Rebecca Ballhaus
@rebeccaballhaus
@WSJ investigative reporter. Previously covered the White House and money in politics. [email protected] or Signal at rballhaus.79
In the 5 months since President Trump announced sweeping tariffs, Amazon quietly raised prices on low-cost products such as deodorant, protein shakes and pet care items, a WSJ analysis of nearly 2,500 items found. wsj.com/business/retai…
In May, Bondi and her deputy informed Trump at a meeting in the White House that his name was in the Epstein files, alongside many other high-profile figures. Being mentioned in the records isn’t a sign of wrongdoing. On July 15, Trump was asked whether Bondi had told him that…
SCOOP: Hegseth's texts about bombing Yemen derived from a classified email labeled "SECRET/NOFORN," per info provided to the DOD Inspector General for a forthcoming report, flying in the face of longstanding Trump administration claims that no classified info was shared: sources
With his nemesis, Elon Musk, out of the picture, Sam Altman has forged closer ties with President Trump, dining with the president at his private golf club and declaring he has left the Democratic Party. w/@DanaMattioli @jdawsey1 wsj.com/tech/ai/sam-al… via @WSJ
wsj.com/politics/trump…
“The letter bearing Trump’s name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdy—like others in the album. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the…
“The letter bearing Trump’s name, which was reviewed by the Journal, is bawdy—like others in the album. It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the…
Nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food—enough to feed about 1.5 million children for a week—are set to be incinerated. Federal workers have urged leadership for months to send the food, meant for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, before it expired. theatlantic.com/health/archive…
Convicted Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has hired Ches McDowell, a lobbyist close to Donald Trump Jr., to help him pursue a pardon. wsj.com/politics/polic…
Lobbyist Barry Bennett has flown 379,000 miles this year looking for business. “I have three and a half more years,” he said. “You can sleep when you’re dead.” In Trump’s Washington, lobbyists are navigating the question of how to get rich—but not so rich that they attract…
“Pigs get fat, and hogs get slaughtered.” As lobbying booms in Trump’s DC & there are seemingly few rules, some consultants & lobbyists wonder how much is too much? And what constitutes going too far? Latest w/@rebeccaballhaus & @MaggieSeverns: GIFT LINK: wsj.com/politics/polic…
Despite no longer being a government employee, Musk lieutenant Steve Davis continues to give directions to DOGE officials regularly and has privately told some of them that his departure was “fake news.” wsj.com/politics/polic…
An amazing get for the Atlantic. Vivian is the greatest ❤️
Grateful to @WSJ for an extraordinary +7 years and beyond excited to join @TheAtlantic at this exciting time for them — and for me. I’ll get started next month at the end of my maternity leave. (1/3)
Congratulations to the great @jdawsey1 @tylerpager @iarnsdorf on their fantastic new book, “2024,” out today! Order it here: bookshop.org/p/books/untitl…
NYT calls “2024” “a well-paced, thorough and often (darkly) humorous account of the two-year campaign season.” Kirkus says “with deep reporting and strong analysis, this might emerge as the definitive title on a hugely consequential election.” kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/j…
NEW: I tried to interview Joe Biden for my book on the 2024 election. I called his cell phone, and he agreed but cut it short as he boarded an Amtrak train. His aides then changed his number. NYT excerpt of 2024, w @jdawsey1 + @iarnsdorf —out today! nytimes.com/2025/07/08/us/…
Update: Just after our story ran, Trump told reporters the U.S. would have to send Ukraine more weapons. “We have to, they have to be able to defend themselves,” Trump said. “They’re getting hit very hard. Now they’re getting hit very hard. We’re gonna have to send more weapons.”
EXCLU: Trump told Zelensky in a Friday phone call that he wasn’t responsible for a halt in weapons shipments to Kyiv, signaling U.S. openness to continuing military aid for Ukraine. w @alexbward wsj.com/politics/natio…
"Authorities frustrated by continued resistance to Beijing are now prying children as young as four years old from their homes—before they have a chance to fully absorb the Tibetan language and way of life." wsj.com/world/china/ti…
The boss isn’t flying with us today,” LaCivita said. “So we’re the bait?” a staffer asked. New details on Iranian assassination threats against Trump, Pompeo, and others in a book from @jdawsey1 @tylerpager @iarnsdorf, out next month: washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/…
How ‘Daddy’ Trump Learned to Love NATO wsj.com/world/how-dadd…
Stephen Miller’s fingerprints are now on every issue from immigration to cutting university funding. Some of his colleagues say they are alarmed by some of the legal maneuvers he has proposed for executing the agenda—and Trump has gently ribbed him for being too “happy” about…