Steve Benen

49 Articles

Maddow Blog | The one thing Trump got from Putin had nothing to do with the war in Ukraine

To the extent that Donald Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin was about ending the war in Ukraine, the…

Maddow Blog | Just how far would Trump go in his quest for a Nobel prize?

At a White House late last week, a reporter reminded Donald Trump, “The Norwegian Nobel Committee will make…

New polling makes Trump’s claims about his popularity look ridiculous

After California Gov. Gavin Newsom mocked Donald Trump’s sinking public support, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa appeared on Fox…

Maddow Blog | In sandwich-throwing case, AG Pam Bondi and the White House trip over inconvenient facts

It’s been a few days since Donald Trump militarized the nation’s capital, resulting in a great many arrests.…

Maddow Blog | As Trump prepares for his latest summit with Putin, don’t forget his last one

Donald Trump met Russia’s Vladimir Putin on a variety of occasions during his first term, though most were…

Trump suggests going around Congress to maintain federal control of D.C. police

It’s been a few days since Donald Trump announced he’s deploying National Guard troops to D.C. streets and…

Maddow Blog | Trump’s NIH chief tries (and fails) to defend cuts to mRNA vaccine research

The list of bad decisions from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not short, but this was…

Maddow Blog | Wednesday’s Campaign Round-Up, 8.13.25: Sherrod Brown eyes comeback bid in Ohio

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.* Texas Republicans signaled an end to their special…

Maddow Blog | From cooking the books to hiding the books: Team Trump puts access to jobs data in doubt

A key element of the White House’s war on data is hiding government statistics it doesn’t like. In…

Maddow Blog | White House to review Smithsonian exhibits to ensure Trump’s views are reflected

As a political matter, it’s been a difficult year for the Smithsonian. In late March, for example, Donald…

Maddow Blog | With new labor statistics nominee, Trump heads in a radical and hazardous direction

Up until two weeks ago, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics was a relatively obscure federal office,…

Maddow Blog | Monday’s Campaign Round-Up, 8.11.25: Democrats’ lead grows in the race for Congress

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.* When it comes to partisan gerrymandering, Republican officials…

Maddow Blog | Cory Mills’ controversies create a new challenge for House Republican leaders

By any fair measure, George Santos is the most controversial member of Congress — from either party, in…

Maddow Blog | Pressed for evidence on her conspiracy theories, Tulsi Gabbard falls embarrassingly short

Three weeks after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard tried to discredit Donald Trump’s Russia scandal and started…

Maddow Blog | Thursday’s Campaign Round-Up, 8.7.25: Blackburn launches Tennessee gubernatorial campaign

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match…