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Karen Tumulty

@ktumulty.bsky.social
46K followers 499 following 1.1K posts

Trying to adapt. Also, Chief Political Correspondent for the Washington Post. You can follow what I write here: www.washingtonpost.com/newsletters/…

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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 7h
Like an aging rocker on a comeback tour, Trump’s playing his greatest hits and turning up the audacity to 11. It's not working the way it used to. wapo.st/4yskgP1
wapo.st
Analysis | Trump’s playing his greatest hits. They don’t work as well as they used to.
With midterm elections a month away, the president is turning the audacity up to 11 as he labors to reverse his party’s decline in the polls.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Terrific analysis from @peterbakernyt.bsky.social -- In Trump’s White House, China’s Dictator Is Welcome. American Media, Less So. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/u...
nytimes.com
In Trump’s White House, China’s Dictator Is Welcome. American Media, Less So.
The showdown over President Trump’s partial media ban played out as he welcomed President Xi Jinping, whose government is ranked among the most repressive in the world.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
As far as voters are concerned, the verdict is in: The Iran war is a disaster. Republicans have begun calling for it to end. But will they actually do anything to make that happen? www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Analysis | Republicans are breaking from Trump on Iran. So what will they do about it?
Congress has rendered itself powerless to start and stop wars, despite the Constitution.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
WAPO EXCLUSIVE -- Sources: Architect McCrery "withdrew from the project last October after warning repeatedly that Trump was insisting on a preliminary design that did not provide adequate emergency exit routes or fire-containment measures." @Blaskey_S @jocwapo www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
washingtonpost.com
‘I am the code’: Trump clashed with ballroom architect over safety issues
James McCrery II resigned in October after warning that the president was insisting on designs that violated fire and safety codes.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Other presidents didn’t like their media coverage either:
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Blockbuster @washingtonpost.com reporting by @davidnakamura.bsky.social and @mradamtaylor.bsky.social -- www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
washingtonpost.com
How Trump turned a refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation
Inside the secret deals powering the president’s push to deport migrants to countries not their own.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Trump is increasingly sober about the midterm prospects for Republicans, advisers say -- From Natalie Allison and @iarnsdorf.bsky.social wapo.st/3V2nWYO
wapo.st
Trump is sober about the midterm prospects for Republicans, advisers say
In private, President Trump has been hearing blunt news from advisers about the GOP's poor chances in the midterms and has accepted that some of the problem is of his making.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Such great reporting and perspective here from @jherrerx.bsky.social and @mollyhf.bsky.social -- The nativist provocateur who keeps pushing the Texas GOP further right wapo.st/4yI6Ttv
wapo.st
The nativist provocateur who keeps pushing the Texas GOP further right
Republican leaders criticized a recent post by Bo French attacking South Asian UT students. But many in the party have felt compelled to embrace parts of his ideology.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
She’s survived four gerrymanders and a car crash. Can her luck hold? -- How Marcy Kaptur is fighting (again) to hold a district drawn so a Republican will win. wapo.st/4ydO2Xi
wapo.st
She’s survived four gerrymanders and a car crash. Can her luck hold?
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), 80, has been unbeatable, even as her district gets redrawn again and again.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
My latest Take, with some not-so-distant history about how Texas Republicans used to welcome immigrants -- wapo.st/3TFG9Ln
wapo.st
Analysis | Why Karl Rove, a father of the modern Texas GOP, is voting for a Democrat
How Texas Republicans abandoned their immigrant-welcoming tradition.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Senate control could hinge on this ex-lawmaker’s ability to win back working-class voters. Lots of on-the-ground reporting in Ohio with @theodoricmeyer.bsky.social wapo.st/4yISjSL
wapo.st
Senate control could hinge on this ex-lawmaker’s ability to win back working-class voters
Democrat Sherrod Brown is seeking to return to the chamber two years after losing his seat when many blue-collar voters embraced Donald Trump.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
From the Washington Post Editorial Board: Longhorn fans are a Texas-size win for American assimilation. wapo.st/4ytYKss
wapo.st
Opinion | Longhorns fans are a Texas-size win for American assimilation
Diversity at a football game is not a "problem."
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This Democrat’s comeback saga began long before his primary upset. My latest story is a profile of Wisconsin Democratic nominee for governor David Crowley. (Gift link.) wapo.st/4xrNJHt
wapo.st
This Democrat’s comeback saga began long before his primary upset
David Crowley had a surprising path to becoming his party’s nominee for governor of Wisconsin. His life before that was even more unlikely.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
What you simply must read today. Such a tale from @merylkornfield.bsky.social -- He was cleaning his garage. Then he found a file marked ‘SECRET.’ wapo.st/4yDFDwu
wapo.st
He was cleaning his garage. Then he found a file marked ‘SECRET.’
A surprise discovery unearthed a large cache of World War II documents that had been lost to history.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The awkward question that undergirds the Republican midterm convention: How much does Trump really care about the GOP? (gift link) wapo.st/4qZtak5
wapo.st
Analysis | How much does Trump care about the GOP?
The president’s own public comments and actions have called his motivation into question.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
With Ohio’s governorship up for grabs, a toxic race turns violent (gift link) wapo.st/3VhfPaM
wapo.st
With Ohio’s governorship up for grabs, a toxic race turns violent
An alleged assailant forced his way Sunday toward Democratic candidate Amy Acton at a county fair, officials and witnesses said. Authorities said he was carrying two pistols and a Taser.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Armed individual ‘lunged’ at Democrat nominee for Ohio governor, campaign says
Amy Acton’s campaign said multiple people were injured at the event at a county fair in Canfield, Ohio.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Terrific exclusive reporting from @lizcgoodwin.bsky.social and @oliviacgeorge.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
A former Mike Collins staffer posted KKK and Nazi images. Some Republicans see a pattern.
Rep. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) is challenging Sen. Jon Ossoff (D). The former Collins staffer posted a swastika and shared an image of himself in what appear to be KKK robes.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Ontario, California, you’re next. The Sharpie will be coming after you.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Democrats are moving past the resistance. They want a new kind of fighter. (Gift link.) wapo.st/4wBj8qs
wapo.st
Analysis | Democrats are moving past the resistance. They want a new kind of fighter.
Prominent Democrats from President Donald Trump’s first-term battles are losing in primaries, a signal their party wants something else as it looks to 2028.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Amazing piece from @theatlantic. What it tells you about @Mike_Pence will probably surprise you.: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
theatlantic.com
The Wrong Kind of American
The Trump White House needed me—until the fact that I am trans became public.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Is it just me, or does anyone else think Lala seems like a bad name for a hurricane?
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
No gold leaf? Yet another WaPo SCOOP: Navy weighs major warship redesign to match Trump’s preferences. Great reporting from Noah Robertson and @taracopp.bsky.social wapo.st/4wqjGiV
wapo.st
Navy weighs major warship redesign to match Trump’s preferences
The president wants the new fleet of aircraft carriers to more resemble those from World War II. Such a change could cost billions.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Just this week alone, so many reasons to make sure you are reading the @washingtonpost.com x.com/BenMullin/st...
x.com
Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) on X
Matt Murray, the executive editor of The Washington Post, emails staff about the journalistic heater the newsroom is on:
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Reposted by Karen Tumulty
Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Thanks to @ktumulty.bsky.social and @maxboot.bsky.social for talking with me about the new Cold War movie about the 1986 Reykjavik summit: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
A Cold War Movie That Gives Too Much Credit to Ronald Reagan
The Brink of War, a new film about the Reykjavik summit, is too kind to the Gipper.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
What you political junkies know you want to read today: Wisconsin surprise raises big questions about polls and Democratic voters. From @sfcpoll.bsky.social wapo.st/4xDxlE9
wapo.st
Wisconsin surprise raises big questions about polls and Democratic voters
Surveys had showed Francesca Hong with a significant lead in the Democratic primary for governor. Then she lost. What did the polls get wrong?
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
What happens downballot really matters this year. Here's why Madison Democrats are breathing a sigh of relief: With Crowley atop their ticket, Wisconsin Democrats hope for a 2026 sweep (gift link, because I still have a few left on my subscription): wapo.st/4fV4V2B
wapo.st
Analysis | With Crowley atop their ticket, Wisconsin Democrats hope for a 2026 sweep
The party establishment is breathing a sign of relief that democratic socialist Francesca Hong, who led the pre-election polls by double-digits, will not be topping their ticket.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Is being conveyed across the tarmac by a catering truck really all that different from having to take the People Mover at Dulles?
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
WaPo SCOOP: Under assassination threat, Trump was spirited away in a catering truck and put on a smaller plane, leaving everyone left aboard AF1 as a "decoy." @danlamothe.bsky.social @Johnphudson.bsky.social @abtran.bsky.social @joyceslee.bsky.social wapo.st/4i1OByh
wapo.st
Contradicting public statements, Trump took secret flight from Turkey amid Iranian threat
The White House said the president was aboard Air Force One as he left a NATO summit. Instead, his departure included an elaborate ruse that concealed his travel.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Have you noticed? Whataboutism is never an argument someone makes from a position of strength.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
The Take: Michigan Senate primary shows Democratic establishment has lost its grip wapo.st/4ge7Nrh
wapo.st
Analysis | Michigan Senate primary shows Democratic establishment has lost its grip
The upset highlighted how out of touch the power brokers are with the party's surging left wing as they try to retake control of the Senate.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Amid a democratic socialist surge, the DSA asks itself: What’s next? (in the spirit of socialism, a gift link) wapo.st/4yPmI2F
wapo.st
Analysis | Amid a democratic socialist surge, the DSA asks itself: What’s next?
For Democratic Socialists of America leaders, the 2026 primaries have brought wins beyond what they dared to hope for. Now, they want to expand their reach.
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The best part is the map showed the Ivory Coast was landlocked and they didn't bat an eye.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
There's a lot on the line for Democrats in Pennsylvania in the midterms -- and for the presidential prospects of @JoshShapiroPA www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Analysis | What the midterms mean for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2028 hopes
A Democratic sweep of Pennsylvania’s competitive U.S. House and state legislative races could boost the case for Shapiro in his party’s presidential primary.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
What the midterms mean for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2028 hopes www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Analysis | What the midterms mean for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2028 hopes
A Democratic sweep of Pennsylvania’s competitive U.S. House and state legislative races could boost the case for Shapiro in his party’s presidential primary.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
After an event in Bethlehem, PA, Hakeem Jeffries told reporters DNC Chair Ken Martin has his "full support." 1/2
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Troy Jackson and now Ken Martin throwing things. Men are so emotional.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
NEW: Republicans see ‘scary’ lack of enthusiasm among core voters ahead of midterms. @washingtonpost.com From Liz Goodwin and Ben Binday. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Republicans see ‘scary’ lack of enthusiasm among core voters ahead of midterms
Pollsters and GOP groups are raising the alarm about an unmotivated base in an election year that would be tough no matter what, given the president’s low approval.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Friend notes that last night's WHCD reminds him of Hunter S. Thompson's famous expression: "Buy the ticket, take the ride."
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Alexei Koseff @akoseff.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
As Maine Democrats chose delegates this weekend for their convention to nominate a new Senate candidate, Troy Jackson sprinted to a lead so formidable that two of his top rivals dropped out. @ktumulty.bsky.social reported on the ground: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Maine Democrats rally around logger Troy Jackson to replace Graham Platner
The former state senate president, a progressive who champions Medicare-for-all, sprinted to a formidable lead in the race to take on GOP Sen. Susan Collins. Two of Jackson's top rivals dropped out.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Sometimes I wonder whether Washington Post commenters are reading the same story, or just projecting what they are feeling onto the person who wrote it:
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Plus, two photo credits for me in this one! A new career is dawning! -- Maine Democrats rally around logger Troy Jackson to replace Graham Platner wapo.st/4fqVoie
wapo.st
Maine Democrats rally around logger Troy Jackson to replace Graham Platner
Jackson, a progressive who champions worker rights and Medicare-for-all, has quickly emerged as the favorite to take on Republican Susan Collins in the Senate race in November.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Maine Democrats rally around logger Troy Jackson to replace Graham Platner wapo.st/4fqVoie
wapo.st
Maine Democrats rally around logger Troy Jackson to replace Graham Platner
Jackson, a progressive who champions worker rights and Medicare-for-all, has quickly emerged as the favorite to take on Republican Susan Collins in the Senate race in November.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Hello from Maine. It’s on!
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
NEW: Trump approval stuck in the 30s amid pessimism on Iran and economy, WaPo poll finds -- from Dan Balz and @sfcpoll.bsky.social wapo.st/4vxV6fq
wapo.st
Trump approval stuck in the 30s amid pessimism on Iran and economy, poll finds
Americans give President Trump broadly negative assessments, including on the Iran war and the economy, a Washington Post-Ipsos poll finds.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
My latest Take: Michigan could define Democrats. But what should the party stand for? wapo.st/4vwkges
wapo.st
Analysis | Michigan could define Democrats. But what should the party stand for?
A freshman lawmaker from the state says liberals cannot afford to argue over ideology and must reconnect with the “drowning” working class.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Excellent piece from @oliviacgeorge.bsky.social about the online nuttiness surrounding Lindsey Graham's death: In an era of suspicion, political conspiracy theories flourish online wapo.st/4vtWboy
wapo.st
In an era of suspicion, political conspiracy theories flourish online
The internet’s reactionary machinery is churning at full force after Lindsey Graham’s sudden death and Mitch McConnell’s illness.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Unexpectedly this morning, I found myself having to write this obituary: Lindsey Graham, foreign policy hawk and Trump’s critic turned ally, dies at 71 wapo.st/4vmHCTB
wapo.st
Lindsey Graham, foreign policy hawk and Trump’s critic turned ally, dies at 71
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who spent more than three decades in the House and the Senate, died Saturday at 71.
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Karen Tumulty @ktumulty.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Want to know how mainstream Dems and democratic socialists differ on the issues? Useful and clarifying piece from Steve Thompson and the @washingtonpost -- wapo.st/44UexUG
wapo.st
Democratic socialists want to reshape the economy. Here’s how.
From a typical work week to minimum wage and taxes, Democratic Socialists want to go further than Democrats on many economic issues.
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