Politics Top Stories

By The Politics Desk

Keep up with the top political stories from Washington to the campaign trail.

Politics: Latest News
- Donald Trump
  Trump calls Biden a 'low I.Q. individual'
  POLITICO - By REBECCA MORIN
- Politics
  Democrat O'Rourke tops field, raising $6.1 million on day one of presidential campaign
  Reuters - by Ginger Gibson and James Oliphant
- Politics
  Supreme Court will take up immigration-related case next term
  CNN - By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter
U.S. Politics
Republicans gobsmacked by Trump’s tariffs
POLITICO - By BURGESS EVERETT
GOP lawmakers thought the president was going to hit China — not key U.S. allies. Republicans are bitterly protesting the Trump administration’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs on U.S. allies — alarmed
U.S. Politics
Trump Allies Don’t See “Three-Dimensional Chess” In Dinesh D’Souza’s Pardon
BuzzFeed
President Donald Trump's announcement that he was pardoning far-right commentator Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to campaign finance fraud, caught many in Trump world by surprise Thursday but
Politics
Republicans in key midterm races caution against Trump's new tariffs
CNN - By Dan Merica, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump's decision to follow through on steel and aluminum tariffs against some of the United States' closest allies puts a series of vulnerable Republicans at considerable risk,
The Economy Can Handle Steel and Aluminum Tariffs. The Real Risk Is Erratic Policy.
The New York Times - By NEIL IRWIN
Today, we take pity upon the supply chain managers, the financial planners, the logisticians and procurement chiefs at every American company that uses steel and aluminum in its products. They face a few
Rep. Steve Knight: The Most Vulnerable Republican in California?
Roll Call - Bridget Bowman
Some operatives say so, but SoCal congressman says he has a plan to win PALMDALE, Calif. — While walking into Target here recently, Bob and Deidre …
Glut of marijuana in Oregon is cautionary tale, experts say
Associated Press - GILLIAN FLACCUS
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — When Oregon lawmakers created the state’s legal marijuana program, they had one goal in mind above all else: to convince illicit pot growers to leave the black market. That meant
Politics
Ethics Panel Announces Investigation Into Rep. Schweikert and Chief of Staff
Roll Call - Griffin Connolly
Oliver Schwab allegedly exceeded outside earned income for senior staff The House Ethics Committee is reviewing an Office of Congressional Ethics …
Bill Browder: Inside the Arrest of ‘Putin’s Number One Enemy’
Rolling Stone - Seth Hettena
Bill Browder was in his central Madrid hotel room Wednesday morning when a knock came on the door. It was just after 9 a.m.; a couple of hours later, …
Ethics committee unveils review of Arizona lawmaker, aide
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee says it’s reviewing an independent watchdog’s referral of Republican Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona and his chief of staff. The committee’s announcement indicates
Politics
Kasich calls on Trump to condemn Roseanne's tweets
CNN - By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN
Washington (CNN) — Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich called on President Donald Trump Thursday to speak out against comedian Roseanne Barr's racist tweets, which led to the cancellation of her hit ABC "Of
Prosecutors Just Dropped More Inauguration Day Protest Cases After They Got In Trouble Over Project Veritas Videos
BuzzFeed
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday dropped seven cases against people charged with rioting in Washington, DC, during President Donald Trump's inauguration, after getting in trouble in court for how they
News
First on CNN: US Secret Service overpaid presidential campaigns $4 million for plane travel
CNN - By Rene Marsh, CNN
Washington (CNN) — The US Secret Service overpaid presidential campaigns an estimated $4 million for plane travel during the 2016 election, a government watchdog says in a new report obtained by CNN. Service
Trump pardons Dinesh D'Souza, says he may do same for Martha Stewart and cut sentence of ex-Illinois Gov. Blagojevich
Los Angeles Times - By Jackie Calmes
President Trump’s announcement on Thursday that he is giving a full pardon to conservative provocateur Dinesh D'Souza and considering clemency for Martha Stewart and imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod
U.S. Politics
Trump floats commutation for Blagojevich, pardon for Martha Stewart
POLITICO - By CRISTIANO LIMA
President Donald Trump indicated Thursday he is strongly considering commuting the remaining sentence for disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich while also suggesting a potential pardon for Martha
U.S. Politics
Trump Is Weaponizing Pardons
The Atlantic - David A. Graham
The president has taken a prerogative intended to temper justice with mercy, and turned it into an instrument of the culture war. Beyond President Trump’s prolific dishonesty and extensive use of social
Donald Trump
Here's the real reason behind Donald Trump's pardon spree
CNN - Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large
(CNN) — Donald Trump's pardon of conservative author Dinesh D'Souza on Thursday came with little explanation from the President other than this, via Twitter: "He was treated very unfairly by our government!"
U.S. Politics
Trump floats Martha Stewart pardon, Rod Blagojevich commutation
CNN - By Jeremy Diamond, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday that he is considering pardoning Martha Stewart and commuting former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's sentence. Trump floated the idea of pardoning
The Latest: Trump pardons conservative commentator D'Souza
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's consideration of pardons and sentence commutations (all times local): 10 p.m. President Donald Trump has pardoned Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative
Trump considering Martha Stewart pardon after Dinesh D'Souza
The Guardian - Benjamin Lee and agencies
Trump offered a pardon to far-right film-maker and spoke of pardoning Stewart and commuting Rod Blagojevich’s sentence Donald Trump has offered a full pardon to the far-right documentary film-maker Dinesh
We Already Know Why Trump Fired Comey, and Any Excuse Is a Lie
Rolling Stone - Ryan Bort
You may remember that little over a week after Attorney General Sessions recused himself from the Russia invesitgation, President Trump fired FBI …
In Asia, Mattis to face allies seeking answers on NKorea
Associated Press - By LOLITA C. BALDOR
SINGAPORE (AP) — As international defense chiefs gather at a conference in Singapore this week, U.S. officials will face a barrage of questions from allies struggling to unravel the chaotic fits and starts
Menendez and Hugin set sights on each other in Senate race
Associated Press - By MIKE CATALINI
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Ads with grainy images and pointed attacks? Check. Millions of dollars in campaign coffers? Another check. This year’s race for a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey won’t start officially
Comic Samantha Bee apologizes to Ivanka Trump for slur
Associated Press - By DAVID BAUDER, AP Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Comedian Samantha Bee apologized to Ivanka Trump and viewers on Thursday for using an obscenity to describe the president's daughter, an incident that quickly thrust her into the middle
U.S. Politics
Boehner: ‘There is no Republican Party. There’s a Trump party.’
POLITICO - By CRISTIANO LIMA
Former House Speaker John Boehner declared Thursday that the Republican Party as he once knew it is gone, replaced by what he called the “Trump party.” The former Republican congressional leader, who as
Did Trump Fire Comey Over the Russia Inquiry or Not?
The New York Times - By LINDA QIU
WHAT WAS SAID The facts This requires context. Mr. Trump and his aides have given a number of conflicting reasons — sometimes within hours of each other or even in the same interview — for why he fired
The end of Mariano Rajoy
politico.eu - Diego Torres
Socialist Pedro Sánchez secures support for motion of no confidence, and will almost certainly become the new prime minister. MADRID — Mariano Rajoy’s …
Politics
Who Is Stormy Daniels Lawyer Michael Avenatti — And Who Is Helping Him?
NPR - Carrie Johnson
If you turn on the TV news these days, it's difficult to miss Michael Avenatti. The lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels has been that way since his days in law school. Professor Jonathan Turley remembered
With Legislation Stalled, DeVos Moves to Wield Deregulatory Power
The New York Times - By ERICA L. GREEN
WASHINGTON — The top Republican on the Senate Education Committee effectively killed on Thursday all hope for a highly anticipated overhaul this year of the law governing the nation’s 4,000 colleges and
U.S. Politics
Trump backs GOP congressman, but misstates his tax vote
Associated Press - By STEVE PEOPLES
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump endorsed a congressman facing a tough primary battle, but in doing so he misstated the New York Republican’s record on taxes. In a tweet Wednesday, Trump said U.S.