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The Best & The Brightest
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Tara Palmeri Tara Palmeri

Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Tara
Palmeri
. 

 

In tonight’s issue, my conversation with former Trump White House political director Bill Stepien, who knows more about the dark art of hoarding and deploying political capital—and about Trump’s misunderstood relationship with it—than perhaps anyone else. Indeed, many of my recent conversations with people inside Trumpworld confirm Stepien’s
insights: I’m hearing that, when it comes to his cavalcade of problematic nominees—and particularly Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—he doesn’t believe that their loss would be his loss, and that it’s up to them to cross the finish line. We discuss all that and more, below the fold. 

 

But first, a little on the Elon of it all…

  • President Musk: This past week was a reminder of Trump’s uncanny ability to take a wrecking ball to Washington’s basic functions—like keeping...

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How to Spend It: Political Capital Edition

How to Spend It: Political Capital Edition

A frank conversation with Bill Stepien, Trump’s former White House
political director, about what exactly political capital is—and why Donald Trump never seems to run out. 

Tara Palmeri Tara Palmeri

Donald Trump is heading into his second presidency at the
height of his political powers, a reality evidenced once again this week after he sent Capitol Hill into a tizzy by nuking Mike Johnson’s stop-gap bill. Of course, earlier today, he subsequently endorsed Johnson’s refurbished and slimmed-down C.R. plan—but the initial episode was instructive in that, despite potentially sending the government into a shutdown, he somehow looked like a renegade hero within parts of...

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Latest Articles from Washington

Peter Hamby • December 20, 2024
Teenage Riot
The usual suspects in Washington fear that young voters could protest the 2024 election if Biden bans TikTok—a supposition accepted at face value by pundits, despite the available evidence. Yes, there are polls showing young people oppose a ban. But that’s not predictive of how Gen Z will vote.
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    PREVIEW VERSION Start a free 14-day trial to unlock unlimited access to Puck.   Tara Palmeri Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Tara Palmeri.    In tonight’s issue, my conversation with former Trump White House political director Bill Stepien, who knows more about the dark art of hoarding and deploying political […]
Tara Palmeri • December 20, 2024
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    PREVIEW VERSION Start a free 14-day trial to unlock unlimited access to Puck.   Tara Palmeri Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Tara Palmeri.    In tonight’s issue, my conversation with former Trump White House political director Bill Stepien, who knows more about the dark art of hoarding and deploying political […]


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    PREVIEW VERSION Start a free 14-day trial to unlock unlimited access to Puck.   Tara Palmeri Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Tara Palmeri.    In tonight’s issue, my conversation with former Trump White House political director Bill Stepien, who knows more about the dark art of hoarding and deploying political […]
Julia Ioffe • December 20, 2024
Newt’s Renegotiated Contract with America
A candid conversation with the revolutionary former speaker on Biden, 2024, McCarthy’s strategy, Trump, and much more.


Tina Nguyen • December 20, 2024
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Trump’s now all-but-assured entry into the next White House race is already complicating the Florida governor’s ambitions to succeed him. But the agony of waiting his turn might outweigh the risk of challenging Trump head-on.


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Latest Articles from Washington

Julia Ioffe & Matthew Belloni • December 20, 2024
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Alias id.
Julia Ioffe • December 20, 2024
Ut officiis nihil totam tempore quam tempore
    PREVIEW VERSION Start a free 14-day trial to unlock unlimited access to Puck.   Tara Palmeri Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Tara Palmeri.    In tonight’s issue, my conversation with former Trump White House political director Bill Stepien, who knows more about the dark art of hoarding and deploying political […]
Rachel Strugatz • December 20, 2024
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    PREVIEW VERSION Start a free 14-day trial to unlock unlimited access to Puck.   Tara Palmeri Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Tara Palmeri.    In tonight’s issue, my conversation with former Trump White House political director Bill Stepien, who knows more about the dark art of hoarding and deploying political […]


Julia Ioffe • December 20, 2024
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Julia Ioffe • December 20, 2024
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Julia Ioffe • December 20, 2024
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    PREVIEW VERSION Start a free 14-day trial to unlock unlimited access to Puck.   Tara Palmeri Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Tara Palmeri.    In tonight’s issue, my conversation with former Trump White House political director Bill Stepien, who knows more about the dark art of hoarding and deploying political […]


Julia Ioffe • December 20, 2024
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    PREVIEW VERSION Start a free 14-day trial to unlock unlimited access to Puck.   Tara Palmeri Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Tara Palmeri.    In tonight’s issue, my conversation with former Trump White House political director Bill Stepien, who knows more about the dark art of hoarding and deploying political […]

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