Rachael Bade
@rachaelmbade
POLITICO Capitol Bureau Chief & Senior Washington Columnist . ABC contributing political correspondent. Recovering Playbook author. Mom. IVF survivor.
Happy National Daughter’s Day to my little monkey — the absolute greatest joy of my life. 😘
They say money can't buy happiness (which I kinda disagree with!) -- but it certainly can't buy you a successful 3rd party bid. @hollyotterbein on all the challenges Elon faces as he tries to get the "America Party" off the ground. politico.com/news/2025/07/0…
Hunter Biden, whose various scandals and criminal convictions dogged his father's presidency, lashes out in a profane outburst at Democrats like Clooney, Axelrod, Carville, Dunn and the Pod Save America guys for hurting Joe Biden. @reidepstein nytimes.com/2025/07/21/us/…
For those not on Capitol Hill, this is a House GOP debacle. They are so scared of votes re: Epstein that they will punt most of this week's legislative schedule and start their summer break early.
Two GOP members of the House Rules Committee told us no rule will be produced for bills this week, all because the GOP can't figure out a path forward on Epstein
👀 I'm so confused on so many levels. Why is he doing this now? What's the play here?
Hunter Biden calls out the Pod Save America team as "four white millionaires dining out on their association with Barack Obama from 16 years ago" as he outlines his issues with the greater Democratic establishment
Khanna winning the 2028 podcast primary, no question
Fair and honest question @TheoVon! Let us come together @JDVance to put America first & pass @RepThomasMassie & my bill demanding the release of the Epstein files. What say you?
This was not preordained! axios.com/2022/01/10/tru…
Trump endorses Sen. Mike Rounds, who voted for the rescissions package last week after balking initially at broadcasting cuts. He said he got reassurances on emergency alert funding from Trump admin
News —Speaker Mike Johnson shuts the door on a House vote before August recess on a resolution calling for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. “No,” he told me when asked if there’d be a vote before recess. Says wants to give administration “space” to deal with issue
Amazing detail
In fact, Murdoch and Bondi were both in the VIP box w Trump on Sunday
A lot of misreporting already suggesting AG Pam Bondi will "release" something, or that the court will do something tomorrow. All we know is DOJ can make the *request* tomorrow, but we may see nothing for quite a while, if at all.
Trump's call to release "pertinent" Epstein grand jury info represents only a portion of the evidence that would make up the so-called "Epstein files" — and it's the portion that has the most obstacles to release, given strict grand jury secrecy rules courts are reluctant to lift
🤔Counterintuitive take: This WSJ story just might be the best thing to happen to Trump since the Epstein story exploded. For the first time, those who most vocally criticized him/his admins for not releasing enough info, are now rallying to his support. (At least for now... we…
NEW: Maurene Comey, who prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was fired today from her job at the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, per two people familiar with the matter politico.com/news/2025/07/1…
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🚨EXCLUSIVE: Lara Trump says the Trump administration Will Release more Epstein Evidence and Will Have More Transparency. She says that President Trump Hears the Base on this Issue and knows how "Important" it is and Trump will "set things right." "There needs to be more…
Scoop from @jordainc @rachaelmbade: Joni Ernst has told people she has not decided whether to run again and Senate Republicans are concerned she is going to call it quits politico.com/news/2025/07/1…
Senate Republicans are bracing for another one of their colleagues to possibly call it quits: Joni Ernst. @jordainc @rachaelmbade politico.com/news/2025/07/1…
Great new reporting from @rachaelmbade @jordainc @EliStokols on what's REALLY happening with Russia sanctions: Trump wants way more flexibility to turn them on and off, and there's no deal yet. politico.com/news/2025/07/0…
💃🌻☀️LIL' SCOOPLET: Sen. Lindsey Graham is telling everyone Trump is on board with his Russia sanctions bill. Turns out there's good reason some of his own GOP colleagues are skeptical. YES, POTUS wants this bill to try to leverage/muscle Putin to the negotiating table.…
New: SecDef Hegseth did not inform the White House before he authorized a pause on weapons shipments to Ukraine last week, 5 sources tell @NatashaBertrand & me, setting off a scramble inside the administration to understand why the halt was implemented. cnn.com/2025/07/08/pol…
My latest column: On the inevitability of the BBB, Trump as Kool Aid Man and our tribal times 🇺🇸🇺🇸 politico.com/news/magazine/…