covering creators, until recently national political reporter @washingtonpost ✰ past lives @USAToday, @njhotline, @CNN, @UChiPolitics

New beat alert! I’m still at the @washingtonpost, but expanding my coverage and launching a newsletter about the creator economy next month (powered by @beehiiv). Sign up for Verified here — and in the meantime send me your tips and gossip 💌 wpcreator.washingtonpost.com…
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“Mr. Trump, I know you have so much trouble pronouncing her name. Here’s the good news — after the election, you can just call her Madam President,” says Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in Stevens Point, WI.
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The UNC flag frat bros are here at the RNC
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Xiaojie Tan was killed the day before her 50th birthday, when she “would have gathered with her only child for a slice of strawberry fresh cream cake, her favorite. The mother and daughter were best friends.” So devastating. usatoday.com/story/news/nati…
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“You’ve got a senate race you can win in Texas,” Tim Walz told attendees at a fundraiser in Dallas. “My God, just do it for all of America: replace Ted,” he added. #TXSen
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Josh Shapiro pushed back on Trump’s claim that he wasn’t chosen as VP bc he is Jewish. Shapiro: “Trump is completely full of it & he's trying to use me & he's trying to use other Jews to divide Americans further…antisemitism played absolutely no role in my dialog with” the VP.
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“You’re close sweetie,” Gov. Walz told a baby cow struggling to find a bottle during a stop by Maple Bottom Farm in Dawson, Pennsylvania. “I don’t want to make you work so hard. There you go, there you go, I was making you work too hard.”
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Tim and Hope Walz picked out pumpkin and chocolate whoopie pies and apple cider donuts at Cherry Hill Orchards. “We’re pumpkin people,” said Hope Walz. “Look at me I have no problem picking out donuts,” Walz joked, an apparent reference to JD Vance’s recent campaign stop.
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A horrifying personal account of yesterday inside the Capitol from Times photographer @erinschaff: nytimes.com/2021/01/07/us/po…
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my claim to fame is that’s my phone and head
this washington post photo went so hard. so much more iconic than trump’s mugshot
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Sen. Ossoff says of Jackson, “She handled the attacks, many of which were cruel and unfair, with strength and poise and grace.”
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Sen. @ReverendWarnock waits in line to vote in Fulton County:
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The campaign is distributing attendees of the Philly Harris-Walz rally light up bracelets, like you’d find at a concert. They’re flashing red, white, and blue as the arena fills up.
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Rep. Jim Clyburn said he plans to speak to Biden today and tell him to “stay the course.” He said “there’s no better Democrat” and directed nervous Democrats to “chill out.”
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Overheard from an attendee at the Cuomo watch party, where some supporters have already left: “He’s going to speak at this? What the fuck is he going to say, I suck, I lost?”
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I haven’t received this many manic all caps text messages since Biden dropped out
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Vivek Ramaswamy is performing Lose Yourself at the Iowa State Fair:
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farewell kamala hq brat banner 🍏
goodbye forever brat summer.
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Gov. Tim Walz, Gwen Walz, and Gus Walz are voting early at the Ramsey County Elections Office in St. Paul, MN. The governor said he’s excited that Gus, who recently turned 18, is voting with him for the first time.
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DeSantis tells an Iowa voter: “We’re going to do ballot harvesting. I’m doing it, yes.” He says he won’t “fight with one hand tied behind my back.”
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Campaign fashion report from Philly:
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“I'm gonna get sworn in 1am on Saturday after two members almost got into a physical altercation on the House floor after my 15th Vote for speaker on my fourth day here,” @MaxwellFrostFL tells me of his first week in Washington. “So kind of a shitshow.”
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It’s 106° in Las Vegas, where supporters are lined up to see Kamala Harris and Tim Walz speak this evening. There are pallets of water, Gatorade, and popsicles outside the event, and large misters pointed at the lines.
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Surrogates in the debate spin room tonight for Walz, per the campaign: - Sen. Amy Klobuchar - Sen. Mark Kelly - Sen. Ben Ray Luján - Gov. Jared Polis - Gov. JB Pritzker - Rep. Jasmine Crockett - Chair Jaime Harrison
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Rep. Bob Good: “I’m absolutely a no. You don’t ever have to ask me again if I’m a no. Never have to ask me again if I’m a on Kevin McCarthy. I will never vote for Kevin McCarthy.”
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Some delegate fun facts from the DNCC: - the oldest delegate is Jimmy Carter - the youngest delegate is a 17 year old Minnesotan who will turn 18 three days before the election
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I asked Republicans at the 2024 GOP convention their song of the summer for the @washingtonpost — spoiler alert: no brat summer here.
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Kamala Harris responds to protestors in Ann Arbor, MI: “I hear you on the subject of Gaza. We all want this war to end as soon as possible and get the hostages out. And I will do everything in my power to make it so."
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The biggest applause getters so far at the Congressional Black Caucus ceremonial swearing in this morning as members are introduced: Sen. Raphael Warnock and new Reps. Maxwell Frost and Emilia Sykes:
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I carried Malört shooters around the entire city of Chicago trying to get politicians to try what Gov. @JBPritzker called the unofficial drink of the Democratic National Convention for the @washingtonpost. Here’s their reviews:
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One attendee I just spoke to at the Cuomo watch party, assessing the vibes: “I thought there’d be sushi, there'd be steak. I mean, his campaign has tens of millions of dollars to spend. And what do we got? Popcorn is the main source of food, and beer and wine.”
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Spotted at tonight’s Kamala Harris/Tim Walz campaign rally in Philadelphia: @ziwe!!
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Sen. @ReverendWarnock waits in line to vote early ahead of the #GASen runoff:
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George Santos just entered the Speaker’s Lobby, wouldn’t answer my question about calls for him to step down but stopped to look at a staffers dog wearing a tie.
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An extended anecdote from Herschel Walker on the trail today about vampires and werewolves: “Vampires are cool people, are they not?” “A werewolf can kill a vampire, did you know that? I never knew that. So I don’t want to be a vampire anymore, I want to be a werewolf.” 🧛🏼‍♀️
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Long line to vote at the Cobb County Elections office in Marietta, where early Saturday voting just started.
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Senator @CoryBooker says that during the KBJ vote, Vice President Kamala Harris encouraged him and Sen. Warnock to both write a letter to a young girl in their life, and gave them OVP paper to do so. He said he hasn’t decided who to write to yet.
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Walz has arrived in Dallas for a campaign fundraiser. He was greeted by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, LULAC president Roman Palomares, Texas Democratic Party chair Gilberto Hinojosa, and Texas Democratic Party executive director Monique Alcala.
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Sen. @ReverendWarnock and @AmbAndrewYoung walk to the polls:
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Walz will “kick off an aggressive post-debate travel and media blitz,” per source. - PA today, fundraising in OH Saturday, then fundraising in CA & WA and a return to NV where rally was postponed due to fires. - 2 natl TV intvs, late night TV, and “top pop culture” pod planned.
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Per the Ohio Democratic Party there are 2100 attendees here in the main auditorium to see Tim Walz in Youngstown, OH, and an additional 599 people in the overflow room.
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Nikki Haley responds to Trump’s attack on her husband, Michael Haley: “If you mock the service of a combat veteran, you don't deserve a driver's license, let alone being President of the United States.”
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how it started / how it’s going ☃️
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Chris Sununu says “if anyone cared about Tim Scott he’d still be running for president.” “Nobody cares.”
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Everytown trucks in front of the NRA convention in Indianapolis:
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“The thing about the debate is, you know, nobody hit me so I wasn’t gonna get involved in that scrum. I know those guys were going back and forth. And what I did with 100% of my time was to speak directly to the American people…,” DeSantis says of his debate performance.
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Cuomo 2̶0̶2̶5̶ 2026?
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“Webb said her mother was obsessed with the idea of traveling, and devoured travel stories from her customers, adding new destinations to her running list whenever they came back from a trip: Alaska. Europe. Sweden.”
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The DeSantis family plays baseball at the Field of Dreams:
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"After, the family couldn't bring themselves to tell Tan's mother that her daughter was dead. Instead, the family cut a cake & called Jami Webb to ask about the guest of honor. 'She kept asking to talk to my mom. We told my grandma that my mom lost her phone & couldn't answer.'"
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Rep. George Santos's campaign website says his mother was in the South Tower on 9/11, but immigration records indicate she wasn’t even in the U.S. on that day. He previously wrote that “9/11 claimed my mothers life”; she actually died in 2016. washingtonpost.com/politics/…
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Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and Maggie Rogers will campaign together in Michigan on Monday, per a campaign official.
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.@PeteButtigieg answers a question from a reporter — in Norwegian — whole flipping pork chops at the Iowa State Fair.
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Babydog is perhaps the most beloved figure on Capitol Hill: she has built her own political brand and is swarmed for selfies by members on both sides of the aisle. I followed her around the Senate to capture a day in her life in Washington (stay for the wagon pov cam🎥):
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.@MaxwellFrostFL, the first Gen Z elected to Congress, campaigns for Sen. @ReverendWarnock on the day before the runoff at Georgia Tech:
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Rep. @DanCrenshawTX is pissed. “I'm tired of your stupid platitudes that some that some consultant told you to say on the campaign trail, alright. Behind closed doors tell us what you actually want, or shut the fuck up,” he said of the 20 defectors.
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The House Gallery as protesters tried to break into the Chamber, by @andyharnik for AP Photo.
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The Harris campaign invited more than two dozen Arizona content creators and microinfluencers to today's event in Glendale, ranging from food creators to nail techs. The list includes @Deja_Foxx, who was notably the influencer & surrogate strategist for Harris's 2020 campaign.
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pov ur the gop’s most famous dog getting a tour of the convention floor
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Nikki Haley responds to Ron DeSantis ending his campaign: “I want to say to Ron, he ran a great race. He’s been a good governor, and we wish him well. Having said that, it’s now one fella and one lady left.”
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🚨 Babydog is being wheeled around the convention floor in a wagon.
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Sens. Klobuchar & Baldwin have joined Gov. Tim Walz for a students event at UW Eau Claire. Klobuchar: “We're gonna see like a bus going through Western Wisconsin with — I want you to picture this — Bernie Sanders & Dick Cheney together holding a sign that says brat fall.”
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Walz, in an interview with @WCMUNews today, was asked how a Harris-Walz administration would handle the Israel-Hamas war and if it would break with the Biden administration in any way. Here's his full answer:
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The Supreme Court is completely surrounded by flowers in honor of RBG.
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D.C. Police Officer Daniel Hodges tells me he was in his head when he and other law enforcement officers were approached by witness/rioter Stephen Ayers, trying to decide if he should shake his hand. “I asked him if he was sorry and he said ‘yes,’ and I said ‘I hope so.’”
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Some ✨personal news✨: I am thrilled to join the @washingtonpost as a Campaign Reporter covering the midterms & 2024. I’m excited to be part of the Post’s efforts to reach younger & more diverse audiences. Send me your tips & I’ll see you on the trail! washingtonpost.com/pr/2022/0…
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At a debate party attended mostly by undecided Republican voters, Vivek Ramaswamy was the crowd favorite in a field of more experienced political figures, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. via @sabrod123 in New Hampshire wapo.st/3P9p8nF
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An emotional @SenatorLeahy told reporters that Judge Jackson “is an inspiration to all of us, to our families, those of us who have daughter, and granddaughters both white and black.”
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“This is a man who is a voice of moral clarity in the U.S. Senate,” Sen. @ossoff says of @ReverendWarnock on the campaign trail in Athens. Ossoff notes the insulin cap for seniors — “not just ideas but results.”
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Tim Walz, the former DGA chair, said he would be “thrilled” if Kamala Harris decides to run for California governor. “She would be a strong candidate. It would help make sure we do well in California. I think she'd be a great governor, just being around her.”
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Students at Kennesaw State University are lined up for a pic with Sen. Warnock after his Students for Warnock rally here on campus:
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“I love Georgia and my wife’s from here and I got a lot of people here,” says @davematthewsbnd, stumping for @ReverendWarnock in Atlanta. “When you go home, please tell all your friends that were on the fence to get off the fence and get on the correct side.”
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Haley responds to Trump’s NATO comment: “I dealt with Russia every single day in the United Nations. Putin kills his opponents. He invades free countries. This is not someone you ever want to pal around with and you certainly don't want to give them the right to invade a friend.”
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Gov. Tim Walz recently spoke via speakerphone to students at a polling location in Bethlehem, Penn. — many of whom had been waiting in line for hours — thanking them for their support and urging them to stay in line.
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More chants of “we’re not eating cats” at Walz’s Grand Rapids rally.
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Vivek Ramaswamy greets Trump campaign and Never Back Down volunteers (who requested a selfie) at the Boone County GOP social:
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Harris-Walz special celeb guests in the battlegrounds on the final day of the campaign: Arizona Phoenix: La Original Banda El Limón Georgia Atlanta: 2 Chainz, Anthony Hamilton, Ciara, Joy of Jesse & Joy, remarks by Usher Michigan Detroit (Walz): Detroit Youth Choir, Jon Bon Jovi, The War and Treaty Nevada Las Vegas: Christina Aguilera, Los Tigres Del Norte, SOFI TUKKER, remarks by Eva Longoria North Carolina Raleigh: Fantasia Barrino, James Taylor, Remi Wolf, and Sugarland Pennsylvania Pittsburgh (Harris): D-Nice, Katy Perry, Andra Day Philadelphia (Harris): DJ Cassidy, Fat Joe, Freeway and Just Blaze, Lady Gaga, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Ricky Martin, The Roots, Jazmine Sullivan and Adam Blackstone, and Oprah Winfrey Wisconsin Milwaukee (Walz): Eric Benét
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Nikki Haley, asked why minorities should vote for her: “I am a minority first, so I think I’m as diverse as it gets. But I think minorities are smart. Minorities don’t vote for people because the color of their skin.”
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The Harris-Walz campaign’s back to school blitz: - Snapchat takeover, targeted social ads, on campus ads in school papers and websites - doubling youth and campus staff to 150 organizers, w focus on state schools, community colleges and MSIs - barnstorm tour feat Maxwell Frost
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Trump’s mic went out in Detroit, he’s still standing on stage and the screens now say “technical difficulties complicated business.” It’s been more than ten minutes.
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Nikki Haley’s son, Nalin Haley, is kicking off her event in Gilbert tonight. “Senator Judas — excuse me, Senator Scott,” he says of Tim Scott’s endorsement of Trump.
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Sen. Raphael Warnock greets supporters outside the Georgia Senate debate in Savannah:
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Spotted outside the debate in Milwaukee:
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Some Arizona delegates are sporting mock ear bandages in honor of Trump —
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I asked politicians at the 2024 Democratic National Convention their song of the summer for the @washingtonpost. Just like the RNC, no brat summer here.
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When the pandemic started I was 22 and today I turn 24....is this allowed.
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On Chairman Thompson portraying Ayers as a typical family man in questioning, Hodges said “It’s correct and also dismissive. You can't remove his culpability or anyone’s culpability for what they did then even if they were targets of propaganda.”
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Tim Walz responds to the school shooting in Georgia: “This is tragic. We don't know any of the details on it yet, but it's a situation that's all too common and our hearts are out there right now, but our work needs to do to prevent these in the future, as we know.“
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The Harris campaign says there are more than 15k attendees at tonight’s rally in Glendale, Arizona.
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Nikki Haley at a polling location in Hampton says “it’s amazing to get the first six votes” in Dixville Notch, adding “it gave us some good energy and momentum.” Sununu jokes “we’re not promising that it’s going to be 350,000 to zero but we’re definitely on track for that.”
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“You deserve a Senator who actually lives in Georgia,” says @ReverendWarnock. “Come next Tuesday we’re going to send him running back to Texas.”
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“I will tell you all that I am the youngest member of the Senate by a lot. And so Congressman elect, we welcome the reinforcements,” Sen. @ossoff tells @MaxwellFrostFL and Georgia Tech students.
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🚨Taylor Swift: “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
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Reps. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) and Brandon Gill (R-TX) serve as Congressional freshman class presidents. At 32 & 31 years old, they are the youngest female and youngest GOP member of Congress. I gave them instant cameras to capture a day in the life for Trump’s joint address 📷
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Some more politics/influencer news: The Harris campaign invited more than two dozen influencers and microinfluencers to the Harris-Walz rally in Las Vegas today. The list includes several drag queens who have appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race, acrobats and a bento box influencer.
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DeSantis’ daughters play at the Field of Dreams:
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Nikki Haley continues to hammer Trump’s mental fitness, saying “when you’re 80, that’s what happens. You’re just not as sharp as you used to be…We need to know that the person that’s going to be in this office has the stamina to be at the top of their game.”
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Sgt. Gonell on apology: “I mean, I didn't expect it, I know that I warrant it, so it is what it is. I'm not holding any grudges. I'm trying to live with my life, get back to my normal routine. Learn how to cope and live with my new disabilities.”
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Tim Scott responds to the latest Trump indictment: “we’ve seen the legal system being weaponized against political opponents, that is un-American and unacceptable.” He says he heard the Georgia call but won’t answer @alivitali if he would make the same ask for votes as prez.
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Two guys are holding a “EAT A CORNDOG, YOU COWARD,” sign outside a window where Vivek Ramaswamy is doing a radio interview.
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“That’s about all I can do right now,” he said. Hodges was crushed between two doors and beaten by his own baton on Jan. 6. “It’s odd to put a face to the faceless crowd.”
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