Showing results by author "Aaron Blake"

On Friday, federal prosecutors in New York implicated the president of the United States in a felony — a campaign finance violation to which Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty. As The Washington Post’s Philip Bump wrote, that was significant because it wasn’t just Cohen implicating Trump; it was the government doing it, in its own words.

"Trump’s Bogus ‘Simple Private Transaction’ Defense of the Stormy Daniels Payment" is from the December 10, 2018 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

"In Her Remarks on the Presumptive GOP Nominee, Ruth Bader Ginsburg May Have Trumped Her Usual Outspokenness" is from the July 11, 2016 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and Robert Barnes and narrated by Sam Scholl.

We could learn a good bit this week about what kind of hand special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is holding in the Russia investigation. His team is set to file something on Michael Flynn’s sentencing by midnight Tuesday and something on Paul Manafort’s alleged lies on Friday. Either document — depending on what is disclosed — could provide a rare window into what each key figure has talked about, allegedly lied about (including what evidence Mueller has that contradicts them) and maybe even sought to cover up.

"The 4 Ways Russian Collusion Might Have Occurred" is from the December 04, 2018 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

Perhaps the biggest reason Republicans love Neil Gorsuch's selection as President Trump's Supreme Court nominee — apart from his age — is the fact that he's a demonstrated originalist.

"Neil Gorsuch, Antonin Scalia and Originalism, Explained" is from the February 01, 2017 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

New revelations about his apparently botched testimony are liable to make Democrats — and Comey — a little more than mildly nauseous. And they are going to damage Comey's best defense of his actions.

"James Comey Just Stepped in It Big Time" is from the May 09, 2017 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

There were credulity-straining defenses by the White House in the face of charges against Manafort and Papadopoulos. But they're not going to work now that former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

"Robert Mueller Just Penetrated the White House Gates With Michael Flynn’s Guilty Plea" is from the December 01, 2017 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Jenny Hoops.

The Supreme Court just made a major decision without actually issuing a decision. On Monday morning, the justices announced that they would take up a case out of Wisconsin that could result in a ruling on the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering.

"Democrats Just Got Some Very Good News From the Supreme Court on Gerrymandering" is from the June 19, 2017 The Fix section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

President Trump, as the White House will often remind us, is a counterpuncher. You hit him; he hits back twice as hard. You bring a knife; he brings a bazooka.

"The Trump White House's Dangerously Authoritarian Response to Criticism" is from the October 10, 2017 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer got a turn on one of Hollywood's glitziest stages Sunday night. And he used it to laugh about the falsehoods he told the American people in an attempt to rehabilitate his image.

"Sean Spicer’s Yucky Cameo at the Emmys" is from the September 18, 2017 National section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

Washington was an outrage factory long before President Trump arrived, and it's become exponentially more so now that he's here. But constantly being on an outrage footing can undermine your cause.

"Jeff Sessions’s ‘Anglo-American’ Comments, and the Danger of the Liberal Trump Outrage Machine" is from the February 13, 2018 National section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

It’s midterm election eve, and we’re in a somewhat similar situation to where we were in 2016. According to projections, Democrats are a strong favorite to win the night’s big prize: this time, the House. As 2016 showed us, though, taking strong odds and reading them as guarantees can make you look awfully dumb.So as we all prepare to watch the returns Tuesday, here are a few conceivable ways it could go.

"5 Possible Scenarios for Election Day, and What They’d Mean" is from the November 05, 2018 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

The Intercept just broke a pretty big story: CIA Director Mike Pompeo reportedly met with the purveyor of a disputed theory about the internal Democratic National Committee emails that were released last year — a theory that runs counter to the intelligence community's own long-standing conclusions about the matter.

"Trump’s CIA Director Keeps Doing Controversial — and Suspiciously Pro-Trump — Things" is from the November 07, 2017 The Fix section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

There have been a few moments in the Russia investigation that, in retrospect, seemed to indicate a notable shift or an expansion. The day President Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey. The Lester Holt interview. When we first found out about the meeting with the Russian lawyer. The early-morning raid of Paul Manafort's Virginia residence. Michael Flynn's guilty plea.

"Steve Bannon’s Mysterious — and Potentially Pivotal — Grand Jury Subpoena" is from the January 17, 2018 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

Alongside Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at an event in New York, Trump reflected on what the House had just done. He took the occasion to bash Obamacare as being terrible, and then he turned to Turnbull.

"Trump's Forbidden Love: Single-Payer Health Care" is from the May 05, 2017 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Jill Melancon.

It may not have been the most pivotal moment of Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, but for many it was the most cringeworthy.

"Amy Klobuchar’s Big Brett Kavanaugh Moment Earned Rave Reviews. But Is It What Democrats Demand for 2020?" is from the September 29, 2018 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake andDavid Weigel and narrated by Sam Scholl.

The defining moment of Jeff Sessions's time as attorney general has been when he recused himself from oversight of the Russia investigation. That quickly led to the appointment of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is now extensively probing President Trump. And by all accounts, it seriously strained Sessions's relationship with Trump, who thinks Sessions should be protecting him and doing his bidding.

"It’s Looking More and More Like Jeff Sessions Is Doing Trump’s Political Dirty Work" is from the January 23, 2018 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

After a week in which President Trump endured not-so-veiled criticisms from his two predecessors as president and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), McCain delivered another broadside that seems clearly aimed at Trump — in the most personal terms yet.

"McCain Hits Trump Where It Hurts, Attacking 'Bone Spur' Deferments in Vietnam" is from the October 23, 2017 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

"Hispanic Supporters Flee Donald Trump's Campaign after Fiery Immigration Speech" is from the September 01, 2016 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and Jenna Johnson and narrated by Sam Scholl.

There are four presidents worse than Donald Trump. One, Andrew Johnson, was impeached. Two, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, helped set the course for what became the Civil War. And the fourth, William Henry Harrison, died just a bit more than a month into office.

"Trump Promised to Exhaust People With His Wins. A Study Says He’s Already Won ‘Worst President Ever.’" is from the February 20, 2018 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Sam Scholl.

President Trump didn't just consider the most drastic conceivable response to the Russia investigation; he actively tried to do it — until someone stopped him.

"Trump’s Handling of the Russia Investigation Has Never Looked More like a Coverup" is from the January 26, 2018 Politics section of The Washington Post. It was written by Aaron Blake and narrated by Jenny Hoops.