during a rally in Montana last week.

This is a big win for White House chief of staff John Kelly, who has been on the outs but has pushed hard internally for Pruitt's removal over the past several weeks.

President Trump's comments were laughed off by foreign policy experts as the kind of bluster people have come to expect from the reality TV star …

Politics and investigations reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James.

Politics and investigations reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James.

Politics and investigations reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James.

A wealthy British businessman and his hard-partying associates have sparked the interests of special counsel Bob Mueller.

Justice Anthony Kennedy announced Wednesday that he is retiring from the Supreme Court, a move that will give Trump a chance to replace the pivotal …

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez embodies and personifies several trends we’ve seen in this election cycle. She’s a woman. She’s a first-time candidate. Her mother immigrated to New York from Puerto Rico. And she beat 10-term …

Harley-Davidson's decision to move its production of motorcycles bound for European customers are another tangible display of the costs associated with the president’s so-called ‘America First’ agenda.

These episodes, which have gone viral on social media, risk backfiring by playing into Trump’s hands, allowing him to galvanize conservatives and …

In scenes reminiscent of the botched ‘Muslim ban’ in the early days of the Trump presidency, federal agencies Thursday were largely left to interpret the sudden changes ordered by the White House the day before and …

President Trump lost the battle on family separations, but he’s not surrendering the war.

President Trump and top administration officials are unwilling — for the moment, at least — to unilaterally reverse the separation policy.

Time and time again, the president has sought to shift the blame for his own decisions and their consequences to his political opponents.

Administration officials are alternating erratically between defending the policy, blaming Democrats for it, trying to use it as leverage in …

Attorney General Jeff Sessions used religion to defend the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy toward adults who attempt to cross the …

Senator Orrin Hatch, an 84-year-old conservative Mormon from Utah, used to be one of the most outspoken critics of gay rights in Congress. Yesterday, …

Mark Sanford survived the fallout from his “hike” on “the Appalachian trail,” but he couldn’t survive the backlash to his past criticisms of …

President Trump said he “developed a very special bond” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their historic summit in Singapore on Tuesday.

Both nations have sought to lower expectations for an immediate breakthrough this week.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders sat down with James at The Washington Post’s headquarters on Wednesday for The Daily 202 Live, a monthly events series that convenes newsmakers.

President Trump, who knows little about history, had a tense phone call late last month with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the steel and aluminum tariffs, during which the president erroneously blamed …

On the biggest primary day of the year, with voters going to the polls in eight states, the national Democratic establishment got the last laugh.

Exactly two years before his death, on June 6, 1966, Robert F. Kennedy delivered the best speech of his life at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

Most legal experts say that the assertion that a president cannot obstruct justice is absurd and legally indefensible

President Trump said Thursday that Rod Blagojevich should not have gone to jail for the crimes he was convicted of in Illinois.

President Trump could fire Sessions at any time, but for nearly a year, he has chosen instead merely to insult his attorney general.

Mitt Romney is heavily favored to win the June 26th primary, but he’s bending over backwards not to directly criticize the president – even as he …

Rep. Thomas Garrett (R-Va.) announced Monday that he is struggling with alcoholism and will abandon his run for a second term in Congress so he can …

At the core of President Trump’s foreign policy is a belief that he can use his personal charisma to charm his way to world peace.

President Trump has been embellishing reports that a longtime U.S. government informant approached members of his campaign during the 2016 presidential election in a possible bid to glean intelligence on Russian efforts …

Fresh faces with compelling life stories prevailed in Democratic primaries across several southern states Tuesday, beating candidates with deeper …

The White House and the Justice Department have put off a high-stakes confrontation over the FBI’s use of a confidential source to aid an investigation into the Trump campaign.

Hillary Clinton got a rock star’s reception Sunday afternoon when she spoke at a commencement ceremony for Yale University. She said she was not …

President Trump’s administration has seen more turnover than “The Apprentice.” Literally.

The publicist who first contacted Donald Trump Jr. to set up the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower told investigators that he did so only after …

Tuesday was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for Democratic moderates across primaries in four states.

Moqtada al-Sadr’s surprisingly strong performance in the Iraqi elections will rattle U.S. relations with the country.

Separate groups of conservative and liberals have just published deep dives into Donald Trump’s strength in a Michigan country that was previously a …

There’s a nastiness and bitterness in Washington now. It’s not just you. It’s getting worse.

Gina Haspel said she would not allow the CIA to undertake activity that is immoral, even if it is technically legal. But she demurred when pressed on …

Even the most entrenched Washington insiders are now running against Washington.

Often obscured under the avalanche of news and the clouds of intrigue, President Trump and his appointees continue to systematically deconstruct the administrative state.

Rudy Giuliani is playing to an audience of one – creating more problems for his client.

Politics and investigations reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James.

Politics and investigations reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James.

Politics and investigations reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James.

Politics and investigations reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James.

Politics and investigations reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James.

There are also two other stories in today’s newspaper that show the enduring power of the patriarchy and how men take advantage of their positions of authority.

Michael Cohen, the longtime attorney of President Trump, told a federal judge on Wednesday that he will invoke his Fifth Amendment right not to …

The President is standing behind Ronny Jackson’s nomination to run the department of veterans affairs as misconduct allegations continue to mount against the White House physician.

The president promises “extreme vetting” of all immigrants, but he has repeatedly failed to hold his own Cabinet picks, senior White House staff and …

Emanuel Macron wants to be Donald Trump’s buddy. Can it last?

President Trump has denied Comey's account of their conversations, and he's now trying to claim vindication from the memos.

Signs show that the $1.5 trillion tax cut is not the political gift Republicans had expected it to be last year.

Many of the Democratic talking heads you see on television are making arguments, frankly, that aren’t rhetorically helpful to the party’s candidates …

Hope Hicks announced her departure as White House communications director in February, but President Trump still has not picked a replacement. Instead, he continues to do the job himself.

In his interview with George Stephanopoulos that aired Sunday night on ABC, fired FBI director James Comey said he believes Trump is “morally unfit …

President Trump is once again showing himself to be a do-as-I-say, not as-I-do president. But the biggest issue is the message the pardon would send …

As he announced his exit from public life, House Speaker Paul Ryan tried hard to show appreciation for the man who took the Republican Party from his …

Every time President Trump threatens to fire Bob Mueller, it gets harder for congressional Republicans to dismiss questions about why they are not protecting the special counsel.

Today, for the first time, the 33-year-old billionaire is scheduled to testify before Congress, as part of a crusade to protect not only the company …

The likelihood of a United States strike against Syria after a suspected chemical weapons attack increased Sunday as President Trump said there would …

Another day brought another string of devastating revelations about EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the potential misuse of his position for private gain.

Anyone who is surprised by President Trump’s most recent moves on foreign policy, trade and immigration either wasn’t paying attention during the …

Special Counsel Bob Mueller may release multiple reports on President Trump, obstruction and Russian interference.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech, delivered 50 years ago tonight in Memphis on the eve of his assassination, is well remembered for its prophetic musings on mortality.

Donald Trump is either woefully uninformed or intentionally misleading the American people about one of his most consequential decisions as …

Donald Trump has defiantly refused to criticize Vladimir Putin in public. Administration officials are signaling this may soon change, and the president’s Alpha Male inclinations are a big reason why.

Fealty to Trump has become more of a litmus test than ever for Republicans. This is no longer the party of Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan or George …

When historian Niall Ferguson moved from Harvard to Stanford two years ago, he was struck by Silicon Valley’s indifference to history.

The Hoover Institution, the center-right think tank on the campus of Stanford University, is approaching climate change as both a market failure and a serious national security challenge.

Today, millions of young people aren’t worried about being drafted to fight. But they are palpably concerned that they or someone they know could get …

President Trump named former ambassador John Bolton as his new national security adviser, tapping the Fox News commentator and conservative firebrand …

Congressional leaders and the White House last night unveiled a $1.3 trillion spending deal that will fund the federal government through the end of September.

The second primary night of the year, in the country’s fifth most populous state, showcased how angry the electorate remains in this Age of …

President Trump shook up his legal team on Monday by hiring a combative former prosecutor who has publicly argued that Trump is the target of an elaborate FBI conspiracy.

Ayana McAllister wanted to become a detective who helped victims of sexual assault. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” was her favorite show. …

Donald Trump’s reality television presidency may be getting more star power for season two.

Third Way is calling for Democrats to offer a new social contract for the digital age. Leaders Matt Bennett and Jim Kessler shared their ideas with James.

National Republicans threw the kitchen sink to hold a House seat in Pennsylvania, but while the special election remains too close to call, Democrat …

President Trump has put forward a modest package of gun-safety measures this week that has none of the provisions opposed by the NRA that he seemed to back days earlier.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is one of 10 Democratic senators up for reelection this year in a state Trump carried in 2016.

If Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone wins an unexpectedly close special election here next Tuesday, it will be on Trump’s coattails.

If you don’t like President Trump’s position on a particular issue, just wait a day. It may change.

Politics is downstream of culture. Trump’s election would never have been possible without systemic cultural shifts, enabled by reality TV and social …

Since last week, Peter Navarro has been taking an extended victory lap and trying to sell the president's position on tariffs.

The first primaries of 2018 are in Texas on Tuesday. They could set the tune for six months of Democratic infighting.

President Trump campaigned like a populist but has mostly governed like a plutocrat. On trade, he’s decided to follow his populist id.

President Trump’s comments on Wednesday showed a startling disregard for foundational rights that are enumerated in the Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth …

Hicks is just the latest administration official to refuse to answer questions on topics she thought the president might later want to put off limits by invoking executive privilege.

President Trump crossed his arms and looked annoyed as Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington State, spoke out against arming teachers during an event at the White House on Monday.

President Trump shows his ability to move GOP opinion, but voters remain pessimistic that Congress will act.

After signaling earlier in the week that he was serious about doing something on guns in the wake of last week’s massacre at a Florida high school, …

Trump’s Alpha Male brand is built around projecting toughness and strength, but braggadocio becomes a liability against the backdrop of tragedy – when Americans yearn for their leaders to show that they feel their pain.

The president might be having a true change of heart after Florida, but this could also just be political posturing.

Florida shooting aftermath shows a generation that’s more impressive than typically portrayed.

President Trump could've gotten the border wall. Democrats were more than willing to cave on that in exchange for saving the dreamers. But instead, …

This opening has become especially glaring against the backdrop of the White House’s botched response to revelations that former senior aide Rob …

Democrats are so eager to shield young foreign-born “dreamers” from deportation that they’re now offering to make concessions that might have been hard to imagine a year ago.

Many of his proposals are dead on arrival in Congress, but the blueprint nonetheless speaks volumes about the president’s values – and contradicts …

The open immigration debate that Mitch McConnell promised to end last month’s government shutdown will begin Monday night. It may be the most consequential story of the week, but even the wisest insiders are unsure …

Rand Paul’s short-lived shutdown is ending, but his warning about GOP deficit hypocrisy reverberates

If it looked like a tsunami was headed for Republicans at the end of the year, now it's looking more like a normal wave. And some congressmen who looked like they'd get wiped out not long ago now may be able to surf it.

Jim Mattis tees off on continuing resolutions, just as Ash Carter did before him, while Trump says he’s open to a shutdown.

A president loosely accusing the opposition party of “treason” represents a far greater danger to the long-term health of the American system than a 4.6 percent drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The memo published Friday may have been the most overhyped dud since Geraldo Rivera opened Al Capone's empty vault in 1986.

He’s tan, he’s rested and he’s ready.

The long-simmering feud between President Trump and the Justice Department erupted into open conflict Wednesday.

People have come to terms with the idea that there will always be a teleprompter Trump and a Twitter Trump. And everyone knows its not a question of …

Top strategists briefed their mega donors at a strategy session on Monday about how bad the environment is becoming for Republicans and outlined their top targets.

The Kochs have boarded the Trump train.

Another bombshell suggests that the special counsel could be building an obstruction of justice case against the president.

The comments came during an impromptu meeting with reporters in the West Wing.

There's new evidence that Robert Mueller’s team is focused as much or more on potential obstruction of justice as possible collusion with Russia.

It took Republicans two weeks to come around during the 2013 shutdown. Democrats could only hold out for two full days.

The failed efforts this weekend by moderates to end the government shutdown underscored how poisoned the well has become.

Public and private polling is giving both sides something to hang their hat on if the federal government partially shuts down.

The president announces 11 ‘Fake News awards,’ as a new RAND Corporation study explores the growing disagreement about basic facts.

The lesson here for national Democrats: Patty Schachtner is the sort of candidate who can actually defeat a GOP incumbent in red congressional districts this fall.

Republican Senators Tom Cotton (Ga.) and David Perdue (Ark.) have put all the Republicans who were in the room into a tough spot.

James and The Washington Post are off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The president badly lags his predecessors in filling mid-level posts that make government work.

The list includes Sam Clovis and Brett Talley.

Donald Trump wholeheartedly embraced earmarks Tuesday as a lubricant to grease the gears of government, drawing cheers from the swamp he promised to …

A Manchurian Candidate who was secretly trying to alienate Hispanics would be hard pressed to do as much damage to the Republican brand as President …

The best way to run against Washington in 2018 is by calling for an end to gridlock and dysfunction.

With the proposed expansion of offshore drilling and a crackdown on legal marijuana, the Trump administration created huge political headaches …

President Trump’s insistence that Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist and a top aide at the White House until five months ago, was a mere “staffer” is akin to Joseph Stalin trying to erase Leon Trotsky from the …

Following President Trump’s tweets can feel like watching a short man drive a Hummer

Trump's political appointees in Washington worked overtime over the holidays to deconstruct the administrative state and eviscerate several of Barack …

To celebrate the new year, we're re-running the last Big Idea of 2017. In it, James poses several questions that he think will shape 2018.

Producer Anne Li fills in for James with three headlines that should be on your radar.

Producer Anne Li fills in for James with three headlines that should be on your radar.

Producer Anne Li fills in for James with three headlines that should be on your radar.

Producer Anne Li fills in for James with three headlines that should be on your radar.

These are the big questions we want answered in 2018 about Mueller and the midterms.

James spoke with Democratic operatives who argued passionately that the tax bill is not going to become a winner for the other side – even if some people see benefits.

The bill is historically unpopular. But in the short-term, the majority will actually benefit from it. And several outside groups are planning ad …

After John Neely Kennedy helped torpedo three would-be judges in just the past week, the White House is paying attention.

The narrative of President Trump’s first year will shift this week when he signs into law the biggest overhaul of the tax code in three decades.

Many politically-savvy Democrats worry that fighting over whether Trump should resign is not the way to win in 2018.

The backlash in the suburbs against President Trump is one of the most significant political stories of 2017. If Democrats win the House next year, …

Democrats win a stunning victory in Alabama – and Trump suffers another humiliating defeat.

There are 36 governor’s races next year, including 26 in states currently held by Republicans. Inslee, the new chairman of the Democratic governors association, thinks Trump will be so toxic in 2018 that Dem candidates …

The U.S. Senate special election in Alabama is tomorrow.

Interviews in the town that inspired ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ reveal pervasive African-American fears that their votes won’t make a difference.

The willingness of women lawmakers to directly confront the pervasive culture of sexual harassment that exists in Congress will offer a data point …

James spoke with 20 women at Moore's rally last night about why they support the Republican Senate candidate despite allegations against him of sexual misconduct.

The GOP’s moral compass continues to spin in circles – unable to find true north.

Washington is now consumed by speculation about what the next shoe will be to drop.

The tax bill would not have stalled on the Senate floor last night if Republican leaders had followed regular order and the White House had shown …

Billy Bush got fired and Donald Trump got elected.

Tension over adding ‘triggers’ to the tax bill highlights the Republican identity crisis over deficits.

Senator Elizabeth Warren decries Mick Mulvaney’s takeover of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in an interview with James.

December is going to be a wild month on Capitol Hill. As lawmakers return today from Thanksgiving, they’ve got so much on their plates that many are …

The daily stream of revelations about sexual harassment should be viewed, at least in part, as a belated backlash to Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, …

The administration’s denials are full of wiggle room.

How the president decided to overrule his own Interior secretary

Pruitt said the work he’s doing right now “is some of the most consequential things domestically that can occur.”

Republican women who voted for President Trump in North Carolina said during a focus group Wednesday night that they are embarrassed by and …

Last week, James joined the Wisconsin governor at three events over three days as he launched his campaign for a third term.

If Roy Moore goes down next month, the GOP’s working majority becomes much more fragile. If he wins, Republicans would struggle to get rid of him, …

After a week of impressive message discipline across Asia, President Trump reopened a wound Saturday when he indicated that he believes Vladimir Putin’s denials that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The reactions to the allegation that Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore initiated sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl when he was a 32-year-old …

Revenge is a dish best served at the ballot box.

Tuesday was the best day for Democrats politically since Barack Obama won reelection in 2012.

The potency of Ed Gillespie’s law-and-order message in the Virginia governor’s race may have a chilling effect on criminal justice reform efforts around the country by deterring other Republicans from taking up the …

A rainy get-out-the-vote rally in Fairfax on Saturday night was a fitting coda to a rough week for Virginia Democrats. Virginians will finally head …

Even though they have unified control of all three branches of the federal government, a lot of Republican lawmakers are just not having that much …

10 Senate Democrats are up for reelection next year in states that Trump carried in 2016. These lawmakers each insist they are not just willing, but eager, to work with the president on taxes.

The dirty little secret about attack ads is that they usually work.

By unveiling the first batch of criminal allegations to come from probes into possible Russian influence in the American political system, Robert S. …

While Washington elites are fixated on Robert Mueller, the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party is doing everything he can to prevent his activists and candidates from becoming distracted by the special counsel and his …

President Trump’s decision to acquiesce to the CIA over the John F. Kennedy assassination files will only add to the cloud of public suspicion that hangs over the official story line — even 54 years later — that Lee …

Republican leaders are trying to downplay the significance of Jeff Flake’s retirement speech by insisting that the party is unified and that critiques of President Trump are entirely about his personality — not his …

In a year of remarkable days, yesterday was one of the most remarkable. Whether it will be a pivot point remains unclear.

At a conference sponsored by the conservative Hudson Institute, veterans of the war in Iraq caution against declaring that the Islamic State is in its last throes.

Donald Trump celebrated Sunday that his campaign to delegitimize the free press is working.

On Thursday, both former presidents used major speeches to repudiate President Trump’s brand of politics and approach to the world.

Jeff Sessions was the personification of a hostile witness whenever a Democratic lawmaker questioned him during a contentious five-hour oversight hearing on Wednesday.

The spooks have come in from the cold, and they’re running for Congress.

President Trump’s bellicose rhetoric toward North Korea is making it harder to marshal domestic support for potential United States intervention.

It was striking how little criticism there was of Trump at the Koch retreat in Manhattan last Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, the anger directed toward moderate Republicans in the Senate was palpable.

Remember the Pottery Barn rule: You break it, you own it.

The president's latest comments add fresh data points to the cementing narrative that the brooding president has become increasingly isolated and …

Several worrisome stories popped overnight that underscore the growing vulnerability of the United States to hacking and cyberespionage by foreign …

Democrats have a real problem in rural America, and it was on display in the third and final Virginia governor’s debate last night.

Donald Trump’s escalating feud with Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, captures in miniature why he’s been ineffective during his first nine months as president.

A love letter about the game as the playoffs begin in Washington.

The Virginia governor’s race is a base election, and Ed Gillespie has a problem with his base. A new Virginia poll shows why Gillespie is fighting …

Everywhere he looks, Republican strategist and lobbyist Bruce Mehlman sees “eerie” parallels between the Gilded Age and today. Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear part of James' conversation with Mehlman on …

The horror in Las Vegas may not dramatically change the debate about guns. But the response to the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, which has left at least 59 dead and hundreds more wounded, reveals a …

If Donald Trump doesn’t have anything presidential to say, maybe he shouldn’t say anything at all.

Is this a distraction from what should be the bigger scandals?

Tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans are expected to permanently move into Florida as the result of Hurricane Maria. That could tip the swingiest of …

Roy Moore’s victory and Bob Corker’s retirement are fresh indicators of a Senate that’s coming apart.

The dichotomy between what the president promises his tax plan will do and what’s he’s planning to unveil on Wednesday is just the latest example of the president’s actions not backing up his rhetoric.

Picking fights with people like Colin Kaepernick is Trump’s modus operandi. He thrives on feuds, and he likes setting up binary contrasts between …

If you took a shot of liquor every time Luther Strange name-dropped the president during a televised debate last night, you’d probably be too hammered to attend Donald Trump’s rally for him in Huntsville later today.

With the Virginia governor’s race neck-and-neck, whether Republican Ed Gillespie chooses to campaign with President Trump could be determinative.

Many conservatives don’t want leaders to speak the language of diplomacy. They want a streetfighter. For those on the right, Trump offered a little something for everyone.

Could there be tapes after all?

The collection of works that she cites across the 494 pages of her new memoir showcases a top-flight intellect and would make for a compelling …

Immigration has always been Sessions' signature issue. But Trump's DACA deal was too good to be true.

Four secretaries of state and other election officials from around the country huddled with cybersecurity experts and federal officials yesterday to talk about what they can do differently in the future to prevent …

Hundreds of Washington insiders gathered last night in the Kennedy Center Opera House for an advance screening of Ken Burns’s new documentary on Vietnam.

Donald Trump’s ascension to the presidency has created a feeling of misery for leading figures in the establishment of both parties. Two such …

Any loss of life is a tragedy, but it’s remarkable the extent to which the human cost of a storm as destructive and powerful as this one can be …

In this special episode, James highlights a portion of his interview with Ross on trade and NAFTA during The Daily 202 Live on Sept. 8. You can watch …

Exhausted from his ideological battles with the House Freedom Caucus and clashes with Donald Trump’s White House, Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) has …

Entertaining counterfactuals can be silly, but what if Trump had acted this way from Day One?

The untold story on DACA is the degree to which Democrats are now in lockstep on what not long ago was an issue that divided them.

Trump's DACA decision highlights chasm between Trump’s compassionate rhetoric and reality.

National reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James Hohmann.

National reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James Hohmann with today's political headlines.

National reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James Hohmann with today's political headlines.

National reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James Hohmann with today's political headlines.

National reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James Hohmann with today's political headlines.

National reporter Elise Viebeck fills in for James Hohmann with today's political headlines.

Storms like this can define presidencies.

By creating a new artificial crisis and making a demand that’s unlikely to be met, Trump is setting up his supporters to be disappointed once again. …

Reading carefully from a teleprompter, in his first prime-time address to the nation, the president sought to explain why he’s been persuaded that …

The growing number of charities canceling galas, stars boycotting ceremonies and chief executives resigning from advisory boards is further isolating …

Follow James on Twitter (@jameshohmann) and visit washingtonpost.com for the latest news in politics.

Trump’s sudden decision to become the leading cheerleader for preserving Confederate memorials is a strategic political maneuver designed to change …

President Trump has a troubling tendency to blame “both sides.” It's not just Charlottesville.

Donald Trump often behaves as if he’s first and foremost the president of the states and the people who voted for him. That’s at odds with the American tradition, and it’s problematic as a governing philosophy – …

Seattle, known for its rain, just went a record-breaking 55 days without any. Climate change is leading to more extreme weather, and no other region has experienced that so much over the last year as the Pacific …

Kelsey Snell fills in for James Hohmann with today's political headlines.

Kelsey Snell fills in for James Hohmann with today's political headlines.

Kelsey Snell fills in for James Hohmann with today's political headlines.

Allison Michaels fills in for James Hohmann with today's politics headlines.

Allison Michaels fills in for James Hohmann with today's politics headlines.

Last night’s news that Robert S. Mueller III has begun using a grand jury in federal court in Washington, as part of his investigation into possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign, further boxes …

The White House has accumulated vastly more power than the men who wrote the Constitution intended, and one unintended consequence of the Trump …

The Arizona Republican senator now stands athwart Trump, yelling stop, at a time when few others in the conservative movement are inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.

John Kelly proved he can manage up by firing communications director Anthony Scaramucci on his first day. Many in the West Wing saw Trump’s firing of Scaramucci -- who served just 10 days as communications director -- …

The president holds an absolutist, black-and-white view: You’re either with him or against him. There is no in between.

President Trump’s attacks on Republican senators are finally catching up with him, and Lisa Murkowski will not be bullied.

Reflecting how dramatically the national conversation on LGBTQ rights has shifted in recent years, Trump's ban on transgender troops drew swift rebukes from top Senate Republicans.

Mitch McConnell is like a quarterback who has just converted on fourth-and-long. The Senate majority leader kept the drive to repeal Obamacare alive, but he’s still trailing by a touchdown, the game clock keeps ticking …

Almost every day, it feels like someone else in the administration’s orbit gets sucked into the Russian vortex.

President Trump has repeatedly dismissed the knowledge and wisdom of experts while elevating non-experts who lack relevant experience into important jobs across the federal government.

Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe.

President Trump attacks his own attorney general, the Russia investigation and the special counsel.

As Republicans all but admit defeat in their seven-year quest to overturn the Affordable Care Act, the president made one thing clear yesterday: “I’m not going to own it.”

A last-gasp Hail Mary for full repeal of Obamacare appears certain to fail. There are not the votes in either chamber of Congress.

President Trump is not Teflon, and the conventional wisdom that “nothing matters” is wrong.

You can’t fire family.

Like Uber, the president won by cutting corners and now pays a price.

The Trumps struggle to take personal responsibility.

The president's son hires a criminal defense attorney amidst new revelations about what he knew before meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower last year.

Debut edition: Trying to keep up with someone who routinely shifts his story often leaves White House surrogates holding the bag. Sunday brought …

National political correspondent James Hohmann's email newsletter The Daily 202 debuts in audio on July 10. Listen to a preview and subscribe now by …