WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch
From the award-winning opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal, Paul Gigot, Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn and Kyle Peterson discuss the latest from Washington. Get critical perspective and the analysis you need on developments from the nation’s capital. Join them every weekday.
Episodes
Donald Trump Announces an Iran Agreement After Cancelling Strikes
Donald Trump says an agreement with Iran has been made, but Iranians say the deal is not done just yet. Plus, will Republicans pass the President's defense spending request before their hold on Congress runs out?
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Maine's Senate Choice Is Now Graham Platner vs. Susan Collins
Democratic voters nominate Platner, the progressive oyster farmer, despite a string of news stories about personal scandals, including a Nazi-linked tattoo and rough treatment of a former girlfriend. Is he too unappealing and too far left to beat Sen. Susan Collins? Or could he still drop out before the November election?
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Spencer Pratt Loses Out to Nithya Raman in L.A., as California Keeps Counting Mail Votes
On election night Pratt was in second place to Mayor Karen Bass, and now after a week of watching his position be steadily eroded by late-arriving ballots, some Republicans are crying foul. Is there hard evidence of fraud? Or is this simply another example of California's lax voting rules straining public confidence?
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Are Israel and the U.S. on the Same Page on Iran?
Iran and Israel exchange missiles as the Iran war passes its 100th day, with Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu saying they want the same goals despite their disagreements. Are the two world leaders heading in the right direction? Plus, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is targeted by online harassment, as threats of violence grow in this era of polarized politics.
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Matt Pottinger on Competing with China and What's Next in Iran
President Trump continues to negotiate with Tehran, but lurking behind the war in the Middle East is America's larger strategic contest with the Chinese Communist Party. How is Beijing reading events in Iran? And why is President Trump sounding softer on China than he did in his first term? On this episode of Potomac Watch, Kate Odell talks with former deputy national security adviser Matt Potting
Congress Puts Donald Trump’s Iran Strategy on the Clock
Four House Republicans side with Democrats to pass a resolution calling for the end of hostilities in Iran unless Congress approves further action. Is Capitol Hill showing its lack of faith in Donald Trump’s vision for ending the war? Plus, housing regulator Bill Pulte is picked to be the next director of national intelligence despite a lack of credentials for the job, putting into question the n
Will Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt Emerge From California's Jungle Primary?
Late mail ballots will straggle in for days, but California could get some political competition in November, if Republicans Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt hang on in the races for Governor and Los Angeles mayor. Plus, primaries in New Jersey and Iowa offer additional signs of where the midterm winds might be blowing.
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The GOP Agenda Gets Stuck on Trump's $1.776 Billion Settlement Fund
Republican lawmakers are trying to pass a reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement, but first they want answers on Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” slush fund. Also on Congress's agenda: Section 702 surveillance powers, a highway bill, and what about that third reconciliation package?
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Iran Puts a Pause on Ceasefire Talks with the U.S.
Iran suspends ceasefire negotiations with the United States as airstrikes resume in the Middle East. With threats of Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, can a deal be reached on keeping it open? Plus, New York City mayor Zoran Mamdani breaks precedent and refuses to attend the city's annual Israel Day Parade, reflecting his own anti-Israel sentiments and similar opinions growing inside the Democr
Jill Biden's Book Tour Renews Debate on Joe's Age and What Democrats Knew
The former First Lady reveals that when Joe Biden melted down during his 2024 debate with Donald Trump, she worried it might be a stroke. Yet she also insists that she saw no signs of cognitive decline. Plus, hundreds of professors at the University of California call for a return to standardized testing with the SAT or ACT.
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Can Viral Ads Make Spencer Pratt L.A.’s Next Mayor?
Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt is using viral videos to make his case against Karen Bass and become the new mayor of Los Angeles. Plus, candidates from both parties vie for the top two spots in the California primary for governor, and Pope Leo releases his first encyclical, sharing his concerns about artificial intelligence and human dignity.
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Ken Paxton Wins the Texas Primary, as Trump Makes Another Senate Gamble
Republican voters resoundingly nominate Attorney General Ken Paxton, instead of incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, but can the AG win? Democrat James Talarico will try to make the race about Paxton's baggage, rather than his progressive views, and the GOP will have to spend money in Texas that it can't use elsewhere.
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Trump Praises Iran Talks, but What About Its Uranium and the Strait of Hormuz?
Donald Trump says the latest negotiations with Iran are "proceeding nicely," but the details of any nuclear deal remain elusive, as U.S. forces strike new Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz. How should proposed terms be evaluated, particularly in comparison to President Obama's agreement, known as the JCPOA?
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Did Democrats Learn Anything from Losing in 2024?
A leaked campaign "autopsy" from the Democratic National Committee says Kamala Harris lost in 2024 because the Biden White House didn't help her enough and she didn't run hard enough against Trump. But the report makes no mention of Biden's age or the Democratic divide on Israel. Plus, Tulsi Gabbard resigns from her post as President Trump's director of national intelligence.
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What Does Donald Trump Have Planned for Cuba?
The United States indicts Cuban leader Raul Castro, the brother of the late revolutionary Fidel Castro, for murder as it increases pressure on the current regime. Are the days of the dictatorship numbered at last?
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Trump's Defeat of Thomas Massie and Endorsement of Ken Paxton
Donald Trump carries a GOP challenger to a primary victory over Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, who made few friends with his quixotic positions, including on Israel and the Epstein files. Plus, Trump endorses in the Texas Senate race, making a risky bet to spurn Sen. John Cornyn and reward AG Ken Paxton’s MAGA loyalty.
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The $1.776 Billion Deal for Trump's 'Anti-Weaponization Fund'
After Donald Trump ends his lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax records, the Justice Department steers nearly $1.8 billion toward targets of government "weaponization." Does this mean payouts to Jan. 6 rioters, or who will get money? Plus, the GOP debates security funding for a White House ballroom.
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GOP Candidates Face Donald Trump’s Wrath in Primaries Contests
Senator Bill Cassidy loses in the Louisiana GOP primary after Donald Trump pushes hard for his opponent as payback for voting to convict him during his second impeachment trial. Could Thomas Massie suffer the same fate in what’s becoming a high-priced House contest for Republicans? Plus, with very few legislative achievements to run on, what are the prospects for Republicans to retain control of
Trump's China Summit, Makary's FDA Exit, and a Supreme Court Mifepristone Order
As Donald Trump leaves Beijing after meeting Xi Jinping, how much did this diplomacy accomplish? Plus, does Dr. Marty Makary's resignation at the FDA signal an agency turn? And the High Court halts an appellate ruling against mail-order mifepristone, the abortion pill, with no liberal dissents about the "shadow docket."
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Kevin Warsh Wins Confirmation as Fed Chair, as the Inflation Gauge Hits 3.8%
The Senate approves the Federal Reserve's new leader 54-45, one day after new figures from the Labor Department show consumer prices accelerating, and not only due to oil stuck at the Strait of Hormuz. How will Warsh approach the job of getting back to 2%, and what's the legacy of outgoing Chair Jerome Powell?
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