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White House

The Lede

How Much of the Government Can Donald Trump Dismantle?

His war on the “deep state” ties into a long debate about the power of bureaucrats to thwart the President’s agenda.
Letter from Biden’s Washington

The Capital Has a Bad Case of Year-End Panic

Worries about a second Trump term and the end of aid to Ukraine are entirely justified.
Letter from Biden’s Washington

The Boss and His Botched Coverup

The latest charges against Donald Trump show him and his Mar-a-Lago band to be as lame as the Watergate plumbers.
Q. & A.

How Trump Compares with Presidents Who Burned Their Papers

The Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore sees historic parallels—as well as willful and unprecedented behavior by the freshly indicted ex-President.
Daily Comment

What Ron Klain Learned in the White House

Joe Biden’s exiting chief of staff is a case study in the slow accumulation of expertise.
News

When Americans Lost Faith in the News

Half a century ago, most of the public said they trusted the news media. Today, most say they don’t. What happened to the power of the press?
The Political Scene Podcast

Why Chief of Staff Is “the Hardest Job in Washington”

With news of Ron Klain’s departure from the Biden Administration, our political roundtable looks at the power and pitfalls of running the White House.
Comment

The Biden-Documents Mess

House Republicans are ramping up conspiracy theories, but one thing seems clear: the government’s documents system has an overclassification addiction.
Letter from Biden’s Washington

There’s Only One Thing to Call Biden’s New Scandal: Political Malpractice

And that’s assuming things don’t get worse.
A Critic at Large

What the January 6th Report Is Missing

The investigative committee singles out Trump for his role in the Capitol attack. As prosecution, the report is thorough. But as historical explanation it’s a mess.
Letter from Biden’s Washington

A Second Trump Term Would Be a Scary Rerun of the First

Remember those “Jurassic Park” velociraptors learning how to open the door?
Our Columnists

How Much Damage Are the January 6th Hearings Doing to Trump?

Even as Republican support for another Trump Presidential bid appears to be slipping, he can’t be counted out.
Annals of Inquiry

How Far Is the West Prepared to Go for Ukraine?

If further escalation is a possibility, defense contractors and cold warriors in Washington won’t define it—the Ukrainians will.
2021 in Review

Joe Biden’s Year of Hoping Dangerously

It was a brutal start for the new President.
Annals of Espionage

Are U.S. Officials Under Silent Attack?

The Havana Syndrome first affected spies and diplomats in Cuba. Now it has spread to the White House.
Letter from Biden’s Washington

The Presidential Press Conference in the Biden Era Is as Awful as Ever

Under Trump, we had to listen. But now? There must be a better way.
Shouts & Murmurs

The Biggest Changes to the White House Under President Joe Biden

Cords plugged back into phones in Oval Office; “World’s No. 1 President” crystal goblets gone; basement portal to Hell caulked over.
Daily Cartoon

Daily Cartoon: Friday, January 22nd

“We’re going to need more sage!”
Daily Cartoon

Daily Cartoon: Wednesday, January 20th

Inspecting the Oval Office.
Daily Cartoon

Bonus Daily Cartoon: Hold On a Sec

“Hold on a sec, I wanna check if democracy still exists.”