John Heilemann

1 week ago | puck.news | John Heilemann

Thanks to Donald Trump and his ChatGPT-enabled tariff jihad, last week was one of the most tumultuous, tempestuous periods for stocks and bonds and currencies that we’ve ever seen. What happened across those five days, and more importantly, what happens next, is a story that sits at the intersection of Wall Street and Washington, of financial mechanics and political mojo, of conventional plutocratic maneuvering and MAGA-fueled disregard for history, precedent, and institutional coherence.

2 months ago | puck.news | John Heilemann

Donald Trump's second presidential term, while different from his first in many ways, has remained perfectly consistent in one glaring respect: His behavior during his first three weeks back has once again served as a full-employment act for legal analysts-from law school heavyweights and white shoe partners to former federal prosecutors and public defenders-who have been called back into 24/7 service to guide the rest of us through the thicket of obscure, arcane, and often unprecedented...

2 months ago | puck.news | John Heilemann

In the face of Donald Trump 's blizzard of executive actions in his first two weeks back in the big chair-some of it purely performative, some legally dubious (at best), all plainly designed to disrupt established norms and long-standing precedents with respect to the division of power between the presidency and Congress-the Republican majorities in the House and Senate have shown little appetite for pushback. In fact, many seem to welcome the usurpation of their traditional prerogatives.

2 months ago | puck.news | John Heilemann

Almost immediately after Joe Biden left the presidential race last summer, my longtime pal and former Circus co-host Jennifer Palmieri, then doing a podcast for MSNBC with former senator Claire McCaskill and appearing regularly on the network, took a leave of absence from the commentariat to become the short-term, sprint-to-the-finish-line chief of staff to second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Jan 21, 2025 | puck.news | John Heilemann

Inaugurations are, by definition, historic. But I can't think of one more eventful, newsy, or just plain weird than Donald Trump's sequel to the "American carnage" goat rodeo of 2017. Look no further than the fact that 45/47 delivered, in effect, two separate inaugural addresses: the scripted (and decidedly low-energy) official rendition in the Capitol Rotunda, followed by the grievance-laden, backward-looking screed he uncorked a few minutes later to supporters in the Capitol Visitor Center.