Washington's Evolving Dynamics: Power, Messaging, and Economic Focus

Key Quotes

"I think the president's targeting of law firms and using the power of the presidency to try to punish law firms for representing people or causes that that he doesn't like was something that a lot of us had not anticipated and was a move that that was unexpected."

Ryan Lucas, who covers the justice department, highlights an unexpected political moment from 2025. Lucas points out the president's use of presidential power to target law firms based on their clients. This action was surprising to many journalists covering the administration.

"I think one of the most surprising moments in 2025 and this is based on the fact that I covered the first Trump administration as well is the lack of palace intrigue in this administration in this current administration in the last Trump administration there was always these colors behind the scenes there were these factions in the White House of of groups of individuals of staffers who were kind of competing against the other."

Barbara Sprunt, who covers Congress, notes the contrast between the current administration and the previous Trump administration. Sprunt observed a significant decrease in internal White House power struggles and leaks. This administration, according to Sprunt, operates as a more controlled entity.

"And I think a prime example of that is in 2022 some of the first reporting I did on young voters is I covered this first time candidate in New Hampshire who was the republican nominee for this really kind of closely contested district and that was Caroline Levet you know now the White House Press Secretary she didn't win that seat but obviously she has a huge role now in government and I think it was very striking to see Trump announce her as his pick and see her as you know one of the most high profile people in Washington now and just a few years ago we were talking about her run for congress so time flies."

Elena Moore, who covers politics, reflects on the rapid career progression of young political figures. Moore uses Caroline Levet, now White House Press Secretary, as an example of someone she reported on as a first-time candidate who has since achieved a prominent role. Moore emphasizes how quickly individuals can rise in the political landscape.

"I think the thing we're all going to be watching for in 2026 is just how often both sides of the aisle talk about the economy. I think it's clearly the issue that I think folks around the country are kind of rallying around obviously it affects people differently so I think it'll be really interesting to just see how different campaigns talk about that issue and how they try to relate to people."

Danielle Kurtzleben, a White House correspondent, anticipates the economy will be a central theme in 2026 politics. Kurtzleben expects both parties to frequently discuss economic issues due to their broad impact on the public. She will be observing how campaigns address the economy and connect with voters on this topic.

"I think the other big one is the you know the military build up in the Caribbean and the pressure campaign against Venezuela and the Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro what's going to happen with all that military power in the Caribbean what are they going to do and what could it impact how could it impact the rest of the hemisphere."

Franco Ordoñez, who covers the White House, identifies the military buildup in the Caribbean and actions against Venezuela as a significant story for 2026. Ordoñez is focused on the implications of this military presence and pressure campaign for the region. He questions the potential impact on the wider hemisphere.

"I would desperately attempt not to play bingo this year."

Ashley Lopez, a political correspondent, expresses a desire to avoid engaging with the speculative "political bingo card" exercise. Lopez's statement suggests a preference for focusing on concrete reporting rather than making predictions. This indicates a reporter's inclination towards factual analysis over forecasting.