WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

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. Send your feedback to pwpodcast@wsj.com

Episodes

Ukraine reportedly agrees in principle and suggests a meeting soon between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. But Russia declines to commit to anything, and there are important details yet to be worked out. How are the terms shifting from the 28-point proposal that received a cool reception last week? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Marjorie Taylor Greene announces she will leave Congress in January after a public split with Donald Trump on a variety of GOP policy stances. What does her exit say about who will lead the Republican party in the future? Plus, a Republican redistricting plan to redraw the map in Texas backfires, leading the way for the Supreme Court to decide.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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His proposal to end Russia's war is actually an ultimatum to Ukraine, since it would ratify Vladimir Putin's territorial gains and cap the size of Kyiv's military, while offering only a vague U.S. security guarantee. Trump suggests he might end American support if Ukraine won't agree, but what might be the costs to the U.S. of a bad deal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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New York's Mayor-elect heads to the Oval Office, after convincing NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to stay on the job next year, though how much Mamdani will interfere in policing the city remains to be seen. Plus, is this the opening that Rep. Elise Stefanik needs to defeat the state's incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger urges UVA's board to hold off hiring a new president until she takes office, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin replies that he's still in charge until January. Plus, Pennsylvania backs away from a regional cap-and-trade system, as Massachusetts considers making its 2030 emissions goals nonbinding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Donald Trump welcomes Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House, touts promised investments in the U.S., and says he will sell F-35 stealth fighters to the Saudis. Is the U.S. driving a hard enough bargain, since the Saudis still haven't joined the Abraham Accords? And what about civilian nuclear energy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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November 17, 2025 25 mins
Donald Trump changes his mind on the Epstein files, saying all of them should be released. What does his new stance mean for the votes coming to Congress? Plus, cracks in the MAGA coalition begin to show as Trump intensifies a feud with Marjorie Taylor Greene and defends Tucker Carlson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Donald Trump this week offered support for the H-1B visa program because of a lack of skilled workers in the United States. His position provoked pushback from his base, and even Vice President JD Vance seems to have a different take. Who prevails in this internal dispute over immigration policy, and how key are immigrants to reviving the economy and GOP political fortunes?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
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Chuck Schumer becomes the target of his own party’s anger after the end of the government shutdown. Is there a change in leadership on the horizon, and what will it mean for the direction of the Democrats? Plus, new emails about Donald Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein are released, with Democrats claiming they are for the good of transparency, but Republicans say they had their chance during the Biden administration. L...
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President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Donald Trump in Washington, the first White House visit for a Syrian president. Can Trump bring the war torn country into America's orbit? Plus, Russia makes gains in Ukraine's east. How will it affect Trump's negotiations to settle the war? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Donald Trump is taking on "affordability" in the wake of Democratic wins last week in New Jersey and Virginia. The president is proposing $2,000 payments from tariff revenues and a new 50-year mortgage for homebuyers, while his Department of Justice opens an investigation into meatpacking companies in light of high beef prices. But are any of these proposals good for the economy? And will any calm voters' anxieties over the high co...
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Eight senators break with the Democratic Party to vote for a deal to reopen the federal government, after 40 days of a funding impasse in Washington. What produced the breakthrough deal? And what happens next for Obamacare subsidies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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After sweeping Tuesday's elections, Democrats decide to keep their government shutdown going, as Chuck Schumer again pushes the Senate to renew expiring ObamaCare subsidies. But the pain on the public is rising, as the FAA cuts 10% of flights at hubs. Plus, Donald Trump says the way out is to nuke the filibuster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Oral arguments are presented about whether Donald Trump can hold on to his power to impose tariffs without the approval of Congress. The Justices question the nature of the 'emergency,' but will the eventual ruling hurt or help the President’s economic agenda, and how will investors react? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Democrats win races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia on Election Day, exceeding expectations and sending a warning sign to Donald Trump and Republicans everywhere. So how does the President respond and what does it mean for the midterms? Plus, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City, but faces challenges from Albany and elsewhere to get his progressive agenda approved. Learn more about your ad ...
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The Justices could end President Trump's sweeping global tariffs, if they find he lacks the power to impose them using a 1977 statute called IEEPA. What does that law say, how has it previously been used, and where's the limiting principle? Plus, what to make of the White House's warnings of economic calamity if it loses? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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New Wall Street Journal columnist Matt Continetti joins Paul Gigot to discuss what to look for in Tuesday's elections. Plus, what the fight over antisemitism reveals about the future of the MAGA movement and the GOP presidential race in 2028. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Voters next week in Texas will decide on three measures to put bad tax policy off limits, as the state seeks to lure finance companies to "Y'all Street," while Maine will consider voter ID and a "red flag" law on guns. Plus, money pours into Pennsylvania for the retention elections of three liberal jurists on the state Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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October 30, 2025 26 mins
Donald Trump calls his meeting with President Xi Jinping a ‘12 out of 10,’ and reduces tariffs by 10%. What does it mean for the future of U.S.-China relations? Plus, the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by another 25 basis points on Wednesday, even though inflation is still above target. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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As world leaders get set for the United Nations COP30 climate summit, Bill Gates urges them to "pivot," saying the biggest problem for millions is still poverty and disease. Has he been reading Bjorn Lomborg? Plus, Texas AG Ken Paxton sues the maker of Tylenol, echoing claims by RFK Jr. about an alleged link to autism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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